why so few RX-8's on the road?
 

I drive an E46 M3 Coupe ('02) and I can be described as an RX-8 wanabe. I have test driven the RX-8 twice now (last fall and two weeks ago) and I would like to make 1/2 the car payment I have now and drive a very nice RX-8.

Now that I have gotten behind the wheel of one, what I don't understand is why I see so darn few RX-8's on the road? My closest dealer has TONS of RX-8's on the lot - is it the "controversial" styling that keeps folks away?

True, I am in Dallas, TX, probably the SUV/truck capital of the USA, but I would have expected to see more RX-8's on the road.

I feel it is going to be worst now that the new MazdaSpeed Miata is available and that the new Miata is just around the corner.

Why is the RX-8 not selling in higher #'s?

Wait till spring and better weather...I think sales will really start picking up.

I kinda like it that way - I could not count the number of Ford Mustangs that I see just on the way to work. Sparsity preserves our "kewl" factor !

some people think its ugly. some people are scared of rotaries.

There's certainly no shortage of them on the roads here in Austin. I think I've counted at least six others that I can't identify as members of the local RX club.

Mustangs and Eclipses everywhere! OMG!

A number of things could contribute to it...

1) The current sports car/coupe market is flooded with options for new car buyers from GTIs and 350Z/G35s to TTs and 325cis. The RX8 seems to straddle a strange price point. Equipped at $30K it competes with a lot of bread and butter luxury makes. Those not wishing or capable of spending as much will look at an RSX or GTI. Those comfortable with the price have even more options...which brings me to the next point...

2) The RX8 isn't cheap, especially when compared to the costs of sporty coupes from "luxury" manufacturers. A loaded RX8 will run a buyer close to $34K which will buy you a nicely equipped Infiniti G35 or even a well equipped (although far from loaded) BMW 325ci. The cache of owning a BMW vs. a Mazda is definitely a factor in some people's minds.

3) Some people don't know what to make of it or don't know what it is. Is it a 2 door or is it a 4 door? Friends of mine keep saying I'm nuts for thinking about a car without a real backseat. "You can't fit an adult back there..." I'm 6'1" and I fit without a problem! They don't get that it's quite capable of comfortably hauling four real adults.

4) Some may not like the styling. Sucks for them :D Some don't like my TT (one of the most highly aclaimed designs of late). I've heard things from "blob" to "squished bug". Sucks for them too! :D

5) The American public is generally boring and likes to stick with things with which they are familiar. :p They like their Buick Centuries and Ford Tauruses. A rotary is unfamiliar, as are freestyle/suicide doors, and the styling...well, it's certainly unique. The RX8 is and always will be a niche vehicle. We just have to hope that it appeals to enough people for it to pull in a profit for Mazda (so they'll keep making them).

6) Mazda seems to have downsized its dealerbase somewhat so customers or potential buyers are less likely to find themselves driving by a showroom or dealer lot. Faifield County, CT used to have 3 Mazda dealers within ~20 miles of one another (Ridgefield, Greenwich, and Westport) and now there is just 1 in Stamford. In one of the largest and most affluent metro areas in the country, I'd say that's not going to help sales.

I do, however, agree with others who say wait until Spring/Summer. As prospective buyers start seeing them on the road and become more aware of them and as the weather starts getting nicer more people will start buying.

-Eric

34K? No freaking way.

After you bargain with the dealer you can get out the door LOADED at 32, 31.5.

Additionally most of the cars that are on the lot hover at 28-30K, with addons coming later (ie, body kit and such).

The RX-8 is a bargain imo. The G35C is the closest competition but the way I wanted it, it would have cost me 36k which is a far cry off from the 31k MSRP I paid. And given that I wouldn't have to pay MSRP now... I'd be even further ahead.

I didn't say that's what you'd pay. But you can't compare MSRP for one car with Invoice for another unless that's all dealers are doing. You can negotiate with just about any dealer (aside from maybe Saturn). A $34K MSRP BMW may also be had for ~$32K. Hell, I negotiated my Audi down about $4200 from MSRP. It's all about timing, negotiation, and incentives.

Again, it all comes down to what's important to you. Think what you may, but a lot of people would take a BMW over a Mazda and forego the "navi". On top of the "lux" factor you can also add BMW's free maintenance schedule (which includes some wear and tear parts, like bulbs and wipers).

-Eric

34K w/nav? maybe that's what he meant..but i do think the car is a bargain. i too was looking at the g35c, and sticker on it was 37.5K, that's w/o tax, etc... i know the dealer wasn't budging on price either (i bought my car in october)

I am also in the Dallas area and I have noticed very few on the road. In the six months I have had mine I doubt that I have seen 10 others in all that time. Maybe wquiles is right that here in the pickup and Suburban capital of the world there just aren't that many sports car drivers but I see a lot of G35's and Z's. Oh well that's their tough luck. I kind of like being unique.

I've only seen one other RX-8 so far, a nice black one.

But it doesn't bother me. I bought the RX-8 because it is unique. If I wanted to buy a common car I'd get a BMW 300 series - Southern California roads are lousy with them.

On the other hand, I hope Mazda sells enough of them to make a profit and keep the car in their line-up, but I don't want to see them all over the road. It's hard enough trying to keep a seperate identity in the modern city.

AND, like it or not, some people who aren't constrained by the price would even be willing to pay a few grand more for the luxury brand. People do it all of the time. If it was all about bang for the buck we'd be driving Acuras and Fords.

Remember, most buyers aren't enthusiasts. They know what their neighbors tell them and most of their neighbors are wrong. They know what they see and don't research more than that. "It looks cool". They're not like you and I. They don't care about the rotary and probably won't even know that their car doesn't have pistons. To the masses, it's just a unique sports car...if that. The masses buy Tauruses, Camrys and Accords in the HUNDREDS of thousands each year.

So, try to tell the run of the mill person why they should plop down $32K for a Mazda (that can't be moved short distances when you shut it down in the winter) instead of $33K for the shiny Bavarian across the lot or that G35 (w/leather) for $31K and you'll start seeing why it isn't so simple. Again invoice vs. MSRP is apples and oranges.

Look, I'm sold on the RX8 so you're preaching to the choir when you sing its praises...but I'm just one enthusiast looking for a unique drive.

-Eric

Oh what the hell. According to my shoddy memory, in the last 6 months I've seen approximately:

mustangs: buttload
camaros: buttload
s2000s: 5
G35: 8
350z: 15
Miatas: shitload
RX8s: 5
Cessnas: 10
Boeing 700 series: 312
Corvettes: 7
School busses: 54
Eclipses: who cares
Honda Elements: I try to forget
HFSUVs (Huge F**king SUVs): 892893284829389813429384
Hummers: 8

Other cars like evos, wrxs, acuras, etc, I don't even notice. Probably because they're ugly as sin and don't catch my eye.

I also hate SUVs. Can they get any damn bigger? I can't stand it when I get in the left turn lane and a damn mammoth SUV pulls up in front of me effectively obstructing my view of oncoming traffic, and the sky for that matter. Damn soccer moms.

I am also in dallas and the two people that posted here have raised my total sitings to four, five if you include my sweet ass car.

Quite a few in Austin, I have noticed a lot more on the Mo-Pac side, and far fewer on I-35. Couple weekends ago I was 3 within 20 minutes, about half as often as I see a 350z and 1/20 as often as I see a mustang overall still.

Regardless of what we see on the road (few or a lot), I wonder what predictions Mazda made for their sales volumn and whether they are on target for the number of units sold? Seems like I read a thread where they were only slightly behind anticipated sales volumn for the 8?

its good that there are few on the road hee hee makes me feel all special

LOL!!!!!!!!!! That was freakin GREAT!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

Mazda (err Ford) has done a horrible job with a marketing campaign for the RX-8.

BTW, the G35 Coupe's interior is about the same as a 1999 Altima. It is plastic and cheap looking. Great engine but the interior looks like ass.

Wow, I see them all the time- there's a titanium one in the parking lot across from my office and another just up the road, a black one I see in the morning on my way to the office, a yellow I've seen a few times, a green I saw at lunch the other day, and that's not counting 9kRever and Mscreant and TheTick and Chirorx8 and Dragonfruit, all of whom I've met in Richmond. I was just thinking they are starting to become really common!

My sentiments exactly. That was one of the reasons I decided against the G35C. I loved the way it looks, engine was nice, handling was good (but not as good as the 8) - the interior is cheap looking plastic. Doesn't fit the rest of the car.
Other reasons were the price and those friggin' frameless windows, especially with the stupid auto up/down feature... ugh.

Here in Dallas, TX... i see alot of them... iv'e seen two in the past two days... and a yellow one i always see, becuase it aftrmarktchrome rims.. and its same one...

BLUE - 1
RED - 1
YELLOW - 2
SILVER - 2
BLACK - NONE
T Gray - 1

I see alot of them... 350Z's are everywhere there still really nice... i see 2-3 a day 350Z... just wait ... RX-8's are selling pretty good though... on weekends you may see alot... since many of them are using it as a weekend ride...

How many Chrysler Prowler have you seen on the road? Why do I ask? I used to own one. And in that time I saw maybe a half dozen on the open road. Now I'm sure those cars are a little more "collected" then our "8"'s, but the total production numbers for that car are about the NA sales (~12K) for last year. I'd say there just aren't that many out. But I would agree with the comments that you woudl see more in the populus warm sates (CA, TX, FL).

Think about it this way, as of Feb 2004, Mazda reported selling just under 16,000 8s. Compare that to the tens of millions (if not more) of cars on the road.

That being said, in Central Texas/Metro Austin, there's plenty (hey Lufa, been to a TexasRXs meet yet?) on the road. I usually see one or two on every drive in or out of town. At the last 2 TexasRXs events, 8s were in the majority!