RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

I find it incredible that there are Civics and Corollas that are priced higher than what you can buy an 8 for.

Gas is falling now, and is likely to fall much further.

This is a great imbalance of irrationality in the world, IMO. Either the world has gone mad, or the 8 is the steal of the century.

Who are these people paying 23k for Civics and Corollas loaded with all kinds of swag? Are they insane?

alz0rz

iTrader: (41)

Oil
3 weeks ago = $147/b
2 weeks ago = $135/b
1 week ago = $126/b
Today = $119/b

CarAndDriver

Doesn't seem all that crazy to me...Corollas and Civics always have good resale. Mazdas have terrible resale. Gas prices exacerbating this esp. with the 8.

RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

I cannot possibly explain the vastly more enjoyable driving experience of the 8 versus a Civic or Corolla, nor can I comprehend why anyone would not choose the 8 at anywhere near a similar price.

fastlaneracing

Its the same in Sweden, thinking of buying the sheapest one and use it as a daily beater =)

BRGREEN8

its not only the civics and the corollas are expensive.
most of small gas saving cars are now.
true story, i went to hooman toyota (formerly known as long beach toyota). they were telling me to lease a toyota yaris i'd need to put 3000 dollars down and pay 230 dollars per months for 48 months. it was a closed end lease, and by the end of the lease the buy out was 8000 dollars.
i worked out the overall price for the yaris, turned out to be 22k if i decide to buy the car after 4 years.
that was the biggest/funniest joke ive heard all year.

Rotard

Well.. not a lot of people are as enthusiatic about their vehicles and think of them only as "A to B" kinda deals and consider practicality over enjoyability.

hyper24x7

Yes my friend they are insane. These ppl would buy a FWD AUTOmatic before thinking of a RWD 6 spd manual. I had 1 person ask me what a 6th gear was for and why would I have it *installed* in my car. I think I agree with the pricing, as I recently had this strange thought of selling my rx8. I thought "Oh sure what a steal, someone would ****** up a sporty car like mine for under 20k with less than 25k miles on it." Nope. For cars there are I think there are 2 kinds of people: 1.) the kind of people who get a car go go from point A to point B and are happy with cheap, easy, mindless. 2.) The rest of us.

kvndoom

It's just a market trend. Everybody's panicking and looking at BIG MPG and nothing else on the sticker, including price. If gas drops, say, below 3$ a gallon somehow, these same people will trade in these cars, going severely upside-down in the process, to get the BIG HORSEPOWER NUMBERS they're accustomed to. The RX-8 doesn't fall into the BIG MPG or the BIG POWER categories, so people don't know what to make of it.

22k for a fugly *** Yaris, made me laugh. That was better than coffee.

BRGREEN8

then you are going to like this one. i saw a used smart convertible for 26500 dollars. granted that it only had 50 miles on it. but oh come on, that car is 16k!

OldCodger

People will pay more to get what they 'want'. Their 'want' does not need to be rational to you.
What planet are you living on? Gas prices have been trending up for decades and will continue to do so as most people can't afford an alternative to gas.
The price of an RX8 depends more on the number of units sold last month than the current price of gas.
Most Civics and all Corollas on craigslist appear to sell for much less than $23K for a 2008. Who pays $23K for a Civic? The guy buying a hybrid or an SI. And the hybrid buyer really does not care about the price of gas. It's about the perception of caring.

OldCodger

There was a gray market Smart available last year for about $25K before the real Smart was available and selling for closer to $15K. There are dealers and speculators trying to get rid of the gray market cars without losing their shirt. I doubt these people are actually selling them for anything close to the asking price.

The gray market cars had a bigger engine, but will have no long term dealer support.

Also the current cars have a six month to year wait list jacking up the price.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Because Mazda "earned" their bad name back in the 80s 90s. Yep, the 323/626/protege days ~~~ Thats when Mazda got their "Unreliable piece of ****" name from.

Like Warren Buffett said

You guys know how much time I've spent b4 I can "convince" my father that Cx-7 was the best "bang for buck" last year ? Even now my father still not 100% like it. and said he will trade it in or sell it when the B2B warranty is up. it takes Sooo much time to build trust & reputation.

xsnipersgox

it's true, gas is falling. XD.. the investors are all panicking that the stuff they hedge on is falling in price and pulling out.

XlYesterdaYlX

I hope gas keeps falling, then i can redline more often.

RojoOcho

*Sits quietly*

SpIcEz

Also, energy prices as a whole have stayed level or gone down over the years, not up.

Compare gas prices for the last ten years to those for a ten year period 30 years ago and account for inflation.

You'll be pleasantly surprised that prices are NOT as up as you might think

rglbegl

I worked for a Toyota store when I bought my 8.
I wanted a corolla, but the 8 was less expensive so I got it.


It is fun to go to a car meet, and when you see a teenager with a civic that is drooling over your RX, Tell them;
"Ya, I really wanted the civic, but I had to settle for the RX8 cuz it was less money."
Boy does it ruin their day

delhi

Enjoy!
Lightly used Prius selling over MSRP.

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=293652

On the bright side, your blood pressure will certainly go down....

OldCodger

or directly at http://www.leftlanenews.com/average-...over-msrp.html

Does not hurt resale value to have a CA HOV pass on the used car that the new one can not get. Time is money to some people. How much is getting home from work quicker worth to you?

Does not hurt resale value to have new car on backorder and used available now. Time is money to some people. How many extra months did early MX5 & RX8 owners wait to get cars?

RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

If I was obsessed with fuel economy, I'd opt for a MX-5 or a Mini Cooper S.

The Corolla just drains the life out of life.

rotarygod

People are moving away from larger vehicles to smaller fuel efficient vehicles. Dealerships can't keep these cars on the lots. Go to a Honda dealership and ask about availability of a Civic or even a little Fit. There is a several month waiting list and almost none on any dealsership lots. Demand is high for them because they are fuel efficient. Because demand is high they are fetching a premium and people are paying it.

The RX-8 is about as fuel efficient as a well driven full sized pickup. Sorry for the reality check. The RX-8 is a pathetic vehicle when it comes to gas and it's high fun factor just doesn't change that. Most people who are looking into a fuel efficient vehicle are not going to have any interest in the RX-8. The fact that it's potentially cheaper, better looking, and more fun to drive is irrelevant to them. It doesn't do the single most important thing that most of these people are looking for and that's get good mileage. That's why people would pay more for Civics and Corollas. The beloved RX-8 is not even an option. They are buying cars solely for fuel savings. Taking a step sideways to another fuel inefficient vehicle would be a poor choice. The RX-8 really needs to stay a car for the fanatic who does appreciate it for what it is rather than liking it solely for what it costs.

FWIW I did go to a Honda dealership looking at new cars. I also went to Mazda. Mazda does not have a single viable option when it comes to fuel efficiency. I ended up just replacing the engine and transmission in my current car so I'm not buying a new one. If I were however it would have been a Civic and I'd have gladly done it knowing I probably could have had an RX-8 for cheaper. Keep in mind I love rotaries! My primary transportation has to be fuel efficient and I won't replace a Civic with an RX-8. There's another reality check to gasp about! The RX-7 will have to do.

quazmosis

iTrader: (2)

Maybe with all the money fuel efficient owners save on their little gas saving cars, they can afford an RX8?

learycd

iTrader: (1)

people are dumb and cheap, listen gas is expensive but its still more practical than alot of other alternatives for me even driving my 8

the fact that car manufactors run the 2.99 gas gaurentee instead of a 1000 dollar cash back promotion and people actually bite on it, is pathetic.

do that math, run the numbers, your honda isnt saving you millions a year