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Comments
I am however, seeing some sizeable discounts on:
--C5 Corvette-due to the C6 being announced. I've seen them as high as $7K off list.
--'yoda MR-quite a few '03s left, at least around here
--Audi TT-well, just because sales have fizzled
Pick any U.S. brand and you can get thousands off, except on the newer Caddys. I even saw an add yesterday for an '03 Thuderbird at $10K off
MSRP. I remember when dealers were aksing $50K for them. I could pick one up for about $31K, now.
Lease deals are tough to compare as they may different in the amount of mileage allowances, CAP cost reduction amounts, Differing bank fees, different aquisition and disposition costs.
The only lease deals I've seen are stripped RX8 automatics. I think it was for $299/mo., but didn't look real closely at the terms. I think it was for 10K miles/year, though. Residuals are running right around 52%-54% after 48 months last I checked around October.
If you can get the S-Plan, then it most certainly is the way to go. That's the least you're going to pay for one.
I shopped both a standard lease and a one-pay lease (discount back 36 future payments and pay upfront). I got a higher residual and a better money factor by doing the one-pay, and I had the cash available. I also saved significantly on tax (7% a month on top of the lease payments in my county in GA). I don't have the money factor in front of me but the standard lease was .00236, and I got a litter better than that. Total lease payments equated to roughly $369 if I divide cash out of pocket by 36 months. I saw money factors as low as .00139 (Charlotte, NC) and as high as .00336 (Atlanta). I saw residuals vary from 56% to 58% on standard leases in the Southeast, but most were at 56% or 57% for the standard lease. My one-pay lease ended up being with Mazda Credit, though I know US Bank had some aggressive terms, as well.
Most importantly, I love this car...the drive, the style, the combination of power, comfort and handling. I'll love it even more with the 6-disc, rotary accents and fender strakes; which get installed this weekend.
Hi jjgittes
I have just such a car, no options, base a/t in Lightening Yellow. I leased mine in Norco (but I live in Torrance) the cap cost was $22,800. I paid $1,200.00 out of pocket and $300.00 (including tax) per month for 48 months. Residual is $12,000.00 with 12K miles per year. I got mine at the end of December and they were (so they said) dying to sell some Mazdas to make a bonus. Not sure if that's true, but I am sure that I got a pretty sweet deal.
I LOVE the car. It gets lots of eyeball; last week some guy in a Carrera4 almost drove off the road craning his neck to check out my car.
Every other RX8 driver I have seen has honked and waived. I am SO GLAD that I didn't get the SAAB 93 I was looking at.
I wonder why the RX-8s aren't moving more in the southeast. Unusual cold and harsh winter perhaps?
Thanks
Herbert
Don't know why they are selling down here, but I've only passed one on the road in the last two weeks, and had only seen and handful since I started looking in August. You'd think in a city of 3+ million people a few more people would be driving these around.
Dealers here (SE PA) haven't seemed to be moving the RX-8s, even before winter kicked in. I'm surprised. But I did manage to get the free scheduled maintenance deal for four years, which probably offsets savings I might have got had I been able to wait a couple months to get the car.
The Ford S-Plan became available sometime in October, I believe.
Don't worry. If you got free maintenance on your RX8, you got a good deal.
What does DCS and traction control do for me exactly? I live in Oregon, a lot of rain, but not much snow. Usually 1-2 days per year of snow.
Why should I pay for this feature?
THANKS!!
You get:
--HID self leveling headlights (once you have them, you'll wonder how you lived without them)
--fog lights
--DSC with traction control
--upgraded 18" wheels and tires
--bigger brakes that are outstanding
--"sport" suspension (one of the best in the biz)
To me, it's a screaming bargain.
Formally Car Guy 58 but due to problems with new format I'm now Car 3.
I have seen about like 10 RX-8's around. Not too many around in NJ.
Hyudais and Kias, eh? While those are OK cars, they are very much in a different ballpark than either the RX8 or your S2000. My son has an Elantra, which has served him well (so far, with only about 20K miles on it). He's been lusting for a Tiburon. But, trying to explain to him that, for all intents and purposes, it's only an Elantra in two door coupe form, is an exercise in futility.
RX8 is doing great since the weather has taken a turn for the better around here. I finally have taken it out of the garage and driven it this past week. Don't know if the rest did it good or not, but I ran through a tank of gas and checked the mileage. In about 75% city and 25% highway, I got 19 MPG on COSTCO gas. I'm pleased with that. I think everything has "broken in" and it's running really good.
Have you taken your car out recently?
car3....I can say with a reasonable amount of certainty that the RX8 won't ever be AWD in the foreseeable future. That would wipe away everything the RX8 stands for....a light, fast and tossable sports car. Adding the weight of AWD would blunt that driving experience dramatically.
The G35X sedan is AWD, but I doubt very seriously they'd do that to the Coupe for the very same reasons, as it's already a fairly hefty sport coupe.
I've seen more an more RX8s on the road this week. Two silver and one yellow one just this week. We always "wave" when passing each other. I went to my dealer to inquire about strakes (almost $500 installed....I can live without them at that price). The sales manager said they are down to 3 in-stock and that sales have picked up dramatically again after a "soft" January. I'm sure the weather has a lot to do with that.
I'm going to give mine a "bath" today with the sun shining and temps approaching 50.
Personal opinion, but there always seems to be added costs to a lease, even after you've negotiated an "out the door" price. Even at lease end, there can be disposition fees which add to the cost of the car.
For comparison's sake, if you purchase, the price should look something like this....
--cost of the car +
--taxes +
--title transfer and license fees (should be no more than $50-$75)+
--interest
That should give you the bottom line cost of the car.
For a lease, it ends up being...
--cost of the car +
--taxes on your monthly payment+
--title transfer & license fees +
--interest on the delta between purchase price and residual price +
--acquisition and disposition fees +
--any additional bank fees
The variables are the killers...like residuals, acquistion, disposition and bank fees. To me, those are another source of profit for either the dealer and/or the bank that you don't have when you purchase out right.
That's why I'm always a bit leary when someone says I leased my car based on a $xx,xxx price. Few ever figure in the differences in residuals and the different fees involved. It's still money out of your pocket over the course of the lease
Of course, the car biz is mostly one of "sign the deal now" and "the terms are all standard".
What I'm seeing here in OH is a $299/mo. lease for 48 mos....12K mi/mo with 10% down plus customary fees. That's usually for a base model.
If you're interested in the car, as others here will tell you, I'm shamelessly one of the biggest proponents of the RX8. It's the best car I've ever purchased and one of the best cars I've ever driven.
It was one of the first ones to hit our shores in July.
The good....
--it's fast
--it's comfortable
--it's one of the best steering, shifting, braking cars I've ever owned (including a couple of highly regarded BMWs). It's capabilities are extremely high
--it's got a high level of build quality, fit & finish
--it's got a great BOSE stereo
--it gets "looks" wherever you drive/park it
--materials are all of high quality
--it won't "punish" you when driven to its high levels of capabilities
--ergonomics are great
--the sounds it makes as you wind it out in each gear are automotive "heaven"
--young people, old people and little children will love to talk to you about your car
--every major automotive publication that has done a comparison of the RX8 to a Cobra, Infiniti G35 or a 350Z admit that the RX8 is the better car.
the downside....
--it's not an economy car, so don't plan on getting good MPG...it's a performance car and fuel is burned accordingly
--You have to keep an eye on your oil level as it's normal for the RENESIS to use a bit of oil
--don't shut it down until the engine is warmed up
--every "boy racer" with a Civic, Celica, etc will want to challenge you
That's it.
It's a bit different than a piston engined car. Not worse, just different. As long as you understand that, you'll be fine.
I can't comment on the automatic version, but the resident automatic expert...cheezeboy....will be along shortly with his opinion.
For comparison's sake, the 350Z and the G35 were both on my shopping list. I test drove both of them extensively. I have to agree with what all the trade rags (as well as Edmunds) have said, that the RX8 is the better car. While the Nissan/Infiniti offerings are fine cars in their own right, they too have some problems. Brakes and suspension issues being chief among them.
Truth is, you need to drive all of your choices as there aren't any bad ones in what you're looking at.
With the deals going on now, and your desire for low end torque, you might want to take a look at the Cobra, too.
You can probably get an '03 Cobra for invoice or less and then subtract the $3K rebate.
There are still some of them floating around the Southern OH area as I've seen them advertised in the newspaper.
If one of my main criteria for a car was low-end torque, the Mustang V8 models would be at the very top of my shopping list. They'll "out torque" any 350Z/G35.
I haven't seen many RX-8s around. I've just seen a red one parked, a silver and a titanium gray on the road. The blue and green are more rare I take it. I'm really surprised that the car is holding onto its exclusivity so well after being out for eight months.
I'm going to the Cincinnati International Auto Show tonight to get a gander at those new Mustangs. I saw them last year in Detroit, but they were on a stage where you couldn't look inside.
I'm anxious to see the C6 "vette" that's supposed to be there, too. I want to see the 300C, also. The Scion will be there. Want to see those as that could be my next "2nd car" to replace the current Civic.
Not much else will be of interest...plenty of SUV "crossovers" (yawn) and trucks (bigger YAWN), I'm sure.
Last year, at the Detroit Auto Show, I spied the RX8 for the first time. Aside from the test drive, which sealed the deal, I knew it would rocket up to the top of my shopping list when it was released.
LOVE the car. I really researched everything about the car and visited all the forums, and I can tell you words alone cannot convey the actual driving experience. Smooth, fast enough to get a ticket without even trying, handles great, and very comfortable for a sports car. I've had dozens of cars including a 98 'Vette, BMW's, Trans Am's, you name it and it's been in my garage, but this one in a word is WOW! On the concerns about adequate HP/torque - don't worry, just drive it and your concerns will vanish. I was originally thinking of adding some performance stuff (intake, exhaust, etc.) but I'm having second thoughts since I've driven it stock.
http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/index.html
I have yet to see any such notice of recall on my RX8.
tn_dave....you are now experiencing what us owners have been raving about. Don't be a stranger and post your impressions as you drive the car more.
Secondly, how is this flooding occurring? I have not heard of someone flooding a car since my family had a big ol' station wagon back in the '80s!!
Finally, I am thinking of offering 4% over invoice for a yellow 6MT with the Grand Touring package; does this sound in line with the deals that others have been getting?
As for the 4% above invoice price for the Yellow 6MT, I don't see why that wouldn't be possible. Keep in mind that better weather is coming around so more people are in the market. Nonetheless, I still think that is a reasonable offer. However, let the dealer make the first move. Go directly to the sales manager (not just some off-the-lot sales guy) and ask them how much do they need to make on the car. I've had so much better luck dealing with the managers than random salespeople. Usually, they are more concern with getting the numbers up rather than the commission going into their pocket. Call or go to the dealership to schedule a time to talk with the sales manager or general manager of the dealership. Don't let them hand you off to someone else. When dealing with the sales manager, he can make the decision himself and you don't get that, "I'll be right back" schtick from the off-the-lot salesguy when you give an offer. Through my experience, the sales manager/GM is also a lot more honest throughout the deal. This all may be obvious to you and I don't want to sound patronizing, but it amazes me how many people just take whatever the dealer is initially willing to give them (including the salesperson). Once you learn how much the sales manager/GM wants for the car, you can learn what the holdback amount is (which almost every car has, but isn't posted anywhere). You can go to www.consumerreports.org//carprices/new6 and find the 1-800 number that you can call to learn everything about this vehicle (including the holdback amount). This amount is in addition to any rebates/incentives. Chances are the sales manager might say we need to make $1500.00 on this vehicle for example. He figures you'll add that to the sticker invoice to come up with the buying price. If you know what the holdback is, you can add that $1500.00 to that cost.
Base price for a 6MT RX-8 = $27,200
(Dealer's necessary profit) = $1500.00
Holdback (example: $1000)
Your offer should be around $27,700, lot less than 4% above invoice you're willing to pay. Go for it!
That Consumer Reports information is only $12.00 and they'll fax it to you within a few hours. Pretty damn cheap and easy when you could possibly be saving hundreds. I did this and it at least put me in a position to save a few hundred more dollars on my new car. Good luck!
I've had my RX8 for 7 months. I've driven it in all types of temps...started it and stoppped it within seconds. I've never flooded mine.
I've read that some have, however. From my understanding, they start it stone cold and turn it off stone cold. Since the engine is still running rich while the engine's control module (ECU) is revving higher RPMS until the car warms up, shutting it down during this warm-up leaves unburnt fuel in the chambers. There are two ways to keep this from happening. One, never shut down the engine cold. Mine warms up quickly (less than a mile of driving) in even the coldest temps. 2nd, Mazda has a TSB that calls for replacing the leading plugs with "hot" plugs. Those that have had this procedure done have never reported any more issues.
The RX8 does indeed have an "oil level" sensor. I've never known any of these types of devices to be particularly accurate in any car, however. As a rule of thumb, I check the oil in all of my cars every 2nd or 3rd fill-up. That's just a good practice, regardless of the car you drive and only takes about 10 seconds. By design, the RX8 will "burn" a little oil. That said, I've never had to put oil in mine between oil changes (every 5K miles). It will use about a 1/2 qt between changes, but not enough to cause me to add any between changes.
The RENESIS is a different (and robust) power plant as you've found out during your test drive. Not better or worse than it's piston counterparts...just different. I've known of plenty of older rotaries to go well beyond 200K miles with no major work done to them. Just check the oil and wind it out.
Good luck no matter which direction you go. Let us know what you decide.
Couple of other questions for ya: (1) Would you buy a yellow car?? I love the way the RX8 looks in yellow, but this goes against all of my normal tendencies. I have only bought black, white or silver cars in my past 6 vehicles purchases. What are your thoughts, resale, etc.? (2) Do you guys know if there are going to be any changes with the '05 model?
Thanks again for your help!