Reaper

I've been lurking on the boards for the last six months, recently registering because I'm ready to buy my new RX-8. I financed through Capital One, so I have check in hand am looking for a really good price. Any help appreciated, here is what I have so far for the dealers near me in SoCal:

2005 RX-8 6-Speed Manual #1
SPORT PACKAGE M/T
APPEARANCE PACKAGE
REAR WING SPOILER
+Lo Jack

With taxes, title, fees, etc: Price is 31,000 out the door.


2005 RX-8 6-Speed Manual #2
APPEARANCE PACKAGE
ROTARY ACCENT PACKAGE
6-CD-IN DASH
CARGO CARRIER
REAR WING SPOILER
DOOR EDGE GUARD
+Lo Jack

With taxes, title, fees, etc: Price is 30,600 out the door.


and this 2004:

RX-8 6-Speed Manual
TOURING PACKAGE M/T
APPEARANCE PACKAGE
IN-DASH 6-DISC CD CHANGER
CHROMED WEELS/RIMS
ALUMINIM DASH
TINTED WINDOWS
CUSTOM INTERIOR

They pimped this one out it seems, but it's still an 04'. Ran this one through Edmunds as well and it seems like a decent deal without all the fixins, but with them included they're looking at 30,675. (title, taxes, fees, etc).

Even after days and weeks of looking through these boards, price shopping and the like; I'm starting to doubt my numbers/research.

The 2004 seems really nice, but "seems" to be overpriced; even with options. Otherwise, it sounds great.

The 2005 models are near identical save the Sports Package on #1. The cargo carrier, etc I don't need at all, but they're dirt cheap and not deal breakers. The real differences there are the CD-6-In Dash and the rotary accent package. I'm wondering whether the DSC in #1 is so worth it, that passing it up for a CD-6-IN Dash and the "goodies" in #2 would be silly. But I don't know enough on the sports package to know if people live without just fine.

I've purchased cars over the last 10 years, but this one has been the most challenging as it's not the commuter/eco car. Treating myself right for the first time in years because I can now :O)

Anyway, sorry to sound so clueless. Any help appreciated!


-Reaper

zhizoe

Couple of questions:

First of all, what state are you in?

Second, did the 2004 have a previous owner?

Third, what "fees" are they trying to add on?

Reaper

I'm California (So-Cal), the 2004 is new. The fees I mentioned are the licensing fees, so we're talking title/tax/license here. Sorry if I was unclear.

krangorx8

I would suggest you buy the 05' without sport package. It has the style you want, it is 1000 cheaper and DSC you have done without and should be fine.

The 05' sport you would have to add on 140$ for appearance but you get your DSC and fog lamps.

Now the 04' is different. I see it as the car you would want to buy if you want it different but don't want to do the work and willing to spend the cash so you don't have to. Also still need to add on spoiler, rotary accent for an extra 500$ making it the most expensive of the bunch.

dwynne

All sound like too much money to me, use the Mazda car finder to see if there are more left over 04s anywhere close to you.

I would not get a base car. You want DSC as a safety net and you want HID headlights, so the base car is out. Only consider it if you are just too tall for a moonroof car. Resale down the road will be bad since it will be hard to move a car with nothing.

With around $4000 in rebates and getting an 04 for dealer cost, a new car with GT, wing, changer, etc should be about $26.5k + taxes.

Dennis

Reaper

Dwynne,

Thank you for the response. I got an offer from a dealer an hour away from me for this:

2005 MT Grand Touring Package,Rear Wing Spoiler (PIO),In-Dash 6-Disc CD Changer (PIO)

Out the door (Including taxes, title, license):

$31,000.

This sounds like a killer deal. (Ran it through edmunds and carsdirect, seems he'd be coming in under invoice to make that happen, so that's pretty great.) It's in black too, which is always nice.

dwynne

Sounds a lot better to me. I think you said you live in CA, right? Isn't that 8% sales tax on the car + whatever you have to pay for tags and title.

Invoice on what you list would be $29.745 - so figure what the taxes and tags are on top of that and it sounds good.

Now, IF you could find the same stuff on a left over 04 you could get it for around $25,975 + taxes, tags, and title if you finance with MAC. If you add the taxes and stuff to this number, how close does that get you to your $31k out the door price on the 05? If it is pretty close, then just take the 05 I guess.

Figure on one model year difference being worth about $2k down the road a few years. I checked on comparable cars (z, s2000, etc) and that is about what it is. So the 05 should be worth about $2k more in several years - if you can get a new 05 and not pay much more than that over a new 04 then the 05 would be the choice. If the difference was $4k (the amount of the 04 rebates) then you would be better off getting the 04 since the extra you pay now for an 05 would never be returned.

Dennis

dwynne

BTW, go to the Gerber rebate thread and go fill out the form. You should get the e-mail with the $500 code in a week or so. If you have to, put down a (refundable) deposit on the car and wait for the certificate. Hey, it IS another $500 off and your dealer will get the money back from Mazda.

I think someone posted that they didn't have the cert and the dealer wanted them to close the deal, so they wrote a check for the $500 for the dealer to hold until it came in. I would rather not have to do that - since once you sign the paperwork the dealer has 0 incentive to honor the cert.

Dennis

markd

And don't forget the College Grad rebate, if you are one (or eventually will be). Personally, based on the numbers I've seen run by here in the immediate past, I agree with Dennis. I wouldn't pay more than $27k on an '04 8 right now. I think the best thing you could do for yourself would be to list down the options you really want and then let that dictate your decisions. Don't let the dealers make you the puppet by dangling all these options in front of you and allowing them to overtake the decision-making process. Don't let them set your priorities for you. Whatever combination of options you want, they're out there in one car. You just have to be diligent and find it. You've obviously waited a long time to have the car you want--don't compromise in either options or price. Also consider that some of the options that you mentioned may be cheaper if you add them on yourself (i.e. rotary accent package, you can buy here from DLS Customs for half the price Mazda sells it for).

And beat the dealers at their own game. They want to push those cars off their lots and take your money, one way or the other. Tell Dealer A that Dealer B is offering you X car with Y options for Z price. He'll drop his asking price. Then go back to Dealer B and tell him what Dealer A's best offer is. That should at least get you to $29k.

sdrx8

I just got an '04 for $7K under invoice. This seems about standard because somebody else reported recently getting one for $7400 under invoice. Both in SoCal (mine in San Diego).

I had a CapitalOne check in hand as well, but didn't use it. The reason was because the '04 has a $2500 rebate if you finance at least $7k with Mazda. Check the fine print, but I am able to pay off the Mazda loan (6.9%) after 3 months with no penalty. If you can find other funding for the balance, or if your credit union or capital one will give you a decent rate after 3 months to buy out the Mazda loan, then the '04 turns into a really nice price.

BTW, my rx8 is very similar to the '04 you have listed.
RX-8 6-Speed Manual
TOURING PACKAGE M/T
APPEARANCE PACKAGE
Rotary Accent Package

$24109 after rebates. I think it was $26.7K out the door (tax and license, etc). Your price seems too high for the '04. Can't speak for the '05 prices.