Good rule of thumb for Mazda in the US is about 5%-6% off MSRP dealer discount, plus any rebates and incentives from Mazda on top. Invoice is about 2.75%-3.5% depending on model, trim and options. Holdback is = 1% of pre-destination base MSRP. Then there are variable dealer bonus payouts that vary based on several factors such as CSI (customer survey) health, dealership model (is it the old green and orange dealer or the new "Revolution" model showroom) and others.
Assuming a "reasonable" dealer fee of maybe $500-$800 tops, the 5%-6% off MSRP rule constitutes a good deal. Better deals are out there, as some of you familiar with our company will know (hey its our speciality), so you can aim for as high as 10-11% off MSRP from the dealer which is really scraping the bottom of the barrel of all dealer profits and relies on finder a dealer with maximized manufacturer payouts (generally, use # of Google Reviews to find the top volume dealers, not always but again rule of thumb). If you are getting anything less than 5% off, you are leaving money on the table and I would walk on the deal. If you can get 7%-9% off, thats a below market deal and a great deal.
End of month can be hit or miss, definitely not a guaranteed home run deal, but often doesn't hurt if the dealer is in a position to need more volume - but the catch is, if they hit all their targets, the opposite effect can also happen where they are less motivated to "lose money" on a deal.
Also, very important to consider all additional costs in your equation, if a dealer is adding addendums (vin etch, nitrogen tires, etc) make sure to consider that beyond these discounts. Dealers do have some negligible cost added for these items, but markup is typically very high or high enough where they can match these numbers without actually charging you for the extras. This also goes for dealer fees, I've seen MANY people step over a dollar to pick up a penny by nixing any dealer with high dealer fees (like my great state of FL is notorious for), add it into the sale price and consider the net cost. $5,000 off a car with a $2,000 dealer fee is better than $2,000 off a car with a $0 dealer fee. If you're in the 5%-6%+ off range with dealer fee included in the equation, you're golden, anything more is gravy.
Avoid floor models with accessories already installed if you are handy enough to install yourself.
If leasing or financing, be familiar with buy rates, dealers can and will often mark up the interest/money factor which allows them to hide discounts or show a good deal on the discount, but make it all back up by charging you more interest. We offer a free tool that pulls all manufacturer programs in the US, Mazda included of course, this way you can run your own numbers and keep your dealers honest.
Auto Ninjas - Best Online Lease Calculator Tool
-Matt
