During the 5 months that I was looking and researching the RX8 these are just a couple of the things that I have had MAZDA dealers say:

1. This car has all wheel drive
2. Its turbo charged
3. DSC was dynamic steering control
4. It had over 300hp and got 28MPG
5. No break in required just drive it like it is stolen

If it wasn't for this forum I doubt that I would be driving my 8 since the dealers are such a beating to deal with.

1) its all wheel drive
2) its 6 cyl
3) its all wheel drive
4) its great on gas

1) inline 6
2) it will get you chicks ( that was a TOTAL lie) :D

1) The Auto and the 6spd have the same power engine
2) DSC is standard on all models
3) It's front wheel drive
4) It's a 1.3L 3-cyl engine. I mean seriously where the hell did he get 3 from, maybe he thought it was a geo.

"Your last reflash was June 20, 2004. Mazda has not released a software update since then." - 2 weeks ago, before I got ahold of a competent service rep who offered to reflash because my car was "in dire need"

"It's got a ton of headroom"

My experience was not with the 8, but with a 04 Civic Si at Santa Ana Honda:

1. "Halogens are superior to HIDs"

This one got me really angry:

2. "Since you test drove the car and sat with me to talk about price, you are obligated to buy this car." (The manager and receptionist was in on it too!!!) :mad: Then after I was finished yelling at him, he asked meekly, "so, what color do you want?"

If you show me yours I will show you . . . wait thats not it . . . Oh yeah, it was "since this is a 1 of a kind MS version of this car we can not budge on the $44+ asking price"

The salesman at our local dealer told me that the engines in the auto and manual were identical. I already understood the differences between the engines, so I just shook my head and kept looking. It pays to do a little homework before shopping.

1.3L

1) It's 4 Cyl
2) Great on gas
3) Navtech updates their software every 6 mo. and they sent it to you automatically
4) You don't have to worry about the oil (although the manual says to check it after every other fill up)

Went in to get a wheel alingment and service rep told me: "its the road not the car."
LOL!!!

My idiot sales rep was trying to sell me a shinka he had on site instead of getting one delivered and said, "why would you want a 6 speed MT when you can get the exact same car with an automatic for less money?" -OK, you're fired. :rolleyes: Good thing I had done enough research I didn't need a salesperson's opinion.

Most dealer salespersons ( yes most of the women too :D) need to remember the old adage


"It's better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you're a fool....than open it and leave no doubt"

I looked a 4 dealerships, and talked to 6 different salespeople.....I knew 100X more than any of them about the car...that's really sad!

After dealing with salespeople for the past month or so I feel happy that I never had anyone tell me it was an x-cylinder engine! We had one moron tell us that all of the RX-8s got burned up in a fire in Hiroshima and there aren't any left or something to that effect. He had a lot more answers than we had questions. The other big lie they tell you is that they can "make you a great deal on this car."

One guy that stuck out to me as particularly annoying did something that every cigarette smoking 20-something car dealer kid does--he kept piping up with some stupid comment while I was talking to someone else, or at least wasn't interested in his opinion. They have a tendency to question everything you want or point out why something you may want is bad. It was pretty simple why I selected who I did to buy my car from--first of all I had never talked to them in person, which is probably a big plus for them, and secondly they didn't try to tell me how impossible something was or that I didn't know what I wanted. I asked for a car--they gave me a price, and I bought.

This is exactly why I do my research and inital contact online rather than in person. Personally, I could care less what a salesmen thinks or says. They are just merely a vessel to get what I want.

Stuff I have heard (and my response):

"This car gets all the chicks!"
(Thanks, my wife will like that)

"You have to buy this car, we have already commited to having it shipped to the dealership from another dealership"
(Since when did a test drive constitute an agreement to buy?)

"When we swap cars from other dealerships, they are driven here buy much older, more experienced drivers"
("I'm sure the street market vendors will LOVE that idea", or "So i'll need to replace the brakes...")

I went to 6 different dealerships, talked with at least 3 different dealers in each dealership...and they all said the same thing. How amazing is that. It was pretty long ago so it is hard to remember the exact dates of everything but it was something to the affect of,

" Since you test drove this car on this date, you have a week to buy or it is going to be someone elses" haha.

" The engine pumps out sounds like a 5.0 liter mustang "

and the one that really pissed me off was when he asked me my age (19).

" You can't afford this car " yeah, he lost a customer.

oh yeah and the guy tried to convince me that the CD player popped out vertically to drop the CD in, instead of push it in.

He told me that the rear sets folded down to access the HUGE trunk haha, lies lies lies

"with this K&N Typhoon intake and Greddy exhaust, we increased hp at the wheels by 50." (by 50 what , ergs?) Bonehead.

Service rep told me it wasn't meant to be revved over 6,000 rpms.

Lets not forget the fact that the salespersons never know anything about the difference in model years/features.

Since I am looking now I have had a few things said:
I was looking at a white across the lot and asked if it was a manual...salesperson said yes...until I noticed the wheels...I told him it wasn't but he insisted...lol.

also I referred to looking at the 2004s and he asked something like "you didnt want a white 2004??"

and of course the guys who in general are just spouting off stats like they understand them until you really question their knowledge.

I did have one "younger" salesperson at Mazda of Brandon Fl this weekend who seemed to be an enthusiast and knew a good bit. Made it a lot easier to deal with.

the salesmen told me when the traction function is kicked in the front wheels compensates for the spinning of the rear wheels by providing traction. Oh yeah? Hmmm. please show me this 4WD feature then.

He said with this function on, performance suffers greatly and therefore is the reason it takes off slowly! During test drive I commented that the car does not have good pick up and sometimes I felt a hesitation. He said the autos were for girls and with the traction option on the car behaves really slow. He said there was a significant difference in performance from the auto to standard with the auto being the worst of the Mazda's.

Nice sales job there. Because my wife refuses to learn I got the auto but I don't think there's a big difference in performance. Torque changes with the auto compensates some of the hp loss. My guess but could be incorrect.

Salesmen are just that. Try to make a sale and confuse and misinform the public in the process.

He said there was a significant difference in performance from the auto to standard with the auto being the worst of the Mazda's.

Well not of all Mazdas

Because my wife refuses to learn I got the auto but I don't think there's a big difference in performance.

Ummm.... no comment. :rolleyes:

Service rep told me they over fill the oil on purpose because the rotary engine uses oil and I wouldn't need to add any oil between changes since they filled it up good. OMG!!!! IDIOTS!!! :eek:

Because my wife refuses to learn I got the auto but I don't think there's a big difference in performance.

I would have asked if I could trade in my wife. :p

1.) There is no PCM flashes. I show them bulliton they tell me it was for a MPV van. The next week they misteriously found a flash.

2.) My spark plugs are gas soaked and causing them to misfire.

3.) There is no brake in period just romp the B***

4.) I have to pay for the recall work.

5.) After 30k if you dont have us change blah blahh blahh the car will fall apart and show check engin codes that you have to pay for diganostics on.

6.) You can not down shift into 2nd at 40mph or the car will shut off.

"You may slip a little in the snow."

This was at the features demo as I was ready to take it off the lot.
$800 worth of snow tires later, this still rings in my ears.

about the break-in, there's debate about long granny driving break-in procedures vs hard driving procedures. I use hard driving break-in and frequent oil changes to promote better sealing, rotarygod has expressed this also. visit www.mototuneusa.com for some info

I am currently interested in getting a few mazdaspeed products for my car (suspension and bodykit to be exact) so I took a ride over to mazda to talk to them about the warranty and things of that nature.

When I began asking about the mazdaspeed products, the guy in charge there insisted that mazdaspeed has not come out with anything for the rx8 and it is still in experimental stages in Japan. :rolleyes: I then opened the mazdaspeed catalog they had, and showed him the mazdaspeed rx8....he then said someting about something he had to do and dissappeared into the garage.

Service rep told me it wasn't meant to be revved over 6,000 rpms.
Man I thought I was the only one that was told this. I was informed that my transmission problems were from shifting too quickly near redline and that the transmission just wasn't made to handle that kind of stress.

Then why allow it? They didn't have answer for that one.

wayne mazda in NJ .... best sales guy i ever had (jose) ... knew the car inside out no b/s ... told me about checking the oil, told me that it kind of sucks on gas, said it's lots of fun ... tried to sell me on buying the service for the car .... told him i know how to change my oil ... lol

heh, when i was at the dealership, the salesman told me that if i didn't buy it, that it would be gone in the morning. i thought to myself, "yeah right, i've heard that one before". but got to a price that i liked and so i bought it regardless.

the next day, i went back there for something or another, and the other buyer came in! :eek:
i was actually kinda surprised that there was another buyer and it wasn't just a "fear" sales tactic.

I wanted the yellow with sport package. Salesperson located one at another dealer and was arranging a transfer. "You're in luck!" she said. "This one comes with the premium audio package". "Not with the sport package ma'am", I said. Suddenly there were some more phone calls and suddenly the "deal" fell through.... the other dealer didn't want to play anymore. Who knows what that was all about... I really preferred to get one fresh off the truck anyway so it worked out fine.

sales rep told me the 8 was worse on gas then my current car now... my current car being a 94 Trans am 6 speed.. im preety sure my v8 lt1 sucks up Way more gas then the mazda...but he assured me it didnt

"To prevent flooding, rev it up to 8,000 RPM and turn the key off" :)

One young saleman @ a South Florida dealer told me that there is a chip I can add to the car which will give me 285 HP.

One young saleman @ a South Florida dealer told me that there is a chip I can add to the car which will give me 285 HP.


let us know when you find it.

My experience was not with the 8, but with a 04 Civic Si at Santa Ana Honda:

1. "Halogens are superior to HIDs"

This one got me really angry:

2. "Since you test drove the car and sat with me to talk about price, you are obligated to buy this car." (The manager and receptionist was in on it too!!!) :mad: Then after I was finished yelling at him, he asked meekly, "so, what color do you want?"


that guy prob makes 250k a year, that is the kind of stuff they teach you to say...i will never make tons because i cant be a total jerk to people.

The brakes on all RX-8s squeal. That's just the way they operate.

The brakes on all RX-8s squeal. That's just the way they operate.


Maybe im just stupid, is that not true? mine squeel like bloody hell, and the lot manager here at work told me that was true...

There is a brake TSB. They'll fix it and you'll have nice silence.. :)

There is a brake TSB. They'll fix it and you'll have nice silence.. :)

since when do the dealers care that there is a TSB?

Had the dealer tell me that TSB mean nothing, there are for people to bring in there car so they can find other things wrong

A long read, but interesting if you want to understand where your sales guy is coming from...

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html?tid=edmunds.a.landing.feature..3.*

an edmunds.com guy that went to work for a dealership :)

A long read, but interesting if you want to understand where your sales guy is coming from...

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html?tid=edmunds.a.landing.feature..3.*

an edmunds.com guy that went to work for a dealership :)''

this is very good,

EXTREEEMELY long read, so set some time aside if you want to read it (which i highly reccomend) i read it and its changed the way i look at salesmen.

And you fail to understand why Mazda is only selling 1200/mnth.

Most people are educated and walk away to another dealer when their told lies.

Unfortunately it's usually the competition.

Originally posted by D2RX8
A long read, but interesting if you want to understand where your sales guy is coming from...
Extremely long read is about right! My eyes are shrivling up, about to fall out and roll under the desk. This is definately worth a look though. I have been in sales for three years (new homes, not cars) and it is a shame that we (salespeople) have to battle these stereotypes. I'm not saying all salespeople are good people, heaven know thats simply not true, but you shouldn't be afraid of them. Don't people know it sounds so silly when they say they are "just looking". :rolleyes: Duh!!!

i just got back from the dealership and my salesman was awsome, no bullshit and he really knew alot about the rx8, i was very suprised....thus my 2005 winning blue rx8 is on order! :D

In the service dept - 5 or 6 months ago. Mazda says to use 5w30 or 10w30 in the RX8.

Last month - we put 5w20 in all cars.

"The HID's are supposed to be self-leveling...that's why we didn't bother checking"

This coming as an excuse for the headlights being TOTALLY out of alignment after cloudy lenses were replaced under warranty. Silly dealerships... :rolleyes:

I had a salesman deal me that the Shinka would drive no differently then the standard RX-8 and that suspension doesn't change performance. Also the Shinka has the same HP so will not be any different on a test drive.

What a tool.

I had a salesman deal me that the Shinka would drive no differently then the standard RX-8 and that suspension doesn't change performance. Also the Shinka has the same HP so will not be any different on a test drive.

What a tool.

well he was right.. theres no diffrence except in handling, and it's marginally better at that. You'd never notice it in normal drving unless you are fairly wreckless.

Yeah, unless you were familiar with driving the RX-8 day in and day out at the extreme limits of its' performance you'd never notice the Shinka differences. They're extremely marginal and you'd surely not notice them on a test-drive unless it involves a track.

Yeah, unless you were familiar with driving the RX-8 day in and day out at the extreme limits of its' performance you'd never notice the Shinka differences. They're extremely marginal and you'd surely not notice them on a test-drive unless it involves a track.

ahh, the day dealerships let us test drive cars on tracks :D

Dealers know not to talk to me, for I will scratch off thy face.

"You may slip a little in the snow."

This was at the features demo as I was ready to take it off the lot.
$800 worth of snow tires later, this still rings in my ears.

I'll go ya' one better. I was told that even though the car had Summer only tires, they would do fine in the snow. I bought snow tires anyway.

I went to 6 different dealerships, talked with at least 3 different dealers in each dealership...and they all said the same thing. How amazing is that. It was pretty long ago so it is hard to remember the exact dates of everything but it was something to the affect of,

" Since you test drove this car on this date, you have a week to buy or it is going to be someone elses" haha.

" The engine pumps out sounds like a 5.0 liter mustang "

and the one that really pissed me off was when he asked me my age (19).

" You can't afford this car " yeah, he lost a customer.

oh yeah and the guy tried to convince me that the CD player popped out vertically to drop the CD in, instead of push it in.

He told me that the rear sets folded down to access the HUGE trunk haha, lies lies lies


By chance did you go to Delray Mazda?

ahh, the day dealerships let us test drive cars on tracks :D


Doesnt Land Rover do that? :)

I had a sales guy tell me "they only have 5-speed RX-8s."
"You have a lot to learn about buying cars"
"There are no such thing as a flash for the computer".....and then he explains to me they "update" the computer and he even showed me the computer they use.....but its NOT a flash....hmmm

well he was right.. theres no diffrence except in handling, and it's marginally better at that. You'd never notice it in normal drving unless you are fairly wreckless.

Don't know what to say, felt different to me, maybe it was the windy test drive roads that I took in it. Either way the dealer was a complete ____. Had he let me drive it, he would have had a sale that day.

Doesnt Land Rover do that? :)

I had a sales guy tell me "they only have 5-speed RX-8s."
"You have a lot to learn about buying cars"
"There are no such thing as a flash for the computer".....and then he explains to me they "update" the computer and he even showed me the computer they use.....but its NOT a flash....hmmm

not a race track, a chintzy little wuss of a dirt hill to drive your overpriced SUV over. WOW...exciting :eek:

The salesman at our local dealer told me that the engines in the auto and manual were identical. I already understood the differences between the engines, so I just shook my head and kept looking. It pays to do a little homework before shopping.

1.3LYa, me too. Guess who owns an AT...
That would be me...
I even got a factory turbo... well, thats what he told me...
Wish I'd found this Forum 1st (Before my purchase).

sales rep told me the 8 was worse on gas then my current car now... my current car being a 94 Trans am 6 speed.. im preety sure my v8 lt1 sucks up Way more gas then the mazda...but he assured me it didnt
The brakes on all RX-8s squeal.
Hope I don't get struck by lightning but,
I'm going to agree with the salesman on these comments...

yeah both of those things are true so i dont see why those would qualify as "Stupid S#^T"

The brakes squeal is fixed by a recall...mine did squeal, but not a peep in 8 months now. That's definitely not normal or usual.

My saleman told me the front rotary accent would give the car better aerodynamics and I'd get better gas milage. Idiot... he doesn't work their anymore.

The brakes squeal is fixed by a recall...mine did squeal, but not a peep in 8 months now. That's definitely not normal or usual.
Consider yourself fortunate. You're one of the lucky ones...
Three months after my front pads were replaced, they started squealing again!
It really sounds cool pulling up to a stop and hearing, "eeeeekkk"

Wow. Mine hasn't squeeked since I changed them either.

mine started again about a week after replacement

abbid, what brand did you replace with? or was it OEM mazda?

The NAV system plays DVD movies with the flick of a secret switch the mechanics out back know about.
- Heritage Mazda, Huntington Beach, CA (June 03)

cool. >.>

saves you the price of a video switcher from thew

Not cool bro.. he was full of s&!t... he just said that cause he wanted me to buy the car from him.. You definitely need a video switcher if you wanna play DVDs.

yeah i was just kidding, but the switcher is very handy dandy because it makes better use out of a 2000 dollar option

any recommendations on a switcher??? I spent the $2k on the Nav and would love to watch DVDs on it... but I was quoted like $1000 from Al & Ed's Autosound to make it work right...

um, go to rx8garage.net and go to the electronics section than go to the AV DV section

sweeeeeet.... thx

Well this isnt soemthing they told me just something i was asked:D

i had a couple minutes today so i stopped onmy way somewhere to take a quick look at the Mazda5. very nice very nice. saw it in starto blue and phantom blue. bth very nice blues.

anyway the salesguy starts talkign to me about it. well actualli started telling him about it. He was apparently "NEW" and didnt know alot about it yet. so i showed him the extra fold out table and how the seats fold etc. any way he asks

"so are you going to trade your RX-8 for it?" i literally laughed out loud:D. couldnt stop myself imanaged to get a no out between laughs and he went off to get me a brochure. heheeheehahhaaaah

Well this isnt soemthing they told me just something i was asked:D

i had a couple minutes today so i stopped onmy way somewhere to take a quick look at the Mazda5. very nice very nice. saw it in starto blue and phantom blue. bth very nice blues.

anyway the salesguy starts talkign to me about it. well actualli started telling him about it. He was apparently "NEW" and didnt know alot about it yet. so i showed him the extra fold out table and how the seats fold etc. any way he asks

"so are you going to trade your RX-8 for it?" i literally laughed out loud:D. couldnt stop myself imanaged to get a no out between laughs and he went off to get me a brochure. heheeheehahhaaaah

after reading that line i almost fell off my chair laughing :D

after I signed and was getting my keys my salesguy proceeds to tell me that I got the HomeLink (i think is the name) rearview mirror for free since it isn't on the invoice yet it's in the car...

I ask him..."isn't that included in the Touring pakcage that I paid for"

he replies.. "No you got it for free, that's 700 bucks right there"

"umm...ok... ..."

"You need to go to a special class to learn how to drive the car."

"Tap on the gas and you've redlined."

"No rev limiter."

one of the spark plug wires was unhooked and they told me it was supposta be like that hahahah..

I got my emissions and inspection done at the dealer yesterday and when i before i left i noticed that on the emissions print out that my car had a 2.5 liter 6 cyclinder.......

cool huh?

1. it comes turbocharged from the factory.
2. expect 300rwhp if you dyno it (like i wasnt going to).
3. the manual transmission car has 5 forward gears.

....i know there are plenty more but i cant think of them right now. oh wait....

4. the rx8 is a rotary and does not need oil in the engine.

mine was great gas milage. and that mazda is making a mazda speed edition in 06 and to come trade my brand new 05 for it.