Just thought I'd share....

There are three packages, the Sport Package, Touring Package, and the Grand Touring Package (which includes both the Sport and Touring as well as other goodies).

The way I configured mine was in Winning Blue Metallic Paint, with Leather seats and the Grand Touring Package. Essentially it was everything EXCEPT the navigation (which is a HUGE $2000 option! )

It came out to $31,100 including destination. I figure take off a $500 graduate rebate and I'm in the 30k ballpark I wanted to be at!

The site looks great, lots of features, check it out!

 

Congrats, Herc! I just submitted mine, too: I wasn't thrilled that leather is only available with the grand touring package, as I wasn't really interested in a moonroof, heated and powered stuff. In the end, I just went and ordered the car I've always seen in my head:

Velocity Red MC, red interior (Grand Touring) = $31,100.

I passed on NAV, too, since I'd probably never really use it much. I wonder how much they'll charge us for a spare tire? Heh heh...

 

Darn! If only there were a way to order the Homelink and other stuff without getting the Grand Touring Package with the moonroof.

 

Hey Herc-

I just graduated college too! Do you know that if we order the car online, can we still get the $500 rebate for being a college grad? Unfortunately I can't swing the 30K price that you can (I can but it would be tough), damn New Jersey insurance :D

 

I did the whole deal (Nav included) - $33,100. Since I own my own business, I will be leasing this as my daily driver. How sweet it will be to be back into a rotary on a daily basis. I went with the Red Mica and Red and Black Interior (getting close to 40, you know an "old guy"). I wish they would have offered a Black and Grey Leather, then I would have went for that sweet looking Titanium. Oh well, there will be something else at the end of my lease, maybe the Mazdaspeed version, a vert, who knows. I am pumped!! I hope that I get my car in June, but the NAV may have just put me into September - we will see.

 

$3,900 option package required to get leather?

I just went from a buyer to a waiter. If I could get a car with leather under $30k, I was going to do it... I figured leather would be a $1,500 option, so with a $1,000 moonroof I'd be at a little under $30k.

A $2,700 option package to get the moonroof puts me off, too. What is wrong with a-la-carte? I don't want homelink or Bose, and I don't like Xenons...

Maybe a test drive will convince me, but I'll be holding off... looking forward to continued discussions on this board, and hearing what you guys think of your cars!

 

Grrrrrr.

I hate these option packages.

I dont want heated seats and mirrors (i live in Florida)
I dont want the Bose stereo either (rather go aftermarket)
but i have to get that crap just to get leather.


man this sucks!

 

Can someone please post the link to the site!

Thanks

 

http://www2.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/rx8/index.jsp

Have Fun!

 

Am I just being a wuss, or does anyone else feel a little nervous about commiting to spend 30k on a car you've never actually seen in person or driven? I really want this car, but I wish I could test drive it first. I just don't want to have to wait until 2004 to get one because I ordered in May or June.

 

Site is here: http://www.mazdarx-8.com

I'm also going with the whole deal as well for 33,100:

6 spd manual
titanium grey (red if not for the insurance and higher ticket factor!)
black leather
grand touring package
NAV system

I don't like having to get ALL the options of the grand touring (can do without the heated mirrors and seats and bose system), but I want the leather and electronic seats. I'm also a little disappointed that there was absolutely no info on the NAV system.

But now comes the challenge of seeing if my dealer (who has my $1k deposit) will charge over MSRP....

 

You are not being a wuss. You are being smart. I did not care for the 350Z when I test drove it. Visibility is poor, oddly feels heavier than my four door G35. If I had pre-ordered one, I would have felt pretty stupid when I refused delivery after doing a verification drive!

I doubt you will have to wait until 2004. In October Nissan dealers were acting like the 350Z was unobtanium... now they have 2 or 3 on the showroom floor available for sale.

 

Not the most ideal scenario, but this could be an excellent option for those wanting leather without all the other stuff. And there are a lot of providers for this service that do an excellent job.

As for my lot in life, I will opt for it all minus the NAV. Bun warmers and heated mirrors are nice to have in Ohio in the winter. Moonroof is a definite, as are the Xenons. While not thrilled with the cost of it all ($33,100), it seems reasonable. But that price is certainly makes the G35 coupe a very likely cross-shop candidate.

I really like the change provided by the 2 tone interior. If it were available in cloth, I'd take that. I likely won't preorder one though. I have to drive it first. But my deposit will be ready.

 

Hmmm, $31k for the Grand Touring is a really great deal for all the stuff you get. Only thing is, I don't really want all of that crap.

Does it really save that much money to have these stupid packages? I mean, Dell can build me the exact custom computer I want, why can't Mazda build me the car I want?

I really wish Mazda would throw us a bone here and at least offer some of the more common options (like leather) a la carte.

 

wish the titanuim with red looked better. I was really hoping for silver inserts too.

I'm going with Sunlight Silver/red inserts $33,100. I'll take mine with all the fixin's:D

It said even if you do it online you still have to contact your dealer, so I'm going to swing by there at lunch and do it all in person.

 

As they say, "patience is a virtue." I'm thinking the metalic blue with cloth seats and nav. But I'm undecided between the sports or touring package. I'm going to have to wait until I can see the car in person and hear if the Bose sound system is worth the extra money (and save your Bose flames, I've read enough about how much people don't like them). Alas, it looks like no car for me until October or so.

 

So far I have determined my color and the interior of my car. Unlike the majority of people, I will be sticking with the cloth seats in the car- the contrast between the cloth and leather insert is the closest thing to a silver and black combo they gave us. As for the color, I fell in love with the titanium color- not too flashy, dont have to always keep it clean, plus like boowana said, the lighter colors really shows off the nice front end of the 8.

My only decision now lies in the options packages. I guess I will have to see if the Bose is really worth it, and if it isnt that great, whether or not a moonroof is worth the extra money. Homelink and an auto dimming mirror is basically worthless to me. With all the cubbies in the RX-8 there will be plenty of space for a garage door opener somewhere :D

 

Remember that they will get more. Dealers have 2 systems for cars, orders and arrivals.

Orders are just what you think. I walk in and say I want to order a car. They have 15 slots for orders, I just took one of them.

The other thing they have are arrivals. They are "extras" that just show up (well not really but thats kinda what its like.) They dont have any real option on what will be in them, but the parent companies think very highly of those cars selling quickly so the dealerships want them gone QUICK. (normally selling them quickly gets them more order spots.)

If mazda is making 5k rx8s this year, 3000-4000 will be orders, and another thousand will just show up at the dealers. They will have a base set of options and boring colors, but are easy to sell, and provide availability for perspective purchasers who dont need an exact color/options package choice.

So there ARE ways to get the cars even without orders.

Scot

BTW I agree, the options packages they have are aweful. I have to have heated seats. Couldn't care about most of the rest of the options, nor the leather. Being forced to spend 3k on options I dont want just to get heated seats is not something I will do. If you have ever used heated seats on a cold day after being outside for a few hours you would understand!!!


Oh and that 5k figure is totally made up, I have no idea how many will be produced.

 

Did I understand that? You have to pay more for a red car? What colours cost more and what are the reasons for that?

 

No, I think all the colors are the same from what I can tell on their website. I've just always heard that a red car cost more for insurance (though someone posted that that was a myth) and that statistically, red cars get ticketed by cops much more frequently. If I'm always worried about getting a ticket, what fun is it?

But I think cost of the car is the same for any of the colors.

 

Mazda (and any other car manufacturer) can absolutely do total a la carte production, but would you be willing to pay more for the options? Option packages make it *much* easier to build cars in groups without the people on the line needing to stop and read instructions for their station for *each* car. I think this is why (along with profit of course!) most car makers do the packages.

 

Nissan did the same thing with the pre-orders. I went to the Nissan dealer last month to test-drive the 350Z. They had 8 on the lot to choose from. The dealer was willing to negotiate with the price. I could of bought the 350Z for under MSRP. So I think you will be able to do the same with the RX-8.
The 350Z is a nice car but - too small, no room to put anything and the ride was hard. Need to drive a car before I buy. If the RX-8 rides like it looks - SOLD!

 

WITHOUT nav would make it $31,100, not $33,100. A similarly-equipped G35 coupe is $35k btw.

Edit: Also, a similarly equipped 350Z is $34k (but this still doesn't include a sunroof). IMHO, Mazda did a good job of undercutting the competition.

 

well i was up with bnez and herc early this morning as they will both attest to and when the site finally came up it was like 1:15. and of course i was on the dial up at home with my old netscape which was not fully supported ( i hear ya blueaddept) so i didnt work weel an then my comp locked up so i went to bed. (no herc i didn't end up throwing the computer out the window but it was a close call )
anyway long story short, i got up early today and came to work to do it. its titanium with the touring package for me. i said i was staying under $30,000 and i couldn't justify the extra for heated seats and mirrors and leather. in philly the heated stuff wqould be nice but out here in portland it wont get used enough. oh no nav for me like i said before i aint waiting 'til september i have waited too long (3 friggin' years!!) already!

 

Ordered my GT in titanium & brown. I know the brown leather doesn't look that great, but after seeing the red last night in person, I know I don't want that.

I figured I have to have the 2 tone leather as that is as much a part of the 8's magic as the suicide doors.

I'm hoping the brown leather will age well like an old baseball glove.