Went to Performance Mazda last night to see the 8. The car was "arrest me now and throw away the key" red. When we got there the engine bay was open and we could take a good look at it but the car was locked so we could not sit inside or look in the trunk. :(

I thought it was kind of strange but 3 of the 4 tires were on wrong. They were directional and pointing the wrong way.

When I asked the price, the sales rep said $46K, which if I am not mistaken is quite a bit more then the MSRP they mentioned a few months back.

Still need to sit and drive one before I put my money down, and the price had better go down some.

Hopefully the tires are on wrong so they can back down on the price.

WHOA! MAN! They have an 8 at Performance Mazda??? For how long??? Man I gotta get accross town ASAP! THe price is $36K maybe he just mis-spoke? Even fully loaded with Nav, it's not $46K although maybe he meant taxes in, which is about right.

Let me know ASAP how long that Rx-8 is in town!

SHITTY! I just called, normally they are open till 9 but tonight only till 5:30 and the car will be gone tomorrow morning :( There's no way I'm making it there in 30 minutes with enough time to spare and there's no way I can get there at 7am tomorrow :(

DAMN DAMN DAMN!

I went by this morning, it is the pre production model. It does look great but I won't be buying from them. They know nothing about the car (beside the price being wrong, two of the reps said it was a 5 speed front wheel drive). As for the display car, hell they wouldn't open the trunk let alone let me sit in it. Ok so let's see if I have this straight, they want me to put $1000 down for a $37k car that only a handful of people have driven pre production cars; they have a car in their showroom but they won't let anyone get inside nor open the doors or trunk, when they do eventually get the car they won't allow anyone (except themselves of course) test drive the car unless they have bought the car. Yeah like that is going to happen. This is an RX8 not a Ferrari.

Anyone been to the dealership in Hull? Are they any better?

two of the reps said it was a 5 speed front wheel drive
you have got to be joking:o maybe dealer guys are the same everywhere. when i went to one near me the sales guy called it the r s -8 several times, even after i had corrected him once. needless to say i am not buying from them.

Mac, ok maybe no biggy that I missed it then.

I test drove the Mazda 6 and been to Carling Motors twice in the last few weeks. Both times I was treated very well with no pressure what-so-ever!!

The Sales Manager's names is Jason, he is a youngish guy (late 20's? ) Very nice guy, let me take the 6 out alone (hey i'm only 24! so this is rare), didn't pressure me, just told me to come back and test drive the 4 cyl if I wished when I was ready to make the decision!

Hey Wing, thanks for the info on Carling Motors. I didn't know they were a Mazda shop. I will go check them out.

I wouldn't be so offended by the rep not letting me sit in the car or opening the doors/trunk if I was under 25 (age discrimination sucks but it has some basis) but I'm in my late thirties.:mad:

They are getting the package I will most likely take (winning blue MT no leather) but I'd rather wait then give my money to a dealer like this one.

Might want to talk to Chris Milke(sp?) at Bank St Mazda. He drives an older RX-7 so he is knowledgeable about the rotary, just had his engine rebuilt. Last time I was there someone joked about him getting rid of it and he said "they can have it when they pry my cold dead fingers from the wheel".

I got my Miata from him and have talked to him several times about the 8. I am hoping to get to drive one this summer if it all works out.

If I get really lucky, my son will be working there as a lot jockey this summer, but I am not holding my breath.

I have never been to performance Mazda, but bank st. Mazda is pretty sleezy too, just like bank st. Hyundai.

I think I'll buy from Carling, Mac if you get an RX-8 man I want to see it :)

Having owned a first year build FD for 6 years (VIN #79, Dec '91 build), Bank Steet Mazda was the best dealership to deal with. Let me rephrase that, all of the dealerships in the Ottawa Area (although I never went to Hull) were incompetent in one way or another, Bank Street was simply the least pathetic. Note, they were a PITA to deal with - bitching every time I brought it by and went so far as to accuse me of lying. Regardless, I still managed to get the motor, tranny, turbos, and interior trim warrantied (plus all other recalls). Total warranty cost was supposedly in excess of $12K. :eek: As much as I'd like to say I prefer Carling Mazda (in general less sleezy ambiance), they continuously tried to rip me off when I left the RX with them (so far as performing quite a bit of unauthorized work - no, I didn't pay). Don't even get me started on the lack of service from their Volvo branch. :mad:

A couple of years ago I wanted to lease a Protege ES to bridge the gap between the FD and upcoming RX-8. Carling Mazda couldn't get within $1500 of the deal at Bank Street and I know the general manager of Carling Motors quite well. He figured Bank Steet was trying to scam me, but the black ES currently sitting in my parking lot has proved him wrong...

Bummer I didn't know the 8 was at Performance, I would have definitely made the trip across town to check it out.

So..... maybe I'll head to Cornwall or Pembroke for a Mazda??

IMO, I'd first shop at Bank Street to see what their price is. Then shop around. I do like to shop in the smaller twons though, where smaller-marketed models don't move as quickly. As for servicing, I essentially became my own mechanic (replaced a second blown 13B-REW with zero prior mechanical experience).

Here's something interesting. I was told today by a sales rep that within the next 7 days they'll be getting a couple Ti MazdaSpeed Proteges and 2 RX-8s for sale?!?! I asked him 3 times, and he was 100% certain that they were getting 2 RX-8s next week. How they managed to get an RX-8 for sale is beyond me...

Originally posted by FritzMan
(replaced a second blown 13B-REW with zero prior mechanical experience).

I asked him 3 times, and he was 100% certain that they were getting 2 RX-8s next week. How they managed to get an RX-8 for sale is beyond me...

first, i must say i aspire to one day acomplish what you have: you're my hero :D

and secondly, i KNOW that many dealers confuse the 6 with the RX-8 when they say "V6 5 speed" or "we're getting a couple next week", becuase they AREN'T ANY LHD CARS BUILT YET, they DO NOT EXIST (sorry, yelling at him, not you...) so there's no way he could sell them :) no worries, they'll come when they come.

...er wait, are there some built?? if they're built, they're not even on the boat yet, and they're not coming to Canada... but i don't think that there're any built yet anyways (May or something, right??) so it's a moot point. :)

I'll believe they are getting RX-8's when I see it. LOL

The reason I hate bank st. Mazda is when I went to test drive a Miata, I was told, you know your lucky we are letting you try it (by myself leaving my g/f behind so the salesman could come along!) Because nobody else will let you test drive a "sports car".

Oh and the driving route? Down 40Km/h roads for 5 minutes, WOOHOO! Only right hand turns too, no lefts ?? Some stupid insurance crap, yeah right.

I hear ya on the Mazda6 confusion, what I didn't previously mention was the fact that he also said they were getting a couple of Mazda6 GTs (apparently they're hard to get right now). So, apparently the order coming in is: 2 Mazda6 GTs, 2 Ti MazdaSpeeds (already have a few other colors on the lot), and 2 RX-8 trim unknown (no shit?).

Believe me, I don't expect an RX-8 to be for sale within the next 7 days, but I am 100% convinced that he was certain they'd be getting one (make that 2). He was fully aware of the prototype 8 being at Performance Mazda (b/c they spent lots of coin upgrading their showroom - Mazda wanted to reward them). He was also aware how incredible that sounded because it was a "secret" they'd be getting the 8s. So much for the secret eh?

I'll keep you updated once I get my call to come in and see them. :D (laughing in sarcasm that is...)

:eek:... no shit, eh?? a reward, eh?? ...:eek:

Well if they are there next week, I might shit myself LOL...

Let us know man, but considering they aren't built I still find it hard to believe. Maybe next week I can trade my tiburon in for a new RX-8! LOL

Don't know if the 8 was supposed to be a secret or not, but I saw a full page add in the paper on Monday saying it would be there for 1 day only. I was out of town last week so did not see if it was promoted in other papers.

Don't know if it is still the same but when I test drove my Miata (from Carling Motors) I got to take it on the Queensway. Bank Street did not have one available for me to test drive.

So which dealer said they would have two RX8's in next week?

What the salesman was implying was that it was a secret that Bank Street would be getting two RX-8 for sale next week.

Yeah, Bank Street is in a bit of a weird spot for test drives. I usually take HuntClub then proceed to Walkley to get to 417. As far as I'm concerned, we're the ones spend hard earned after tax dollars for their products - there's no reason why we can't be telling them we the test drive will be - especially to test different types of driving scenarios. The secret is to work their confidence that you're genuinely interested. Personally, I spend a good hr talking and examining the vehicle before I actually drive it. That way the salesman chills a bit and you can not only get a long test drive, but you tell them where they are going and how hard you plan to work the car to get there... :D

Does anyone know if the Canadian Winning blue is a similar colour as the Protege 5 or as the Mazda 6? I just wished that Mutant blue was available.

Originally posted by zoom44

you have got to be joking:o maybe dealer guys are the same everywhere. when i went to one near me the sales guy called it the r s -8 several times, even after i had corrected him once. needless to say i am not buying from them.

r s -8 thats funny, maybe the guy has a hair lip.

So should we call bank st. Mazda, they apparently have 2 RX-8's to sell this week don't they? Where are they?? I'll buy one tonight if they have them!

I took my Miata in for service on Monday and went up to the show room. No 8's to be seen. The truck had just unloaded a new shipment of cars too.

I spoke with Jeff the service manager and he was not expecting any till June. Is it a surprise for the staff too?

First, needless to say there's no RX-8 in sight (as of yesterday evening), although I don't think the "shipment" arrived because I didn't see any MazdaSpeed Ti color Proteges. I was told by another salesman whom I've dealt with several times (ie: I trust) that they don't expect an RX-8 until end of May earliest.

I took a Mazda6 GS V6 out for a lengthy spin. For a Cdn $28K car, there's lots of features and OOMPH. Interior was surprisingly cheap though. The door handle/arm rest switches felt flimsy. The roof lining, especially near the windshield, had all these bulges which deformed at the slightest touch. The generic grey cloth interior looked very entry-level, black cloth available only on GFX and silver cars are, IMO, much nicer. The lack of back seat head rest is very apparent when sitting in the rear, and a possible safety concern from rear-impact accidents.

Still, there lots of room in front and back and the general driving ergonomics are great with a nice steering wheel, tilt and telescopic feature, and a nice short-throw shifter. Seats where much better than the Protege with better lower back support and thicker side bolsters (although a little too widely spaced for my physique). TCS feature is *very* agressive (almost like the brakes are being used) and something I would turn off.

Since I was able to test drive 30 min all by myself ;), I was able to get a good feel for the handling which did not disappoint given the package. Power assist was a little too much for my liking but got better at speed. There was surprising grip and handling, although body roll control is less than my Protege, and brake drive during ABS stops was quite noticable. Stiffer springs would indeed help without effecting the ride too much which was quite comfortable. Cruising at 120kph, RPM was much more reasonable than the Protege and overall cabin quietness was great. Engine noise is ideal with some agressive feedback yet not too intrusive.
The engine has plenty of low-end grunt for around town, yet becomes quite peaky as the RPMs rise. There really is a non-linear power curve and throttle adjustments were required to maintain a steady rate of acceleration as the RPMs rose. A set of headers on this car, and for me, the power output would be just about perfect. Due to the relative lack of torque, torque steer was really not too noticable, although I did test drive in the wet so traction was limited.

Without having tested and RX-8, what I know I will like about the
Mazda6 would be:
-Price (10K less)
-Mileage is 20-29, RX-8 is 3-4 MPG lower and needs premium
-Interior room, especially in back
-Fold down seat - have to be able to put the Mountain bike somewhere (IMO, roof racks are noisy, vulnerable to theft, and a pain to install remove)
-Low end torque

What I didn't like compared to a potential RX-8 is:
-Curb weight (3250 lbs)
-Performance parts would be needed (ie: *LSD*, springs, headers, etc) to make it "just right", RX-8 already has those features.
-As nice as the Mazda6 looks it's no contest with the RX-8
-RWD

All in all, a tempting match-up for my personal needs. With the 10K saved getting this car over an 8, I'd be able to get headers (and save 50+ lbs), pulley, springs, light tint, European front grill, and better rubber. The question is would the lack of RWD keep me wishing or not...:cool:

Originally posted by FritzMan


All in all, a tempting match-up for my personal needs. With the 10K saved getting this car over an 8, I'd be able to get headers (and save 50+ lbs), pulley, springs, light tint, European front grill, and better rubber. The question is would the lack of RWD keep me wishing or not...:cool:


Wow, nice write up, you should apply at Car & Driver, they suck.

Now, if you can, test drive a MazdaSpeed and get back with that. The dealers here won't let them off their lot for test drives. I think they believe they are Ferrari's.

FritzMan, you pretty much had the same impressions as me on the Mazda 6. I find it odd that most of the seating is grey, it is kind of cheap looking.

I was hoping I could get a white car with black leather interior and the GFX trim, but that's a no go, the white cars are grey leather and IMO that's just cheezy looking.

As far as driving pleasure the 6 delivers, as far as interior quality and looks it lacks a little, compare it to the Acura TSX (about $2k more) and it's no contest the TSX is much better on the inside, but the 6 is more fun.

Funny you mention that Wing, I was thinking of stopping by Camco to see what the TSX looks like in the flesh. Who knows, maybe even a test drive. If anything, it's the closest competitor to the RX-8, although more skewed to luxury (which I already have a Volvo to spoil me on family outings). Anyone notice that the EPA for the TSX 5-speed auto is better than the 6-speed?

As for the MazdaSpeed Protege, apparently there is/was a yellow one at Bank Street which already has 40km on it from demoing. I was pretty diappointed when I read that Mazda didn't improve what I felt were some of the most glaring weaknesses of the Pro. Namely, crappy seats (no side bolsters and absolutely zero lower back support), crappy gearing (come on, 3500 RPM @ 110 kph?), and no side airbags although they're offered in the States. The one thing they did add which was sorely needed was a LSD. Besides my complaints, I'll bet the MSP is a hoot to throw around - my ES/GT certainly is better than I expected.

Just came back from Camco to pay off the Teg (end of lease). I decided to test drive the TSX.

As far as looks are concerned; meh! It only looks good from the front, the rest is oh-hum boring. The fit and feel of the interior is top notch but that caramel colour fake wood trim takes a little gettting used to. The silver accents on the steering wheel feels out of place with the rest of the car. The leather is very good (very soft and great finish, I would prefer if it was a little thicker - less suceptible to tears) but the choice of colours is crap (beige for most colours, black (white car) and black with blue inserts for black. The seats are very comfortable, and tuck you in snug as bug.

The power assist stearing is a little too present but the ABS doesn't activate until you hit the brakes hard or the car detects slippage (actually that may be the TCS kicking in). The ride is a little firmer then I was expecting (good thing) but it stills drive like a sedan. It has enough omph to get you going, the fact that it is a 4 banger is a little moot except for the exhaust note. It switches to a high pitch when you get above 6k. It isn't an annoying sound (a lot like my Teg) but not that satisfying sound of a V6. I wasn't able to test the handling 'cause all the old geisers come out on Saturdays and block up the roads:mad: Have to do that some other day.

With my nit picking aside, currently the TSX is 2nd on my list (assuming I can find a colour combination that I can live with). The RX-8 is still at the top but only a test drive will decide. If I don't like the RX-8 or there are too many reports of initial production problems and I can't find a colour combo of a TSX that I like, the Mazda6 is next on my list (tied with a 2 year old Volvo S60 T5).

If you do go to Camco, ask for Paul, tell him Louis sent you. Great guy, knows his cars and understands what a real sales professional is supposed to be. He's also the manager (not to be confused with the GM) so you can deal directly with him and not be left there dangling. BTW don't mention you're looking at the RX-8 he'll try to convince you it's crap :eek: ;)

Mac, haha I think all the salesman at camco try to convince you that anything they don't sell is crap..... actually don't all salesman do that?

Anyway, just a side note, went and looked at the Mazda 6 at performance mazda today. They had a fully loaded GFX package (yellow) in the showroom. SWEET! I liked the TSX it was nice, but I liked the drive more in the 6. But Carling only had the crappy 6 with no GFX and no leather and no auto climate etc.

After sitting in the 6 for an hour or so at performance mazda I was really pleased. This may be my car! I'm of course waiting to see the 8 and I'll then drool over it. But I like the 6 and could settle for it, if you want to call that settling. The saleman kind of peeved me off, he was very helpfull but then left all of a sudden and then said it was "too" busy for a test drive, RIGHT. He said I'll take you out if your buying today. LOL yeah like I'll buy on emotion, the day I buy a car will be the day I walk in and say, yes I'd like to order one of these, with x options. I won't even look at the thing because I'll know it inside and out and have tested it more than once!

I don't want to buy right after a test drive because emotions get into it. It wasn't even busy 2 other sales guys came over to help when he was gone.


I also drove a BMW 320i today, they only had an auto to test it was ho-hum as well. I liked it but I think the 6 was better.

Hey Wing,

I've yet to hear a salesman come out and say "That's a great car but... it is a rotary which means that there are few garages that are able to do repairs, it has a small trunk opening. The TSX on the other hand has a full trunk lid, folding rear seats, 4 real doors, the TSX has been out for a couple of years in Europe (but I would refrain from saying that it's a re-badged Honda). All valid points but doesn't stoop to mud slinging. One thing that the TSX test drive did prove was that I will be very happy with the performance of the RX-8.

...............TSX.........RX8
weight.....1465kg...1384 kg
HP........... 200........250
Torque......166........159

I suspect that the TSX will beat the RX8 in interior fit and finish but I hope I'm wrong.

Sales people at Performance Mazda don't know squat about their products. They also tried the same spiel of "can't take it for a spin unless you are buying it first". They tried again with the RX-8, what a load of crap! I emailed the GM about the bad sales experience I had there. He replied with the usual apologies and saying that these guys are just starting and are repeating the company mantra. He told me to come and see him when the times come and that I could test drive the RX8, if there was a car available.

The ones at Bank Street made me feel like I needed a shower when I got home.

I will probably go to Montreal if I have to for a test drive (Mazda is very popular there, they have bigger dealerships thus will have at least 1 demo).

Like I said, the Mazda 6 is a great car, if I get skittish with the 2 mentioned above or I take a financial hit, that is the next in line.