NC Miatas becoming rare on dealer lots

http://www.torquenews.com/sites/defa...iata2014_0.jpg

The 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata is about to become extinct. In many areas it may already seem to be.


Mazda’s 2015 model year MX-5 Miatas are being sold now in only tiny numbers each month. In March, there were only 532 sold in the US market. That number is down 30% over the prior March. Year to date, the Miata’s sales are up, but our suspicion is that Mazda built very few 2015 cars to send to dealers. The all-new 2016 MX-5 Miata may not make it to US dealers until as late as August in any significant numbers.

Mazda began taking pre-orders recently for the 2016 models Miata but has not said when it will be available. With the Japanese market launch planned for June, and the US launch to follow, it seems that for at least this year there will be very few Miatas for sale in spring or summer.

The outgoing third generation Miata is lightly larger, more powerful by about 12 HP, and also about 150 pounds heavier than the new design. For cruising and Sunday fun, the outgoing car will not be dramatically different than the new fourth generation car, but then there are looks. The new car looks better than the current model. It will also have a modern infotainment system including navigation.

Bargain hunters hoping that new, 2015 Miatas might overlap the new, 2016 may be out of luck. Unlike a mainstream car like the Camry, which sells in big numbers, it is possible that Mazda could time the new Miata’s availability pretty much perfectly.


source: http://www.torquenews.com/1083/mazda...re-dealer-lots

Interesting. Marketing. And I was wondering why when I was shopping for a new one .. they weren't being flexible on prices at the dealer.

I would not mind owning a Club version :winky:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Phatmiata

I would not mind owning a Club version :winky:

---

I'll sell ya a NC. Not a club but better

There are 0 new or used Miatas at the local Mazda dealer. Even with the new ND coming out this seems like a massive fail given spring weather brings out convertible fun car buyers and keeps the momentum going.

Just like with the release of the NA, allocation and availability of the ND will be tight this year. Expect dealer added market price adjustments also.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freedomgli

There are 0 new or used Miatas at the local Mazda dealer. Even with the new ND coming out this seems like a massive fail given spring weather brings out convertible fun car buyers and keeps the momentum going.

---

More like massive marketing genius to create more demand. :teehee:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Phatmiata

More like massive marketing genius to create more demand. :teehee:

---

It may be a marketing tactic. But it could also backfire. Even with a new Miata ND right around the corner, in the meantime, I think it's better for Mazda dealers to keep the Miata heritage alive and sell new NCs and used NAs, NBs and NCs. Undoubtedly, some die hards will wait until October or maybe even next spring (when supply better matches demand) to buy their ND. Undoubtedly, some folks who would've otherwise bought a NC this year will instead go buy something else, which means Mazda just lost a potential customer to another brand.

It really is a double edged sword. I get that it's better to make slightly fewer cars to artificially inflate demand (see Ferrari) but managing brand image is critical to sales success. With zero Miatas on their lot, my local dealer is doing a crap job managing their brand image. In fact, the entire first 2 rows are dedicated to used cars! What kind of statement does that make?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freedomgli

It may be a marketing tactic. But it could also backfire. Even with a new Miata ND right around the corner, in the meantime, I think it's better for Mazda dealers to keep the Miata heritage alive and sell new NCs and used NAs, NBs and NCs. Undoubtedly, some die hards will wait until October or maybe even next spring (when supply better matches demand) to buy their ND. Undoubtedly, some folks who would've otherwise bought a NC this year will instead go buy something else, which means Mazda just lost a potential customer to another brand.

It really is a double edged sword. I get that it's better to make slightly fewer cars to artificially inflate demand (see Ferrari) but managing brand image is critical to sales success. With zero Miatas on their lot, my local dealer is doing a crap job managing their brand image. In fact, the entire first 2 rows are dedicated to used cars! What kind of statement does that make?

---

I agree, if I owned a Mazda dealership, I'd have my used car manager at the wholesale auctions, and bank repo auctions buying up any nice Miatas, (NA, NB or NC models) for my used sales lot. The idea being if a person buys a used Miata, ( once they drive one they are hooked for life) they might come back later when they are ready for a new ND model.

I forgot to mention that all those used cars filling up the front two rows that people see when they drive by are NOT Mazdas! They're like Kias and Chryslers and Nissans and Toyota pickup trucks and just random stuff that doesn't promote Mazda at all.