WAKE UP! This is a Canadian discussion. First of all there is no "i" version in Canada and there were no price changes to the M3 line of any kind in this country since at least the middle of the summer. The comment I made about the salesman using the oldest trick in the book (when he threatened that the price was about to go up) stands. And despite any rationalization you might come up with, it's sneaky, underhanded and misleading and does nothing to improve the image of the car salesman as a "con artist". Secondly, price fixing was pioneered by the Toyota "no haggle policy" and has spread to other companies in Canada. Thirdly, I ran into the "price fixing mentality" at Mazda in the summer when there was plenty of supply. Fourthly, if you knew anything about the Canadian market you would know that the way business is conducted in Canada is slightly different than it is in the US. People are generally more complacent here and not as savy in terms of haggling. The market has, and does, attempt to capitalize on this mentality. Finally, why do you feel so impelled to add your 2 cents worth regarding a market you apparently know nothing about?
Although Canadian and US prices differ it may be instructive to relate them. Mazda, after all, is a world company, selling its wares for euros, C$, U$ etc. What would be especially useful for this discussion is finding out when price changes are about to occur in case someone is contemplating a purchase. For example, do they occur typically every second month or at the end of the season. As we all know, car companies routinely flog their wares in September and October in anticipation of the new model line-up. What may be interesting also is what features, combinations of features, services get marked up at an inflated rate. These add-ons to a basically good car can sometimes sour a sweet deal.
Unfortunately the problem is that many offshore companies have completely different marketing agreements with Canada than they do with the US. For example Sony Canada has absolutely nothing to do with Sony USA. Sony Japan operates the 2 divisions as a completely different entities.
gdg says..."For example Sony Canada has absolutely nothing to do with Sony USA. Sony Japan operates the 2 divisions as a completely different entities..."
Thats great for Sony but Mazda North American Ops (MNOA) controls both US and Canada.
Hi Fuey, What are "D.I. Options" exactly? I'm assuming D.I. stands for Dealer installed, but what does this include?
Did you ask for the "Extended Warranty" and the "Protection Package" or did the dealer put this into the package? Do you know the cost of each? Mazda is known for its reliability, so an extended warranty may be money best kept in your pocket rather than that of your dealer. Is the protection package offered something that you can do yourself with a can of Scotchguard? If you removed these two items (and the associated taxes), you may be talking under $27K rather than $27.7K.
hey autonomous, no idea what d.i.options r. this is what i got from the broker in an excel format, so if u don't see any $numbers next to the words/options, then that meant its not included. so no extended warranty or protection package included.
Have you already called up some of the dealers in your area? It may be worth working the phone for a half hour to see what other deals you can find. Even if you don't get all the information you may get a better sense of whether the deal you have can be improved or not. For example, you can ask them for the price of the model you want and once they quote it tell them them you are checking for the best price and whether they are prepared to deal if you came down? My experience in buying my Protege5 back in 2002 was that you have to go through this a couple of times with a couple of sellers (including several times with the same dealership) : this convinces them that you are a potential catch.
Dealmaking & Discounts:
In my case, I got a $1200 discount (that includes the discount plus its associated savings in taxes) over the final price (MSRP + all taxes). In your case, I would aim for under $27K and see what happens. If you don't have to buy the car immediately, that's another card in your favour. Of course, much of the deal depends on what gets thrown in for the price, so it is wise to think about these things (ex. do I need an extended warranty?) beforehand. The winter is a terrible time to be selling cars (mind you I wouldn't want to buy a car then myself) so there may be motivation to make a deal. If you do buy in the winter in Canada, you should definitely consider winter tires and rims (approx. $700 - $1000) which could be part of the deal or kept out of it; in general it's a good idea not to complicate a deal so personally I would buy them afterwards from a tire specialist (like Frisby or another independent). Another suggestion : bring a friend to the dealership for support.
Perhaps others in this forum have other suggestions.
I don't know the current rate but I believe I paid $75 back in 2002. You can call a dealer, it should be a fixed rate. The fee is for the paperwork to transfer your existing license plates to your new baby, or if you don't have a vehicle currently it's to get a new license plate. I transferred my plates; new plates are likely more expensive. The fee is a provincial one.
finally bought the 05 m3 sport Gt winning blue hatckback with auto/ac, no moony or leatherseats. don't have it yet, dealer r look for the car for me. bought it for $27405+license fee.
"finally bought the 05 m3 sport Gt winning blue hatckback with auto/ac, no moony or leatherseats. don't have it yet, dealer r look for the car for me. bought it for $27405+license fee. "
Congratulations!
How did you find the experience? Was the financing okay? Would you recommend the dealer?
Remember to winterize your baby! Check around for a rust-proofing service but avoid the dealer for this service; I have been using Krown for several years. You may want to also invest in some winter tires & rims if you have some money left over.
Which lights are used as running lights in Canada. I have a US 3S hatchback with the foglights and don't feel there is much advantage to having them. You can only operate them simultaneously with the low beams. I believe the fog lights would be more useful as running lights. Does anyone know if/how they might be rewired to operate as running lights? I am generally pleased with the car at 3500 miles but am only getting 28 mpg in mixed driving.
The running lights in Canada are the low beams; since fog lights are optional on many cars it is likely impractical to make them the legal standard. You may want to investigate if your warranty would be affected by rewiring them.
After several years experiencing drivers who do not turn on their lights during rain, fog, darkness(!) I fully support running lights. Picture this: grey car without lights in the mist tries to pass you at 80mph (130 km+); I've been there.
What is your highway to city driving ratio?
Do you do frequent short trips, e.g. under 5 miles?
Several of us on the Protege5 forum are averaging about 30 mpg (the P5 is a slightly lighter car). The two factors that I suspect affect my fuel economy are the short distance to/from work and winter. Speaking of winter be prepared to see your numbers plummet if you are in the freeze zone! Mazda should do more to make their econo-boxes more fuel efficient; sporty is good; sporty and fuel efficient is better!
hey i travel 110 120 km/hr. My combined gas milage is averaging 500-520 km tank. thats an average of 32-34 miles / gal. What are the rest of you guys getting I have a 2.3 5 speed manual 04 model sedan????
Any rumor to them mixing it rich the first 10000 km so the motor gets oiled up??
Are you talking about an imperial gallon which would account for higher mileage numbers? Wouldn't running it rich dilute the oil rather than oiling up the engine? I believe the sedan is lighter than the hatch so you should enjoy better mileage than the 28 mpg I get on my manual Hatchback.
According to Desrosiers Research, a leading research firm, the Mazda3 is number 3 for the period Jan. 1-Oct. 31 2004. As you can tell by scanning the list Canadians prefer small cars.
1. Honda Civic sedan/coupe 2. Toyota Corolla sedan 3. Mazda3 sedan/hatchback 4. Pontiac Sunfire sedan/coupe 5. Toyota Echo sedan/hatchback 6. Chevrolet Cavalier sedan/coupe 7. Ford Focus sedan/hatchback/wagon 8. Honda Accord sedan/coupe 9. Chevrolet Impala sedan 10 Toyota Camry sedan
Have test driven the focus(ZX4 & ZX5), civic, matix & corolla, M3 GT Hatch and Sedan. Have decided on the M3GT Hatch. Best drive by far. Now the difficult part - Price! $28,500 all incl. I live in Wpg and have 4 dealers to choose from so may not have the dealer selection you do. Went to web site -CarCost Canada and got Dealer cost which is about $1,500 off MSRP and I seem to be getting priced at $500 over MSRP. I have checked with 2 dealers so far and will call around to the other 2 but the car is "HOT" and pricing from Dealer Cost seems to be only a dream. Any ideas? HOw did you get internet price? Would this option be available to me in Manitoba? I would be ordering as I don't want delivery till spring. Would think I could get a better deal if I order/vs buying off existing inventory.
Based on past posts and brochure info I don't expect to get 40 MPG on Hwy which given size of car is low. Corolla/Matrix are rated at high 40s. Thats an extra operating cost of $300 p/a. Guess thats the cost of Zoom, Zoom.
Have read about problems with A/C on early models. Have recent models been fixed. No TSB's so far. Just Squeeking brakes which we experienced on our test drive - salesman said they were just wet? Asked about recalls or TSB as I was concerned about inevitible problems in new model. Salesman said there have been no problems - True? What about A/C
According to Desrosiers Consultants, in Canada the Mazda3 ranked as fifth top seller for 2004. It "is close behind to the The Toyota Corolla sedan was fourth, with annual sales of 44,563, an 8.4% decline from 2003. The hot-selling Mazda3 (sedan and hatchback), a new model for 2004, was fifth with total sales of 42,680 - up an astounding 1215% when compared to its predecessor the Protégé." For more information, check the Automobile News section of Canadian Driver (www.canadiandriver.com)
Ok, I need the boards input and help. I am going to purchase my car on Saturday Feb 19, 2005. Not to brag, but I have more than enough money to buy the car with a cheque. Now the dilemna I am facing is whether to go with the 0% Financing over 2 yrs OAC or to take the 750 cashback incentive. I've received arguments for both sides. Are there any tricks to the 0% financing? I am leaning more towards the financing but to me, there is no such thing as free money. So there has to be a catch. Can anyone give me a little more info and some more direction.
My argument for financing is so I can keep more $ in the bank and let it earn interest or find other investment opportunites. All about opportuniy cost. Most ppl tell me that the interest is actually rolled up into the price of the car or they will try to get me to buy the ext warranty. Or I could be simly denied, but my credit is good. No late payments on any of my accounts. Ever.
I would appreciate any feedback that you guys have. Thanks.
I am new here. I am seriously looking at the 3 and noticed that there are different color options from Canada and USA Mazda. I want the really deep dark blue I have seen on some 3's on the internet. I think it was listed as strato blue or something like that. I built a 3 online at the canadian mazda site and noticed two blues that did not look like the blue I fell in love with. I guess I could just ask the dealer but I thought I would ask you guys if it is possible to get the blue I want on a Canadian Mazda 3?? here is a pic of the blue.
You do understand that if you take the loan at 0% - you are really paying $750 in interest.
Lets assume your choice is borrow $20,000 & pay $833.33 per month for 24 months or pay $19,250 in cash - Your interest rate is 3.7% - can you invest the $19,250 and earn more than 3.7%?
If you are borrow $24,000 at $1,000 per month (or pay $23,250 in cash) the interest rate becomes 3.07%
Lease VS buy is not as simple as - buy a appreciating investment and lease (rent) a depreciating investment - that is something that was made up by people that sell leases to convince fools to lease things that they can not afford to buy. I ran a leasing company for 3 years - maybe 5% of the time the sap that leases a car comes out ahead. But only if the leasing company over estimates the residual value - other wise the lease always costs more. Leasing can be OK for a business - but for most individuals leasing costs more.
Yes you are right that leasing will cost more than buying, but by how much? A side by side comparison would be helpful. And as for. Can I invest $19,250 and earn more than 3.7%...yes it is possible outside a GIC or a bank account. You would also be financing the GST and PST. Or that amount would be you down payment. How much more would a lease be compared to buying using a residual value of .47 to .50 Would you buy a house and pay a 4% mortgage, put a average down payment on a house that is going down in value or would you rent it. Even if you pay cash and the price keeps dropping (like a car does) what do you do now, hope it will go back up? Remember the late 80's when the housing market went down, people were walking away from their houses as their mortgages, money still owing, was more than the value of the house. I know comparing a house to a car may not be the same. Besides the housing market at that time was more about greed. I have owned classic cars and knowing the value of the car would be worth more down the road, I would pay cash or take a very small loan. I have never leased before. You raise some good points and gives me food for thought. So talking to the APA and Car Help Canada and reading the Lemon Aid book would be helpful in looking for the traps in both leasing and buying. Since you were in the leasing business maybe you could help all of us who might be interested in leasing instead of buying. Thanks for your input.
Just a follow up on my previous post The biggest thing that worries me about leasing is if you can't make those monthly payments you will have a hard time and costly exit to get out of the lease. The second is after the term of the lease you will have nothing, but you can buy the vehicle at the end of the lease and may even sell it for more if it is worth more than the residual value.BIG IF. So these I feel are the most negative reasons not to lease. If it were not for these reasons I think leasing would still be the way to go. Toyota offers a lease interest rate of 5.9% heck I think we all could get a line of credit for less than that. So it appears I may be talking my self out of leasing for the moment. heres an example a car valued at $32,905 (all expenses in) The monthly payment I was quoted was $514.29 The residual .35 = $11516.75 Using a lower residual of .35 instead of the average .47 means paying more per month for the depreciation. So with a residual at .47 means the car should be worth $15465.35 a difference of $4000. So a monthly payment of 514.29 X 48 months =$24,685.92 So $24,685.92 + $11516.75(buy out price) = $36,202.67 $36,202.67 - $32905.00 = $3297.67 Cost of leasing $3297.67 If I use the higher residual of .47 the cost of leasing per month should be lower and would the car be worth the residual value of $15,465.35 ($32906 X .47) I am trying to make sense of all of this, not sure if my numbers or calculations are right. Not sure even if my thought process is correct. But the 2 reasons I mentioned earlier makes me think twice, maybe a shorter lease would make a difference but I am sure more costly. Thanks
I live in Calgary and 2 out of the 3 dealers here were willing to negotiate. The third said they would negotiate but just wanted to include some oil changes. I got the invoice price from CarCost Canada and called the sales managers directly. I ended up getting the 5-speed Mazda 3 GT(cloth) with GFX package for a 3.6% markup over cost. The markup on this vehicle is 7.15%. I also took the low financing rate deal, so they did not get the non-stackable trading dollars. The only other expenses were tire tax($20), air conditioning tax($100), documentation fee($195), metallic paint($100), block heater($150), freight($925). The documentation fee surprised me but was exactly the same at every dealer I called.
I recently got a 2005 Mazda 3 GT. It comes with 17" rims and I am sure I will need winter tires in the fall.
Does anyone know if 15" rims will work on a Mazda 3 GT?
Winter tires for 17" rims are very expensive, winter tires for 16" rims are moderately expensive, winter tires for 15" rims are more reasonable. I would be purchasing new rims either way. Any comments?
I went for 16" rims. Several sources indicated 15" rims will not clear the calipers. Reportedly the 16" barely clear depending on the specific rims. The OEM 17" Goodyears on my car were poor in the snow despite the M&S emboss on the sidewall.
Mazda makes it clear what you can equip your car with in the reference section at the back of your driver's manual. I drive a Protege5 and have downsized from the 16" to 15" rims plus snow tires using Mazda's recommended tire size and have found handling in the winter is superb! Your alloys and summer tires will last much longer as a result of switching to the right tires for the winter.
p.s. the snowflake icon and not "M&S" is the indicator of a winter tire.
hi my dad had just bought a new Mazda 3 GT model about 2 weeks ago and I was wondering if I should get my dad to buy better tires since I heard that the stock tires were not that good.
Oh and in case you were wondering I live in Vancouver BC and the dealer we bought the car from was called Wolfe Mazda
What dealership in Calgary did you purchase your Mazda 3 GT from? I have been to 2 of them so far. I am buying a Mazda 3 GT GFX package and spoiler in the next few weeks and of course trying to get the best deal out there, knowing these cars are hot right now and the dealers are not budging much on the MSRP. Sunridge Mazda was one of the dealerships and they were way over the MSRP price. Kramer would not give me a price up front, told me to go around first and come there last?? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. This is my first new car, usually I only buy used and fix them when ever somethings go wrong, lucky that way. Also what was your final price paid for everything out the door, if you dont mind me asking??
The Mazda 3 GS with the larger brakes and all GT models require a minimum wheel size of 16". The 16" are a pretty snug fit on front. The lower end GS and GX models with the smaller brakes will work with 15" wheels.
As you've discovered, downsizing to the 16" wheel from the 17" stock will approximately halve your snow tire costs so it's worth it.
The stock wheels are pretty poor performers in general. I would definitely recommend against using them in winter. I use Toyo Garit HT tires for my winter duty. I would describe them as decent but unspectactular. They perform very well on dry pavement, however, so if you're trying to preserve that sporty flavour for those dyas (most of them) when the snow and ice isn't prevalent then they make a good choice. They also work much better in rain than the stock Eagle's.
Here's an awesome Excel spreadsheet from www.carbuyingtips.com. Very useful in outlining how much interest you'll end up paying depending on rate and loan length. It's also a great site that exposes a lot of "tricks" some dealers use to maximize their profits. Good luck with your purchase.
Would paying $40 for a full report from Car Cost Canada be useful as a bargaining chip to get a good deal on a Mazda3? I'm not sure where this car stands lately in terms of availability (when it first came out the buyer had less bargaining power in getting a deal because of huge Canadian demand -- not sure how it stands today).
Do you think that I could see my $40 returned (or at least less stress) in bargaining for a deal for a 3 this spring? I notice that they post how much people managed to save by buying the report, and most figures are $500-2000 depending on the car (smaller cars like the Corolla being under $1000), but the woman who bought a Mazda 3 saved only $300 because she said it was in high demand and few deals to be had.
Anyone have experience buying these reports? Would it help get the dealer down to know what his wiggle room actually is? Or could I get a similar deal without a figure? I'm not by nature an assertive person, plus I'm a young female buying her first car, plus my parents tend to be non-hagglers as well (for their last GM car, they got prices from about 3 or 4 dealers, and then paid what the lowest one asked for). Could a Car Cost Canada (or similar) report help me gain more leverage over a dealer?
I understand the rationale behind selling certain options only in packages, and in theory, I wouldn't mind buying a package containing what I consider to be useless options (eg, luggage net in the trunk, cruise control, fog lamps, etc).
However, the package deals with the Mazda3 really bother me. I really like the idea of leather seats, and depending on how my finances are when I start my new job, may seriously consider getting the GT trim just for the leather. However, as far as I can tell (someone correct me if I'm wrong?) according to the Build & Price program on mazda.ca, if you choose the leather seats, you have to also buy the GFX package for $1095, which contains not only things that I would never buy, but things I would actually pay more NOT to have. Like a moonroof, 17" wheels (that I'd have to replace for winter anyway), and even those damned fog lamps.
So then I consider downgrading to the GS. I don't care if the engine is smaller (better fuel consumption anyway). The only option I really would pay more for is ABS. However, ABS only comes in the Sports Package. That means I have to get the dreaded moonroof again. Not only that, but in order to buy the Sports Package, I also have to buy the Power Package, which is $795 worth of stuff I don't care whether I have. As the sole driver of the care, power adjusted mirrors aren't a huge deal. I hate cruise control. And power windows are theoretically easier than opening the window on those breezy spring days to save on A/C, but I'd probably rather spend the 3 seconds to unroll them manually than risk an eventual breakdown where I can't close the windows without a trip to the mechanic.
Why do things have to be so complicated with packages? It's one thing to have to pay a lot for stuff you won't use, but I hate having to pay for stuff that I will actually hate to have. Is there any way to get any of these options outside of the package? (eg, leather without GFX, or ABS without the packages?) Or does anyone support Lemon Aid's argument that ABS isn't really all that effective in Canadian winters at all? (Would I be better spending the money on a winter driving course to upgrade my skills??)
There's some good info on this site about doing your car purchase online - but is this option available at most Canadian dealers? Just from looking at the few TOronto-area Mazda dealers that actually have websites, I'm not so sure that's really an option. It seems like you can email them questions, but if you want to buy, you still have to "come on down" for the wheel and deal.
How can you find dealers that are supportive of Internet-based sales?
"Why ... so complicated with packages? ... Is there any way to get any of these options outside of the package? (eg, leather without GFX, or ABS without the packages?)" I agree the packages are not the friendliest to consumers. My dealership inserted their own sheet to explain the Mazda3 brochure! According to the brochure, the Power Package comes separate from the Sport Package. Although packages are quite often overpriced, my inclination would be to step up to the GT for the added exhiliration. BTW to get a model equipped the way you want rather than one on the lot or from a nearby dealership may require you to wait a few weeks or longer.
"... does anyone support Lemon Aid's argument that ABS isn't really all that effective in Canadian winters at all? (Would I be better spending the money on a winter driving course...)" I swear by my ABS; there have been at least 2 occasions in the last three years that they have paid for themselves. Where does Phil Edmunston of Lemon Aid derive his information; at times the recommendations sound personal rather than based on rigorous testing. So the question you have to answer: "do I feel lucky"? If you do take that winter driving course, please report back, as it would be interesting to share what you've learned.
Finally, you may want to call your insurance company to compare rates on the different models. Brace yourself.
"I've got the APA cost report ..." Care to share the APA data?
The demand for the car may have started levelling off; according to the Globe and Mail's monthly vehicle sales statistics (see www.globeandmail.com and select Vehicles) Mazda has been having a very poor year compared to last year. I think the value of the Mazda3 is outstanding in any case.
I just used Car Cost Canada. Not very impressed with the report, it directed you to a dealer with Car Cost price. The dealer didn't offer much help, he saw the car cost price as final. Little room to negotiate. I could get the same price from cars4u.com with little trouble.
Does anyone has any experience with body shop work on Mazda3? I have mine trunk repainted and logo replaced, but I notice now that there is narrow open between trunk and logo. The service person said that there is nothing he can do as the logo has double glue, it will have a little opening. Any thoughts?
Interesting -- I'm in a debate with the folks in the first-time buying forum because they're all trying to push me into buying used. I can see the virtues of buying used (even the ever-popular Mazda3 seems to be easily available on the resale market for $16-18K for a 1-year old; with the tax savings, that's a big deal) - except that the people in that forum keep saying that I should buy a used car so that I can spend the same money and just buy "more" car, like a Lexus or Acura, or a nice big Impala. No thanks, I'll stick to my 3. I once loved the old Civics, but they haven't been nice for years, a new king has been crowned, all hail the Zoom zoom.
Seriously though.. does anyone know if the quality has improved on the 05's vs the 04's? (eg: the air conditioning?) While I love the idea of a brand-spanking new car, it's hard to justify the extra $5000+ unless I can go on the "don't buy in the first year of production" rule. Well, I guess I can also argue that I don't want one of the 95% of used small cars in Ontario that are silver/tan/white, and I want a stick shift.
I have a question for input, but I'll start another message for clarity.
Is it worth traveling to Alberta (from Ontario) to save the $1500 in PST on a new Mazda3? Or is this like, not possible to do in terms of government regulations or whatever?
I was actually thinking about doing a cross-Canada/US trip this summer, going to BC, Alberta, and some of the western states. I'm not sure I'd want to drive there and back and put 10,000+ km on a brand new car, but I'm not sure I could handle 3 weeks on a bus between towns with like one suitcase. However, buying a car while out there could answer my problems - I'd only have to drive one way (rather than there and back), thus only putting about 5000K on the car, but I could actually carry things with me on my trip - eg, bring a tent rather than hotelling in some places, keep a cooler, and even be able to buy stuff to bring home with me. The plus side of this is that at the same time, I'm planning to buy a car in May or June, so I could solve all my problems and save a grand by buying the car in Alberta.
But is this difficult to do? You don't have to buy a car in the town where you live, but can you buy it in another province? How would I arrange for Ontario plates/license arrangements for a car I pick up in Alberta? Would it work if I did the negotiating over email or phone, and had the deal already arranged (with the car waiting for me), in order to set up the license registration in Ontario before I left? Or would there be some sort of duty if I bought the car in a province where I didn't live??
Anyone have some experience or knowledge of this???
"does anyone know if the quality has improved on the 05's vs the 04's? (eg: the air conditioning?)
Consumer Reports has rated the Mazda3 very highly; you may want to buy the latest auto issue for details. In the same issue CR also has a section on buying used vehicles. The A/C problem seems to have affected some buyers early in 2004; if you check the build date (posted on the drivers door) you may be able to avoid that by looking for a late 2004 (i.e. second half of the year) build date. Also, you could just try the A/C out as the weather is starting to heat up
If you're looking for a particular combination of features it may be tricky buying used. Otherwise, you may find it indeed a huge saving as the greatest depreciation happens in the first year. Actually, to be more exact it happens the day you drive it off the lot! But if you keep your car for a while (5+ years) it evens out; I normally use 10% per year for a good 3 year old car. If I was to buy a vehicle used I'd get it into a garage that I trust in order to ensure there are no surprises. Getting someone who has gone through the process to help during the process would also be a huge relief.
Comments
First of all there is no "i" version in Canada and there were no price changes to the M3 line of any kind in this country since at least the middle of the summer. The comment I made about the salesman using the oldest trick in the book (when he threatened that the price was about to go up) stands. And despite any rationalization you might come up with, it's sneaky, underhanded and misleading and does nothing to improve the image of the car salesman as a "con artist".
Secondly, price fixing was pioneered by the Toyota "no haggle policy" and has spread to other companies in Canada.
Thirdly, I ran into the "price fixing mentality" at Mazda in the summer when there was plenty of supply.
Fourthly, if you knew anything about the Canadian market you would know that the way business is conducted in Canada is slightly different than it is in the US. People are generally more complacent here and not as savy in terms of haggling. The market has, and does, attempt to capitalize on this mentality.
Finally, why do you feel so impelled to add your 2 cents worth regarding a market you apparently know nothing about?
p.s. Congratulations Akarli on your new purchase.
Selling Price $22,903.00
Total Options
Air Tax $100.00
Freight $925.00
PDI
D.I. Options
Extended Warranty
Protection Package
Insurance/Finance
Fuel Tax $75.00
Admin $150.00
Rebate/ Incentive $0.00
Rebate/ Incentive
Vehicle Sub Total $24,153.00
Trade
Lease Payout
Pre Tax Amount $24,153.00
Vehicle Subtotal $24,153.00
GST $1,690.71
PST $1,932.24
Lien Payout
Down Payment
GST
Licensing
Tank of Gas
Deposit
Total Cash Price $27,775.95
interesting he didn't put in licensing fee.
what do u guys think of this deal?
thanx,
fuey
ps. akarli how does this compare to yours interm of breakdowns?
Thats great for Sony but Mazda North American Ops (MNOA) controls both US and Canada.
What are "D.I. Options" exactly? I'm assuming D.I. stands for Dealer installed, but what does this include?
Did you ask for the "Extended Warranty" and the "Protection Package" or did the dealer put this into the package? Do you know the cost of each? Mazda is known for its reliability, so an extended warranty may be money best kept in your pocket rather than that of your dealer. Is the protection package offered something that you can do yourself with a can of Scotchguard? If you removed these two items (and the associated taxes), you may be talking under $27K rather than $27.7K.
no idea what d.i.options r. this is what i got from the broker in an excel format, so if u don't see any $numbers next to the words/options, then that meant its not included. so no extended warranty or protection package included.
Have you already called up some of the dealers in your area? It may be worth working the phone for a half hour to see what other deals you can find. Even if you don't get all the information you may get a better sense of whether the deal you have can be improved or not. For example, you can ask them for the price of the model you want and once they quote it tell them them you are checking for the best price and whether they are prepared to deal if you came down? My experience in buying my Protege5 back in 2002 was that you have to go through this a couple of times with a couple of sellers (including several times with the same dealership) : this convinces them that you are a potential catch.
Dealmaking & Discounts:
In my case, I got a $1200 discount (that includes the discount plus its associated savings in taxes) over the final price (MSRP + all taxes). In your case, I would aim for under $27K and see what happens. If you don't have to buy the car immediately, that's another card in your favour. Of course, much of the deal depends on what gets thrown in for the price, so it is wise to think about these things (ex. do I need an extended warranty?) beforehand. The winter is a terrible time to be selling cars (mind you I wouldn't want to buy a car then myself) so there may be motivation to make a deal. If you do buy in the winter in Canada, you should definitely consider winter tires and rims (approx. $700 - $1000) which could be part of the deal or kept out of it; in general it's a good idea not to complicate a deal so personally I would buy them afterwards from a tire specialist (like Frisby or another independent). Another suggestion : bring a friend to the dealership for support.
Perhaps others in this forum have other suggestions.
Good luck, fuey, and let us all know how you do.
got another question here...how much does licensing goes for nowadays?
thanx.
don't have it yet, dealer r look for the car for me. bought it for $27405+license fee.
don't have it yet, dealer r look for the car for me. bought it for $27405+license fee. "
Congratulations!
How did you find the experience? Was the financing okay? Would you recommend the dealer?
Remember to winterize your baby! Check around for a rust-proofing service but avoid the dealer for this service; I have been using Krown for several years. You may want to also invest in some winter tires & rims if you have some money left over.
Keep us posted and have a great time, fuey!
I have a US 3S hatchback with the foglights and don't feel there is much advantage to having them. You can only operate them simultaneously with the low beams. I believe the fog lights would be more useful as running lights. Does anyone know if/how they might be rewired to operate as running lights? I am generally pleased with the car at 3500 miles but am only getting 28 mpg in mixed driving.
After several years experiencing drivers who do not turn on their lights during rain, fog, darkness(!) I fully support running lights. Picture this: grey car without lights in the mist tries to pass you at 80mph (130 km+); I've been there.
What is your highway to city driving ratio?
Do you do frequent short trips, e.g. under 5 miles?
Several of us on the Protege5 forum are averaging about 30 mpg (the P5 is a slightly lighter car). The two factors that I suspect affect my fuel economy are the short distance to/from work and winter. Speaking of winter be prepared to see your numbers plummet if you are in the freeze zone! Mazda should do more to make their econo-boxes more fuel efficient; sporty is good; sporty and fuel efficient is better!
Any rumor to them mixing it rich the first 10000 km so the motor gets oiled up??
1. Honda Civic sedan/coupe
2. Toyota Corolla sedan
3. Mazda3 sedan/hatchback
4. Pontiac Sunfire sedan/coupe
5. Toyota Echo sedan/hatchback
6. Chevrolet Cavalier sedan/coupe
7. Ford Focus sedan/hatchback/wagon
8. Honda Accord sedan/coupe
9. Chevrolet Impala sedan
10 Toyota Camry sedan
Any ideas? HOw did you get internet price? Would this option be available to me in Manitoba?
I would be ordering as I don't want delivery till spring. Would think I could get a better deal if I order/vs buying off existing inventory.
My argument for financing is so I can keep more $ in the bank and let it earn interest or find other investment opportunites. All about opportuniy cost. Most ppl tell me that the interest is actually rolled up into the price of the car or they will try to get me to buy the ext warranty. Or I could be simly denied, but my credit is good. No late payments on any of my accounts. Ever.
I would appreciate any feedback that you guys have. Thanks.
I am new here. I am seriously looking at the 3 and noticed that there are different color options from Canada and USA Mazda. I want the really deep dark blue I have seen on some 3's on the internet. I think it was listed as strato blue or something like that. I built a 3 online at the canadian mazda site and noticed two blues that did not look like the blue I fell in love with. I guess I could just ask the dealer but I thought I would ask you guys if it is possible to get the blue I want on a Canadian Mazda 3?? here is a pic of the blue.
http://www.cedarbrookcampground.net/strato.jpg
You do understand that if you take the loan at 0% - you are really paying $750 in interest.
Lets assume your choice is borrow $20,000 & pay $833.33 per month for 24 months or pay $19,250 in cash - Your interest rate is 3.7% - can you invest the $19,250 and earn more than 3.7%?
If you are borrow $24,000 at $1,000 per month (or pay $23,250 in cash) the interest rate becomes 3.07%
Lease VS buy is not as simple as - buy a appreciating investment and lease (rent) a depreciating investment - that is something that was made up by people that sell leases to convince fools to lease things that they can not afford to buy. I ran a leasing company for 3 years - maybe 5% of the time the sap that leases a car comes out ahead. But only if the leasing company over estimates the residual value - other wise the lease always costs more. Leasing can be OK for a business - but for most individuals leasing costs more.
A side by side comparison would be helpful.
And as for. Can I invest $19,250 and earn more than 3.7%...yes it is possible outside a GIC or a bank account.
You would also be financing the GST and PST. Or that amount would be you down payment.
How much more would a lease be compared to buying using a residual value of .47 to .50
Would you buy a house and pay a 4% mortgage, put a average down payment on a house that is going down in value or would you rent it. Even if you pay cash and the price keeps dropping (like a car does) what do you do now, hope it will go back up? Remember the late 80's when the housing market went down, people were walking away from their houses as their mortgages, money still owing, was more than the value of the house. I know comparing a house to a car may not be the same. Besides the housing market at that time was more about greed. I have owned classic cars and knowing the value of the car would be worth more down the road, I would pay cash or take a very small loan.
I have never leased before. You raise some good points and gives me food for thought.
So talking to the APA and Car Help Canada and reading the Lemon Aid book would be helpful in looking for the traps in both leasing and buying.
Since you were in the leasing business maybe you could help all of us who might be interested in leasing instead of buying.
Thanks for your input.
The biggest thing that worries me about leasing is if you can't make those monthly payments you will have a hard time and costly exit to get out of the lease. The second is after the term of the lease you will have nothing, but you can buy the vehicle at the end of the lease and may even sell it for more if it is worth more than the residual value.BIG IF. So these I feel are the most negative reasons not to lease. If it were not for these reasons I think leasing would still be the way to go.
Toyota offers a lease interest rate of 5.9% heck I think we all could get a line of credit for less than that. So it appears I may be talking my self out of leasing for the moment.
heres an example
a car valued at $32,905 (all expenses in)
The monthly payment I was quoted was $514.29
The residual .35 = $11516.75
Using a lower residual of .35 instead of the average .47 means paying more per month for the depreciation. So with a residual at .47 means the car should be worth $15465.35 a difference of $4000.
So a monthly payment of 514.29 X 48 months =$24,685.92
So $24,685.92 + $11516.75(buy out price) = $36,202.67
$36,202.67 - $32905.00 = $3297.67
Cost of leasing $3297.67
If I use the higher residual of .47 the cost of leasing per month should be lower and would the car be worth the residual value of $15,465.35 ($32906 X .47)
I am trying to make sense of all of this, not sure if my numbers or calculations are right.
Not sure even if my thought process is correct.
But the 2 reasons I mentioned earlier makes me think twice, maybe a shorter lease would make a difference but I am sure more costly.
Thanks
Does anyone know if 15" rims will work on a Mazda 3 GT?
Winter tires for 17" rims are very expensive, winter tires for 16" rims are moderately expensive, winter tires for 15" rims are more reasonable. I would be purchasing new rims either way. Any comments?
p.s. the snowflake icon and not "M&S" is the indicator of a winter tire.
Oh and in case you were wondering I live in Vancouver BC and the dealer we bought the car from was called Wolfe Mazda
Sunridge Mazda was one of the dealerships and they were way over the MSRP price. Kramer would not give me a price up front, told me to go around first and come there last?? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. This is my first new car, usually I only buy used and fix them when ever somethings go wrong, lucky that way. Also what was your final price paid for everything out the door, if you dont mind me asking??
As you've discovered, downsizing to the 16" wheel from the 17" stock will approximately halve your snow tire costs so it's worth it.
The stock wheels are pretty poor performers in general. I would definitely recommend against using them in winter. I use Toyo Garit HT tires for my winter duty. I would describe them as decent but unspectactular. They perform very well on dry pavement, however, so if you're trying to preserve that sporty flavour for those dyas (most of them) when the snow and ice isn't prevalent then they make a good choice. They also work much better in rain than the stock Eagle's.
Here's an awesome Excel spreadsheet from www.carbuyingtips.com. Very useful in outlining how much interest you'll end up paying depending on rate and loan length. It's also a great site that exposes a lot of "tricks" some dealers use to maximize their profits. Good luck with your purchase.
Do you think that I could see my $40 returned (or at least less stress) in bargaining for a deal for a 3 this spring? I notice that they post how much people managed to save by buying the report, and most figures are $500-2000 depending on the car (smaller cars like the Corolla being under $1000), but the woman who bought a Mazda 3 saved only $300 because she said it was in high demand and few deals to be had.
Anyone have experience buying these reports? Would it help get the dealer down to know what his wiggle room actually is? Or could I get a similar deal without a figure? I'm not by nature an assertive person, plus I'm a young female buying her first car, plus my parents tend to be non-hagglers as well (for their last GM car, they got prices from about 3 or 4 dealers, and then paid what the lowest one asked for). Could a Car Cost Canada (or similar) report help me gain more leverage over a dealer?
However, the package deals with the Mazda3 really bother me. I really like the idea of leather seats, and depending on how my finances are when I start my new job, may seriously consider getting the GT trim just for the leather. However, as far as I can tell (someone correct me if I'm wrong?) according to the Build & Price program on mazda.ca, if you choose the leather seats, you have to also buy the GFX package for $1095, which contains not only things that I would never buy, but things I would actually pay more NOT to have. Like a moonroof, 17" wheels (that I'd have to replace for winter anyway), and even those damned fog lamps.
So then I consider downgrading to the GS. I don't care if the engine is smaller (better fuel consumption anyway). The only option I really would pay more for is ABS. However, ABS only comes in the Sports Package. That means I have to get the dreaded moonroof again. Not only that, but in order to buy the Sports Package, I also have to buy the Power Package, which is $795 worth of stuff I don't care whether I have. As the sole driver of the care, power adjusted mirrors aren't a huge deal. I hate cruise control. And power windows are theoretically easier than opening the window on those breezy spring days to save on A/C, but I'd probably rather spend the 3 seconds to unroll them manually than risk an eventual breakdown where I can't close the windows without a trip to the mechanic.
Why do things have to be so complicated with packages? It's one thing to have to pay a lot for stuff you won't use, but I hate having to pay for stuff that I will actually hate to have. Is there any way to get any of these options outside of the package? (eg, leather without GFX, or ABS without the packages?) Or does anyone support Lemon Aid's argument that ABS isn't really all that effective in Canadian winters at all? (Would I be better spending the money on a winter driving course to upgrade my skills??)
How can you find dealers that are supportive of Internet-based sales?
I agree the packages are not the friendliest to consumers. My dealership inserted their own sheet to explain the Mazda3 brochure! According to the brochure, the Power Package comes separate from the Sport Package. Although packages are quite often overpriced, my inclination would be to step up to the GT for the added exhiliration. BTW to get a model equipped the way you want rather than one on the lot or from a nearby dealership may require you to wait a few weeks or longer.
"... does anyone support Lemon Aid's argument that ABS isn't really all that effective in Canadian winters at all? (Would I be better spending the money on a winter driving course...)"
I swear by my ABS; there have been at least 2 occasions in the last three years that they have paid for themselves. Where does Phil Edmunston of Lemon Aid derive his information; at times the recommendations sound personal rather than based on rigorous testing. So the question you have to answer: "do I feel lucky"? If you do take that winter driving course, please report back, as it would be interesting to share what you've learned.
Finally, you may want to call your insurance company to compare rates on the different models. Brace yourself.
Best of luck, J!
I'm getting ready to finalize the deal for the Mazda 3 Sport GS (Auto and Air) in Southern Ontario.
I've got the APA cost report and have faxed several dealers in the area to send me their quotes.
any thoughts on how much of a deal would be realistic, given the demand for the car?
I'll likely be purchasing within the week.
Any other thoughts or comments about the process would be great!
Thanks
4Stroke
The demand for the car may have started levelling off; according to the Globe and Mail's monthly vehicle sales statistics (see www.globeandmail.com and select Vehicles) Mazda has been having a very poor year compared to last year. I think the value of the Mazda3 is outstanding in any case.
Best of luck with the deal.
Seriously though.. does anyone know if the quality has improved on the 05's vs the 04's? (eg: the air conditioning?) While I love the idea of a brand-spanking new car, it's hard to justify the extra $5000+ unless I can go on the "don't buy in the first year of production" rule. Well, I guess I can also argue that I don't want one of the 95% of used small cars in Ontario that are silver/tan/white, and I want a stick shift.
I have a question for input, but I'll start another message for clarity.
Is it worth traveling to Alberta (from Ontario) to save the $1500 in PST on a new Mazda3? Or is this like, not possible to do in terms of government regulations or whatever?
I was actually thinking about doing a cross-Canada/US trip this summer, going to BC, Alberta, and some of the western states. I'm not sure I'd want to drive there and back and put 10,000+ km on a brand new car, but I'm not sure I could handle 3 weeks on a bus between towns with like one suitcase. However, buying a car while out there could answer my problems - I'd only have to drive one way (rather than there and back), thus only putting about 5000K on the car, but I could actually carry things with me on my trip - eg, bring a tent rather than hotelling in some places, keep a cooler, and even be able to buy stuff to bring home with me. The plus side of this is that at the same time, I'm planning to buy a car in May or June, so I could solve all my problems and save a grand by buying the car in Alberta.
But is this difficult to do? You don't have to buy a car in the town where you live, but can you buy it in another province? How would I arrange for Ontario plates/license arrangements for a car I pick up in Alberta? Would it work if I did the negotiating over email or phone, and had the deal already arranged (with the car waiting for me), in order to set up the license registration in Ontario before I left? Or would there be some sort of duty if I bought the car in a province where I didn't live??
Anyone have some experience or knowledge of this???
Consumer Reports has rated the Mazda3 very highly; you may want to buy the latest auto issue for details. In the same issue CR also has a section on buying used vehicles. The A/C problem seems to have affected some buyers early in 2004; if you check the build date (posted on the drivers door) you may be able to avoid that by looking for a late 2004 (i.e. second half of the year) build date. Also, you could just try the A/C out as the weather is starting to heat up
If you're looking for a particular combination of features it may be tricky buying used. Otherwise, you may find it indeed a huge saving as the greatest depreciation happens in the first year. Actually, to be more exact it happens the day you drive it off the lot! But if you keep your car for a while (5+ years) it evens out; I normally use 10% per year for a good 3 year old car. If I was to buy a vehicle used I'd get it into a garage that I trust in order to ensure there are no surprises. Getting someone who has gone through the process to help during the process would also be a huge relief.