annoyed by the constant complaining about the RX-8, to quote jeremy clarkson "if you want perfection buy a mercedes", really this is first and formost a sports car, all that matters to me is that it's fun to drive and liveable as a daily driver

I had the same opinion before I took delivery of the car.
Now after a week of owning one, howeve, I am a little disappointed by the little imperfections that I don't expect in a car made these days.
Perhaps I have been spoiled by the other Japanese manufacturers but the number
of quality control issues that have gotten through make it seem like this
car was released before it was truly ready.

I love the way it handles but wish that I didn't have to compromise on build quality
(especially compared to other Mazda cars).
I must say that the pre-order process made it difficult to be objective since you
get one drive to decide if you want to buy it right then or wait many months.

Originally posted by wanker

Now after a week of owning one, howeve, I am a little disappointed by the little imperfections that I don't expect in a car made these days.Care to share what these issues are? I don't recall seeing them mentioned in other threads and it's these "I've owned the car for a bit now, the honeymoon is over and here are the real issues" that we need to hear more about, IMHO...

I think it's just human nature to complain. We wouldn't know what to do with ourselves if everything was all fine.

I must admit, I was a bit tentative before the purchase. But after owning the car for a week, I have become more endear to it. There's a few nitpicks, but overall, I love it!

Does anyone else has the strange urge to go sit in the car and just listen to some tunes? Oh, yeah, honeymoon time. :D

ive got to agree with you beav,these so called imprefections are nothing compared to most auto manufactures.ive read a articall about ford yesterday in the paper and there so overwhelmed with buybacks(lemons) that there only hope is left with the newly designed 04 f150.other manufactures with good reps like audi have almost tied ford with defects.go to any other forum for any car out there and search for problems,small or large and they all have there issuses,all!by the way this is a first year car and all first year cars will have more issuses than there next model year brothers,people new this going in so quit bitichin and enjoy the ride.give it some time and have mazda fix the little things as the comeabout,youve got 4 years.entill i see some motor failures,trannys blown or more serious issuses, this car seems to have the least amount of first year release autos i can remember.(anyone rember first year tt's,or perhaps ford focus,how about dodges new ram about 10 years ago)

Originally posted by akrx8
ive got to agree with you beav,these so called imprefections are nothing compared to most auto manufactures.ive read a articall about ford yesterday in the paper and there so overwhelmed with buybacks(lemons) that there only hope is left with the newly designed 04 f150.other manufactures with good reps like audi have almost tied ford with defects.go to any other forum for any car out there and search for problems,small or large and they all have there issuses,all!by the way this is a first year car and all first year cars will have more issuses than there next model year brothers,people new this going in so quit bitichin and enjoy the ride.give it some time and have mazda fix the little things as the comeabout,youve got 4 years.entill i see some motor failures,trannys blown or more serious issuses, this car seems to have the least amount of first year release autos i can remember.(anyone rember first year tt's,or perhaps ford focus,how about dodges new ram about 10 years ago)
dammm ur right i have a 2001 eclipse sec year model let me say LEMON more than 50 problems with just mine u think the rx8 has problems go to eclipseforums.org and go under problems reports at least 10 pages of problems.

Originally posted by Good Duck

Does anyone else has the strange urge to go sit in the car and just listen to some tunes? Oh, yeah, honeymoon time. :D

Hahah. I do something like that in my RX-7. After a good drive, I would just sit in the driveway listening to some music a little longer. Ah, a little good ol' quality with the cars can't hurt... unless the S.O. gets jealous and wants to drive ;)

it's like everytime somebody complains i have the urge to say something silly like "you know there are mid-aged men in ethopia that would kill have to an RX-8"

Originally posted by BillK
Care to share what these issues are? I don't recall seeing them mentioned in other threads and it's these "I've owned the car for a bit now, the honeymoon is over and here are the real issues" that we need to hear more about, IMHO...
Qualifying by saying that these are relatively minor issues, here goes:

rubber thingy at bottom of handbrake now comes out of its slot -- I push it in each time
I release the brake

today I noticed a flashing red security light after I parked the car -- manual was no help
I'll have to call the dealer to see if it is a malfunction or a feature.
Yes, I checked all doors, hood and trunk to see if anything wasn't properly closed

air coming from vents is warm, even when the outside air is cool (A/C is fine though)

squeaks and rattles

faint oil smells from engine permeate interior of car

very poor fuel economy -- 16.5 miles of very laid back driving, 50% city vs. highway
For a 3000 lb. car without four-wheel drive or a turbo, why should low rpm driving
be that punishing

For comparison I have driven the following first model year cars:

Infiniti G20 (1991) -- I still have it
Infiniti G35 sedan
Subaru WRX
Mitsubishi Evolution
Lexus IS300
Jaguar X-type

With the exception of the Jaguar X-type, the interior fit and finish of all these first
run cars exceeds that of the RX-8.
However, the rev-happy engine and wonderful handling are something that none
of the other cars mentioned can match. I think the RX-8 is a diamond in the rough
that will probably improve in the next model years, though I could not wait that long.

I'll shut up now so the thread can be restored to the people who aren't complaining :)

Originally posted by wanker
today I noticed a flashing red security light after I parked the car -- manual was no help
I'll have to call the dealer to see if it is a malfunction or a feature.It's a feature, and should have been doing it all along. It indicates that the security system is armed.

Originally posted by eccles
It's a feature, and should have been doing it all along. It indicates that the security system is armed.
Thanks eccles. Manual says something about it blinking when moving from ON
to Accessory, but now when key is in LOCK. Then the standard phrase that if it
keeps blinking, it may indicate a malfunction.
Interesting because I didn't even lock the car!

Glad to have a "prodigal wank(l)er" clear the air :)

Sorry to read about the issues, but just a quick comment about two of them:

1) Warm air coming from vents - that's what A/C is for. :D

Seriously, it's probably just how the incoming air is routed. Then again I tend to run my A/C all the time so I wouldn't know what non A/C air felt like anyway... :)

2) I've seen a lot of comments about poor fuel economy, but I'm not sure what to say given the EPA estimates on the sticker are 18/24. I'm sure it is possible to get good mileage out of the 8, but frankly fuel economy has never been one of the rotary's strong points...

Good luck with the others; it sounds like most of the repair issues are things your dealer should be able to take care of pretty easily.

Is anybody else...

annoyed by thread subjects that force you to open the thread just to find out what it's about? :mad:

(What makes it worse is when you find out it's just someone whining about all the whining!! :p )

Regards,
Gordon

Originally posted by wanker
For comparison I have driven the following first model year cars:

Infiniti G20 (1991) -- I still have it
Infiniti G35 sedan
Subaru WRX
Mitsubishi Evolution
Lexus IS300
Jaguar X-type

With the exception of the Jaguar X-type, the interior fit and finish of all these first
run cars exceeds that of the RX-8.

ooh...imo your validity just went out the window with those comparisons...i've sat in a Subaru WRX, and test drove friends' Infiniti G35 and Lexus IS300 and the RX-8 is much better fit and finish IMHO...let's just take the G35 for example...the entire center console is plastic! and not just nice plastic either but cheap scratch-nonresistant plastic with a thin film of silver paint on it...you tap on it and it even sounds cheap...the lighting behind the buttons aren't even uniform! i wanted that car so bad until a friend got one and i sat in one...it was by far one of the worst interiors i've ever sat in sans the quality of the leather that was actually not bad...

the IS300's interior is ok with me...very very "hondaish" in the placement of buttons and soforth but the build is ok...it does not however, exceed that of the RX-8...

and the subaru WRX, are you kidding me? let's just not even go there...perhaps the only thing uglier than the interior is the exterior, which i doubt any manufacturer can beat

http://www.new-impreza.com/na/images/sunset/console.jpg

http://www.new-impreza.com/na/images/sunset/fromrear.jpg

i was waiting for someone to say something about that... Everyone has their opinions

Originally posted by wanker

Thanks eccles. Manual says something about it blinking when moving from ON
to Accessory, but now when key is in LOCK. Then the standard phrase that if it
keeps blinking, it may indicate a malfunction.
Interesting because I didn't even lock the car!

Glad to have a "prodigal wank(l)er" clear the air :)

When the key is out of the ignition the light blinks. It's part of the passive anti-theft system. (PATS) It is what prevents a unregistered key from starting the engine.

i would just like to say that the g35 interior is, simply put, one of the worste ive ever seen...and im used to my moms kia....

admittedly...it is better thant he kia, by a long shot, but its trying to be a quality, luxurious interior...which it aint. at least with the kia, you KNOW its a piece, built damn good though, engine wise at least

however, that was a first year model, now they might be a WHOLE lot better
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wrx or evo have better fit and finish?my a$$.thats crazy

Mr Wanker

I doubt anyone on this forum is more critical of interior quality and materials than I am - I have spent many hours tapping, stroking, thumping, pressing etc everything inside the RX-8 (and I don't even own one yet) - yes I have booked a shrink to see to my fetish. My standard of reference is the Lexus ES300 which I had for a few days last month and several times before that - I have also driven Lexus LS430, SC430, GS300, BMW 530i, 745i, MB S430, E500, Audi A6, Audi A4 etc.

Your car comparisons to the RX-8 do not hold water. I have a first year IS300, and I think the RX-8 interior looks better and is better fit and finish and mostly better materials. The 2nd year IS300 had dramatically improved materials because so many buyers complained - I was one of them who thought it was barely Toyota standard let alone Lexus (I had an RX300 too).

I have recently test-driven a G35 four times and spent over an hour (cumulative) picking apart the interior. I think the RX-8 has a better looking interior, but most of the G35 materials are very good (excluding the center tunnel plastic, especially in 'titanium' trim for the sport package). As for driver controls (steering, gearshift, dash and pedals) - well the RX-8 definitely wins here as they are all almost perfection, but loses on less critical things like the center console storage lid, the pass through hatch, the cheap headliner and the awful plastic sunvisors.

I have also recently driven a WRX and let me just say the RX-8 is so far ahead of this sub-Kia level interior I will not waste further words. The EVO I checked out two weeks ago had great seats and was basic and solid, did not look good but certainly did not offend, and I preferred it to the more expensive STi interior I sat in but did not get to drive.

The RX-8 is very good for it's starting price of $27k, especially considering that most of the money was spent on the 'hidden' engineering like the one-piece carbon fiber driveshaft, the stunning 6MT gearbox, the superb braking system and 18" wheels/tires etc. I whine a lot about the interior quality and materials of my wife's $41k Acura MDX Touring and think the RX-8 is probably as luxurious (note the Acura is a 'luxury SUV' and the RX-8 is a 'sports car').

lexus has damn fine interiors, possibly the best in the business
volvos are also very nice, also possibly the best in the business lol
high end bimmers/benzes, some of the lower model ones are truly horrible IMO


itd be sweet if someone, itll probably end up being the swedes...put that NASA foam in the seats, i personally think that the volvo seats are quite possibly the most comfortable there are, at least in regards to what ive sat in
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