Dark_Rider2k3

So.. I'm looking at getting an RX8 finally.. I got into an accident with my MX-3 back in November and the car was totalled.. so now I'm definitely looking hard at getting one.

Last year though I got a girlfriend, and things have been serious.. so I am just thinking to myself that maybe I should get an Automatic so that she'd be able to drive it to if we move in together.

So my questions are:

1. Is the automatic reliable? I know that it has slightly less horsepower but is this noticeable? I also know about the 8k RPM limit instead of 9K.. am I going to regret the ATX and not having the 9k rev limit?

I just need to know if an ATX RX8 is going to be good.. how it compares to the MTX and if it's going to be just as reliable as the MTX...

the car I'm looking at btw is an '04 RX8 GT, ATX, 55,040 miles, sunlight silver, and the private seller wants 4,350. Going to ask tomorrow about maintenance and if all recalls by mazda were done.


There is also an '04, not sure if GT yet (waiting on pics) but is brilliant black, has all dealer recalls and maintenance logs, clean carfax and everything, 104k miles, but they want 4,600 for it.

Arca_ex

iTrader: (10)

If you get an auto you'll probably always regret it and want a manual.

Just teach her to drive stick. Problem solved.


Also where are you located? The '04 with 55k miles for 4,350 has to have something wrong with it. No way it's that cheap. The one with 104k sounds about right as it's just out of warranty so if the engine lets go you're SOL.

RX8Soldier

iTrader: (24)

04-05 AT were known to have issues.
Read this https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/new-potential-owners-start-here-202454/

As for you regretting it or not, how are we supposed to know?

Dark_Rider2k3

Well I shouldn't say it like regretting it.. I mean if I could I'd go for the MTX in a heartbeat. But the girlfriend cannot drive manual. It's not about teaching her it or not.. it's that long story short she can't drive manual because of the footwork (she is able to use her right foot just fine.. but to try and use her right and left foot at the same time to work pedals doesn't work as easy on her..)

I'm just concerned I guess as I've had no luck with ATX cars. The MX-3's auto tranny was horrendously bad, and even a rebuilt ATX was prone to failure (though my ATX to MTX swap made the car a million times better)

Also here is a carfax I got of the 100k + RX8:

http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory...DLR_3&zipCode=

I'll call both of them tomorrow to get more information.

Joe-the_tattoo_artist

You will regret letting her drive it as that is time that YOU could be driving it. Get the mt.

pistonhater

I also agree there must be something wrong with the 04' with 55k miles. Way too cheap.

Well the manual vs auto tranny debate can be endless.

Fact: you can get more of what the engine can produce with the manual. After that, it's all about personal preference. All my cars have been manual because that's what I prefer to drive.

Fact: early autos gave engine related problems, and that one is almost out of warranty. I would not buy that car based on that.

Reality: if you found the right person to be in a relationship with, then the relationship should be more important than the car. I would rather have a good happy girlfriend than a car.

Reality: the clutch in the RX-8 engages very quickly. I find driving my car easier than my 4x4 truck - which has a heavy duty that does not engage as quickly. Quite a pain to drive sometimes. I think your girlfriend could learn how to drive manual in the RX-8.

lta_ds_fs7

iTrader: (2)

Get an MT...I'm sure she has her own car to drive.

slvrstreak

iTrader: (3)

if youre going to hang around this forum...MT or you will get ragged
I have both a MT and an AT and, I love my AT and have no problems with it whatsoever
the engine changed from 4port to 6port in '06 so you may want to look deeper into that if you havent already
I personally would not get an 04 or 05 AT

PeteInLongBeach

Agree with this. The 4-port motors with the 4-speed A/T (2004,2005) do not have a good reputation. 2006 + would be better.

Pay no attention to the M/T chest-thumpers. The A/T cars may not have the absolute acceleration of a M/T, but they cannot be considered slow, and do have certain attributes. By most accounts, the A/T itself is quite reliable and durable, probably more so than the M/T (worn out synchros, clutches, broken pedal brackets, hydraulics, etc.). In highway cruising, the A/T car will be quieter and return better fuel mileage, since they are geared much higher, resulting in much lower engine speeds in 5th & 6th.

Raivynn

What color was your MX-3?? That was my first love .... err, car. I drove it until the transmission blew up and the engine lost compression in 3&4 (symptoms pointed to worn piston rings).

I drove it for a little under 10 years. (1999 - 2008) 249k miles.

I got my 8 in sunlight silver so I didn't have to miss my silver Mazda anymore.

Mt vs AT ... If I had it to do all over again, I would own the manual more than likely. I own an AT, and it does have its advantages, i.e., sitting in traffic, texting (even though it's illegal mostly everywhere, don't tell me you don't text and drive .... ) They do see a loss in available HP because of the lowered redline. That is to protect the transmission and nothing more ... the AT can't handle the high RPMs that this engine enjoys. Be prepared to "run out of speed" trying to drive the AT like it wants to be driven ...

You can teach your girlfriend how to drive the MT -- but this MT is very different from some in my experience, and she may find difficulty in driving the MT 8. Not saying it isn't possible, but some girls prefer the auto trans just because "it's easier" -- but this isn't always true. <----- I can say this because hey, guess what, I'M A GIRL. (I learned to drive a stick on a 1986 300ZX turbo .... It belonged to my boyfriend.)

My 8 is a 2007, which means I did get the 6 port trans, and not the 4 port. I think this made my experience with the AT a little better than most. But I will say this to you: drive BOTH before making a decision. You and your significant other are going to be the ones driving this car, not anyone else on this thread/board. I got told I couldn't be considered a "lady driver" until I drove the MT ... but I still consider myself one mama sita in the driver's seat!!!

Dark_Rider2k3

The MX-3 was tropical emerald:



As for both cars, I found I'm approved for a loan up to 6k. So that takes care of getting a car. Now it's just a matter of getting the "details" of each car. I left messages for both of the cars I'm looking at so they can get in touch. I mainly want to get a good bit more pics of the Black RX, and find out, as you all have touched on, why the Auto RX is so cheap (and what all has been done to it..)

ThatNewGuy

iTrader: (2)

As I've driven all three "varieties" of 8, you'll be much happier with the MT. Not because of the "speed", but the absolute thrill of it.
One of my best friends that I went to school with has one, as her first car actually. To me it's absolutely miserable to drive, but, I've had my MT GT for nearly a year, so, yaknow, I'm sortof biased.
You won't regret the M/T purchase.
Besides, If she wants to drive it bad enough, she WILL learn, I taught my girlfriend
Hehehehe

Raivynn

Beautiful MX-3!!! :D So sorry they took her away from you ... I cried when mine left.

PeteInLongBeach

Who are you to say whether someone else will be happier with whatever, and who are you to determine someone's desire and skill level? I drove as many of the 3 varients of RX-8 as I could, over the course of a few years, before I decided on the car I bought. That is the car that I decided would make ME happiest (not you, or anyone else). I can tell you, it would NOT make me "happier" to be going through worn synchros, worn clutches, perished clutch hydraulics, broken clutch pedal brackets, and worse fuel consumption...

Cars are not religion - stop proselytizing.

cpenner

The first RX8 I drove was an early series 1 AT (it was all they had on the lot I was at). It nearly turned me off of RX8s. As it was the only AT RX8 I've ever driven, I don't know if it was an issue with only that car or if it was indicative of all of them, but it did NOT feel like a sports car to me.

Still a nice car, but it lacked that "feeling".

Having said that, you've got some limitations with medical issues and feet. That doesn't make this a cut and dried case. Last time I went car shopping we had to cut some cars from the short list simply because a wheelchair didn't fit into the trunk. Didn't matter how much we liked the car...

adoihcj

Traded my 8 AT in back in November (only owned for 3-4 months). Was sad to see her go (in fact, the dealer has her in the showroom because they don't think it will sell over the winter months). If you care to know why, see the Why I traded it in section below.

I had the same exact situation as you (needed the AT because wife couldn't drive manual). Here's what I can tell you:

Where I live, it was very difficult to drive fast because the police pull you over for anything. So even if I had the MT, it would have been about the same experience I had with my AT.

There were many times in my AT where I was glad I had it. Setting aside the fact that it had Bluetooth for making calls, I was in many situations where I'd be sitting in traffic and was glad I had the AT. Can hold my coffee and just drive, etc.

Don't underestimate the thrill of the paddle shifters. When in situations where I was confident there were no police around, anytime I was in a scenario where I wanted to take off fast and hold RPMs higher before shifting, I simply moved the shifter to the left and paddled away. Gets a little scary when you redline because the rev limiter kicks in and makes you think you've screwed something up, but it's well worth using them when you really want to open it up. What's nice is, you can just push that shifter back to the right and quit shifting anytime you want.

The automatic is fast. I was NEVER in a situation where I went to pass someone or take a hill fast where I said to myself that I wish I had the MT.

A friend of mine who owns a '01 Vette thought I was crazy for getting the auto (his Vette is a manual). That was until we went on a back road and he paddle-shifted away. We took the first bend and the 8 took the bend without a slip and he was absolutely shocked. Obviously, he wasn't impressed with the low-end torgue, but I could definitely tell he had fun driving it (which is what the 8 is all about).

There are other things you need to consider before making the decision though:

• Be prepared for stiff costs to fill the tank. Remember, premium fuel and extremely poor gas mileage.
• Be prepared for checking the oil - and adding oil frequently.
• Be prepared for every nutzo or teenager in another sports car to always harass you. I can't tell you how many times some idiot would do crap to me just because I was in that car.
• The car is more fun for the driver than the passenger. My wife said she loved my car, but only when she was driving it. She always complained it wasn't fun to be the passenger.

Lastly, don't buy this car if it's going to be your only ride. Since it's an '04, and reiterating what others here have said about '04 auto's, you might find yourself having to take her to the shop soon.

Since you are questioning whether or not you should get the AT, you are probably a great candidate for the AT. You'll never convince an MT enthusiast to drive an AT in any vehicle (unless of course it's a Lamborghini, etc. which has true paddle shifters which engage a clutch). Best of luck to you.

REASON WHY I TRADED MY 8
Honestly, I had a blast this summer driving it. I made excuse after excuse for needing to go somewhere. However, as soon as we had snow hit us and it got cold, I realized keeping her in the garage seemed like a waste. The main reason though was that my paid off daily driver VW Jetta was finally having issues that I just didn't want to take care of (needed new exhaust system, airbag lights were always on, rust starting to turn into holes, cracked windshield, unreliable door locks, etc., etc.). I couldn't afford to take out another car loan, hence I decided to trade her in.

I took the Jetta and the 8 to a dealer and traded them both in on a Liquid Silver Metallic (same color as my 8) 2011 Mazda 3 Si. I have most of the options I had in the 8 (it's not a GT but has the sunroof and Bose + Bluetooth). I must say that I still have visions of the 8 when I turn my 3 into a bend - it handles amazingly well for a non-sportscar. I am completely satisfied with my decision. My only regret is that after the first snow in late October, we've had mild weather since November 1st and we finally had cold and snowfall just this past Tuesday. I could have driven the 8 for another two full months, but oh well.

I'll still hang around here though because I will definitely keep my eye on Mazda for a long time and will probably own the "9" when/if it ever comes out.

Dark_Rider2k3

First off, The black RX is a sold no-go.

However, I found an '06 shinka, 69,129 miles. It's an AT as well, but the price is about 11k, and I'm going to see if my dad can help me with a down payment that would help me in being able to buy it. I didn't want to go this high for a car (when I saw the other RX8's I was intrigued to say the least), but the more I figure my finances out, the more I realized I could afford this. I love the way the shinka looks, and it has a clean carfax too:

http://www.carfax.com/cfm/ccc_displa...05434&zipcode=

RX8Soldier

iTrader: (24)

If you can afford it, without barely scraping by each month, then I would say consider that one. Remember to get a compression check before you buy!

Dark_Rider2k3

Thanks for that information! I'll do that.

I'm figuring out finances right now.

Oh, and I found a shot of the car after the accident. Gotta love the safety you get out of a Mazda considering I only had to get a few staples in my head!