I am still gathering all my facts and waiting for the right time to buy an RX8. I may hold out for a 2005 but i am not sure i will make it.

does anyone know how flexible Mazda dealers are with the packages.

I want leather and all the goodies but I do not want a moonroof. I am 6'2" and i barely have enough room with the moonroof. I fit, but one good bump and my head is going to smack the roof.

From what i could tell, no moonrof will add about two inches of headroom.

thanks!

greese

With the 2004 models, that combination cannot be ordered or found.

You should check out the cloth interior though. It is very nice.

Originally posted by greese
I am still gathering all my facts and waiting for the right time to buy an RX8. I may hold out for a 2005 but i am not sure i will make it.

does anyone know how flexible Mazda dealers are with the packages.

I want leather and all the goodies but I do not want a moonroof. I am 6'2" and i barely have enough room with the moonroof. I fit, but one good bump and my head is going to smack the roof.

From what i could tell, no moonrof will add about two inches of headroom.

thanks!

greese

As far as I know, in the US, leather ONLY comes with GT package, and GT package ONLY comes with moonroof. I don't think dealer has any choice. I ran into same issue and will be getting a sport package and aftermarket leather. The moonroof reduces headroom by 1.5 inches for the front seats, no significant change in the back.

Other markets, such as Canada have different package configurations; tho I don't know if I'd care for the square wheels.... :D

Unfortunately, the leather interior is a part of the GT package which also includes the moonroof. Pretty tough to get anything that isn't part of a standard package. :(

Nope, not possible. Leather and sunroof go together in the US. But what you COULD do is to order the base or sport package model (both come with cloth) then add leather after the fact from the aftermarket. Do a search, you'll turn up several links to companies who are already making leather seat covers (completely replaces the cloth) as well as door trim. Seems to me they run around $1000-$1500.

Edit: Just ran across this link: http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13491 or this one: http://www.autoleathers.com/

that stinks. I know other car companies do it too but it would be nice to add it all a la carte. Probably less money in it that way for Mazda.

This is seems like a stupid question, but in all the packages, i don't see anything mentioned about floor mats but i do see them as an accessory item. Does this mean i have to buy floor mats separate?

I am not complaining. Just curious.

greese

Nice carpeted floor mats come standard. You can buy ones designed for crappy weather (heavy rubber, deeply channeled) as an accessory.

BTW, I didn't want the leather either, for the same reasons as you. But I got it anyway and solved the headroom problem with seat adjustment. I also *LOVE* the leather now that I've got it... and the seat heaters are wonderful. :)

are the seats all leather? the ribbed portion feels like plastic almost. maybe a hard vinyl, but not leather



greese

Not sure about the ribbed part. Might be vinyl to reduce wear. I know the main part of the front of the seats are leather, and the backs are vinyl.

?

The moonroof is also part of the touring pkg. So if you don't want the moonroof you will have to settle for the Sports pkg.

After further looking at the accessory list...

WTF are the Door Edge Guards? Is that one of those rubber gasket things around the edge of the door to keep from dinging other people's cars?

Does anyone have a picture of the front trim ring? Curious what that looks like.

Thanks for everyone's responses. You have all been a huge help. Most of this is stuff i anticipate my wife asking me about. I want to have my ducks in a row.

greese

The dumb option packaging that makes the moonroof mandatory was the reason for me as well to settle for the sport package only. Were the moonroof a separate option (as it is outside the US according to my understanding), I'd have gotten a GT.
I'm also planning to get aftermarket leather seats - thanks for those links that were posted.

The grille trim ring is a crappy-looking accessory that forms a ring around the front grille. It's an interesting idea, but in practice, it looks like a milk moustache. Believe me, it looks, very, very bad. And, it' s only available in black, so if your car is another color, it looks even more incongruous. Not only that, because of the way the edges of the front grille are curved, the grille trim ring never stays on quite right. Believe me, DO NOT get the grille trim ring. As for the door edge guards, they're just little black protectors that line the outer edge of the door when it's open, to protect the door when you open it in parking lots, etc. They're useful if you park in a lot of tight spaces, but they're not essential.

As for the leather seats, the ribbed portion is leather too. All pieces of the seat that you actually sit on or lean your back against are leather. There are some small sections on the lower part of the seat that are vinyl.