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I am in the market to buy a NEW Graphite Mazda 3 GT hatchback with manual transmission with the following upgrades:
- tech package
- moonroof / sound package
- rear aero flares
- front air dam
- compass & auto dimming w/ homelink
Dealer has quoted me a sales price of $23,200 (not including taxes/title/etc.). Is this good? Can I talk them down further? I feel like I might be able to get lower but don't want to screw up the deal. Any advice is appreciated. I will be doing the 0% financing.
With that said, it certainly never hurts to try and go lower. It's late in the model year and even though selection is beginning to dwindle, unless you told them you need a car now, you're still in control. You're only $200 away from $23,000 so tell them you had originally budgeted for that number and you have a hard time going over that due to the economy. If they're unwilling to budge, look at the accessories and pick out some that interest you. See if you can get them to throw in all-weather floor mats, wheel locks, rear cargo net/tray, or even something as little as a bottle of touch-up paint.
(1) What's the FICO cutoff to get the 0% financing? (Does the dealer have some wiggle-room? If my score doesn't make the cutoff, does having a cosigner or guarantor with a score above the cutoff help?)
(2) Will the 0% financing special continue through July (or August)?
(3) With leases (that I've seen), the sales tax is added on to the monthly payment. So if you move to a new state mid-lease, the monthly tax will change to reflect the tax in the new state. Is it the same way with financing? Can it be?
Thanks!
Let me see if I can help you here....
(1) What's the FICO cutoff to get the 0% financing? (Does the dealer have some wiggle-room? If my score doesn't make the cutoff, does having a cosigner or guarantor with a score above the cutoff help?)
The FICO score required to get the 0% financing is 680 Transunion. If it is lower then 680 Transunion, sometimes they will check Equifax to see if they are higher. No one uses Experian.
A co-signer will help but only if they live at the same address. If it is a family member or friend at a different address, Chase will not allow it.
Mazda uses Chase as their financial captive, so dealers really have no say in negotiating rate unless they can come up with documentation the analyst requests to make exceptions. That is only if the analyst is willing to make an exception.
(2) Will the 0% financing special continue through July (or August)?
We have no idea. I think it will continue through at least July, but, in all honesty, Mazda does not announce program details until the new fiscal month has started.
(3) With leases (that I've seen), the sales tax is added on to the monthly payment. So if you move to a new state mid-lease, the monthly tax will change to reflect the tax in the new state. Is it the same way with financing? Can it be?
Usually not. The taxes will stay the same as when you signed the contract whether it is a lease or finance.
I bought one May 31st and am curious as to what to expect (had it been June 14th still that is).
These press requests come from journalists who write for different publications - some magazine, some newspapers. So, of course the questions will vary based on the focus of their story. A lot of times, it seems the bulk of the "story" is already there - let's pretend the story focus is based on the stats that the Mazda3 has outsold its main competitors (<--totally made-up example). While that's interesting, the story makes a more compelling read if recent buyers of the Mazda3 talk about why they chose it over the competition - features? price? warranty? dealership experience?
Our PR department always screens requests & works with credible journalists, and I've only heard back from members saying they've had a positive experience.
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The GT 5-door with Tech Pkg, Bose/Moonroof Pkg and the three items mentioned above lists for $26,860. Edmunds TMV is shown at $24,826 and TrueCar.com shows the Lowest Certified Price at $24,319. Even after deducting the $500 Loyalty Bonus, the lowest price is $23,819 plus TTT....and you did better than that!
Just out of curiosity, what was the total figure prior to tax, tag and title fees?
I haven't seen a 2010 model with the Front Air Dam OR the Rear Aero Flares but they look great in the photos...are you happy with how they look?
Did you get the BLACK or DUNE (beige) interior? Graphite models can have either, but it looks like 95% have the BLACK. I was surprised when I first saw a Graphite s 5-door Sport with the DUNE cloth seats and it seemed like an unusual combination...I'm just curious...
The mention of Rear Cargo Net and/or Tray made me wonder something....Does the 2010 5-door have the cool configurable floor panels like the 2004-2009 5-door? Among other cool tricks, the panel covering the back half of the cargo floor lifts to reveal a hard plastic cargo tray built in underneath. It's perfect for anything wet or dirty/muddy that I wouldn't want on the carpet or load floor. It's also great for transporting bleach or other cleaners so they won't spill on the carpeting....very cool feature and I hope they carried it over to the 2010 model....
But if they didn't, the Cargo Tray looks like the next best thing...
Anyone?
I checked out mazdausa.com and saw there were 240 mazda 3i Touring's in stock within a 100 mile radius of Cincinnati. About 35% had the Bose/Moonroof Pkg. Seems like there's plenty of choice available and they might be willing to deal.
I ended up with a Black 3S GT Manual Hatchback with Dune interior for 22800 (before 500 rebate) and the options I got were the tech and moonroof packages. I still think I got a pretty good price out of the dealer! I'm actually really glad with the Black/Dune combo, gives it a classier look in my opinion!
I am thinking about adding some accessories to mine like the cargo tray, but I want to think about all the options before pulling the trigger!
Thanks!
Long time lurker, first time poster here.. I got a price quote on a 2010 Mazda 3 Grand Touring 5Door Automatic with Technology Package + Moonroof/Bose Package for $26,649 out the door with tax and license.. I got this price as the Costco fleet price.
Is this a good deal?
I was wondering because the dealer/fleet guy told me that the Zero down and the Zero APR won't last any longer, and I was thinking of pulling the trigger. What do you guys think?
Thanks in advance.
rcx4
While OTD (out-the-door) price is the bottom line, the car's actual price (before tax, tag/registration, title and any fees) is necessary to evaluate just how good the deal is! Sales tax varies greatly from state to state and it alone can make a difference of $1000+ on a $20,000 car (if the tax rate varies by 5% or more)! To a a lesser degree, the tag, title and other fees (if any) can also vary by location.
Do you know what the price of the car is before the tax, tag and title? If not, what is the tax rate in your location for new cars? And where are you located? Car prices can fluctuate significantly from one region to another.
For the record, the 0% APR Financing is available on cars purchased from dealer stock before 6/30/10, so there's about 10 days left before it expires.
Using my geographic area (Atlanta, GA), I'm seeing a price of $24,465 - $24,682 plus tax, tag and title. The price range is based on TrueCar.com's "Lowest Certified Price", Edmunds True Market Value (TMV) and CarsDirect.com's guaranteed price. I live in a county with a 6% sales tax rate, which would make the total at least $25,933. With tag and title, my OTD the price would be just under $26,300. These figures are all based on a 2010 Mazda3 s 5-door Grand Touring, Automatic with Bose/Moonroof Package and Technology Package with an MSRP of $26,285.
The price of the car before TTL fees was $24,080, which I was told to be $700 dollars below invoice due to Costco pricing.
So, it's true then? 0% ends at 6/30/10? gah... so I have less time to think about it then.
I looked at Truecar.com, and after choosing the options that was in the car, I saw that this deal is below invoice [$24,658], and also below dealer cost [$24,314].. I guess it's a good deal then; but, yeah.. the zero down, zero interest deadline is kinda scaring me. I don't want to miss out on the deal. Do you think that the deal will come back? or will this be the end of it?
Thanks again!
rcx4
Selection of color/option combos will also be more limited two months from now, which is a drawback. The GT 5-door w/ AT, Tech Pkg and Bose/Moonroof Pkg isn't the easiest car to locate even now, especially if you have a specific color preference. Mazda shows a total of 190 Mazda3 s 5-door models within 50 miles of San Bernadino. Of those, 36 are Grand Touring models with A/T. And just 14 of those 36 Grand Touring models have both the Tech & Bose/Moonroof Pkg.
It's a very good deal just at that price alone, but the 0% APR financing makes it an awesome deal....one that I wouldn't pass up!
Then I got a pretty good deal with everything you just stated! :-)
Another thing: do Truecar's (and Edmunds') examples/averages of what people are paying already include those who are getting the $500 loyalty discount? Or do I need to subtract $500 from the truecar/edmunds values to compare to my offer?
Thanks for any thoughts.
Please explain:
in turmoil?
getting yelled at?
we would take sell it below invoice?
Have you leased a vehicle before? Are you sure you won't exceed 10k/yr?
Did you get the 4-door or 5-door? What color? Congrats!
Price was $14988 + 599 Doc fee + Taxes and fees
We also were given 0% financing for the full amount (including taxes etc) which when you compare it to the 4.25% rate we were prepared to pay at our credit union saved us an additional $1800 in the long run (and we plan to run long...).
So for us, $14988 purchase price + $599 doc fees - $1800 savings from 0% financing comes to $13787 (not including 3% NC state tax and license tag and registration).
My wife LOVES the car.
Can you please post the prices you paid for your Madza3s recently?
I'm in NY
Looking especially for numbers on the...
Mazda3 Auto i Sport (4dr)
Mazda3 Auto i Touring (4dr)
Back in May, received on-line quotes of 16000 for i Sport and 17500 for i Touring.
Not including Sales tax, Registration fee, License fee, Title, Inspection, Tire Fee ...anything else?
I'm thinking those are fairly good quotes but wondering how much better I can do.
Thanks!
Purchased from Fitzgerald AutoMall in Annapolis, MD. The purchasing experience was very laid back, yet professional. The Finance Guy (we'll call him "JB") was FANTASTIC. NOOOO pressure, yet informative. Kudos to everyone at Fitz!
I now have TWO Mazda3s in my drive: the above Copper Red sedan and a 2010 Gunmetal Blue s-Sport HB...also with the moonroof/bose pkg.
I'm going to buy Mazda 3i Sport A/T and have got a quote of $16,395.35, with 0% 60-mth financing. That is the lowest quote so far. Can you guys share your purchase experience on the same model and give me your thoughts on the quote? I haven't asked for more details such as options.
Also, I am wondering if financing costs higher than paying cash.
Thanks for your thoughts and inputs in advance!
Edmunds TMV- $16,766
TrueCar.com- $16,393 ("Great Price")
CarsDirect.com- $16,602
So $16,395 is only $2 off from the lowest of those (TrueCar). If you qualify for the 0% financing, it appears to be a very SWEET deal!
The i Sport has a lot of standard features for the price, but the i Touring model only costs about $1600 more and has several desirable features not included on the Sport. The Touring adds 16" alloy wheels, upgrades to a 6-spkr audio system (from 4-spkr), cruise control, power door locks, remote keyless entry, steering-wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls, Bluetooth hands-free phone capability, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Traction Control System (TCS). A lot of buyers (including myself) consider the power locks/keyless entry, Bluetooth and DSC/TCS to be SAFETY features...worth the extra $1600, easily.
Have you chosen a color yet? The Sport comes in Silver, Black, Gunmetal Blue or Crystal White Pearl ($200 extra for CWP) and all have a Black interior. The Touring adds Graphite and Copper Red to the color choices. Touring models in Black, Graphite and CWP also offer the choice of Black or Dune interior.
As for 0% financing vs. paying cash, I highly recommend taking advantage of the 0% APR loan! While you're paying off the interest-free loan, your $17k or so could be earning at least 3% interest in a 5-year CD...or invested elsewhere.
Good luck and enjoy!
This is incredibly inexpensive! Did they charge you $750 destination fee? Is this vehicle the one which has MSRP $17,925 (not including destination fee %750)?
Your purchase was a great deal! Could you tell us a little more on how you got this great deal? I want to buy an i-touring soon, too.
Get WRITTEN itemized pricing (apples to apples) with as many area dealers as you can and take the lowest ones to the higher one and try to get them to come down.
Is it manual or automatic transmission? I have got an OTD quote of $18,8xx which is so far the lowest for i-touring A/T. I wonder if that can go down further...
Why in the world would you tell us how you REALLY make your profit anyway? If you did and was truthful, you should be black-balled from the DEALER fraternity.
As I said, it really doesn't matter whether you speak truth or not, the moment you mentioned that you were a dealer you lost all credibility. You would have been better off leaving that tidbit out.
You need to go back and read my nearly 3,000 posts here about the info that I have given over the years. Once you do that, you can comment on my credibility. Not all dealers are crooks, liars ant thieves.
BTW, what do you do for a living?
I work for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (in MD) as research electron microscopist. I may not be as intelligent as you are (heck, I don't even know you), but I DO know two things: the one person I should NOT listen to regarding how I can best spend my money is the one in position to receive it - the other is when a person spends an inordinate amount of effort trying to gain the trust of others, they problably should not be trusted. To sum, respect (personal or professional) is better commanded than demanded.
What I do have a problem with is the fact that you picked out a small sample of the conversation by which a member posted his "facts" about leasing. I chimed in to dispute his "facts" because he was completely wrong and had no evidence to back up his personal opinions he was trying to pass as facts, whereas I did.
If you notice, I never disclosed how I make my money, nor did I expose any "trade secrets". I tried to correct his false information he was trying to use in this forum where people come for help and information. If you noticed, there were several people who agreed with my statements rather then his.
In all honesty, this is not a conversation that should be resurrected. Personal insults are not tolerated, nor are they allowed. You personally attacked me without even knowing me.
I have never told anyone in this forum how they should spend their money. In fact, I commonly say "if you find it to be a good deal, then buy. If not, then don't buy".
From now on, I suggest you leave the insults at home. It's quite obvious some dealer has pissed you off at some point in your life, but, it was not me.
Agreement with the conversation between you and sonnyrocker (a conversation sample large enough for the site host to say STOP) is not my issue. I merely did what anyone else on this site has done: used it to either state their opinion or seek information. Your re-hashing of the lease vs buy issue is your last e-mail was all your doing.
By the by...I am not sure where you feel I insulted you. If I did, I am conpletely and sincerely apologetic. Without going over my past posts, I think I mentioned that you may be more intelligent than I. I would think you might take that as more of a compliment.
Well, I will never question your intelligence. I highly doubt I am more intelligent. I just know more about my business.
We are cool. No need to worry.
If you ever need advice on Mazda's, please feel free to ask. I'm always available to help. :shades:
That is a sale price of about $500 under invoice. Judging from what I have seen in my area, North East, that is about what they are selling for right now. You might be able to do a little better if there is a lot of inventory in your area. Good luck!