Yeah, it is a good idea- but only if you do it yourself with one of the kits available (they cost about $29-$39, look here or here ), or get the police to do it (They'll do it for free in some cases). My point was that convincing customers to pay $300 for it is just a way of padding dealer pockets, since it's just as easy to do it yourself for cheaper.

 

Just to add fuel to the fire I do have retail pricing on the RX-8.

6-Speed Hi Power Version @ 68,500.00 NZD
4-Speed Automatic Version @ 65,500.00 NZD

Divide that by 2 to get USD :D

Also when do you US guys get the RX-8 ?

 

Actually they do....I hear what your saying and I am impressed with oyur faith in Mazda....however, I think a trip to www.alldata.com to see all the recalls and TSBs on paints and dash plastics in the last 12 years might open your eyes a bit.. the most famous example of course being the afore mentioned 1993 RX-7.

I never said it was a good option, or something I reccomneded to others, but in a world where other dealers are marking up the cars to heaven's knows what prices it is a reasonable alternative... especially since you don't have much choice... Haas is up front about it..$33.100 driveout.. loaded TT&L..it doesnt make them great or anything...


make mine Titanium and with 6 forward gears... Zoom Zoom...

 

yes totally agree with you there. thanks for the links

 

For $300 US I could buy enough Zaino products to last me 10 years.
I never understood the "processing fee".. don't the clerks get paid a yearly salary to do this? Why do we have to pay extra on top?

 

Yeah, but would you want your car back after all that? It's almost like having your personal space violated. Isn't that what insurance is for? Yes the Vin etching can help with recovery of your car, and that's why insurance companies support it. Because if they do recover your car, they don't have to pay out as much. Sometimes, it's best to just let it go. If you really want to prevent your car from going to the chop shop, get a Lo-jack. It's expensive but it's probably the best preventive thing you could do.

 

it makes sense when the car hasn't been stripped but just given false papers and sold at an auction. the more places the vin is on a car the less likely they are going to erase all of them. and no one wants to go to the expense of replacing all of the glass.

 

one guy on the mazda6 forums (www.goonish.com/atenza) said he had a very nice experience at Menlo Mazda in Redwood City with a salesguy named Andy. he also mentioned that the sunnyvale dealer wasn't too great which you probably know by now. menlo mazda is off the Whipple exit on 101 i think.

didn't take time to wade through the thread, so sorry if this info has already been posted.

 

Dealers in the US cannot legally sell NEW cars in NEW CAR department over MSRP. What they might do, it's buy them for themself & transfer them to USED car sales lot & sell them for more over MSRP. This it's currently being done with most high-end Benz & BMW.. I've been seeing this tactics used in S2000, G35 & Rx-8... But, you can complain the dealer to the manufactures consumer affairs. Since now, some manf. like Nissan/Mercedes are cracking on those dealers.

 

We sell the RX-8 here for full retail.

$68,500.00 no discount aviliable

Nothing more nothing less

Rian

 

Actually they can. MSRP is just the "manufactuers SUGGESTED retail price". They can sell them for as much or as little as they want, unless the manufactuer prohibits them from doing so. At least thats how it is here in GA, maybe regulations are different in other areas. I know the BMW dealerships were doing exactly what you described with the E46 M3 when it was first released, but thats only because BMW doesn't allow them sell over MSRP.