Back on the Mazda scene

After about a year away from the site, I am back again!  I am the proud owner of a NEW 3...yea!  I was driving a ford product during the time away.  (Yes, I paid the stupid tax on the ford to get back into a Mazda again)  I have owned a 95 Protege along with two 87 323's. 

What I bought is a 2008 Mazda 3 Grand Touring in Phantom Blue.  It is the M/T with leather, moonroof, and Bose sound, along with the HID headlights and LED taillights.  This is one bad a$$ ride!!  The only thing different is the tinted windows, I'm happy with it stock.

Here are some pics...

Welcome back.

YOU WHORE! crap im no longer the only one in the forum with a phantom Blue mica. Good color choice, mines an 07 sedan tho

Welcome back!
 
i almost got that colour, but it was a 6 week wait, and i didnt want to wait any longer for a car, so i got silver instead.

Welcome back.

That was the other color that I was looking for, and was nowhere to be found. Welcome back.

nice car.  nice color.

The story is quite funny how I found the car.  I saw the M3 on the dealer website.  I went with a friend to go see it in person, and told the salesguy (in the parking lot) what I was looking for...the M3 with a 5 speed, blue, and grand touring package.  He walked us around for about 15 min showing us all the auto trans M3's, (the whole time telling him I WANTED THE 5 SPEED, NO AUTO!).  During this time, and not able to locate what I wanted, we left the salesguy on the lot to locate the restroom facilities inside............And low and behold.....  what I was looking for was in the middle of the showroom floor!  So after using the restroom, we found the salesguy still wandering the lot and told him we found the car.  And the rest is history!

thats sweet man congradulations. it looks very nice. i wish i had gotten the hatchback i really do but i still like my sedan. guess its all about money these days lol

 
That's a pretty sad story, bkey. 
The salesman didn't know that from his desk (I'm assuming his desk is on the sales floor like in most other dealers) he had been staring at the exact car you were looking for all along, and for how long was the car parked inside???  He must be a REAL car guy!!  I can tell you from experience that once inside, a special display car usually (but not always) stays there till it sells. 
 
Why are Mazda dealers such A-holes!!  If it weren't for the car(s) itself, I might've gone some other route. 
I try to avoid my dealer.  Even though I've come right out and told them (Service department mostly) that I have been around cars all my life and that I was in the business for 10yrs, they still treat me like a no-nothing idiot.    
 
 

yea. i actually have a nice guy for a salesman. i would definitly buy another car from him again. as did my parents when they bought their acura's they had one guy for all the cars which is 4 cars i believe (all brand new, 02 acura TL, 04 Acura EL *grandmas car*, 04 Acura MDX, 06 Acura MDX) and the guy has been good to my father. as well as the achillies mazda has been good to me

Oh, the salepeople (<<< Politically correct) are VERY nice.  They have to be (or pretend to be) to make the sale and their commission.  But the service ppl are A-Holes. I've read this from many other forum members too.  (Urb, wanna chime in here?)
 
 

actually i have had great luck. even when i come in i talk to the guy. and even though i already bought the car he still is a nice guy to me so thats a win win situation

My Salesman is too!!  I usually talk to him when I'm (rarely) there, but what does he have to lose now?  A repeat customer. 
The Service dept doesn't seem to give a damn.
 
 

thats good. and i have good luck with the mazda service people. they are fine with me.

so how many people have the phantom blue besides me and new guy?