Thinking about buying one
12-23-2011, 01:14 AM
#1
@cloudstyles
Thread Starter
Thinking about buying one
Hey guys, I've read a bunch of posts here and decided to make an account and break my postginity.
I've been driving the same car(my only car) for five years now, a 99 Hyundai Elantra. Not a bad car in terms of reliability, but god damn it's boring. Can't say I feel good when I pull up next to someone I know on the street.
Its finally breaking down, all four doors are broken in some way or another, both sun visors snapped off, paint is peeling and many many other things. It's not worth it to fix.
I've been looking around and saw a few RX-8's and fell in love. The car is absolutely beautiful. I've heard of all the problems people have, and I've also heard that things only break if you don't know how to care for the car.
At the moment I'm looking for models in my price range. (I've read the awesome thread over here.)
I'll keep the thread updated with things I find and cars I might purchase to hopefully get some feedback from the community.
So to all of you who read this, I leave you with a question; In your opinion, how true are all of these breakage stories? Is it really that they just didn't know how to care for the car?
I've been driving the same car(my only car) for five years now, a 99 Hyundai Elantra. Not a bad car in terms of reliability, but god damn it's boring. Can't say I feel good when I pull up next to someone I know on the street.
Its finally breaking down, all four doors are broken in some way or another, both sun visors snapped off, paint is peeling and many many other things. It's not worth it to fix.
I've been looking around and saw a few RX-8's and fell in love. The car is absolutely beautiful. I've heard of all the problems people have, and I've also heard that things only break if you don't know how to care for the car.
At the moment I'm looking for models in my price range. (I've read the awesome thread over here.)
I'll keep the thread updated with things I find and cars I might purchase to hopefully get some feedback from the community.
So to all of you who read this, I leave you with a question; In your opinion, how true are all of these breakage stories? Is it really that they just didn't know how to care for the car?
12-23-2011, 01:26 AM
#2
theres a bunch of stupid people out there, people buy this car thinking its a honda civic, its not, its a sports car, its gonna cost money to keep it maintained...IMHO i dont see how people have problems with this car, im unemployed and my car runs ******* amazing (its 04 on the original engine). The only thing i have to complain about is tires...the wear out too damn fast, maybe cus im running around town hitting every corner like it was my last
12-23-2011, 01:47 AM
#3
@cloudstyles
Thread Starter
theres a bunch of stupid people out there, people buy this car thinking its a honda civic, its not, its a sports car, its gonna cost money to keep it maintained...IMHO i dont see how people have problems with this car, im unemployed and my car runs ******* amazing (its 04 on the original engine). The only thing i have to complain about is tires...the wear out too damn fast, maybe cus im running around town hitting every corner like it was my last
The one at the dealership I'm looking at is pretty neat. It's an '04 Grey Sports with black/orange interior. I just email'd them to find out what type of extended warranty they offer on it.
Any tips for things that would be needed in the extended warranty? Off the top of my head the only thing I can think of are the engine and the power steering(Whatever section that falls under).
12-23-2011, 05:39 AM
#5
@cloudstyles
Thread Starter
12-26-2011, 08:51 PM
#7
@cloudstyles
Thread Starter
Just looked at one I found online, and I didn't spend more than a minute before I left.
Scratched up body, dull and worn paint, hit in the back, and some odd foam sticker things in each headlight area. None of it listed on the net of course =/
Anyone know what the foam sticker things were?
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1244080/Pic...ickethings.jpg
Scratched up body, dull and worn paint, hit in the back, and some odd foam sticker things in each headlight area. None of it listed on the net of course =/
Anyone know what the foam sticker things were?
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1244080/Pic...ickethings.jpg
12-27-2011, 12:27 AM
#8
Who knows... Perhaps deer whistles?
Be patient, and don't settle. Make a list of specifics that you want (i.e year, mileage, options, color, etc), and don't make concessions. If you want a 2006, then continue looking. You may have to drive a few hours if you can't find one in your area, but it'll be worth it.
Be patient, and don't settle. Make a list of specifics that you want (i.e year, mileage, options, color, etc), and don't make concessions. If you want a 2006, then continue looking. You may have to drive a few hours if you can't find one in your area, but it'll be worth it.
12-28-2011, 02:36 AM
#9
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Yeah man, patience is key! Don't settle for one that you aren't truly satisfied with. Its good that you are doing your homework also, always nice to have self motivated people finding love in rotaries! The right car that's been properly maintained and cared for is always out there. You just gotta wait for it. Good luck!
12-28-2011, 07:29 AM
#10
It is my firm belief that if you properly maintain the car (which is so easy, I don't give it a second thought), it's as reliable - if not more so - than any ordinary car.
That said, the 8 - UNLIKE MOST EVERY OTHER CAR - has a small margin for owner neglect. I would argue that owners who take it upon themselves to modify their engines, ignore Mazda oil recommendations, delay oil changes, put additives into their fuel, fail to warm up their engines before high revving, fail to high rev regularly and fail to routinely check oil level represent a disproportionate percentage of owners with problems.
If you own an electric car, you can't maintain it the way you maintain a regular car. Same goes for us. You can't ignore your 8 the way most people ignore their Camry. It's that simple.
12-28-2011, 09:18 AM
#11
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Don't hesitate to buy a well maintained RX-8
Well Maintained is the key. Many owners keep all maintenance records. If an owner cares enough to keep maintenance records they usually care enough to take care of their cars. I have all of my maintenance records in a binder.
I own an 05 with 65,000 miles. It has had the engine replaced under warranty at 32k. Most or a lot of the early models may have had the engine replaced.
I don't baby it but I don't abuse it either. There isn't a week that goes by that I don't make it beep at me. (8.5k+ RPM) My mechanic told me that if I drove it like I just stole it, it would be just fine. I have had no problems. It has been incredibly reliable. The only problem has been a driver window motor that went bad.
It is also one of the most fun cars to drive that I have owned. The tires do wear out quickly. In my case it is because of "lead Foot" syndrome. I can't keep my foot out of the accelerator petal. ;-)
I did find out though after wearing out a set at the same time I ran out of money that you can stretch the last bit of tire tread for quite a while if you ease up a little. Always run the best tires you can afford. If you cheap out on the tires your cornering and braking performance drop drastically.
I own an 05 with 65,000 miles. It has had the engine replaced under warranty at 32k. Most or a lot of the early models may have had the engine replaced.
I don't baby it but I don't abuse it either. There isn't a week that goes by that I don't make it beep at me. (8.5k+ RPM) My mechanic told me that if I drove it like I just stole it, it would be just fine. I have had no problems. It has been incredibly reliable. The only problem has been a driver window motor that went bad.
It is also one of the most fun cars to drive that I have owned. The tires do wear out quickly. In my case it is because of "lead Foot" syndrome. I can't keep my foot out of the accelerator petal. ;-)
I did find out though after wearing out a set at the same time I ran out of money that you can stretch the last bit of tire tread for quite a while if you ease up a little. Always run the best tires you can afford. If you cheap out on the tires your cornering and braking performance drop drastically.
12-29-2011, 02:42 AM
#12
@cloudstyles
Thread Starter
Who knows... Perhaps deer whistles?
Be patient, and don't settle. Make a list of specifics that you want (i.e year, mileage, options, color, etc), and don't make concessions. If you want a 2006, then continue looking. You may have to drive a few hours if you can't find one in your area, but it'll be worth it.
Be patient, and don't settle. Make a list of specifics that you want (i.e year, mileage, options, color, etc), and don't make concessions. If you want a 2006, then continue looking. You may have to drive a few hours if you can't find one in your area, but it'll be worth it.
Yeah man, patience is key! Don't settle for one that you aren't truly satisfied with. Its good that you are doing your homework also, always nice to have self motivated people finding love in rotaries! The right car that's been properly maintained and cared for is always out there. You just gotta wait for it. Good luck!
As many have said, it's impossible to spend any time on this forum without coming away thinking the 8 is unreliable. Quite naturally, owners with problems inevitably find their way here in search of solutions and company (which misery loves). Owners without problems tend not to go to the trouble of 1) finding an RX-8 forum, 2) registering and 3) posting just to say "I like my car. The engine runs smoothly and powerfully all the way up to redline." (There's a reason why each and every company has a "customer service" department, and not a "customer happiness" department.)
It is my firm belief that if you properly maintain the car (which is so easy, I don't give it a second thought), it's as reliable - if not more so - than any ordinary car.
That said, the 8 - UNLIKE MOST EVERY OTHER CAR - has a small margin for owner neglect. I would argue that owners who take it upon themselves to modify their engines, ignore Mazda oil recommendations, delay oil changes, put additives into their fuel, fail to warm up their engines before high revving, fail to high rev regularly and fail to routinely check oil level represent a disproportionate percentage of owners with problems.
If you own an electric car, you can't maintain it the way you maintain a regular car. Same goes for us. You can't ignore your 8 the way most people ignore their Camry. It's that simple.
It is my firm belief that if you properly maintain the car (which is so easy, I don't give it a second thought), it's as reliable - if not more so - than any ordinary car.
That said, the 8 - UNLIKE MOST EVERY OTHER CAR - has a small margin for owner neglect. I would argue that owners who take it upon themselves to modify their engines, ignore Mazda oil recommendations, delay oil changes, put additives into their fuel, fail to warm up their engines before high revving, fail to high rev regularly and fail to routinely check oil level represent a disproportionate percentage of owners with problems.
If you own an electric car, you can't maintain it the way you maintain a regular car. Same goes for us. You can't ignore your 8 the way most people ignore their Camry. It's that simple.
Well Maintained is the key. Many owners keep all maintenance records. If an owner cares enough to keep maintenance records they usually care enough to take care of their cars. I have all of my maintenance records in a binder.
I own an 05 with 65,000 miles. It has had the engine replaced under warranty at 32k. Most or a lot of the early models may have had the engine replaced.
I don't baby it but I don't abuse it either. There isn't a week that goes by that I don't make it beep at me. (8.5k+ RPM) My mechanic told me that if I drove it like I just stole it, it would be just fine. I have had no problems. It has been incredibly reliable. The only problem has been a driver window motor that went bad.
It is also one of the most fun cars to drive that I have owned. The tires do wear out quickly. In my case it is because of "lead Foot" syndrome. I can't keep my foot out of the accelerator petal. ;-)
I did find out though after wearing out a set at the same time I ran out of money that you can stretch the last bit of tire tread for quite a while if you ease up a little. Always run the best tires you can afford. If you cheap out on the tires your cornering and braking performance drop drastically.
I own an 05 with 65,000 miles. It has had the engine replaced under warranty at 32k. Most or a lot of the early models may have had the engine replaced.
I don't baby it but I don't abuse it either. There isn't a week that goes by that I don't make it beep at me. (8.5k+ RPM) My mechanic told me that if I drove it like I just stole it, it would be just fine. I have had no problems. It has been incredibly reliable. The only problem has been a driver window motor that went bad.
It is also one of the most fun cars to drive that I have owned. The tires do wear out quickly. In my case it is because of "lead Foot" syndrome. I can't keep my foot out of the accelerator petal. ;-)
I did find out though after wearing out a set at the same time I ran out of money that you can stretch the last bit of tire tread for quite a while if you ease up a little. Always run the best tires you can afford. If you cheap out on the tires your cornering and braking performance drop drastically.
I'm ready to wait for the perfect car to hit the market now, as per your suggestions. I do more research every day, and even though I've seen some problems, I'm still ready to get one.
I'm hoping for red on red/black, wish me luck!
This one actually looks pretty neat, and I'm considering it. http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/2760933160.html
Any warning flags I may have missed before I contact the owner?
Honestly, I'm not too familiar with any of the mods he's put on the car aside from the cold air intake. I'm going to do my research, but any input is appreciated!
Last edited by CloudStyles; 12-29-2011 at 05:20 AM. Reason: Avoiding double post.
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