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Comments
Or, maybe we're just all out to get you (as usual) because you bring the truth and we don't want it to get out.
That's been proven here.
"Or, maybe we're just all out to get you (as usual) because you bring the truth and we don't want it to get out."
That was proven in the Mazda6 room.
In fact I'd say the "We only get personal" part was proven that post. Since I said a lot more in my last post than simply "Why do you have to get personal?". But hey the weekend is over. See you guys later.
Many older buyers do not want big wheels, they do want a HB for its utility and the 16" alloys and tires would be fine. Some older buyers don't care what a car looks like as long as it goes and is reliable, I'm not one of those. Neither do I want the "i" model sedan nor an "i" model HB.
As for selling the 17" wheels and tires, it would have to be done locally. Otherwise, what would you put on your car waiting for a buyer in another state to ship his 16-inch wheels? And vise versa.
fowler3
I was ticked off because I want a replacement for my 2001 Protegé, I don't like its choppy ride and the Mazda3-s I drove has a smooth ride. The early birds who bought the HB say it is noisy, rides rough, and is more firm because of the big wheels and low-pro tires. That's a deal-breaker for me, why start over with another roughrider?
I like everything about the Protegé other than its ride and Mazda has preserved and enhanced its best features in the MZ3.
fowler3
That being said, I foresee an i model hatch (excuse me, "5 door"..heh) for 2005, but the 2 liter might not be strong enough for it, so it might have to start with the 2.3 liter, you know? Which means to save money and get the price down, I see steel wheels, no fogs, no cruise, no skirts, and possibly just solid black cloth interior. Oh, and make the ubiquitous (on the hatch anyway) sunroof unavailable to differentiate it.
"The early birds who bought the HB say it is noisy, rides rough, and is more firm because of the big wheels and low-pro tires."
I don't think it rides rough at all. It's a littler firmer than I'm used to coming from a Chevy Corsica (with 14 inch wheels), but it's a decent ride (it's also only got 180 miles on it, so the suspension hasn't had a chance to loosen up any yet). Noisy...only in the wheelwells when there's debris (salt, sand, gravel, etc) on the road...those can be heard pretty clearly. Other than that haven't noticed any oppressive noise. Of course noisier tires will be more noticeable though.
This old geezer took his trophy bride to the movies last night (Ladykillers - ugh) and was impressed with the big screen ad by Mazda, and a poster ad in the hall - no question it was targeted to the performance/speed/style market vs the comfort/reliability market. Agreed this means generally a younger market, but things are a-changing - as the marketing gurus are recognizing. Aging boomers and second childhood geezers like me, because of demographic shifts and high accumulated savings, are starting to represent a significant segment. So Mazda is properly targeting a preference segment rather than just an age segment.
To the point, if 16" wheels had been available for my hatch, I still would have picked 17's for the look - and the 2.3 for the torque. Having said that, a 'basic' hatch will fill out their stable at little incremental cost and will not steal from their MZ6 line.
A dealer in neighboring state is offering me Mazda 3 $1000.00 less than the best price I have got in my state, I am in Pennsylvania. Please let me know are there any problems with buying the car in another state. Thanks
I am in NM and bought a car in CO this way and it was a piece of cake. If I had bought in AZ, on the other hand, it would have been a problem because their sales tax laws are "funny" and Phoenix in particular has a city sales tax that you can't get out of.
YMMV
npaladin2000: "The "old geezer" market that you mentioned is NOT typically the one that Mazda wants...if you ever noticed their ads, they're geared more toward the under 40 crowd (maybe even under 30). Volvo and Lincoln are the "over-40" nameplates.
Think champaigne tastes and beer pocketbook here.
Not everyone over 40, over 50, or over 60 has Volvo and Lincoln on their lists. Those with good pensions and retirement plans do.
An "i" hatchback with the 2.0l engine and "i" trim, not for me. I like the goodies in the "s" model just as much as you "youngsters", meaning anyone under 40. With the exception of the 17's.
The Protegé was bought as a temporary car until I could decide on something more to my liking. Now that I am use to the size and enjoying the handling, the MZ3 looks like my best bet. It will be my last car, has to do me the rest of my life, you can see why I am being particular.
fowler3
What I would do in your position is just get the 5-door s and find somebody with an i or s sedan with 16s that wants to swap wheels. There shouldn't be a problem finding a taker if the offer is for an even swap. Then you have real Mazda factory wheels.
to prevent stone chips, can you get that in Canada? Put it on the rocker panels (sidesills) and bumper facias.
Mazda6s, thanks for our reply and suggestion. It will be a while before I sell the Pro and buy the HB or sedan.
fowler3
Mazda3 Hatch in Titanium Gray
auto trans
ABS/EBD/Side air curtains package
Moonroof & 6-cd changer
Final price was $19700. Thoughts? Comments? Extra money laying around that you don't want? let me know.
Simple change for 2005: keep the HB as an S model only, but make the sport package (or at least the wheels) a stand alone option (just like the sedan).
Also a good point about having the dealer do the swap. I don't recall if the sedan has 17" as an option, but regardless, I'm sure the dealer would be happy to knock $250 off your car and charge soemone else $500 for the dealer installed option.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
We'll have to see how Mazda works things once they convert/buy another factory to make the 3 in...they're going to have to, because they're not keeping up with demand with only the one in Hiroshima.
I once saw a brand new '01 Maxima SE in my local dealer listed w/ 17"s but actually had 16"s on... I wonder how it happened.
& my local BMW dealer pretty much charged the price of the entire sport package(about $1400) on the dealer's "17"-factory-wheel upgrade"! The salesman B.S. that it was some wheel specialist who provided these factory wheels & not directly swapped from another car on the lot!
Is there any reason a buyer would be stupid enough to pay for the whole sport package w/ these items missing such as the superbly comfortable 12-way sport seats? No way, these seats even accomodate broad girth. Or is it the more-relaxing-to-hold 4-spoke non-sport steering wheel they want to keep? Must be the lowered sport suspension they can't tolerate. But having these so-so-looking 7-spoke factory 17"s on the regular suspension don't even function properly, as the '01 large-brake 330i's mandatory 17" made the sport suspension std only after 6 months of introduction.
What's the dealer thinking? Are we that stupid?
Anyway, something similar is probably what happened to that Maxima you saw.
As for the BMW dealer, well...$500 for the wheels, $200 for the time the salesman took to think up a believable story while they get the wheels off a car in the back, and $700 for the name "BMW." Simple.
I think this is intentional on Mazda's part. In the past, hatchbacks have been cheap versions of many models. With the Mazda3 5-door and especially the Mazda6 5-door, they want to avoid this. A good move IMO.
If you want an economy 4dr hatchback, the Hyundia Elantra GT aint too bad.
IMO a dealership should not do anything to your car that would invalidate the manufacturer's warranty, without first notifying you in writing that this is could happen (and making you sign it!). Of course, they're not going to do this voluntarily as it would impact sales and cut into the profit from all the aftermarket crap.
Not what I thought it would look like.
fowler3
Ours comes w/out the rear spoiler + skirts but with 16" alloys.
Dinu
So now you all can see what an "i" hatch looks like in Japan.
I went back to the Mazda dealer and sat in the 3 hatch. I just wanted to stay there. Just sit there all night.
Hhhhmmm... when are they going to build mine already!
I just wish they had a seat-bottom cushion adjustment knob and heated mirrors :>( I asked Mazda if they could put the mirror heaters in at the factory and they said "No.. that's only for Canada... because it's colder there."
&$@*% !!!
I like that, that's funny. Many big cities here in don't get half as cold as places like New Hampshire, Chicago, etc.
And isn't Colorado always covered in snow? (i dunno, i've never been there)
Tell you what, I'll trade you my heated mirrors for a pair of your Xenons of your nav system!
fowler3
"And isn't Colorado always covered in snow? (i dunno, i've never been there)"
(Groan)
I've been to Colorado, and I can honestly say, it's a fantastic place, and it's covered in snow in the winter, not rest of the year.
You should drive your Mazda3 to Denver, and check out how beautiful, cool, and hip the city is, especially LoDo (Lower Downtown).
And the people there are also incredibly friendly.
Not if you walk around with a Red Wings hat on. ; )
Not that I would do a thing like that.
Okay, so I did. My wife's grandfather lives in Colorado and we drove there in our 2003 CR-V. The Pro5 was just a bit too small for the family on a trip that long. And, from what I'm told, Denver is not covered in snow most of the winter. Due to the drier climate, much of the snow melts and it can actually be quite nice in winter. Colder, but nice. Or so I'm told. (My wife lived in Boulder for quite a few years.)
I am a first time car buyer so do not know much about the process. I want to know do I need to the emissions and state inspection on my own when I drive out from the dealer ? Or is that part of the taxes and tags
Thanks
Even though you still get the $500 for financing with Mazda, I'd still try to give them a counter-offer lower than their initial $500 off MSRP. Like I said, the worst they can say is no. Be sure not to let on that you really love the car and that you have no alternatives, e.g. other cars ("Hey, you know, that Elantra GT is a really nice car and costs thousands less..."), even if you don't have realistic alternatives. Then they've got you just where they want you.
But, their service department is wonderful. I won't even consider taking my Honda vehicles elsewhere.