Buy Mazda RX-8? (yay or nay)

[funkedelic2]

Okay guys, so i am looking for a car to drive for the next 6-8 months or so. I intend to sell the car afterwards for close to the amount that i paid. I may mod is slightly and make it my own.

I am looking for something fun, reliable and good looking. In my opinion, the RX-8 looks great. this will be my daily driver for the next little bit, and it will see snow. I know very little about the rotory engines that these cars come with, so im hoping to get some feedback from some mazda guru's or people that have owned them. I should start off saying that i have never driven one before but am seriously considering one that i've seen for sale locally. I have heard that rx-7 can be troublesome but figured that mazda would have improved this time around with the rx8.

The one im looking at is fully loaded, guy states that it is in mint condition and is regularly maintained and has all paperwork from the mazda dealer. Has aftermarket exhaust work, stage 3 clutch. From the ad, it seems that the owner is an enthusiast and has taken really good care of the car. Body looks mint as well.

I have heard a few bad things, but most people that drive them and have owned them seem to defend all of the bad wrap that they get. I have heard that they have reliability issues and that they are bad on gas. I imagine most of the issues that people have had are from lack of maintence and not driving the car properly.

Looking to get some feedback on the matter. If it's going to be a nightmare car, then i have other cars that i am considering.

lemme know what you guys think and thanks for your help.

[ekguy]

I've always wanted one. But one gas guzzler is enough for me. My 3.2 in the legend sucks gas back like no tomorrow.

The looks of the rx8 are nice for sure, also top gears review on the handling was excellent.

In my opinion i'd do it if you're only doing it for a short period of time.

Get it, enjoy it, then sell it.

[Deetz]

I can say right now that if you are driving a bmw now, that you will not like the lack of torque the rx8 has. They are not known for very good fuel mileage, and some engines do have issues with leaking

[Weapon_R]

I've been watching them and it seems like the same ones that were for sale 2 months ago are still listed today. I like the look but I don't think you'll be able to unload it very easily

[funkedelic2]

Originally posted by Deetz
I can say right now that if you are driving a bmw now, that you will not like the lack of torque the rx8 has. They are not known for very good fuel mileage, and some engines do have issues with leaking

The torque of the 335i sure was nice, but i sold that car a few months back. I'm actually borrowing my dads corolla, so anything will seem faster then that thing lol. After this car, i will be moving onto an e92 m3.


Originally posted by Weapon_R
I've been watching them and it seems like the same ones that were for sale 2 months ago are still listed today. I like the look but I don't think you'll be able to unload it very easily

Really? Hmmm this could be an issue.

[ekguy]

Buy one and keep it as a pimp winter beater for once you have the m3.

[sr20s14zenki]

Dont get an rx8 if you like your money

Had one in our shop, had to do his plugs...why dont you call and find out how much, nevermind ill tell you...280$ for 4 spark plugs.

You are supposed to change your plugs every 30,000 miles, so do the math.

Well it turns out not only were his plugs screwed, he needed 3 out of 4 new coilpacks, we got him all 4 because the days of the 4th were numbered. The guys on the forums say the coilpacks are good for 50,000 miles at BEST, most last 30,000 miles. Pathetic. Dont know what mazda was thinking.


stay away.

[leftwing]

why would you go from an 08 335 to an rx8 then to an m3? why not just go straight to the m3?

I have never driven the rx8 but i would not be interested based on the bad fuel economy and the fact that not alot of people can work on those engines.

[funkedelic2]

Originally posted by sr20s14zenki
Dont get an rx8 if you like your money

Had one in our shop, had to do his plugs...why dont you call and find out how much, nevermind ill tell you...280$ for 4 spark plugs.

You are supposed to change your plugs every 30,000 miles, so do the math.

Well it turns out not only were his plugs screwed, he needed 3 out of 4 new coilpacks, we got him all 4 because the days of the 4th were numbered. The guys on the forums say the coilpacks are good for 50,000 miles at BEST, most last 30,000 miles. Pathetic. Dont know what mazda was thinking.


stay away.

Thanks for your imput. If i decide to pursue it, i will look into both of those issues.


Originally posted by leftwing
why would you go from an 08 335 to an rx8 then to an m3? why not just go straight to the m3?

I have never driven the rx8 but i would not be interested based on the bad fuel economy and the fact that not alot of people can work on those engines.

Don't really care much about fuel economy. Commute to work is 7 minutes and other than occasionally going out, i wouldn't be traveling long distances. I also have a friend that works at a mazda dealer that would hook me up in case anything happened.

I can't afford to just jump to a 50k+ car right now. i recently just built a new house and need to buy furniture, electronics, ect. I want to just wait until i get settled in and from there i can work out on a budget that would allow me to pay for my house and toys comfortably. I am not a beyond baller.

[Sentry]

Originally posted by sr20s14zenki
You are supposed to change your plugs every 30,000 miles, so do the math.

Once every engine rebuild? :dunno:

:D

[A790]

Nay.

Much better vehicles out there for the money.

I drove one many years ago and loved it at the time. But as time has gone on there are much more competitive vehicles for the same price.

[Kloubek]

I've owned 3 rx7s, so I do know the rotary.

The reliability was indeed improved over the years - but probably still not quite on par with piston engines. Evidence in this is shown by Mazda increasing the engine warranties after the fact, as some had catastrophic failures.

However, it isn't as bad as some think. The rotary is actually a decent engine, but it requires special care compared to a piston engine. This means regular oil changes at low intervals (3000k?) are recommended, and never *ever* let the engine overheat. I think the fact RX8s are n/a helps keep the oil from cooking as in the previous turbos and breaking down. Knowing if the previous owner took this kind of car of the engine can be hit and miss.

The low down torque has already been mentioned, and the rotary really needs you to rev right up to the redline to take advantage of the power it does have. And in doing so, you are going to experience worse fuel economy than most modern V8s.

Spark plugs are indeed ridiculous, but the rest of the parts are pretty much on par with what you'd expect for a sporty import.

With all this aside, the RX8 is a brilliant car. Nice interior, amazing handling, lovely sound from the rotary, and neat rear doors. And while I have never driven an RX8 in the snow, with proper all seasons my first RX7 (fc) was able to make it up icy roads which 4X4 trucks could not. (No lie)

If you do buy one, try to get one which still has engine warranty intact, as I believe most still do.

[bastardchild]

Terrible performance, trash resale value, garbage gas mileage, looks gay.... Need I say more?

The only good thing about this car is the transmission. People say it handles amazing, but its more like "good".

[funkedelic2]

I've been doing lots of research on the internet for the last couple of hours. I think i've heard of way too many issues and resale problems to go for it. Maybe ill still drive it to see what i think of it personally, but a little too scared of it not being reliable.

Oh well. Time to set my sights on other cars. Also considering wrx/impreza, a4, is300. I might even break down and give into my redneck dreams of owning a mustang gt lol

[M.alex]

You mentioned reliability in your post -why would you even consider a rotary if that's a concern?

[Cos]

Yeah as sentry said, you need to actually have parts rebuilt on the engine every 30,000 miles or something. Buddy of mine works at Stoney Mazda as a tech and was telling me the engines come out of that car so much that the front end comes off super easy now.

Personally if they had a nice V6 option I would get one, otherwise stay away.

[A790]

Originally posted by funkedelic2
I've been doing lots of research on the internet for the last couple of hours. I think i've heard of way too many issues and resale problems to go for it. Maybe ill still drive it to see what i think of it personally, but a little too scared of it not being reliable.

Oh well. Time to set my sights on other cars. Also considering wrx/impreza, a4, is300. I might even break down and give into my redneck dreams of owning a mustang gt lol
Redneck it up! Mustang GT is a great ride!

[heavyD]

You will never get back what you paid with an RX-8 as the resale is as bad as it gets for this type of car. Used can be dicey depending on how the rotary was taken care of and straight line acceleration is closer to a Civic Si than a sports car. Great handling car though.

[pheoxs]

Originally posted by funkedelic2

Oh well. Time to set my sights on other cars. Also considering wrx/impreza, a4, is300. I might even break down and give into my redneck dreams of owning a mustang gt lol

How about a 350z?

[tobypaddock]

Originally posted by funkedelic2

Oh well. Time to set my sights on other cars. Also considering wrx/impreza, a4, is300. I might even break down and give into my redneck dreams of owning a mustang gt lol
i have an 02 A4 Avant with a few goodies that i might be getting rid of soon - pm me if u want some info...

[Redlined_8000]

the good:
fun to drive
rwd with LSD
handle good
look decent
cheap to buy
9000rpm rotary
nice interior

Bad:
gas
low rpm power
need to to add oil every so often
need to do sparkplugs and coils

i say if you can find one in good shape with low km then yay.

And for the sparkplugs, they are about $85 to buy 4, and you can do them yourself no problem.

[georgemagana]

Start by not listening to people on beyond but to people who actually have or had an rx8. Do your research on rx8club.com ! Theres tons of info out there from people who know what they are talking about so dont listen to the sr20.. guy saying sparkplugs are 280 and etc and the other guy saying you need to rebuild the engine every 30k miles hahaha . Sparkplugs are actually 20 a piece and a 5 min job and sparkiplugs and coils are regular maintenance for all cars anyways .There are way to many idiots out there that buy the car and treat it like a normal car, then the car breaks and they blame the car and so on...Also remember that lots of people on this forum think "good performance" means going fast straight even when they drive a honda lol ! The 8 was designed for the track (50/50 WD, mid engine, rwd) and thats why it is just as fast as the 350z and BMW m3 on the top gear track.

The good:
-Really fun to drive! way more than my evo x
-9300rpm redline
-sound and they way the car handles
-even more fun in the winter

The bad ( for normal people not rotary owners)
-You need to add a bit of oil every 2 or 3 weeks depending on how you drive
-Bad on gas BUT if you like sport cars you wont care
-Theres tons of info that you need to know about the car
-Resale value

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by A790
Nay.

Much better vehicles out there for the money.



ya just like the forte.. but people still buy them? I dont understand why either.

back on topic, mine has over 100k miles and is still going strong. I just bought oem coil packs, wires and plugs for 320USD online... I dont know where people pull their numbers from. I drove mine through 2 winters, and has had zero problems with winter tires.

Yes it drinks oils, yes gas milage is shitty, yes its underpowered. But for what it is, I'm quite happy with mine.

I dont think it'll be the right car for you tho for the fact that it will be hard to unload come 6-8 months. I plan on keeping mine forever so I dont have that concern.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by georgemagana
There are way to many idiots out there that buy the car and treat it like a normal car, then the car breaks and they blame the car and so on...

Yeah heaven forbid that owners treat the RX-8 like a.....um.....car. It's not like the RX-8 is a special car it's just that it's not a terribly reliable car so if you aren't constantly babying the thing it's going to break hence the poor resale value.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Originally posted by georgemagana
Start by not listening to people on beyond but to people who actually have or had an rx8. Do your research on rx8club.com ! Theres tons of info out there from people who know what they are talking about so dont listen to the sr20.. guy saying sparkplugs are 280 and etc and the other guy saying you need to rebuild the engine every 30k miles hahaha . Sparkplugs are actually 20 a piece and a 5 min job and sparkiplugs and coils are regular maintenance for all cars anyways .There are way to many idiots out there that buy the car and treat it like a normal car, then the car breaks and they blame the car and so on...Also remember that lots of people on this forum think "good performance" means going fast straight even when they drive a honda lol ! The 8 was designed for the track (50/50 WD, mid engine, rwd) and thats why it is just as fast as the 350z and BMW m3 on the top gear track.

The good:
-Really fun to drive! way more than my evo x
-9300rpm redline
-sound and they way the car handles
-even more fun in the winter

The bad ( for normal people not rotary owners)
-You need to add a bit of oil every 2 or 3 weeks depending on how you drive
-Bad on gas BUT if you like sport cars you wont care
-Theres tons of info that you need to know about the car
-Resale value

Coilpacks are not regular maintenance in most cars ive seen...

[georgemagana]

Yes you are right when saying the car is not honda reliable but there's a few simple things that you must do with rotary engines! Most of those things should also be done with piston engines but are not as important and most of the time people don't even know them. for example: you need to let the engine warm up for like 2 minutes before driving since the engine is made of aluminum and cast iron and rotaries run extremely hot when comparing to piston engines. when you start driving you shouldnt pass 4k rpm for the first 10 minutes again to allow for equal expansion. You cant or shouldn't shut the rx8 off untill the engine is at normal operating temp. when turning off the car it is advised to rev it to 4k rpm and then shut if off allowing the engine to get rid of any gas. I really don't think you do that on your mustang.

^^ and yes sorry I was referring to sparkplugs, my bad!

[Team_Mclaren]

^^ well to be fair, everything you posted is kinda the flaws with the engine itself. Cause in this day and age, you wouldnt expect to have to treat your engine like a fucking tofu...

I dont do any of that shit you posted either and I havnt had any problems so far. Just do your regular oil changes and maintenance and let it be.

btw: im like the biggest mazda fanboy and even i will admit that there are some signifcant flaws with the renesis.

[georgemagana]

Originally posted by Team_Mclaren
^^ well to be fair, everything you posted is kinda the flaws with the engine itself. Cause in this day and age, you wouldnt expect to have to treat your engine like a fucking tofu...

I dont do any of that shit you posted either and I havnt had any problems so far. Just do your regular oil changes and maintenance and let it be.

btw: im like the biggest mazda fanboy and even i will admit that there are some signifcant flaws with the renesis.

Yes, the engine has a few flaws like the flodding issue and others that require more attention. And yeah with today's technology we shouldn't have to baby the cars so much but the rx8 is what it is.

[sr20s14zenki]

Plugs are not 20$ each. The leadings were 70 something a piece and the trailings are 68. I called 3 dealerships and two parts places and both told me the same thing. Even the worldpack price was close to the same. Ordering online wasn't an option. Needed them right away.

Rotaries are good engines for the most part but now I see the problem is not only that the engine internals are wimpy... Now its coilpacks and shitty components to run the engine.

I worked at rx7 specialties years ago, and was right into rotaries. I had a turbo II, lots of fun, blew a few engines but whatever...so much power for such a tiny engine, it was interesting to play with. That being said, after the 2nd gen, ive never seen so many problems with cars. 3rd gens were HIDEOUS, so many issues, from vacuum rack, to coils, solenoids, turbos blowing, ENGINES blowing, man so stupid. Every 3rd gen that came in was blown around 100,000KM, give or take a few. Overtaxed underbuilt engines.

Ive blown up a few sr20dets as well, but heres the thing, it was MY fault, not the engine. quite the opposite on the rotaries...:D


edit: i see a set of plugs on ebay is like 80$, so you CAN get them cheaper, but we would have to stock a bunch...so we may as well be rx7 specialties...

[A790]

Originally posted by Team_Mclaren


ya just like the forte.. but people still buy them? I dont understand why either.
Just because I own a Forte doesn't make a Forte fanboy. I'm the first to admit that there are better options if you're willing to go into the mid-20's.

But, you also don't see me getting all defensive every time someone knocks a Forte.

For what he's looking for the RX8 wouldn't be a good choice. You even said it yourself. :)

[g-m]

Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo


Coilpacks are not regular maintenance in most cars ive seen... mine are firing strong at 450+hp 21 years later.

[Maxt]

Ditto on the plugs, even using HKS plugs I can't get the bill past 200.00 for a plug change..

[sr20s14zenki]

Originally posted by Maxt
Ditto on the plugs, even using HKS plugs I can't get the bill past 200.00 for a plug change..


thats fucked, called kramer and all the other dealers, and they all gave me pretty much the same price. parts places all told me dealer parts. Should have looked online

regardless, bkr7e...10$ a set, cant beat that...and pretty much most piston engines that i deal with use those.

i remember when plugs were around 50$ a set for the rx7,but for some reason the rx8 are different.

[Maxt]

Originally posted by sr20s14zenki
Plugs are not 20$ each. The leadings were 70 something a piece and the trailings are 68. I called 3 dealerships and two parts places and both told me the same thing. Even the worldpack price was close to the same. Ordering online wasn't an option. Needed them right away.

Rotaries are good engines for the most part but now I see the problem is not only that the engine internals are wimpy... Now its coilpacks and shitty components to run the engine.

I worked at rx7 specialties years ago, and was right into rotaries. I had a turbo II, lots of fun, blew a few engines but whatever...so much power for such a tiny engine, it was interesting to play with. That being said, after the 2nd gen, ive never seen so many problems with cars. 3rd gens were HIDEOUS, so many issues, from vacuum rack, to coils, solenoids, turbos blowing, ENGINES blowing, man so stupid. Every 3rd gen that came in was blown around 100,000KM, give or take a few. Overtaxed underbuilt engines.

Ive blown up a few sr20dets as well, but heres the thing, it was MY fault, not the engine. quite the opposite on the rotaries...:D


edit: i see a set of plugs on ebay is like 80$, so you CAN get them cheaper, but we would have to stock a bunch...so we may as well be rx7 specialties...

I can get the stockers overnight for 22.00 taxes and shipping in each, so someone is making a shitpile of markup somewhere along the line.
I have to disagree with the underbuilt over taxed engines.. I track drive the shit out of my cars, the only thing I kill is rear ends and transmissions, going on year #4 with no engine casualties, one engine well over 400 rwhp, another living at 10,200 rpm on all stock components, no tuning aids, no race gas, no magic parts.
The Rx8 though is bit different, that side exhaust port is causing a lot of carbon issues..
I'll have to post up my 400 rwhp N/a rotary project in the garage section I guess...

[sr20s14zenki]

Originally posted by Maxt


I can get the stockers overnight for 22.00 taxes and shipping in each, so someone is making a shitpile of markup somewhere along the line.
I have to disagree with the underbuilt over taxed engines.. I track drive the shit out of my cars, the only thing I kill is rear ends and transmissions, going on year #4 with no engine casualties, one engine well over 400 rwhp, another living at 10,200 rpm on all stock components, no tuning aids, no race gas, no magic parts.
The Rx8 though is bit different, that side exhaust port is causing a lot of carbon issues..
I'll have to post up my 400 rwhp N/a rotary project in the garage section I guess...

Yah, rotaries can be damn strong powerplants for sure, but the renesis just blows goats :D

[Team_Mclaren]

Originally posted by Maxt


I can get the stockers overnight for 22.00 taxes and shipping in each, so someone is making a shitpile of markup somewhere along the line.
I have to disagree with the underbuilt over taxed engines.. I track drive the shit out of my cars, the only thing I kill is rear ends and transmissions, going on year #4 with no engine casualties, one engine well over 400 rwhp, another living at 10,200 rpm on all stock components, no tuning aids, no race gas, no magic parts.
The Rx8 though is bit different, that side exhaust port is causing a lot of carbon issues..
I'll have to post up my 400 rwhp N/a rotary project in the garage section I guess... \


interested in putting an rew into an rx8?;)

[J-hop]

why not consider an FD?

[Maxt]

Originally posted by Team_Mclaren
\


interested in putting an rew into an rx8?;)
An Rx8 owner and I are talking about perhaps doing that at the moment.. I think it would be a really decent car with a medium sized turbo and a single turbo rew. Gas mileage would probably get better. I myself was considering doing it for a family car, but my wife can't drive standard, and I am not feeling that the automatic in the 8 can withstand that kind of power.

[Power_Of_Rotary]

Ive had my rx8 for more than 2 years now and its by far the best car ive driven IMO.

to compare what I have driven/owned:

G35 = hunky car with a decent straight line acceleration, handles like a small suv, a bit better mileage than the rx8. Not nearly as fun as a rx8

Civic Si = very decent front wheel drive handling, similar feeling transmission as the rx8, decent mileage. Its a fun car if you like front wheel drive, with no leather seats, and somewhat 'feels' a lot cheaper than the rx8. Also too many civics on the road making it non special.

335i = great car in almost every way, but it lacks the fun factor for some reason. also paying a lot more for this baby. for the price id rather get a rx8 and turbo it, would be much much more fun

biggest problem for the 8 is that it guzzles gas.

[Power_Of_Rotary]

oh forgot to mention I had no problem starting my car for the last 2 winters. Parked outside for over 8 hours in -35.. but the rpm remained at 5k for a good 5minutes lol

[Danny Meehan]

Keep driving the Corolla till you have enough funds to jump into the M3

[jonnycat]

Is it the gray one at Teca wheels for $10,900? I'm sure you could dump it next spring while only taking a minimal loss.

[Cos]

^^ i have been looking for a new car in the 10-18 range and there are 3 RX-8's on there right now.

I couldnt imagine if you bought that thing new :nut:

[RX_EVOLV]

I think you need some real feedback from actual RX8 owners and www.rx8club.com is a great place to start ( and almost the only place really).

Here's my experience with RX8 (2006 Special Edition. I'm the original owner).

Gas - Yes it uses alot of gas but nothing too crazy. ~ 11L/100km on the highway and 15L/100km city. maybe only ~10% more than a S2K or 350Z. It's really not a big deal.

Power - Yes it's underpower for sure, but it's not too bad. It feels alot slower because the powerband is really smooth, and you need to rev the heck out of it to get the power out ( constantly staying in the 7k to 9k rpm range).

Handling- amazing handling and that's why I love it

Reliability - I have been driving it for 5 years and 76000km now and I have had no mechanical issues. Just completed the major service and replaced my front brakes. No issues.

Maintenance cost: very standard. $42 for an oil change, $270 for major maintenance. $120 for coolant flush. etc... Although my front brakes and rotors did cost $900 ( including labor)

Winter driving - Drove it for the first 3 winters with no problems. Never had problem starting it in the cold ( even parked it outside in -40C for > 8 hours back when I was still in school.

misc- I probably top up my engine oil once every 2000km. It's not that big of a deal? it cost $9 and it takes 5 secs. Don't know why people think this is a deal breaker....


Not being a fan boy or anything. This is just my experience with my car. It is underpower for sure and when funding permits, I am thinking about moving on to something different.. but for now I'm having a load of fun in it and it's still serving me very well. Zero regret buying it.