Find Mazda Dealers in Black, Alabama

The poor sales of the Mazda6 has been the subject of extensive discussion on a Mazda3 Owner/Enthusiast site that I visit regularly. There have been a lot of reasons suggested and some make more sense than others. But before I get into those, here are a few links to stories praising the Mazda6 and also pondering why it isn't selling- http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2010/02/why-is-no-one-buying-the-mazda6.html http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2010/09/mazda-celebrates-building-2000000-maz- da6-cars.html Popular Mechanics did a comparison test of all the major players (Camry, Accord, Altima, Malibu, Fusion, Subaru Legacy, Mazda6) and the Suzuki Kizashi was also included, but hardly a major player by any stretch. The Mazda6 came out on top of all the others! Here's what they had to say about it- "It's rare when exceptional cars remain largely undiscovered. But that's the case with the Mazda6. And it's astounding considering that this is the best all-around sedan." All reviews of the car by major automotive media sources have praised the car with few, if any, misgivings. Consumer Reports gave it their "GOOD BET" seal of approval. The only complaint most of them could muster is that the fuel economy isn't quite as good as the class leaders. CR's real-world fuel economy testing shows that the i Sport 5AT averaged 24mpg overall in real-world conditions, which puts it 2mpg behind Camry and Altima and 3mpg behind the Sonata. But the Ford Fusion with the same engine and 6AT matches the Mazda6 at 24mpg, despite having an extra gear and slower acceleration (the latter due to 'economy' gearing). The 2009 Accord LX-P 5AT was at the back of the pack, only getting 23mpg under the same conditions! For 2011, the Mazda6 fuel economy ratings have been increased by 1mpg for all three engine/transmission combos for both city and highway ratings. The only exception is the V6 s models, which get a 2mpg boost on the highway to 27mpg. Maybe this will put an end to any complaints about fuel economy vs. the competition. With all the accolades from so many respected sources, the Mazda6 should be selling at triple the current rate (around 100k per year, instead of the current 35k). 2009 sales didn't reach the 35k mark, with 34,866 sold. What gives? 1) Marketing- it's already been mentioned that Mazda hasn't done nearly enough to make the Mazda6 visible and put it in front of potential buyers who don't even know it exists! There has been some discussion about whether the single-numeral nomenclature only adds to the anonymity problem....would an actual name boost brand/model recognition at all? In Japan, the Mazda6 is known as the Mazda Atenza and the Mazda3 is the Mazda Axela....there may be some truth to that, but it's is hardly one of primary factors in the car's poor sales... 2) Dealership Network- Mazda has one of the most limited dealer networks in the country. There are also significant mid-size cities (500k+ population) where every brand of car is sold except Mazda (and Suzuki, but that hardly counts). Chattanooga, TN is one such market, with a population of 550k+ in the metro are. Montgomery, AL is another example with a population of just over 500k. The nearest Mazda dealer is 80 miles away in Birmingham! Incidentally, Montgomery is also where the Hyundai Sonata is manufactured. Here in the Atlanta area, we have six Mazda dealers serving a metro population exceeding SIX MILLION! We have just as many Mitsubishi dealers and KIA has several more than Mazda. With such limited visibility and inadequate coverage of all geographic areas, the low sales figures aren't so surprising. The Mazda6 isn't on the radar of most mid-size sedan shoppers and the vast majority don't even know that it exists! Among those who are familiar with the Mazda6, how many choose another brand because there is no Mazda dealership nearby in case they need warranty repairs or service??? 3) Quality of Dealership- Simply stated, most Mazda dealers SUCK!!! The number of complaints and horror stories from customers (and lost customers) are significantly disproportionate to others based on the limited number of dealerships. Every Mazda enthusiast site that I've seen is full of customer accounts of horrible sales practices, pathetic service after the sale and warranty claims that turned into mortal combat before they were finally paid! The Mazda6 ranks lower than most competitors in Consumer Reports' Owner Satisfaction rating, but the car itself isn't the problem at all. The vast majority of dissatisfied customers noted a poor sales experience, lack of customer service and/or difficulty with warranty repairs as the problem- not the vehicle! As the owner of a Mazda3 for the last five years, I have had several unpleasant experiences with Mazda dealers, each with a different one. It started when I was trying to buy my car at a local Atlanta dealership and it turned into the one of worst experiences of my life! The salesman put his 4-square worksheet in front of me with a price only $200 below sticker. My response was, "I'm not interested in buying the car unless we can get the price quite a bit lower". His response blew me away, "Well, then you need to go somewhere else!" I think the black marks are still on the parking lot where I smoke the tires of my Grand Cherokee to make it clear how angry I was. Within two minutes, the sales manager called and said he wanted to find a way to salvage the sale. I told him that I would drop dead before I'd ever give them my business. Suddenly, he started hurling insults at me because of a six year old bankruptcy on my credit report (despite the fact that I had worked my way back to a FICO score in the 720s at that time). It devolved from there but I spent the next six months filing complaints at every consumer organization and website to share my hellish experience! I ended up soliciting quotes from every dealer with 250 miles with the specific car I wanted in stock. Mazda Knoxville, in Knoxville, TN, gave me the best quote and I traveled over 200 miles each way to pick it up. In stark contrast to the horrible earlier experience I had in Atlanta, Mazda Knoxville made the entire process very easy, quick and painless! When I buy my next Mazda, they will be the first call I make. =) My car never had to return to a dealer during the first two years and almost 50k miles. Even my previous Hondas had minor warranty repairs needed in the first year or so, but not my Mazda. Then at 49,200 miles, the engine needed to be replaced due to a bad connecting rod. I provided all my service records which showed oil changes usually done about 6,000 miles apart, but never more than 7,500 miles (the owner's manual specified that oil changes were required every 7,500 miles). But the dealer tried to deny the warranty repair originally, saying I failed to change the oil enough!!! I shoved the o

Pulled the trigger today, had to drive a bit but got the $8K off MSRP. $22,340 + CA taxes/registration Black/Black Leather Moonroof Nav Very nice so far! They have another one with the same deal but it's an S (6 cyl) Also, another dealer was offering $7.5K off without the NAV Get the 2009s while they last!

They had all cars listed as available on mazdausa.com in stock. The combination I wanted (auto/no nav) was only available in black which really don't want. The salesman offered to sell me the grey 6i w. nav for $7K off there and then. Now I don't know if they were going to pull any stunts once they started the paperwork as I didn't want the nav and I didn't want black, so I didn't pursue it further. But more than one dealer had the 7K off (actually 8K if you add the $1,000 loyalty discount that I am not eligible for since I don't own a Mazda), so this seems pretty legit.

After lurking for quite a while, decided to take the plunge tonight. Brilliant Black/Black CX-9 GT FWD w/ GT Assistance, Moonroof/Bose, Towing, Wheel Locks $32,332 + TTL (includes $1,000 loyalty, $7,058 off MSRP, $3,850 off invoice) Los Angeles area

I was told July incentives expire today (Aug 3rd). I was quoted 28600 for Touring AWD w/ Bose Moon. That includes 1K Mazda owner plus 4K incentive that seems pretty uniform across the board. Gotta ask how pop tart can trade in a clunker for a vehicle that gets 17-18mpg combined? I know we are not buying the CX-9 for mpg so I gotta wonder how that works.....or doesn't. I know the GM CUVs Acadia et al were available @ 20 mpg combined, but I didn't think the CX-9 qualified. Then again this is the government we are talking so who knows. I am willing to bet that if you ride out the clunker craze and when 2010s come in with a mild refresh the 2009s will be even a better deal. Only problem is colors seem limited, plenty of black and grey and very few white/red on the lots in Chi-area.