Hi guys,

So I went hard core car shopping today and like many of you, I'm prob gonna be getting a Mazda 3, I mean no matter how hard you try, you aint looking cool in a corrolla. But I had a couple of questions for you guys. When talking to the sales guy, he was telling me how he really cant budge on the price because they are in such high demand, but I have read on some of the threads on here that they some of you guys got pretty good deals. I'm just wondering what I should be expecting, hoping for, or not even try for in terms of a deal. Add ons? lower than sticker price? I'm not too sure. This is gonna be my first BRAND NEW car purchase and I have no idea what to expect. I know for used cars a a grand or more for sure when you start talking, but for new does it work the same way? I'm looking in getting all options on the GT 4 door...........well here in canada so no nav screen or bi-xenons, but leather and heated seats and all. Any advice would be awsome, thanks.

 

If they wont budge on their sticker price, walk away and find another dealership. The salesman will either try to reason with you when you tell him your taking your business elsewhere, or let you walk out the door...my moneys on the first though. They are in high demand, but a dealership wont kick you to the door even when they can make a few bucks. The sticker on mine was just a hair under 20,000...i got it out the door for 19000 with tax and licence. I think i gave just a little over what invoice was...which is reasonable as you get a good price and the dealership makes a little money. Ask to see the invoice...if they wont show it to you, again, walk away. If they will, figure in costs of shipping and add about 5 percent to the total and offer them that.

 

As a former Mazda salesman let me advise you to NOT deal with them. I bought my $21K 3S for about $400 under invoice plus all incentives and special financing. I do know how the game is played and I don't let them jerk me around.

I'm not sure about canada but here I call around to different mazda dealerships and find out which ones have the car I'm looking for. Then I ask them for their best price....now be VERY FIRM about this. Let them know they get 1 shot to give you their best price and that's it. You will shop around and buy from whoever gives you the lowest price first. You'll be amazed at the offers you get. I pitted 3 dealerships against each other on a 2003 Lancer Evolution8 and went from a $31K car to a $26.4K+ttl.

go to www.edmunds.com and look up the exact vehicle you want with options and make sure the MSRP matches EXACTLY the vehicle you're looking at. Take Edmunds INVOICE price and print it out to the dealer. Let them know you want to pay that price only. If they tell you there is no money for them call them a liar and walk out. Mazda recieves 3% hjoldback of MSRP for every car no matter what it sells for. On a $20K car that's a $600 wiggle-room they have.

DO NOT LET THEM BE IN CONTROL EVER!!!. If they tell you to sit, don't. If they tell you to come inside demand to drive another car. If they ask you to fill out a credit application ask them for something to eat and drink while you THINK ABOUT IT.

As a ford salesman we had a contest to see which salesman could make a customer do the craziest thing by "leading" them around. I won. I got two realitivly older people to climb into the back of a crown vic to "demonstrate how large the trunk was". Easiest $100 I ever made.

People are in the mindset that the dealership is in control because they have the car....this is not true. they want your money MUCH more than you want their car.....I promise you.

 

What Roddimus suggests really works. I have first-hand experience watching a friend of mine in action--it was sweet! Although it was a used car, she got an '03 Tiburon, mint condition, loaded for 4000 under Kelly BB and 3500 under what the dealer was asking. THis was after shopping around for about 3 weeks for exactly what she wanted and played some serious hard-ball. The sales manager was so pissed off (screw him anyway), he wouldn't even speak to her the day she picked up the car.
Rod had written up very similar instructions in a earlier thread and I printed them off for her.

 

I can go into much detail if you need....I've often thought about starting a service where I find a car for people, haggle the deal and do everything but sign the paperwork for the person....for a small fee.

 

Yeah....I know all of those tips and agree with all of them BUT here's another one you have to know. DO NOT TAKE YOUR WIFE WITH YOU! We found the car she wanted (Mazda 3S, Dark Grey, Leather, Loaded), we made a deal with them and then they tried to add $500.00 to the price for a "processing fee". I argued with the salesman about it and ended up walking out but guess what???? My wife was in love with that car. We turned around about 10 minutes from the dealership and went back and gave them that damn processing fee. Those of you who are married will understand. That's the last time that my wife will be involved in the "dealing" part of a new car purchase.

Todd

 

So I finally got a deal, well kinda, I ended up going to the sales manager and he told me how I was trying to rob them with the kind of deal I wanted, I wanted a fully loaded gt with leater. All I wanted was heated seats and an even 24,000 rather than the 24,470 asking. He showed me the invoice and everything and said he was only making like 500 bucks off the deal. He than said if I was to find financing outside of mazda he would give it to me for that deal. I said sure. Came back the next day and HE TOTALLY CHANGED WHAT HE SAID. He than proceeded by saying that I missed understood him and thats not what he meant. I brought a good friend of mine both times and knows exactly what that guy quoted for the deal, and we both confronted him on him change his words. And apparently when I came up with the money on my own which he warned me I would get at a higher interest rate, which I didnt he changed what the deal was. I dont think he thought I would be able to. I thought it was pathetic and extremly bad customer service on his part. I DO recommened going to talk to the sales guy I was originally with, Mike, he was great and totally tried to accomadate me and get me what I wanted, but the sales manager is who you want to watch out for. If any of you go to Freeway mazda on 104th here in Surrey BC. Make sure to mention me, to the sales manager, all I can say is he is arat. My name is Paul and wanted the carbon grey with leather. Its one thing to say NO we can't sell you the car at that price, I understand that, but to change your words is a whole different story. I'm just annoyed with it and for sure will be getting my car at a different dealership.

 

Thats EXACTLY why you dont tell them how you plan on paying for the car...its none of their business how you pay for it, especially if you have outside financing. You need to walk in that door with either financing or cash and DEMAND the price you want. If they dont like it, walk...theirs more than 1 mazda dealership!!

 

Im sorry but I still think you got ripped because you bought a hyundai **** box. No harm intended just my personal opinion.

 

that tiburon will out run any NA protege here and most MSP's. I like them.


Also, the dealer doesn't want you to know their specific holdback amounts. Here in USA. Mazda gives each dealer 3% of msrp on every vehicle sold no matter the selling price. So if you buy a $20K car that dealership will collect a personal check for $600 no matter what they sell the car to you for. Anything above invoice is profit for the dealer already and based on the number of units sold each month/year dealerships get bonuses. There are teirs to payouts. selling 100 cars a month may net a dealership an additional $5K from the manufacturer while a 250car month will yield a $10K incentive.

Dont ever feel bad for buying a car and using all of your ability to get alower price. the dealer will NOT sell you a car he'd lose money on....unless he REALLY needed that unit sold to bump him into the next teir.

 

They might outrun them but sure wont outlast them.

 

With their 100,000 mile warranty, who cares...run it hard to 99,000 then dump it!!

 

yeah, thats what I'm thinking....

p.s. I've seen so many blown proteges that I'm not 100% certain Hyundai's reliability is as bad as people like to think.

p.p.s. Also, if anyone saw the article last year, Hyundai had few problems per unit than TOYOTA....so...hyundai is becoming more reliable than toyota.....what does that tell you??

 

I dont know articles to me can be very biased just like news casts and stuff. Just look at it this way how many 5 year old Hyundai's do you see on the road still running good. And look at that last crash testing the Hyundai did not even deploy its airbags, that to me is bad workmanship. I would not take a hyundai if they were giving them out for free.

 

the car you're talking about is the Kia rio....it's a $7K car.....I wouldn't put my wife in one...

Also 5yr old hyundais were still running mitsubishi drivetrains. As a former mitsubishi mechanic I can vouch for their shittiness. This wasn't an editorial article I wrote is an actual survey done by J.D.Power about the number of problems per unit...now I know Toyota sells 4 times the volume of hyundai but they are pumping out more cars with problems than hyundai also....there's really no other way to interpret that stat.

I have driven the new V6 tibby's and I was quite impressed.