Hi, I'm buying my first car, and I'm hoping to the get the 3 GS with air, auto, power and sport options. I have no clue what I'm doing, so I'd really appreciate some help! How can I make sure I get the best deal? What's a good price for the 3 with the options I want? (I'm in Ontario, Canada). I'm worried that I'll totally get scammed since I'm a girl, really young, don't know what I'm doing, and totally looks it. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
New to forum - please help
- Thread starter Nell
- Start date
anthony2558
Member
- :
- 04 Mazda3S Black Mica
get the invoice price of the car either by www.kbb.com (not sure if thats good in Canada) and then refuse to pay anything above 500$ over invoice. So if the invoice is 19,000.00 dont pay anthing over 19,500.00$ But then agian I live in the U.S. where the market may be different. Never buy on the first day, your the boos and the sales persons should catter to you. If you feel that your salesperson is being rude or unassisting then get someone else. Allways shop around, differnt car dealers will give better price's in order to make the deal, which means more money for them. When you think you got the best deal tell them you want to put a refundable deposit down on the car and call them tomorow after you discusses it with your boyfriend, husband, father, girlfriend, etc..... when you do that call around to other dealerships and see of they can beat the deal that you were offered, you may save 20 - 30$ a month on a payment. If you do your research and stand firm you should do just fine. Always try to get something for free like an oil change, i got a dodge magnum hat.. even though I bought a mazda3. go figure. Good luck
Welcome to our forum and please put your location in your profile as it really helps to provide local info. For example, many of the US folks won't know exactly what is a GS with power and sport options because the trims are completely different in the US.Nell said:
That said, many of anthony2558's tips are great ones. I would also add that you'll need a gameplan before going into see a dealership. You've already got your packaging in mind - this is good. Next, plan for yourself how you'll be paying for it (e.g. full cash purchase, lease, bank loan, or Mazda's financing, and also how long of a term you want). Once you have that set, go to www.mazda.ca and price it out so you have a baseline to go by. Then, go see some dealerships and you can follow a lot of anthony2558's tips. Also, since you're new at this, it's a good idea to bring someone with you to the dealership just to act as another set of eyes to look out for rip-offs.
Basically, the more knowledge you have the better off you'll be when seeing a dealer.
goldwing2000
OG Mazda Mafia
- :
- 2004 Mazda3s Hatch; 346,000 mi (sold)
2024 CX-5 CE; 7,500 mi (so far)
Nell said:
Why don't you have one of us go with you? (naughty)
Hey Nell
Hey Nell - I'm from ON as well, a girl, and bought my first car - Mazda3 GS with sport package! I bought mine back in March (I'm against leasing for various reasons), put a good sized down payment on it, and am financing the rest 2.9% through my dealer/Mazda. It's been totally fine for me, no problems at all. My Dad came with me to make the deal cause he knows a ton about cars and is great at bargining - - I would highly recommend taking someone with you, a male if possible..trust me, it helps. I'd have to double check what I paid for it exactly, but you'll be looking in the range of probably
$22-25000 including the sport package and tax.
I LOVE my car, it's so beautiful and perfect for me! It's sporty, peppy, comfortable, and a real eye-catcher! Drives great on the highway too and is good on gas! Some minor concerns re: the A/C and the engine sound.
Feel free to ask me any other questions!
Hey Nell - I'm from ON as well, a girl, and bought my first car - Mazda3 GS with sport package! I bought mine back in March (I'm against leasing for various reasons), put a good sized down payment on it, and am financing the rest 2.9% through my dealer/Mazda. It's been totally fine for me, no problems at all. My Dad came with me to make the deal cause he knows a ton about cars and is great at bargining - - I would highly recommend taking someone with you, a male if possible..trust me, it helps. I'd have to double check what I paid for it exactly, but you'll be looking in the range of probably
$22-25000 including the sport package and tax.
I LOVE my car, it's so beautiful and perfect for me! It's sporty, peppy, comfortable, and a real eye-catcher! Drives great on the highway too and is good on gas! Some minor concerns re: the A/C and the engine sound.
Feel free to ask me any other questions!
Nell said:
I WISH I could bring all of you along, then I don't think I'd be so terrified! Okay, I checked out the kbb.com website, but it seems to be all American. I went and priced the car I want on the Mazda Canada website, and it came to $21 985. I think I'm getting a bank loan, so I'll be paying "cash" for my car. What would be a good price to pay, then? I'm assuming $21 985 is not a good price? I know there are other costs, such as freight, license, taxes, etc.; how much should those be? And, just so I have this straight, I should go to a dealership, ask for their best price, and then go to another (there aren't a whole lot where I'm from), and then ask them to beat that price? I'm hearing a lot about an invoice price; does anyone have an idea what this might be? I've been looking around the internet, but everywhere I go it seems you need to pay for this info.
Thanks so much for all your help! I hate that I'm such an idiot when it comes to this stuff!
Thanks so much for all your help! I hate that I'm such an idiot when it comes to this stuff!
Nell - what colour are you going for? I have a silver and so happy that I chose silver! I was set on titanium, but changed my mind last minute - silver is easier to keep clean, more shiney/flashy, and less 'trendy' in my opinion only!
(sssh)
$21 985 is not a bad price I think, actually I paid around that PLUS the taxes/freight. Are you taking anyone with you???
Your best bet I think is to bargin with the dealer - I didn't have many options either in terms of # of dealers in my area, so if you're set on the car, you may as well just bargin - - try to get some sort of discount ie. if you are a student, hospital worker, etc. Some dealers give discount for these things....
(sssh)
$21 985 is not a bad price I think, actually I paid around that PLUS the taxes/freight. Are you taking anyone with you???
Your best bet I think is to bargin with the dealer - I didn't have many options either in terms of # of dealers in my area, so if you're set on the car, you may as well just bargin - - try to get some sort of discount ie. if you are a student, hospital worker, etc. Some dealers give discount for these things....
Nell said:
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Mazda Canada's website has a Build & Price that'll give you the price including freight & PDE and taxes (it's under Shopping Tools -> Build & Price). I just did a quick Build & Price with your specs and it comes out to $26,467.25. However the Mazda Canada website doesn't add a couple of taxes like fuel tax and A/C tax (they total around $200, so add $200 to the final price from the Build & Price). So now you have MSRP and you can go to dealerships to see who can get you the most $$$-off the MSRP.
I haven't decided what colour to get yet - I was hoping for something that ages well, since I want to keep this car forever! - and something that's not too hard to keep clean. I don't know if there's a colour that will do both. I was leaning towards titanium, but hear that colour is hard to keep clean! I am hoping to bring someone along with me; it will most likely be a girl as I'm in a new city and don't know too many people.
If MSRP is $26 487.25 with everything included, how much lower than MSRP should the price be to be considered a "good deal"?
I know this sounds silly, but exactly how does one "bargain" with the salesman? Other than asking for his "best" price, and then walking away to the other dealership in town, and comparing, is there anything else I should be doing?
Thanks so much, again!
If MSRP is $26 487.25 with everything included, how much lower than MSRP should the price be to be considered a "good deal"?
I know this sounds silly, but exactly how does one "bargain" with the salesman? Other than asking for his "best" price, and then walking away to the other dealership in town, and comparing, is there anything else I should be doing?
Thanks so much, again!
goldwing2000
OG Mazda Mafia
- :
- 2004 Mazda3s Hatch; 346,000 mi (sold)
2024 CX-5 CE; 7,500 mi (so far)
Titanium is easy to keep clean. It's "road dirt gray" 
Where in Ontario do you live? Maybe you could swing by the Meeting of the Mazdas in Cambridge on Sunday and get some people's opinions.
http://www.toprotege.com/mom2004
Where in Ontario do you live? Maybe you could swing by the Meeting of the Mazdas in Cambridge on Sunday and get some people's opinions.
http://www.toprotege.com/mom2004
Nell said:
I don't know if this works as well in Canada, but for me I had really good luck getting price quotes through the internet. You can do this using sites like carsdirect.com and edmunds.com. Otherwise, as far as bargaining down the price anthony2558 had a lot of good suggestions. Alot of what I think is along the same lines.
1. Before talking pricing with the dealer find out the invoice price for the car and the price of the options you're considering. It's essential to know this and also know how low compared to invoice others in your country/region are able to get (in the U.S. we can feasibly go under "invoice" since this really isn't the true price the dealer pays in the long run, in Cananda I beilieve it's a different story). You've already started out smart by coming in here and asking about it. Without this knowledge you loose a lot of power in the buying process.
2. Shop around for financing before negotiating the car price. You've mentioned getting a bank loan for this which I think may be a good option. See what other banks/credit unions will offer you as well. Regardless of credit history they're competing for your business.
3. Once you've done the above thigns it's a lot safer to go to the dealer and talk price. Go ahead and ask whoever's helping you what the best price is they can get you for the car with options you want. Don't let them confuse the issue by giving you payment ammounts. Tell them you'll discuss financing only if you like the price. No matter what they offer don't take it right away! You don't have to be apologetic about not taking it either, just be polite and tell them you'll keep them in mind and thank them for their time. You may get bombarded with questions at this point and don't feel obligated to answer with any specifics...just let them know that you're still looking into what all your options are and move on. Since you know invoice at this point, what anthony said about asking to make a refundable deposit is a good idea (only if you see a good offer). Make sure it's refundable...dont' want to commit yet.
4. Repeat this process for other dealers. If there is just one in your town talk to talk to some of the ones in the other closest towns (may need to do this via phone or email). They want your business and would be glad to have one delivered to you if you're not in the same town.
5. Compare your offers to each other and to invoice. Come back online and let people know what you're get. With all the canadians on these boards you're bound to get some quick advice from people who understand ca pricing.
6. Unless you have a smokin deal already it's time to make counteroffers. Considering the input from others here, make a fair offer. If they don't take it but offer something in between I'd say it's time to politiely say again that you'll keep them in mind as you compare your options. Then do just that compare other dealers by seeing if they'll take your offer...or how much better/worse their counteroffers are. If you're not sure if you have a good deal or not, come back online and ask around some more!
7. Once you have the best offer possible go ahead and go for it (after thinking it over preferabley overnight of course). Then you can see what the dealer will offer for financing to see if they can beat your best rate found before hand. Then you'll be ready to go through the final paperwork where they'll probably try to sell you some add ons like fabric protection. Just politely say no and don't let em make you feel guilty about it. At that point you've got yourself a good deal on a great car.
Canada's very different from the US - working from invoice and getting quotes from the internet do not apply here. There's no internet department at Canadian dealerships.
But this is not to say Canadian dealers make more money from a vehicle than the US. In fact the opposite is true, because there are no holdbacks or manufacturer to dealer incentives or anything like that in Canada.
Currently in Toronto, getting $500-$1000 off MSRP for a Mazda3 will be a very good deal. The average person is either paying MSRP or getting about $250 off at most through little bits here and there.
To give an example of how in demand the Mazda3 is in Canada, you can get a decently loaded 4-cylinder Mazda6 for cheaper than a pretty loaded Mazda3 (and in fact this is the exact tactic Mazda Canada is using to move more Mazda6 vehicles).
But this is not to say Canadian dealers make more money from a vehicle than the US. In fact the opposite is true, because there are no holdbacks or manufacturer to dealer incentives or anything like that in Canada.
Currently in Toronto, getting $500-$1000 off MSRP for a Mazda3 will be a very good deal. The average person is either paying MSRP or getting about $250 off at most through little bits here and there.
To give an example of how in demand the Mazda3 is in Canada, you can get a decently loaded 4-cylinder Mazda6 for cheaper than a pretty loaded Mazda3 (and in fact this is the exact tactic Mazda Canada is using to move more Mazda6 vehicles).
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Silver ages well, is a LOT easier to keep clean, and is all-round more 'flashy' in my opinion...the red is nice too, with the tan interior.
Not sure how to explain "bargaining", since my father did that for me...making sure you get some discount of some sort or not settling on the price they offer you until they lower it somehow. I actually got an awesome discount on mine, total almost $1200 off and my total was in the $25000 range. Are you a student? If so, I would totally try to push getting a discount of approx $500/600.
(sun)
Not sure how to explain "bargaining", since my father did that for me...making sure you get some discount of some sort or not settling on the price they offer you until they lower it somehow. I actually got an awesome discount on mine, total almost $1200 off and my total was in the $25000 range. Are you a student? If so, I would totally try to push getting a discount of approx $500/600.
(sun)
Nell said:
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Well, I went to a dealership and test drove the 3 (again), and it was SO nice! I'd forgotten what a great car it is! The salesman gave me an out-the-door price of $25 500. Is that a good deal? My mom went to the dealership in her city and got $25 000. I asked the salesman if he could do better, and he simply said no, so I walked out. I don't think he thought I was serious about buying the car. Sigh... sometimes it sucks to be a girl, and so young. I'm headed to another dealership tomorrow, but I'm not quite sure what to do if that salesman just says, "no, I can't beat that price." Is that truly a good price? Or am I getting played?
BTW, some people have mentioned that Mazdas are more expensive to maintain and repair than others, for instance, Toyotas. Has anyone owned a Mazda for a long period of time (5 yrs+)? Is this true?
Thanks for all your help, everyone!
BTW, some people have mentioned that Mazdas are more expensive to maintain and repair than others, for instance, Toyotas. Has anyone owned a Mazda for a long period of time (5 yrs+)? Is this true?
Thanks for all your help, everyone!
anthony2558
Member
- :
- 04 Mazda3S Black Mica
Call your mothers dealership and see if they can beat the given price. Usally if another salesperson from a different dealership cant beat the price u were given then u most likley got a good deal. Same with me, i got a price of 21,200 out the door and i called two other dealers that could'nt beat it, so I bought it.
Awesome thread!!
I'm bookmarking this thread for the next time I buy a car. On one hand it sucks being a girl when buying a car, but it doesn't have to. Knowledge is power, and I would almost guarantee the salesperson underestimates your knowledge of the buying process, as well as that of the car. Use this to your advantage, by knowing as much about the car as they do. You can do this simply by checking out the Mazda site for a couple of hours, and playing a bit dumb. Don't worry, it works for us men as well. If you can catch them in a couple of half truths, then correct them later, you'll be in a better position.
I used many of these tactics, when buying my Mazda. In short, I knew about the Mazda, and the competitive cars as well as the dealers, but didn't let them them know it until I settled on this car. Then I negotiated a price with one dealer, then drove to the next town and negotiated a price on the same spec car which was higher. Even after letting this dealer know about the other deal, he wouldn't budge, so I returned to the first place, and asked them for more money off. They said yes, so I bought it. Granted, I had already been to several other companies showrooms as well by then.
I think my point is that:
A) knowledge really is power
B) You have to be ready to walk away to get the best deal.
It's Friday, and I'm tired.
I'm bookmarking this thread for the next time I buy a car. On one hand it sucks being a girl when buying a car, but it doesn't have to. Knowledge is power, and I would almost guarantee the salesperson underestimates your knowledge of the buying process, as well as that of the car. Use this to your advantage, by knowing as much about the car as they do. You can do this simply by checking out the Mazda site for a couple of hours, and playing a bit dumb. Don't worry, it works for us men as well. If you can catch them in a couple of half truths, then correct them later, you'll be in a better position.
I used many of these tactics, when buying my Mazda. In short, I knew about the Mazda, and the competitive cars as well as the dealers, but didn't let them them know it until I settled on this car. Then I negotiated a price with one dealer, then drove to the next town and negotiated a price on the same spec car which was higher. Even after letting this dealer know about the other deal, he wouldn't budge, so I returned to the first place, and asked them for more money off. They said yes, so I bought it. Granted, I had already been to several other companies showrooms as well by then.
I think my point is that:
A) knowledge really is power
B) You have to be ready to walk away to get the best deal.
It's Friday, and I'm tired.
anthony2558
Member
- :
- 04 Mazda3S Black Mica
Tired, I know what you mean. I worked from 7pm to 7am on thursday into friday morning. Then I hit the dealerships and finally got home around 2pm after getting the best deal. Went home and I think, dont really remember (boom06) but i think i slept all the way till saterday morning when I got the car. Thank god it was the weekend.
