[elvineet]

I know I don't live in the most happening state in the US. But I do drive to Nashville, TN 5 days a week (interstate and city driving). I have only spotted 1 Mazda3 so far (that too an I trim level).

I don't get this. Dealers say they're selling like hot cakes. But it's almost impossible to spot a 3. What's up with that?

I don't know the exact date, but I do know that the Chrysler 300C was released much later than the 3, and I've seen more of those than the 3. Heck even Honda Element outnumbers the 3 around here.

 

[blue sandal]

thats a very good question. i live in las vegas and i have only seen one. it is very weird since i have seen more porsche 911 turbos than mzd3's....hmm

quick question for who every knows:
has anyone ever purchased a car through Costco. there brochure claims that it saves thousands...i am desperate to find a mzd3 right now since none of the dealers have one i am looking for i am trying to hope for anything....any comments would be great

 

[ho fi mz-3]

costco, well good and bad, here goes--

1-since the 3's are selling well the best price is 600-750 over invoice
2-you must go to the specific dealer and fleet person they tell you
3-over the phone the costco price was 1000 over invoice, so you pretty much have to see the fleet person.
4-IMO, dealer still had the final say on the price, you say I want costco pricing then they will be happy to do it cause they wont negotiate any further. They know that 600-750 plus the 3% holdback is good deal for them. Thats the same for Internet price 600 over and no more dealing.

My advise is to try Costco out to see if they do this to you. Then go to another dealer for fleet/internet price. Then the OLD way, deal & deal like a Mo-Fo and be ready to walk out because its YOUR CASH.

Thats what I've been doing since dec 2003 and I purchased my 3 just 2 weeks ago. I only paid 138 over invoice 21153/21291.
If you need more advise do a search, reply or pm. There's alot of help here and this board helped me.

 

[neoriffic]

You have to keep in mind that Mazda has sold about 25K 3s so far this year. Compare that to about 100K each of Civic and Corolla. There's just not that many of them out there regardless of how they are selling.

 

[elvineet]

neoriffic, you make a good point. There are not as many 3's as there are Civics or Corollas. And that's because they've been around for years. But how do you explain seeing so many more Chrysler 300C's, Volkwagen Touaregs, even Chevy Aveos compared to the 3? These were all recently released. I know the Aveo was released much later than the 3.

 

[dja0323]

Seen plenty of Mazda3s here in the Phx area. I see at least one other Mazda3 on my commute to and from work every day.

 

[elvineet]

Well, I don't know what's wrong. I've been commuting 60 miles every day for 2 weeks now and haven't spotted a single 3. About the only 3's I see are the ones at the Mazda dealership that I pass by every day.

 

[ho fi mz-3]

hey dja
what color, sedan or hatch you see?
heck I drive around town but havent seen you around
maybe one day we might meet up at showcase when we get car serviced
see ya round
jim

 

[Absinthe]

Ho Fi, do you mind reducing the size of your avatar to 125 maximum in width? Thanks! :nsmile:

 

[ho fi mz-3]

Ho Fi, do you mind reducing the size of your avatar to 125 maximum in width? Thanks! :nsmile:

hows this mod? :wink:

 

[dioxviad]

I actually prefer it this way. I mean I would hate for this car to become common like the Matrix or the Focus. I see lots of those cars driven by everyone and their mother.

 

[elvineet]

I don't have a problem with the 3 being uncommon to spot. I know it's an awesome car and I love it too. It's just that I need the assurance that I'm not making a mistake buying the 3 because it seems like no one else is buying it.

 

[StandardWhiteGuy]

I actually prefer it this way. I mean I would hate for this car to become common like the Matrix or the Focus. I see lots of those cars driven by everyone and their mother.

Good point, every other car is a Focus, kind of like the Ford Tempo and then Chevy Cavalier of its time. Here in Rochester there actually seems to be an infestation of Pontiac Vibes.

For the record, I've seen TWO Mazda3 4-dr's and ONE Mazda3 5-dr in the past 3 months combined in driving through both Rochester and Buffalo.

 

[TxAggies07]

I think they are selling like hotcakes...but it is in a certain perspective. All the Mazda dealers that I have seen in Houston are pretty small. They move their inventory quickly...but nothing compared to the massive Honda and Toyota dealers that we have here. I think the lot on some of these dealers is about 5 times the size of the lot of the Mazda place. When you only have a few salesman at a time and they are each selling a Mazda3 a day...they are selling like hotcakes...

But...Toyota has around 10-20 salesman at any given time each selling corollas and that damn matrix.

 

[Murrato]

You have to keep in mind that Mazda has sold about 25K 3s so far this year. Compare that to about 100K each of Civic and Corolla. There's just not that many of them out there regardless of how they are selling.

To put it further in perspective that would be about 1 MZ3 per every 10,000 people. Now how big is Nashville? Davidson Co - 570,000 / 533 sq miles = 57 MZ3's(very roughly) out of about 285,000 cars!!!! ( if half the people in the area own cars, again roughly).

 

[elvineet]

Okay, so you all make good points. Murrato, thanks for the numbers. These kind of numbers makes the MZ3 exclusive I guess. Maybe it's just a regional issue to spot or not spot an MZ3.

 

[The Ozzman]

I like the fact that its not seen everywhere. Makes me want my 3 more and more. I recently went to LA for the holiday weekend, and didn't see one going down there. I saw one on the lot while driving by. A yellow HB, BTW, at the Mazda on Beach St in Huntington. On the way home, I spotted 2 HB's and 1 sedan, possibly two, wasn't sure on the second one.

 

[tonyc]

I know I don't live in the most happening state in the US. But I do drive to Nashville, TN 5 days a week (interstate and city driving). I have only spotted 1 Mazda3 so far (that too an I trim level).

I don't get this. Dealers say they're selling like hot cakes. But it's almost impossible to spot a 3. What's up with that?
(snip)

where they at? LA and SF. 'nuff said.

no seriously. Mazdas aren't Hondas. "We put the Motion in Emotion". that's one of their mantras. not, "we sell the #1 econobox in America". When a Mazda dealership has a HOT weekend (say this past memorial day weekend), they sell 45 cars. When a similarly located Toyota dealership has a great weekend, they sell 200 cars. do the math; it's really all relative

FWIW, i see half a dozen MZ3s on the road daily, and another 2 dozen on the dealership lot. so... when in doubt, move to a cooler state

 

[RonH]

I bought my MZ3 because I never saw one on the road, and have only seen 2 so far in almost 4 months. I wanted to be different. I bought my '98 ZX2 when nobody else had one either.

 

[dioxviad]

Scion Xb and to some degree Xa have now shown to be more and more common in Houston. It seems like they are taking the route of the Toyota Matrix. Ive seen old people driving that thing. And more and more I can say with some confidence that I have seen more scions on the road than I have seen Mazda3s