ms3 ordered

[CHICO2003]

Comparitively speaking, it would be more like $20 or $21 otd (for the sport) hard to imagine... with the top of the line 3 selling for about that.

let's not forget the protege wasn't the market leader the 3 is now. In order for us to get deals on these cars... i suppose, in addition to an SRT stealing some sales away, another competitor (such as the 4 door civic) would also have to start stealing sales away from the 3. As it stands, if you're in the market for a kick ass compact sedan/hatch for around 17k... the 3 is clearly your best choice.

 

[WildChild]

Well, because of all the rave reviews and great info I've gotten from this forum, I put a deposit down on a ms3. (cabpatch)

Ordered a Black GT w/navi, auto-dim compass and homelink mirror, and wheel locks.

MSRP is $26,590, got the dealer down to $26,190. Not much of a discount, it's basically getting the mirror, wheel locks, and fees taken care of. I've heard that most people are paying sticker, so I figure any discount is pretty good.

Thoughts? Am I overpaying, or does this seem like a good deal? What's the etiquette here, can I still go to other dealers and let them know what price I'm getting, maybe go back and forth a little?

Congrats on the ordering of what should be a great car. You are setting a trend of getting it for less than MSRP. Since you already ordered a car from a dealer, I don't think you will be able to go back and forth with others. Did they make you put some money on it as a deposit? I myself would love to get a GT, but the leather is a turnoff.

Every mazdaspeed model so far was heavily discounted by the end of its model year. This car has the best chance of breaking that trend because even the regular 3s are still selling well. I am sure some of us will play the odds and wait.

 

[CTGrey02]

I dont have a choice but to wait until at least May when my Mustangs paid off. I was shocked too by the 8%.. even with X plan or what ever it's called now, a trade in and a couple grand down, that is going to hurt.. I could easily handle it but still. Hopefully the fed will find inflation going the other way by the time I'm ready and lower the rates again. Otherwise I'll shop around for loans.

Edit... did the math, with the money I'm putting down the car payment would be about the same as what I have now.. no biggy if thats how it works out.

 

[ZoomVT]

Yeah i hear you on the rates man.
i have a lot of equit on my car and thought about trading but with the rates the way they are it is not worth it. Nobody cant beat my $250/mo payment.
w1nnar!!!

 

[VermZ06]

Mazda 'claims' only 5000 will be made...they'll be producing this car until the 3 design is up for a complete overhaul. The speed6 is done after the 2007 year and to my knowledge mazda doesn't have any other 'speed' car debuting anytime soon. So look for a lot more than only 5000 to be made...mad rebates for the speed3 don't look too promising this time around because of how well that car sells. Granted, most people won't be wanting 263 horse out of a car, but a good chunk of people will.

I'll say unless another company comes out with a car that's just as appealing as the 3 there won't be any rebates on this car period. Caliber imo is not appealing, i'd rather take a rio hatch over that thing.

I also read that mazda is dropping their mad incentives for their newest models i.e. cx7, ms3...like what GM has done recently. Mazda says they are going to lower prices of their car to more what people actually end up paying for them. I doubt this will hold true, but time will tell. I've still never seen incentives on the 3 except for dealer promotion for leftovers...

 

[RaiderMS3]

I am currently trying to get msrp out the door including the $2K in my upside-down p5 trade-in. It might work, as he got the ok to do msrp without the trade. Plus, they will just throw it up for 12 grand to sell.

It is nice to know there is a place where everyone can post up their purchasing prices, so we all have an ide awhat they will really do.

 

[kokemon23]

Congrats on the ordering of what should be a great car. You are setting a trend of getting it for less than MSRP. Since you already ordered a car from a dealer, I don't think you will be able to go back and forth with others. Did they make you put some money on it as a deposit? I myself would love to get a GT, but the leather is a turnoff.

Every mazdaspeed model so far was heavily discounted by the end of its model year. This car has the best chance of breaking that trend because even the regular 3s are still selling well. I am sure some of us will play the odds and wait.

Thanks! I did put a deposit down, $500, fully refundable obviously. I'm actually not usually an early adopter and would rather have waited, but I just switched jobs and no longer have a company car, so I need a car by the end of this year. No offense to those of you waiting, but I'm definitely hoping the car holds its value and there isn't a whole lot in the way of discounts!

 

[VermZ06]

I asked the dealer if the depost on this car was $500, nope, he told me $2,000. What is up with that?!?!? The deposit on the 2007 Z06 is only $1,000! These guys told me they're marking their cars up big time, which is just ridiculous. I'm def not getting screwed on a car like this, feels like the same s*** that happened when the srt-4 first came out. Yeah they've got balls, but whatever. Some of these dealers think this ms3 car is an evo! I'm sticking with the msp for now. For the money I think I'm just going to save up for the mitsu the way things are looking right now. Many people will probably have a $500 monthly payment with this car, especailly the way the interest rates are right now for car loans. MSP Power!

 

[briand805]

I asked the dealer if the depost on this car was $500, nope, he told me $2,000. What is up with that?!?!? The deposit on the 2007 Z06 is only $1,000! These guys told me they're marking their cars up big time, which is just ridiculous. I'm def not getting screwed on a car like this, feels like the same s*** that happened when the srt-4 first came out. Yeah they've got balls, but whatever. Some of these dealers think this ms3 car is an evo! I'm sticking with the msp for now. For the money I think I'm just going to save up for the mitsu the way things are looking right now. Many people will probably have a $500 monthly payment with this car, especailly the way the interest rates are right now for car loans. MSP Power!

Find another dealer.

 

[CHICO2003]

right on... unless you're in a situation where you absolutely need a car, for the supposed target-market (17-30 yr olds or so) buying a $25k car with an 8% interest rate probably doesn't make a helluva a lot of sense. I mean, we're supposed to sock away at least 10% of our net into some type of savings vehicle... that's on top of the 401k, IRAs and other s*** we might be doing. Mix in a mtg payment, kids and other junk... for the average couple makin.. i don't know, 100k between the two of them, it doesn't leave a ton of money left over for a $550/month car loan. and eve if it does, unless one wants to stay stuck in this rat race forever, it makes far more sense to take some of that excess and bump up that aformentioned 10% to a higher level.

man I sound old... wtf? I guess that's the "good angel" talking. the impractical, don't give a F side of me will probably still buy this car... or something else in this price range... but only when I can at least break even on my current car!! these F'in MSPs hold their value worse than a freakin yugo!!!! good thing I love this car... and wouldn't mind keepin her till the bitter end.

 

[CHICO2003]

Find another dealer.

NO $HIT!!! Why would you want to even work with someone so rude? F THAT!!!

 

[CTGrey02]

right on... unless you're in a situation where you absolutely need a car, for the supposed target-market (17-30 yr olds or so) buying a $25k car with an 8% interest rate probably doesn't make a helluva a lot of sense. I mean, we're supposed to sock away at least 10% of our net into some type of savings vehicle... that's on top of the 401k, IRAs and other s*** we might be doing. Mix in a mtg payment, kids and other junk... for the average couple makin.. i don't know, 100k between the two of them, it doesn't leave a ton of money left over for a $550/month car loan. and eve if it does, unless one wants to stay stuck in this rat race forever, it makes far more sense to take some of that excess and bump up that aformentioned 10% to a higher level.

man I sound old... wtf? I guess that's the "good angel" talking. the impractical, don't give a F side of me will probably still buy this car... or something else in this price range... but only when I can at least break even on my current car!! these F'in MSPs hold their value worse than a freakin yugo!!!! good thing I love this car... and wouldn't mind keepin her till the bitter end.

No one said you need to go through Mazda for the car loan either though. You can still get about 7% (doubtful much lower with the fed at 5.25%- i think). You can always save up and pay more down. I have a 211 dollar car payment and a 450 dollar car payment and we're fine with it. If your trading in your car thats money down right there plus Im sure you can scrounge up a couple grand with a month or two's notice. I wont even attempt to buy until some time in early summer... time to save and even more importantly, time to hear about everyones complaints with the car after the first waves hit the shores.

 

[CHICO2003]

well obviously you can put more down... in order to lessen your payments. but that's like robbing peter to pay paul! that money could be invested in a high yield account or, even better, something a bit more aggressive...

As for me actually making money on selling my car... that's a longshot, to say the least. even though my car is in near showroom condition and has relatively low mileage, as I said before... resale value is in the toilet i thought by turning japanese I'd be all set but apparently that's only so when you go with aboring accordish type car. bottom line: I'd be lucky to break even... at least, right now. hopefully that'll change soon... it'll be paid off in april of 07 and, based on how things are going, will only have about 70k miles... If I'm still "breaking even" at that point.. there's a major problem!! haha

 

[ZoomVT]

i dont understand how you can have neg equity on your car. Did you have an unusual high rate when you got it? did you over pay or lengthen the amount of the loan (72 instead of 60 months?) How much you think your car is worth rigth now? DId you check NADA or KBB?

 

[CHICO2003]

hahaha nada or kbb??? man, that was a good one!!

Alright, so I bought it for 19k even back in april of 03 (if I had waited a couple of months I would've gotten it for 17k but whatever) 2k down... 2.9% rate... currently owe about 9k

As I already mentioned, my car's in tremendous condition. not a ding or an of that crap.. just minor stuff. thing is... it's orange. that's what kills it. anyway, 40k miles...
I recently brought my car into carmax and they offered me $7k... most of the dealerships have offered me about the same or less for a trade. I've had it in the bargain news (local paper deal) and autotrader... posted it up at various schools... highest I've ever been offered was 10k a few months back but the kid didn't have the money so... yeah, breaking even's going to be tough.

Consider yourself lucky... the 3 is the polor opposite of the MSP in terms of resale value. It's probably on par or at least close to a civic or accord.

getting back to nada or kbb... those sites are an absolute joke!! they're absolutely worthless! (prices are so outrageously inflated, across the board) they have my car at about 15k... so, for someone who bought it for 17k, it's only gone down 2k in the past 3 years... riiiiiiiiight!!! haha

Gelves is the only source one can truly trust... unfortuneatly, the dealerships who have quoted me aren't as full of s*** as they usually are. a friend of mine confirmed it with me... these cars simply don't hold their value. so... if you didn't put down a ton of dough and/or get lucky with the rebates... unless you have a boring (albeit, mainstream) color like black... you're probably SOL and will be lucky to break even... at least, that's my situation.

but again... fortuneatly for me, I love my car and can easily see myself driving it into the ground. chances are, the type of person who would but it from me for around 10k would be some high school punk... the thought of my baby going to some F'er like that... probaby better I keep it anyway!

 

[ZoomVT]

lol. sorry for some reason i knew you were going to laugh.
i didnt know the situations with the msps were so bad. that blows man.
but again, dont take it the wrong way bu i think you overpaid for it in april 03; although with that rate they would have got me too. They are totally trying to bend you over. I say that because although they only want to give you 7k; they very well sell them used at 12k. Just recently there was one going for close to 13k and it even had a salvaged title. It was a yellow one. So i think the car has value; dealers are just trying to stick it in you.

 

[kokemon23]

but again... fortuneatly for me, I love my car and can easily see myself driving it into the ground. chances are, the type of person who would but it from me for around 10k would be some high school punk... the thought of my baby going to some F'er like that... probaby better I keep it anyway!

I feel your pain there, I had a '99 Prelude that I absolutely loved, and I ended up selling it to some punk kid who was super nice on the phone but ended up being a jackass in person. Oh well, needed the money, but it still makes me sad sometimes to think that he has probably already ruined the car.

 

[CHICO2003]

Their job is to make money... lord knows they're not making any on (most) new cars. Once you consider the costs involved, I can't necessarily blame them! On top of that, all things being equal, I'd rather buy a used car from a dealer so I can understand how they can charge more.

You said there was a yellow one "going for" close to $13k... without knowing anything else about it, I can say that that basically means nothing... it's what it sells for that matters! that's the kind of information Gelves provides.

lastly, as far as me getting screwed on the price of this car... I beg to differ!! $19k for a limited edition gem like this is an absolute STEAL!! I'd do it again a million times. What else could one have bought for that money back then? Nothing that compared, that's for sure. Your statement comes from the fact that others were able to get them for even less (which is a joke) after the SRT came out and stole all the sales. factor that out of the equation and maybe you'll see things clearly. Combine that with the fact that this was, according to the dealership, the ONLY orange msp they'd have all year (which may or may not have been BS but... since I didn't want to take any chances, I agreed to the $500 off sticker) and just bought the damn thing.

 

[ZoomVT]

yeah i didnt mean to aggravate you.
well i can tell you with full confidence that the ywllow msp i saw sold for not less than 12,500. I say so cause i had convinced my friend to buy it and he would do it if he could get it for less than 12,500. We talked to the salesperson multiple times in a span of 3 weeks. they wouldnt give up.
This car had a salvaged title, which means they got it for way less than 7k; i would assume 5k at the most at an auction. so they are making pretty penny.

You are probably right; at that time there was nothing you could get for that money that was worth it. I dontfault you for it; but as you said you could have picked it up 2 months later for 17k. Hindsight is a b****, i know.

 

[CHICO2003]

couldn't picked it up 2 months later for 17k??? haha how the F was I supposed to know that? besides, I don't know anyone who bought an orange one for 17k... by then, the 03.5's were out..... not even sure if there were even any oranges left. even still... hindsight IS a b****. many have found the same to be true with the MS6 (how bad would it suck to have bought THAT car for sticker... only to now see it's being discounted by like $4k???) but whatever... timing is key.