New Help Choosing...

(attn)
Well, after much research I decided to buy a Mazda3. I WAS going to buy a Corolla.

Here is what I found so far. Both cars are brand new. The first one is a 2008 Mazda 3 - S Touring model for $18,492 + Tax + Doc Fees + Plates


The other one is a new 2008 Mazda3 - Grand Touring, fully loaded, leather, Bose, moonroof, etc. for $20,600 + Tax + Doc Fees + Plates

1- Are these good prices for 2008's?
2 -Is it worth another $2K+ for the GT model vs. the S Touring model?
3 - How bad is having dark leather in Phoenix?
4 - Is the Bose system really worth the extra $$$ over the base system?
5 - Lastly, does the 2008 have the blue gauges?

Ive got a speed 6 so im not too sure on those prices. Just wanted to give my 2 cents about the dark leather / bose. Ive heard mixed feelings about the bose system but from my experience . . . i love it. I had a volvo S40 2004 before my speed 6 and the stereo was terrible. The bass would rattle all sorts of s*** (wires and god knows what) in both doors. Sounded like i had 2 popped speakers which I didn't. The bose system for me was a huge upgrade. I can turn it up loud and its nice and clear with good bass. I have a 10 inch sub in my garage that I dont even use because the bose bass is plenty imo. Bass aside though the system is pretty clear. Just dont spend the extra 2 grand if the bose is all you really want because you could easily upgrade your speakers for much cheaper than that.

Im in florida and ive got a black on black. When the sun is really glaring, you can definately feel the heat more than if you had a lighter interior. Really dark window tinting may help but ive got about 20% all around and it still gets hot on very sunny days. Its not unbearable though and its only on REALLY hot and sunny days. The black interior was too nice to pass up.

Hope this helped you a little

The one dealer I talked to has a $500 Doc Fee. What a rip! They then want to charge you $50 extra because they filled the tires with Nitrogen. Then they want to charge you $400 for window tint that they already installed.

Another $1K worth of crap they want to tack on to the price.

DEALERS = STEALERS

I was actually going to buy a 2009 Corolla as well. When it comes down to it and driving around with the girl and the fam, this is how I separate them.

I probably pay DOUBLE a month in gas for the speed for what I would have paid for the Corolla. The speed3 is louder (especially modded) and I push my luck with mods. I would have been able to leave the Corolla alone (less $ spent and no warranty "what if it blows up" problems). Corolla also has a more family friendly ride.

I know I am a bit off topic here, but sharing my opinion. When it all comes down to it, I bought the speed for speed. The other "fast" cars (cooper S, wrx, si, etc) didn't feel fast enough for me. I was pretty sure I was going to become a responsible adult, but then I visited the mazda dealership and left with a speed3

ON TOPIC: I believe that is a good deal. I got mine a while ago and after the car and all the fees (f maryland) I ended up getting out the door at about 26k for a brand new 2008.5 sport they rolled out of the showroom. for me the extra for the gt wasn't worth it. all I wanted was HIDs and I bought those!!

go in debt and get the mazdaspeed 3!!

post this in the mazda 3 section not mazdaspeed 3.... noobs.

The MSRP on the car is $23,190 and the dealer claims the invoice is $20,585 and that he is selling it for invoice. Can the dealer make-up his own invoice?

That's 12% off MSRP. Does that sound right?

Absolutely. MSRP is a meaningless number -- ignore it.

They can "make up their own invoice".. the question is how far off is it from what they actually paid. For $14 you can order a "Bottom Line Price" report from Consumer Reports' web site, which they say takes into account unpublished dealer incentives, holdbacks, etc. (not that you should even mention the word "holdback" when negotiating the price -- it's very off-putting and can cause them to hold firm). CR suggests offering 4-8% over that price, depending on availability/demand, and that could be below the dealer's stated invoice price. (dunno)

A good free resource is Edmunds.com, where you'll find the average price people in your geographic area have recently paid for a similar car.

I feel pretty confident we got a good deal on ours because the price they quoted was little more than $500 below the average local sale price at the time.

Re: moving this thread to the Mazda3 section.. consider it seconded.