Value of 8 vs. 350Z
 

There is something that I don't understand. A lot of car manufacturers i.e BMW, Benz, and Lexus like to talk about the "value" of their cars. There was a debate about Nissan value vs. Mazda value that I read somewhere...I dunno if it was in this forum or what, but they were discussing the value of the 350z vs. the rx8. I read that the value of the Z was more than that of the 8. That's something I don't understand considering the quality of fit and finish (especially interior) is not up to par with the 8. I've driven both cars multiple times, and I see the Z as being cheap and the 8 not being cheap, but the "value" of the Z is more. This "value" really comes into play when you're leasing as well as if you want to sell the vehicle. Can someone explain this whole value thing? :confused:

are you talking about residual (aka resale) value of the car??? like in monetary term?

yes...residual value

I'd say most people use the word value for a "benefit vs. payout" term. The long and short of it is this...Nissan will always hold a better residual value over Mazda! Its more mainstream, easier to sell. Mazda as a whole is still a bit of a nitch vehicle. Value for me personally means this - I love being in my RX-8! It's different from most! That's worth a million to me.

Time will tell. I think the 8 will be the winner in the long-run!

I think the rotary's image from the FDs are still taking its toll and from current listings, the 8 is still a tad lower than the 350Zs, but maybe just in this area? Any rotary vehicle is a niche vehicle!

^but then again, if you look on used FD listings, one that's actually in good condition are usually asking for a noticeably higher premium price compared to a similarly dated 300ZX

Residual value is a prediction of future Resale value.

Banks and leasing companies determine residual values. Financial comapnies are always going to underestimate future prices because they don't want to lose money.

Market conditions determine actual resale values. Since Mazda has had to resort to rebates to move the number of 8's they want to sell, they have impacted the used market. Used cars always have to sell for less than a new car, right?

Then factor in all the unpredicatable stuff like the general economy, price of gas, market demand and they all take a piece of the resale value.

You want high residual value, get a Lexus. To a bank it is the closest thing to a sure thing.

The whole concept is a load of crap, if you ask me. I hear the same thing from Harley Davidson-type people, how wonderful their motorcycle is because it will hold its resale value. Yeah, well if you ask me, it's a pretty lame product that you're worrying about selling it before you even buy it. Maybe if you trade cars every year, or are in the econo-box market, where everything is about saving money; but if you're talking about *sports cars* (or cruiser motorcycles), get the one you LIKE, stop worrying about what it might be worth later!

Krankor
05 Shinka 6MT

If you want to look at resale value, you should also look at availability. Currently the used car market is flooded (no pun intended) with Z's. How many 8's do you see that people are looking to sale? I know I don't see that many.

There are plenty of used RX-8s around. In fact there are even some VERY low miles 04s sitting on some dealers lots, saw one last week. The car just isn't in very high demand.

High residual value makes the Lexus a perfect brand to lease as well.

Hhmm this is interesting. So according to you the 8 isn’t as readily available as the z and the used car market is flooded with 350z’s, but yet the z holds a higher resale value.

When comparing the “one on every block” 350z to the rarer “more practical” rx8, you would think that Nissan would have a harder time selling the z. But yet Nissan dealers aren’t advertising any special discounts to unload new models like they are doing with the rx8. Please explain.

Good point, but Nissan sell a hell of a lot more cars than Mazda so you can expect more on the used car market.

There are just as many Ferrari 360s on the used car market here in Japan as there are of RX8 according to one reference. That doesn't mean the 360 has lost its value (far from it in fact).

Time and demad is what makes the difference. You will have more rx fanatics in the long run. and the 8 will be just as hard to find as a good 3rd gen rx7

I know what you are saying ;) :D

Maybe/Maybe not but I want to know why the 8 doent hold a higher resale value nor sells more then the z now. I really want to know Funtonn reasoning.

That has more to do with the fact that the FD is pretty rare. only 14,000 of them were sold here and many of them no longer exist. Also remember that the FD was 10k-15k more than the 300ZX when new.

The RX-8 has low demand. Plus it's a Mazda. Keep both of those facts in mind. Even if the RX-8 in some miraculous way ends up having slightly more value than a 350z in a few years, we're probably talking about less than a grand.

In other news, speaking of the RX-8s interior, my A/C knob just broke yesterday.