I think I saw a turbo in the ND

[tescoking]

I think $55000 is a pretty good price. I don't want to see this car getting cheaper like Hyundai Tiburon. Keeping it in the mid range is better. Otherwise every where is MX5. Nothing special anymore.

[JBT]

The MX-5 was anything but cheap when released here. They were far less affordable then at over $30,000 in 1990.

What was it $30000 before on roads and a/c optional?
If I remember correctly a Corolla SX (100kw 1600) was about $20K back then. IN fact the newly released 165kw SS Commodore was about the same price as a MX5.
Actually, they still are

They were well north of $30,000.
I wanted an MX-5 the first time I saw a picture of one but it was just unaffordable and I was on a pretty good salary then.
I remember that the 1995 NA8 was about $45,000 and I can't be sure if that included A/C. It was still out of reach for me then but I got one 9 years later.

[davekmoore]

I think $55000 is a pretty good price. I don't want to see this car getting cheaper like Hyundai Tiburon. Keeping it in the mid range is better. Otherwise every where is MX5. Nothing special anymore.

So you want it to be double the USA price so it won't sell here?

[gslender]

They were well north of $30,000.
I wanted an MX-5 the first time I saw a picture of one but it was just unaffordable and I was on a pretty good salary then.
I remember that the 1995 NA8 was about $45,000 and I can't be sure if that included A/C. It was still out of reach for me then but I got one 9 years later.

Personal affordability is largely irrelevant as it would depend on your age and profession - if we asked a mature Doctor, he/she would have seen them as too cheap to be considered.

All I'm suggesting is that when you compared to what other alternatives existed, it was seen as fair bit better and mostly cheaper.

In 1989 the options for light, fast four, good handling cars were...

Mazda MX5 @ $30K
Toyota MR2 @ $40K
BMW 318 @ $40K
Alfa 75 @ $40K
Saab 900 (FWD) @ $42K
Ford Capri (FWD) @ $30K
VW Golf (FWD) @ $35K
Honda CRX (FWD) @ $30K

From what I recall (and is still repeated today in the Top 50 sport cars of all times) the MX5 was significantly better handling than all of those above... it was a dramatic introduction into lightweight, proper handling car that provided driver enjoyment. Up until then, most of the manufactures were focusing on other things....

Nobody is saying that about the current models and unless something dramatic happens in the ND, I'd suggest it might remain in the "Mmmph, doesn't go or handle any better than my Golf V so probably not bothered by it"...

G

[Odd]

Isn't the point that you can buy a MX5 in USA for A$30K (A$26K actually them A$33k for top of the line)

Why are they A$55 here???
....it's not taxes,it's not import duties....it seems like Mazda is saying "let's stick to the Aussies...they are prepared to pay"

Sure greater numbers sold in USA.....but Mazda passenger vehicles sell well here, what's adding a few more MX5's to an order
Less distance to ship too...

Anyone know the facts?

[NitroDann]

Gorgeous 4 bedroom family homes on 20 pristine acres with an equipped workshop (hoist etc) for well under 100 grand in some places in the states.

Thats why.

Dann

[JBT]

Isn't the point that you can buy a MX5 in USA for A$30K (A$26K actually them A$33k for top of the line)

Why are they A$55 here???
....it's not taxes,it's not import duties....it seems like Mazda is saying "let's stick to the Aussies...they are prepared to pay"

Sure greater numbers sold in USA.....but Mazda passenger vehicles sell well here, what's adding a few more MX5's to an order
Less distance to ship too...

Anyone know the facts?

Because the manufacturers can set whatever price they like in any given country. IMO, Mazda don't care about market share in that category in Australia, charge what they like and always have. Having said that, $55K in 2014 is significantly less than $45K in 1995. We bought a 4 bedroom house in the Brissy suburbs for $115K in 1994.
In the 90s there was nothing competitive in the convertible category.
The only MX-5s that could be considered "cheap", "low cost" or "affordable" to most people in Australia are used examples.

[Odd]

Houses are produced with local labour
MX5's aren't
There is no relevance to local products
Comparison with tv's would be more logical

Perhaps there are tooling difference ...left verse Right hand?
Economy in manufacturing greater numbers?
Overheads of local dealerships?

Looking for logic... not what they cost in the past
Houses have increased because of our tax laws....it's profitable to invest in them
Cars are a different story....;)

[JBT]

Heard that before, but if you were around in the mid 90s, you'd know that $45K was a lot of money.

[Mr Morlock]

JBT is absolutely right- the MX5 has always been expensive in Au and the price has changed very little over the past 25 years. What has changed amongst many things is that in income terms i.e. buying power the car has become less expensive.

In 1994 the base MX5 with soft top $38700 - the hardtop was $40760 In 1995 the price went up around $5000 for both. In 1994 a BMW 318 sedan was $48000.

Domestic pricing is not a really useful measure because economies and taxing regimes are not all equal. Many countries even tax old cars off the road. In some places owning a car is very expensive and merely become status symbols ( HKG / Singapore )

The cost of a manufactured vehicle is going to be the same set of sums for virtually all manufactured items. Labour ,overheads, component and raw material costs, development costs etc. The makers hide their margins and its pretty clear that some models lose money and some go broke and get bailed out by Govts.

Ultimately a car co generally has to compete with vehicles in the same class e.g. Mazda 3 compared to Corolla. Mazda were probably surprised at the price of the 86/BRZ but I can understand why they did not drop the list price on a low seller. The expensive Euro cars like BMW Merc Audi have duked it out against each other and people shell out the money based on other things rather than value which they are not.

They tell me you can get a cheap house in Detroit and cars are less expensive- any starters?

[Odd]

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-s ... -info-news

Miata in USA is a comparable price to Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ

I would like to know the reason this hasn't happened in Australia.?
Mazda price gouging is my only conclusion!?!?
Happy for a explanation that's relevant

It's not about any other cars that aren't produced in Japan or the history of costs......that's irrelevant....but I'd be Happy to be advised why I'm wrong

[bootz]

Just look at the jdm price, add a couple thousand for shipping and bada-bing that is the price the mx-5 should sell for here.

So much for globalisation.

[Mr Morlock]

Odd its not irrelevant how car companies run their businesses and be aware that they are businesses set up to try and often fail to make a profit and various models will have different margins- thats marketing. Just because a 86/bRZ cost much the same as an NC in USA what conclusion does one draw? Mazda perhaps already discounts the MX5 in a much bigger market. In AU the price differential is essentially because Toyota/Subaru pitched their cars at a lower wholesale price i.e. discounted to grab attention - which they did. I have no idea how Mazda sets their prices- is it done in Japan? Also how is it a fair comment that Mazda Au are price gouging when the local price has been pretty static for many years. Can anyone really think it would have been a good idea for Mazda Au to drop the price of an MX5 by $15K - hardly fair to all those that bought NCs from 2005. That would have had the potential to undermine the value of an MX5 and the latest models were selling at a very modest rate anyway. What would Mazda have gained apart from distancing itself from loyal buyers who may also drive other Mazda products?

With the ND its a new start - a new model and maybe but not guaranteed lower pricing.

[Odd]

It will be interesting to see what happens with car prices given there will shortly be no locally produced cars....perhaps all car manufacturers have been able to maximise their profits given the high costs(relevant to other markets) of the locally produced vehicles

[davekmoore]

If the 86/BRZ is $34-$42k drive away and the MX5 is similar money to those in other markets there's no obvious reason why Mazda can't choose to offer existing or new MX5 here at $34-42k instead of $50+k.

It's a long time since I went to business school, but I seem to remember some possible reasons for deliberately increasing prices being:

1. Inability to supply enough product, so price is increased in order to decrease demand. But Mazda has 10% market share in Australia so we deserve a fair share of product at a fair price. And with 10% market share, if they can make enough product for USA, surely they can gear up to also produce enough product to satisfy the demand that $34-42k pricing would produce in Australia?

2. Intention to improve the perception of the quality of the product. But that can't work when the interweb will quickly tell people in one market they're being ripped off compared with elsewhere and that MX5 is no higher quality than 86/BRZ.

3. Desire to avoid competition with other models in the range. So which other Mazda model would lose sales if the MX5 gained sales through being normally priced? It wouldn't even be the similarly $34-42k M3 SP25 range, since this is aimed at a different market and has a full set of seats, and FWD etc etc.

4. Research in a particular market showing that lower unit sales at higher profit margins produce more total profit than higher unit sales at lower profit margins. But given the current approximately NIL sales at $10-15k overpriced, how much is Mazda making from MX5 right now? Err, $NIL.

While running the risk of upsetting existing owners by devaluing their cars, I reckon Mazda should start clearing stock of the existing model at bargain prices prior to going $34-42k with, say a base 1.5 and a higher spec 2.0 version of the new car. Surely that would make them more total profit than pricing the new car out of the market?