You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access
to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, at no cost, you will have access to start new topics, reply to conversations, privately message other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join RX8Club.com today!
Good points rx8wannahave. I bought my 04 RX-8 knowing that the fuel economy was going to be crap. I never trust EPA estimates just because I don't drive normally anyway. But unlike a lot of people this car is strickly a toy for me. It's not a daily driver for me, I don't commute in it. So all I do is play in it, and that means low gas mileage. And it's going to get even worse when I start autocrossing this year.
This ad is not displayed to registered and logged-in members. Register your free account today and become a member on RX8Club.com!
Simply amazing. Reading many of the posts here, I now realize there must be two different RX-8's…
The RX-8 in this thread
• disappointing fuel economy
• weak torque
• prone to flooding
• excessive oil consumption
• conceptually brilliant but, alas, ultimately inferior engine design
The RX-8 tested by auto journalists around the world
• "Here's one of those sports cars whose charm is all out of proportion to its numbers." (C&D)
• Winner in comparison test vs. Nissan 350Z and Honda S2000 (MT)
• Winner in comparison vs. VW R32 (Evo)
• Car & Driver's Ten Best Cars: 2005, 2006
• "The RX-8 exhibits precision, efficiency, and imagination. Maybe it's because the Mazda people are real engineers, the kind of people who pride themselves on being able to do for a dime what any fool could do for a dollar." (Automobile)
• "Mazda’s Wankel — stop sniggering at the back — rotary engine is not the only thing that marks the RX-8 out from the crowd. Distinctive styling and those suicide doors make it the most recognisable coupé around. It handles well, so long as it’s dry, and has the comfort of a much more expensive car, making it practical as a long-distance cruiser. The engine might lack low-down torque and you can see the fuel needle move at cruising speeds but these are small prices to pay for a car only the Japanese could pull off." (Jeremy Clarkson)
• "If there's a single thing that stands out about the RX-8, it's the ability to draw you into the driving experience, where the car feels like an extension of your body rather than an assemblage of parts that you guide along." (R&T)
• "These are all the hallmarks of a light, precise car, something that sports car drivers have been talking about since Colin Chapman built the first Lotus Mark 6 in the early 1950s. The Z-car is terrific in its own right, a brawny car that you can drive with your biceps, feeling confident that it will never let you down. It's faster than the RX-8, and you can work up a sweat in it. The BMW 330i makes time on the road without actually asking much from the driver, the pulling power of the in-line six-cylinder carrying you irresistibly forward. And yet, who wants to always work up a sweat while driving? And isn't there something about the tall center of gravity in a sedan that makes you feel as if a block of lead is sliding across the rear package shelf every time you go around a corner?" (Automobile)
• "Regardless of how many doors the RX-8 has, it is ultimately a sport coupe that offers sensational handling without the stiffness typically associated with cars of this type." (Edmunds.com)
• "...the RX-8's seats fit like a second skin and the chassis felt alive and willing." (R&T)
• "Exceptionally well-balanced and behaved." (Motor Trend)
• "It's got a great engine, it makes a great noise, it goes like stink, it's very comfortable, it's practical, it's well priced, and it's well equipped...and then there's the really good stuff." (Clarkson)
• "The engine will spin to 9,000 rpm faster than you can say 'rev limiter' and feels more willing at high rpm than even Honda's S2000 because of the rotary's phenomenal smoothness." (Edmunds.com)
• "...it jinks through the slalom like a Heisman Trophy winner shrugging off tackles…"
(R&T)
• One of the 10 Best Road Trip Vehicles" (Kelley Blue Book)
• "...the RX-8 carves arcs through corners with supple coordination, practically begging its driver to attack the curbs in a blissful symbiosis of man and machine." (R&T)
• "It's been widely praised in the logbook for its handling prowess, its firm, somewhat forgiving sport suspension feel and a quality, edgy interior that's become a hallmark of Mazda's vehicle line." (AutoWeek)
• "...this mighty-mite motor makes pure magic." (C&D)
• "...for sure it is one fine driving machine, providing a far superior ride to the Nissan 350Z or Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, while still holding its own when the going gets twisty." (R&T)
• "In some regards, the RX-8 is a small exoticar with marvelous engineering innovations. In other ways, it has the amenities and comfort of an everyday driver with the safety and warranty expected from a modern car - all while exhibiting a light, athletic feel and strong value message." (MT)
Totally agree with you. I love my 8. But most people usually want more than what they have just because sometimes the wanting is more fun than the having. There will always be people to point out problems.
The difference is this isn't a forum of people trying to sell you something. We're normal people with cars that we drive every single day. We're the ones going to gas station filling up our tanks, not some intern college student. We have to deal with the dealers and when we complain, no one listens -- quite a far cry from when C&D tosses its weight around. Anyone can hop in the car for 20 minutes with no regard for the price, warranty, cost of gas, difficulty of maintenance and sing nothing but praises.
You want a real opinion? Why don't you ask the journalists who made those comments what kind of car they drive? They're not all going to have an RX-8. It takes more than some visceral feeling about a car to make me buy it. And even when I do I'm not going to be unrealistic about what it is and isn't giving me. Fell free to live in your world of dramatic one-liners that belies the reality of what this car is and isn't.
You did, however, leave out my favorite quote: "It's got a great engine, it makes a great noise, it goes like stink, it's very comfortable, it's practical, it's well priced, and it's well equipped...and then there's the really good stuff." -- Jeremy Clarkson.
Your point is well taken, Saturn. I, for one, realize the 8 is by no means perfect. And I knew all its quirks and problems before I bought mine (just a month ago) thanks, in part, to people like you who point them out. Would I like better fuel economy? Of course. More power? Yeah, ok (though coming from a Miata, obviously speed isn't what does it for me.) I guess what bothers me is that, reading many of these posts, one would walk away thinking of the 8 as basically a major disappointment. Yet when you read the reviews, you get the sense that this car is not just respected, but loved. It seems to be a special car that has charmed countless journalists—even when the car is put head-to-head with all sorts of competitors. (I forgot to add Evo's picking the 8 over an R32, and Automobile liking it over a 300Z and a BMW 3-series.) Aren't these same journalists trying to "sell" those other cars too? It's rare to see so many jaded scribes (who have pretty much seen and done everything on wheels) rave about a car the way they do about the 8. It puts it in elite journalistic company, along with, well, the Miata, the Mini, the M3 and pretty much any Porsche. Not a bad place to be.
(And thanks for mentioning that other Clarkson quote. I'm putting it on the list.)
Like I said, the car is not perfect with a bit more power...better fuel economy, and a bit here and there the RX8 would be pretty much the best bang for the buck out there.
As it is now, it's a fine car and I'm glad I got it...but like you, I've learned where it lacks also.
Simply amazing. Reading many of the posts here, I now realize there must be two different RX-8's…
While I disagree with the "ultimate inferior engine design", I don't see too many contradictions here.
The car eats more fuel and oil than a car with a "common" engine would and besides that offers less torque, which is pretty obvious if you look at how forces of expanding gas affect a rotor in comparison to a piston.
All those positive things written about the car apply nevertheless. The comments in this forum basically add the maintenance experience of a million miles driven in RX-8s all over the world. And since members of this forum are not (or rather seldom) arguing why the RX-8 is great and anything else isn't, there's a bit more criticism than in a glossy test drive report.
I also have a feeling that quite many people in this forum drive this car because they somewhat care about technology, which adds further to the level of criticism.
It's still one and the same and not two different cars, our combined experience with it just adds some depth to the review.
You have to live with the 8 on a daily basis to really discover its strengths, and weakness. Strengths; it's fun, handles well, is pretty decently made.
Weakness; very little torque which is really a bother on my new commute which includes steep mountainous terrain. I had a hard time passing a Hyundai Elantra the other day, and I downshifted. This car just doesn't have the grunt going uphill.
Also, the gas mileage is atrocious. It's still fun to drive though. I think I may have outgrown it. Since I'm pass my warranty, it might be time to add more power to bring the excitement back. I'm sure with 20-30more hp the 8 would be great. (I made a rhyme)
Because your little Elantra story smells like yesterday's fish. You're describing the behavior of an 80's econobox, and the 8 isn't like that. How do I know this? I used to drive an '84 Rx-7 with 140 ponies. That car would rip up the Appalachians like there was no tomorrow, passing winnebagos, cadillacs, benzes, whatever. And that was 140 ponies. Hell, even my miata, with it's truly pathetic claimed 128 horses didn't behave like that.
So, as I see it, there are 3 options to your story:
1. You're not getting all the power you should. Have your car checked out, pull a compression test.
2. Even tho you claim you 'downshifted' you were STILL in too high a gear. What were your speed and RPM when you attempted to pass? You just can't drive this like a V-8, man. If you're at 2500 rpm and try to pass it ain't gonna happen quickly. If you're at 4000+ you're gonna fly. Up hill, down hill, flat level, don't matter. She just doesn't behave like you're describing.
3. You're lying.
So which one is it?
__________________
1984 Rx-7 GSL-SE (sold, regret doing so)
1994 Miata (fatally rear-ended 4/05)
Now: Shinka-chan, My Little Learjet.
Linear Mode
