For Mazda3 owners...

There's a car at a used car lot near me that sounds like a killer deal. It's an '05 Mazda3 4 door sedan with the 2.3 and manual trans. The dealer selling it has it listed/described as a "Special Edition". Mazda had a 2.3 Special Edition in '05 but I thought it would be obvious. That is, it would have SOMETHING to set it apart from a "run-of-the-mill" 2.3...which this car does not have. It doesn't even have a sunroof.

Anyone know what makes the "Special Edition" special/different? This car is silver with what is described as a black interior....to me it looks like a light(er) charcoal interior with red inserts to the seats.

Hmmm. Red inserts in the seats you say? Sounds like a special edition!

I've seen these:

http://autospeed.com/cms/A_2725/article.html

I thought all the 3's had colored inserts in the beginning. I've seen some people customize their cars and call them something they're not. Kinda like putting on a fart-can exhaust and a Autozone Type R emblem and calling it a Type r special edition. The only one's I have seen is from the link above. They were a dark grey with brown leather.

Mazda has had so many "special" editions over the years that they often had more of the special editions made than some of the run-of-the-mill models. I wouldn't pay any extra.

I own a 2004 3 hatchback. Never realized there was a special edition. Unless it comes with a turbo and 265 hp I wouldn't put it too far ahead of the run of the mill 3s.

It's just dealerspeak. When I bought my '95 Miata in '00, they said it was an M edition. I got them to knock off $1k when I pointed out it wasn't. :D

On Edmunds.com an owner said that his "Special Edition" had an added badge to the trunklid which led me to believe that the SE has at least 1 or 2 badges....somewhere on the outside. I also got the impression that SEs had a leather interior or were painted a color other Mazda3s did not have as a new car color.

For the price this car dealer doesn't SEEM to be charging more because it's a Special Edition, but if it isn't I was hoping to get a little bit knocked off the price.

I drove an SP23 over the weekend. One of my best friends just bought one. Its a great looking car with the nice factory alloys and black all leather interior. It had some fancy interior things and the factory adjustable HIDs and was a really nice drive.

The red in the middle is stock for a cloth seated hatch. Unless it's an SP23 which would have a charcoal gray exterior, and unique interior, as well as heated seats, Bose, and HID's, it's not a special edition.