swift21

If you could go back would you guys still have bought your rx-8 or would you have gotten something else?

mikeb

I would still have it and will keep it

Emsdad

I would have waited a year or two.

khoney

Hindsight is always 20/20, but I bought when I did for 2 reasons:

1) My RX-7's AC was out, and I didn't want to endure another San Antonio summer - I though my car would be delivered mid-June.

2) I was unsure about what would happen with the dealer price. I was betting on a significant markup or no 'deals' for the first year. I felt it safer to suck up and take MSRP than have to pay more down the road.


On 1), I didn't get my car till July 22nd, so that was disappointing.
On 2), I no longer anticipate future markups. On the other hand, most people will not be getting this car for $500 over invoice. Demand will be too high.

So, in retrospect, I guess I could've waited for another year, and I may consider taking them up on the buyback. It would have nothing to do with the HP issue, but rather my personal preference of being able to finish paying off another car first. Also, my 1st year 2nd gen had some improvements in the 2nd model year, so I imagine it will happen with this car too.

I'd say today that there's about a 20% chance of me returning it. By the end of the month, that number will probably be lower.

RotorGeek

I don't have it yet but still plan on taking it when it does get here. I do not care about the housepower becuase it can be fixed aftermarket and with a few upgrades i will gain even more. I have said this before. I want a rotary, and will have one

Emsdad

Why would you pay extra on the aftermarket to get what you should have gotten from the factory?

Genom

Like I've said before, the HP numbers are a non-issue for me. After test driving it I would have bought it even if it claimed 100HP. It's just a number I dont care about. And my mileage has been spot o to what the EPA sticker sdaid so I have no beef's with the car.

Well, I cant drive it ALL the time, but thats about it :D

moto_monkey

Yes, I would buy it knowing what I know now. The horsepower issue is really blown out of proportion. All the automaker's marketing departments do it to some degree. If no one told me what the rated power was, I still would have bought it because the test drive told me the truth about the power level; there is plenty there! The car is smooth, powerful and the handling is superb. We would be hard pressed to find a car in our price range that gives the level of feedback that the RX-8 does (except a Miata, but we have a '95:D).

I've seen some of the A/C threads, yes, I notice my a/c cycles, but here in Socal, it seems to work fine. Dig the Bose. Pretty darn good for a factory sound system.

Overall, I'm very happy with the car. I really appreciate Mazda keeping the rotary alive and building cars that other companies wouldn't dare. When the RX-7 was available, who would of believed that successor would have been a 4 seater with suicide doors?

Bold. Guts. I like that. We should be thankful.

Since there is plenty about what some folks dislike about the car, l'm going to list what I like:

1. I get in it and it feels right.
2. The cruise control works great! doesn't jerk.
3. Joshua Redman and John Coltrane sound great on the stereo.
4. The steering is fabulous. The car communicates so much through the wheel.
5. It soaks up rough roads reasonably, and works great through the corners. Great compromise set up for real world driving.
6. Those headlights are awesome! but I'm coming from a Miata so a relatively powerful flashlight impresses me....
7. I can take my wife and kidlet for a drive with me.

Some good press that i have read on the RX-8:

"Overwhelmingly, however, the RX-8 is about neutrality. Tipped into a corner, there's more than a stricly sporting degree of body roll, but excellent grip and confident body control to go with it. When that runs out, lazily and controllably, the chassis maintains its neutrality, aided by one of those rare DSC systms that acknowledges options other than 'more understeer'."
CAR, Jan 03

"On a smooth track, the Mazda would be outclassed, but on real-world, opposite camber, slippery and bumpy corners, the RX-8 is an agile and superfast machine. Stability control electronics don't induce the understeer of rival systems, even allowing a small amount of oversteer before reining things in." 4/5 stars
EVO, Jan 03

"But if you believe that the best drivers' cars are not necessarily the quickest, but those that blend dynamics and performance so seamlessly and cohesively that the dirving experience is a powerful singularity rather than a collection of dazzling party tricks, the RX-8 hits the sweet spot with uncanny accuracy." 5/5 stars
EVO, Sep 03

Cheers,

Monkey

RX-8 Zoomster

Most definately!

I have no regrets, and would go back and buy it again in a second. Genom's post sums it up for me.

Scotchee

I guess there are two answers. If I could go back knowing what I know now like how totally awesome it is to drive this car and the attention that I get from complete strangers, I would have to say that I'd definately keep the car. That's what the offer from Mazda is essentially allowing us to decide and I chose to keep the car. If I were to "go back" that is to say not have gotten the car when I did and now have the opportunity to decide whether to buy it, I'd probably wait. There wasn't anything else that I really wanted to buy so if I missed out on all of the pre-order opportunities (book, magazines, mug, being treated like royalty) and had enough patience to wait until now, I wait a little longer.

But I do have it and I absolutely love to drive it!

Wankeler

I missed out on the pre-sale ordering (3days). I knew about the HP issue (gripe). I've visited many forums. I DROVE the demo silly (Velocity Red 6sp w/NAV). I bought one. If I fall into a small fortune... I'd buy one in every color (but would get yellow/black for the yellow car).

1. This car is a ROTARY powered beast.
2. Best looking car out there right now (under $100K)
3. Cyclops owns it, Wolverine wants it! (lol sorry, my childhood is coming out of me again... get back down... you get to come out behind the wheel.... down boy!)

RotorGeek

Because i was going to do it regardless of all this HP bullshit. I for one like to mod my cars. Stock is always going to be ground level performance on any car.