rx8 vs rsx-type S

[GGTTSS-44]

I have a few questions for yourself
My buddy is looking at getting either an acura RSX type S
or a mazda Rx8 GT.

This will be his only car, and his daily driver, winter, rain, or shine.

What are the pro's and cons of either vehicle.
Which would you choose personally?


I know they go hand and hand with performance, and handling
and they differ for reliability, gas consumption and oil gussling.

These will be purchased used. Price range is 18 - 25K
so for an rx8 he'll look at getting one with around 50xxx + kilometers on it.

rsx type S. possibly around 90+xxx


What do you guys think between the cars for him? show me some pros and cons of both.
how they go hand and hand
what you'd personally get
and what you feel would be the best choice

For a daily driver.


How many kilometers to a tank of gas does an rx8 get?
how many kilometers to a tank of gas does an rsx type s get

are they just as quick, hows handling etc

I appreciate all your answers

[ca18det240sx]

Reliability, rsx hands down. I think the rx8 would take the rsx in speed tho, acceleration as well as top speed. Rx8 also isnt very good on gas, especialy compared to the rsx....

personally i would go with the rsx. If you choose the rx8, you need to accept the fact that the engine will blow up and get bad mileage. I myself am a rotary lover, and on the track, rotary is unbelievable, but in reality, not reliable to drive daily.

Theres a guy on here with an rx8 that has been thru 3 warranty engines....that should give you an idea.


rsx FTW

[max_boost]

Either one will be fine.

[ScottysZ]

Originally posted by ca18det240sx
personally i would go with the rsx. If you choose the rx8, you need to accept the fact that the engine will blow up and get bad mileage.

Theres a guy on here with an rx8 that has been thru 3 warranty engines....that should give you an idea.


Wow, I thought that kinda stuff only happened to shitty domestic cars? :D

[mark4091]

hmmm, well as far as gas, I have heard the RSX is better.

I would go for the Type-S.

[shay]

gas and relibailty will be the rsx for sure but i think the rx8 will be more fun and a bit quicker and better handling
and i think it looks better. but rsx will be more pratical.
if u can find either with warranty left u cant go wrong.
if warranty is up go for the rsx
unless u want a more sporty car.

[katana9x4]

i'd take an rsx over and rx-8 hands down

[GGTTSS-44]

I wasn't aware the reliablity issues with the rx8 were so diar?
Are you truthfully saying my buddy could potentially blow his renesis engine with regular use over a few years time? I was under the impression since its not turbo's they are very strong engines and last a good while.

mind you he will maintain it, regular oil changes every 5K
He won't run synthetic!! which is one of the problems these engines have had, 5W20 synthetic did not have the thickness of protecting the seals and would burn down due to the thiness and then boom..


Gas mileage won't be bad in an rx8, hell he'll get twice the gas mileage I get in my skyline, with that in mind, I'd say thats darn good gas mileage!!

Still say RSX type S hey. Interresting.

[Sharpie]

Originally posted by GGTTSS-44
I wasn't aware the reliablity issues with the rx8 were so diar?
Are you truthfully saying my buddy could potentially blow his renesis engine with regular use over a few years time? I was under the impression since its not turbo's they are very strong engines and last a good while.

mind you he will maintain it, regular oil changes every 5K
He won't run synthetic!! which is one of the problems these engines have had, 5W20 synthetic did not have the thickness of protecting the seals and would burn down due to the thiness and then boom..


Gas mileage won't be bad in an rx8, hell he'll get twice the gas mileage I get in my skyline, with that in mind, I'd say thats darn good gas mileage!!

Still say RSX type S hey. Interresting.
The biggest thing that turns me away from the rx8 is you have to add oil every-so offten which is hella gay.. Also there is a member on here that has had his engine replaced 3 times, and also some other members with shitty experiences with the mazda dealerships in Calgary and the rx8's in general.

[slowep3]

hey there id definatly go wih the rsx my buddy accually has a gorgous mint white 2006 type s for sale nicest one youll find for a good price

[InLoveWitRSX]

if hes lookin to keep it as daily driver for a long time.. rsx type s, better gas milage, not as much maintenance, more reliable, and you can slap some bolt ons on it and itll be eating rx-8's all day. only downfall.... fwd.

[4doorj]

either or is awsome!
but the rx8 being used, it will be out of warranty soon
i would not want that at all

with that being said as much as i love the rx8... i would say type s

[civicluva]

RX-8 is a way funner car but it gets 300 km to the tank which is 70 dollars to fill up. The RSX is the more practical choice.

[spyce]

You friend could get an 05-06 Type S for around 25g's if he is patient and looks hard enough.

I think the RSX would be favored in every category except slightly slower and obviously wont handle like a rwd car. It is:

- better on gas
- looks better
- will be more reliable (have heard stories of the rx8 having to drive it at least 5kms every time you drive otherwise you risk flooding the engine)
- driving it in the winter i would say would be about the same (assuming you get summers and winters for each car)
- and if he is in to light modding the k20 responds really well to bolt ons (intake, headers, exhaust). those 3 mods alone will let the type s keep up with rx8s, g35s

Ive always wanted a Type S. More specifically the 05/06 model because of the better looks and increased hp. If only insurance on it wasnt so expensive :(

[stardotstar]

insurance is a bitch for the type-s... I've driven mine in the winter, it's great. Either car slap on winter tires you'll be okay, just don't doing anything fancy.

Gas mileage I get about 500 km/tank with premium gas which is fairly good. I'm biased so I think the RSX is more dependable as a car

[ScottysZ]

Hmmm, interesting... but which would be more dependable as a boat?

[Destinova403]

i would probably take the RSX... you really cant beat honda for reliability... even if it wont be the fastest car he could buy.. the mazda would be much faster... the RSX is a safer bet for an all around daily driver just because of the stories iv heard abou the RX-8s

[Anton]

I owned both cars, at the same time as well. Although the Type S is fun to drive (I'm a Honda fan as well), it is nowhere near the enjoyment of driving the RX-8.

The Acura does get better fuel consumption and is more reliable. However, the Mazda is just a nicer vehicle to drive.

If these are the vehicles he's looking at, I would recommend the RSX since it will be easier to maitain and is cheaper to operate.


Originally posted by civicluva
RX-8 is a way funner car but it gets 300 km to the tank which is 70 dollars to fill up. The RSX is the more practical choice.

From when the Gas light goes on, it's around $50 to fill up and I get 375-400 from full until the gas light comes on so I still have fuel left.

[Supa Dexta]

Originally posted by ScottysZ
but which would be more dependable as a boat?

what does that mean, neither will make a very good boat :dunno:

http://www.falmouthoutlook.com/pageimages/car%20in%20lake%20copy.JPG

[civicluva]

Originally posted by Anton

From when the Gas light goes on, it's around $50 to fill up and I get 375-400 from full until the gas light comes on so I still have fuel left.

Seriously? Mine got a max of 330 km! Even when I drive like a baby.

[ScottysZ]

Originally posted by Supa Dexta


what does that mean, neither will make a very good boat :dunno:

It was a joke. Piss off, its been a long day.:D

[Anton]

Originally posted by civicluva


Seriously? Mine got a max of 330 km! Even when I drive like a baby.

My best was about 410 before the gas light went on. That was this spring, time when you don't use heat or AC plus I don't drive in traffic for more than 10 mins a day so that helps a lot.

[Sorath]

u cant really compare the 2, big price difference different category

[BlueFrenzy]

To clear up a couple of misconceptions here:

The addition of oil every so often is NOT so terrible. I find that I have to add about 1/8 to 1/4 quart every roughly 2 months. It's not like you are breaking the bank on oil. If you can afford the $1.xx+/liter gasoline, you can afford a quart of oil to use for a few months.

Synthetic IS ok. The reason why a lot of people think synthetics are a no-no is with older generation rotaries and their apex seals. Old-school synthetic oil formulations tended to swell the old apex seals. With the vast improvements in synthetic oil formulation, there is no risk of apex seal swelling. If you were to use the current synthetics on the old rx7s, you would see no swelling. Again, this was an issue with the oil formulation.

Both Mr. Yamaguchi and Yamamoto (Japanese rotary gurus from Mazda) have commented on synthetic use. Both have ENCOURAGED synthetic use in rotaries. In particular, Idemitsu, Valvoline and Royal Purple (in case you didn't know, RP was designed by a rotary guy). The only one that they discouraged was Mobil 1 --> has to do with the ash point. The reason that Mazda says no synthetic is a blanket statement to cover their asses because not all synthetics behave the same.

The risk of flooding is equivalent to any other car. This was addressed the first few months it was out --> initial flooding was due the PCM reprogramming done by Mazda North America to meet emission standards. Again, this has been rectified and is OLD OLD news.

If anything, by design, a piston engine has more potential to blow up ... more moving parts.

Mileage is definitely better in the RSX. My 8 gets about 18mpg (roughly 375-400km/tank on average). My maximum has been about 450km/tank. Insurance is much more on the RSX (especially because it has the "Type S" designation). The RX8 on the other hand is consider a 4 door sport-sedan --> lower rates.

As for rain, snow, etc. It's the old FWD vs RWD comparison and depends which one your friend feels more comfortable driving. I've driven mine over the past 3 winters and haven't had any trouble. The traction control works great. Just make sure you have good winters (as with any other car).

As for storage space, the rx8 is handy in that the rear seats can be used, the suicide doors allow easy access and the trunk is decent sized (I can fit all my hockey gear no problem). The RSX trunk space is good too but from what I remember the back seats were a bit cramped.

Hope this clears some rumors up. Both are good cars and each have their quirks (I can't really comment on the RSX's quirks --> I think Anton is more qualified to speak on that). The RSX was on my list of possible cars, but personally for me, I preferred the rx8's handling, fit/finish and utility of the rear seats.

[ScottysZ]

Originally posted by BlueFrenzy
If anything, by design, a piston engine has more potential to blow up ... more moving parts.


How does that go again...? Communism worked in theory too.:D

[Mitsu3000gt]

I haven't driven the RSX but you can bet it will be the more reliable car and have the highest resale later on.

I have driven the Mazda and I was fairly dissapointed. For a $40k car or whatever, i felt the interior was not up to spec quality wise. You may or may not care about this. Additionally, I did not like how the car has almost no torque. For city driving especially, I personally don't like to have to bag the shit out of the car to get it to perform - thats just not my style, anyways. It handled pretty good but that's about all that stood out for me on the positive side of things. I also hate digital speedometers, I don't know if their still using that in the RX-8 or not but I do not like this regardless of the vehicle - I much prefer the needles. Lastly, I've heard nothing but bad about Calgary's mazda dealers for customer service as several members on here have had some terrible experiences with them. I like a lot of mazda's offerings, the RX8 isn't one of them.

Keep in mind these are only my personal opinions and experiences, good luck with your decision.

[civicluva]

Originally posted by ScottysZ


How does that go again...? Communism worked in theory too.:D

oh my did you make that up yourself :rolleyes:

i know a guy who blew up his Mazda 3 before my RX-8 went.

[TNation]

I wouldn't buy the Mazda just alone on the service from the Mazda dealerships, and honestly, Honda reliability is so much better than any Mazda. Plus from what I've read and heard, the RX8 is horrible on gas.

[cloud7]

I own both vehicles.

Gas mileage (normal driving):
RX8 - 430/tank (60 L)
RSX-S - 530/tank (50 L)

Performance/Handling:
RX-8 - simply amazing
RSX-S: extremely good for a FWD car

In a straight line, the RX-8 isn't a lot faster but it does feel like a faster car... in the corners, the RX-8 shines... IMO, there is no point of getting a RX-8 if you don't drive fast in the corners...

Dealer Service:
Mazda - very good experience with North Hill Mazda, not so good with Kramer
Acura - Silverhill... nothing to write home about

Reliability:
RX-8: no problem so far
RSX-S: had both rear wheel bearing go at around 70,000km... It was about $350 per wheel bearing + labour.

Practicality:
You can fit more stuff in the RSX, no questions... because of the very useable hatch! The truck space is limited in the 8 and the truck opening is quite small. The back seats are more comfortable in the 8 and has more headroom (it seems)... and the suicide doors makes getting in and out of the back seats easier than the RSX. On the other hand the RSX has more headroom in the front but it seems like you're seating on the seat and not in it.

Tranny:
Although the shifter on the 8 is very good, we all know that Honda makes one of the best (if not the best) shifter in the car business.

[ScottysZ]

Originally posted by civicluva


oh my did you make that up yourself :rolleyes:


Thats why I wrote "how does that go". Im surprised you can type that well with your head up your ass.



Originally posted by civicluva

i know a guy who blew up his Mazda 3 before my RX-8 went.

And who cares if someone blew up their 3? Your RX-8 still blew up. Or did you fuck that up too?

[SlowLude]

It depends on what kind of a "car person" your buddy is. Obviously he isn't a huge car enthusiast or else he would've posted the question himself. The RSX is a good, reliable FWD car. Which is why everyone and their grandma has one. I honestly wish there were less RX-8s on the road. I don't want my car to be the next Civic. My vote goes towards the RSX!! :thumbsup:

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by cloud7
I own both vehicles.

Gas mileage (normal driving):
RX8 - 430/tank (60 L)
RSX-S - 530/tank (50 L)

Performance/Handling:
RX-8 - simply amazing
RSX-S: extremely good for a FWD car

In a straight line, the RX-8 isn't a lot faster but it does feel like a faster car... in the corners, the RX-8 shines... IMO, there is no point of getting a RX-8 if you don't drive fast in the corners...

Dealer Service:
Mazda - very good experience with North Hill Mazda, not so good with Kramer
Acura - Silverhill... nothing to write home about

Reliability:
RX-8: no problem so far
RSX-S: had both rear wheel bearing go at around 70,000km... It was about $350 per wheel bearing + labour.

Practicality:
You can fit more stuff in the RSX, no questions... because of the very useable hatch! The truck space is limited in the 8 and the truck opening is quite small. The back seats are more comfortable in the 8 and has more headroom (it seems)... and the suicide doors makes getting in and out of the back seats easier than the RSX. On the other hand the RSX has more headroom in the front but it seems like you're seating on the seat and not in it.

Tranny:
Although the shifter on the 8 is very good, we all know that Honda makes one of the best (if not the best) shifter in the car business.

reasonable, unbiased review - good job!

everytime i see a "GO RSX! PWNS FACES! BTW MY FRIEND HAS ONE!" post, i chuckle a bit to myself

[GGTTSS-44]

Wow, I must say, some straight forward answers.
I appreciate the good advice, and I appreciate hte fact that you guys didn't flame each other, or turn this into a bashing thread.

I'll show him this forum later when I meet up with him. He doesn't have beyond accounts and such, so I decided to do some digging for him.

[BlueFrenzy]

Oh Cloud7 reminded me of something .. I guess he already sort of mentioned it. With regards to the shifter ... the rx8 shifter throws are shorter than most vehicles but to me felt a little too long for a sports car (and too soft for my liking). I ended upgrading to an aftermarker shifter which made the shifting very tight and almost rifle-bolt action feel.

I found the stock RSX shifter to be shorter than the stock 8 shifter, so when making those quick heel-toe downshifts it's nicer.

[A2VR6]

I was looking at both cars a couple years ago before i went with the RSX-S...

Honestly, the RX8 just destroys the heck outta the RSX-S handling wise... and in my opinion the RSX-S handles GREAT.

However, I felt the RX8's steering feel wasnt as nice as the RSX-S... the Mazda's felt a little on the light side and the shifter wasnt as nice as the Acura's.

Honestly, if the price difference wasnt so big between the cars (back in 2004) I would of went for the RX8 although I dont regret going with the RSX-S one bit.

[anonymous_j]

haha, go buy a subaru wrx :rofl:

[rc2002]

Originally posted by A2VR6
Honestly, the RX8 just destroys the heck outta the RSX-S handling wise...

The cars are in two different categories. One is designed from the ground up to be a sports car. The other is a "sports" model upgraded from a civic chassis.

That said, even though the handling was decent, I found the RX8 to be severely underpowered. The RSX-S on the other hand had some serious pep.

[khtm]

Originally posted by richardchan2002
That said, even though the handling was decent, I found the RX8 to be severely underpowered. The RSX-S on the other hand had some serious pep.
This statement makes no sense unless you drove an AT RX-8 or don't know how to shift properly. If properly driven, the manual 8 is faster/quicker than the RSX-S in EVERY performance category.

[treg50]

What model years is your friend looking at?

[rc2002]

Originally posted by khtm

This statement makes no sense unless you drove an AT RX-8 or don't know how to shift properly. If properly driven, the manual 8 is faster/quicker than the RSX-S in EVERY performance category.

I drove the manual. The sales guy told me to rev is past 9000rpm in every gear and still the car didn't want to go anywhere.

As far as shifting goes, even if I totally botched the shifting (which is impossible in cars these days) it would've been the same botched shifting for both cars so that's not even an issue.

[khtm]

This is a silly argument because it's a fact that the 8 is just slightly faster than the S. Every single review has shown this (and not that it matters, but I agree from having owned/driven both). Browse the interweb if you don't believe me :)

Here's a couple links to get started:
RSX-S: 6.4 14.9
http://www.albeedigital.com/supercoupe/articles/0-60_Quarter_Mile_Times/A_0-60times.html
RX-8: 5.8 14.5
http://www.albeedigital.com/supercoupe/articles/0-60_Quarter_Mile_Times/M_0-60times.html

Your personal experience is interesting and all, but definitely not proof of anything.

[mslbebiz]

The serious reliability issues with the RX-8 would throw that out of the running for me, personally. Tell your friend to check out: http://www.carsurvey.org

[rc2002]

Numbers quoted from magazines aren't proof of anything either. The quarter mile times done by car mags actually couldn't be reproduced for the RX8. Let's not forget the whole buy-back/horsepower controversy...

http://ezinearticles.com/?Mazda-RX8-Horsepower-Controversy&id=47018


If you'd rather take the word of someone who writes magazine articles for money over your own experience then more power to you.

[BlueFrenzy]

Man, all these old old news stories are being brought up. The whole horsepower issue has been dealt with to death. Mazda North America detuned the PCM to conform with the emissions at the last minute(literally done at the ports), so when it was first advertised, it was going off of the Japanese spec rx8 --> the Japanese spec PCM has the proper horsepower of 247. So what, it's 238HP now and still higher in HP than the RSX's 201 to 210HP. You have to give it to Mazda for stepping up and taking responsibility. They could have easily turned a blind eye and say "You n00bz got PwNed". Remember what happened with the recent Yamaha R6's and the advertised 19000rpm vs real ~17000rpm --> they did the buy back thing too but nobody really $hits on Yamaha for that and every squid and his little brother still wants one.

Here are some "bench racing" stats if you guys are interested. Both are low torque vehicles (rx8 159 vs rsx 143). The torque curve for the rx8 is relative smooth and constant from 3000 to 9000rpm. The torque curve for the rsx is also smooth and constant from 2000 to redline. Both torque curves allow useful power in traffic. The RSX is lighter by 200lbs (rsx 2800lbs vs rx8 3000lbs) --> perhaps that's why people feel the rsx is more peppy (lighter car with roughly similar torque). All in all, both are relatively similar in term of engine power specs. Besides, who cares about bench racing, neither car will ever beat a Mustang (or a 350Z).

My suggestion would be to ignore the bench racing specs and go with how you like the handling, practicality, options, etc. Again, Cloud7's review is probably the least biased out of all of us.

[SlowLude]

There are many car survey/car satisfaction/car reliability reports out there. I don't know how many are out there, but there are LOTS. Whats funny is that I've seen some reports where Mazda is on the top of the list and some reports where Mazda is on the bottom of the list. So who do you trust? carsurvey.org? jdpower? consumer reports? rxclub? The one member on beyond that got his engine replaced? Instead of listing one website, why don't you conduct an in-depth analysis of all sources and data to back up these "serious reliability" issues?


Originally posted by mslbebiz
The serious reliability issues with the RX-8 would throw that out of the running for me, personally. Tell your friend to check out: http://www.carsurvey.org

[mslbebiz]

There are many car survey/car satisfaction/car reliability reports out there. I don't know how many are out there, but there are LOTS. Whats funny is that I've seen some reports where Mazda is on the top of the list and some reports where Mazda is on the bottom of the list. So who do you trust? carsurvey.org? jdpower? consumer reports? rxclub? The one member on beyond that got his engine replaced? Instead of listing one website, why don't you conduct an in-depth analysis of all sources and data to back up these "serious reliability" issues?

I have, I was simply posting the best site I've found to look at real consumer reviews of cars they've owned and had to live with. The best source of info IMO.

Also, while Mazda is good in most of the reliability reports I've seen, the RX-8 NEVER is. Don't kid yourself because you're biased lol. And I'm not going on the report from one member here, but rather many sources.

[SlowLude]

I am not biased. I merely asked what sources do you have to back up your claim? It's easy to say that a particular car is not reliable or has more recalls than others, but it's more meaningful to the reader to include data. I did not agree or disagree with you that the RX-8 has serious reliabilty issues. In fact, I agree that this car is not as reliable as others. But under what circumstances? How many have received engine recalls out of all total purchases? Was it due to human error or was it a manufacturer defect? In reality, its not as bad as most people percieve it to be. It's important that both sides of an argument must be presented to the reader on an internet forum for them to make an informed decision. Simply stating that something is bad and throwing a quote or a site link (and there are a lot of people who do this) is insufficent data. That is all.


Originally posted by mslbebiz


I have, I was simply posting the best site I've found to look at real consumer reviews of cars they've owned and had to live with. The best source of info IMO.

Also, while Mazda is good in most of the reliability reports I've seen, the RX-8 NEVER is. Don't kid yourself because you're biased lol. And I'm not going on the report from one member here, but rather many sources.

[Revhard]

I have no idea how much the rx-8 goes for used.
Since the rsx-s is not offered new anymore, the price difference will likely close-up a bit.
It all depends what you want.
My rsx has been really good to me, they have great aftermarket support, and not one reliability problem yet.(broke the tranny racing, but any tranny would break under these feet)
As for the testing, the rwd accounts for the difference in the drag times easily over fwd.(this is clearly shown in the 0-60 times posted, no more ground was made after the launch)

I have not seen any fast rx-8's out at the lapping days, even though that is where I would expect to see them.
The aftermarket support is slow, but if he wants to stay stock, that is of no concern.
The rx-8 handles better, and by a fairly large margin. Stock vs. stock.
When I was buying, the rx-8 wasn't worth 10g's more than the rsx-s, not even close.
Now with used prices, he will have to think about it alot harder.
My opinion is biased, but I would bet the rsx is still enough cheaper to seem like the better value.
If he wants rwd, and likes to rev, the rx-8 is the tool of choice for sure.
The rx-8 has a more aggressive look, better colours, better handling, better rear-seat access.
The rsx has Honda relaibility, better shifting tranny, more easily modded, more space and headroom, better fuel economy, and better driver in the winter.
He will have to drive both, do the math, and decide which is his style.

[sk3tchb4g]

rx8 isnt much faster if faster at all than a type s
and rx8 are horrible in the winter unless you have really good winter tires

[rotary8]

hey "blue" and "slow", you guys go on this forum too? but rx8 is not gonna be civics, especially yours slowlude, how many MS rx8 in calgary are there????
i would say rsx if you just wanna mod it. i love my rx8 even though my car has been in the dealership for such a long ass time which is making me frustrated.
but what i have to say is "only a small group of people have their engine replaced many times".....