Would You Recommend A Mazda RX-8 For A First Car?
09-26-2010, 12:30 AM
#26
not exactly. There are good mazda dealerships.. rare but they exist. You need to get on the forums for whereever you live, and ask around in your area. Just because its a dealership doesn't mean they know the car. Rotary engines are something you have to have played with and worked on to understand. They don't really teach it in ASE certs lol. Sometimes its a local shop that is better. Heres what I would do. Goto your regional forums. Join in on the next group meet. Talk to the guys there. See what shops have worked out well and which ones were a waste of money. See if one of them will show you around the car, maybe even let you drive it. Your best bet though is to join in on the next regional meet from your area.
09-26-2010, 12:34 AM
#27
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not exactly. There are good mazda dealerships.. rare but they exist. You need to get on the forums for whereever you live, and ask around in your area. Just because its a dealership doesn't mean they know the car. Rotary engines are something you have to have played with and worked on to understand. They don't really teach it in ASE certs lol. Sometimes its a local shop that is better. Heres what I would do. Goto your regional forums. Join in on the next group meet. Talk to the guys there. See what shops have worked out well and which ones were a waste of money. See if one of them will show you around the car, maybe even let you drive it. Your best bet though is to join in on the next regional meet from your area.
09-26-2010, 12:35 AM
#28
RX8 & RX7 owner
+1^ I also suggest searching your Regional forum NE for local Rotary meets and reccommended Rotary mechanics/ dealerships. You can learn a lot from owners who have had their cars for 3+ years. (you read my mind)
09-26-2010, 12:39 AM
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Haha, I may even have to post a thread if/when I get an RX-8 to find out some good rotary mechanics in my area.
10-04-2010, 05:49 PM
#35
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I got my Rx8 right before i turned 15 and didnt start driving it till around 15 1/2. but i researched the cars for along time before i got mine. so it is smart that you are doing the same. i actually bought mine from columbus ohio but i live in iowa. if u just take good care of it and keep it maintained you will be fine. i havent had any problems yet. Just keep looking around for them and you will eventually find a good deal just dont make a rash decision and get one that hasnt been well maintained.
10-13-2010, 11:41 AM
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Make sure if it's an 04 model, that all the recalls are taken care of and research the recalls. Compression test, if it's a manual drive it first of course and make sure it shifts good. People who don't know alot about rx8's don't know their transmissions are semi fragile. In other words, you can't just bang gears like you would in a civic or integra. Check fluids regularly (I check mine every saturday) as mentioned by zumn. It was my "first car" as well. I had an older ford expedition from the time I was 15 till I was 18, then I got my rx8. It is an amazing car. Handles amazingly well and its high revving which is music to my ears. Don't expect it to be a red light to red light car because it's not and the 232hp factory rating isn't correct, more like 170-180hp to the wheels and if you plan on modding it, don't expect alot of power from just bolting on parts.
10-13-2010, 05:51 PM
#37
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I'm on the fence about recommending it to a first time driver.
On one hand, the RX8 is an expensive car in terms of upkeep - the fuel economy is SUV-like, and the car itself is a devil on your shoulder about speeding, being so planted and capable that you know you can handle that turn at 30+mph over...and then you land yourself a massive speeding ticket. Also, aluminum body panels are expensive to fix in case of a scrape and good rotary mechanics are few and far between.
On the other...it's an RX8. It's pure distilled driving pleasure. It's built entirely of Funtanium and it delivers like no other car in its price range can. That perfectly smooth travel to the redline, the slick gearbox, the little purring-spaceship whup-whup-whup it makes at the stoplight, and the way it will, under no circumstances, ever step out in the turn unless you are driving like Beelzebub himself - the car is just win. And the devil - so to speak - is in the details as well; go read "The Little Things" thread and see how many cool little touches Mazda put into this car and you realize it's something special.
Ah heck. I think I just sold myself. Go get 'er.
On one hand, the RX8 is an expensive car in terms of upkeep - the fuel economy is SUV-like, and the car itself is a devil on your shoulder about speeding, being so planted and capable that you know you can handle that turn at 30+mph over...and then you land yourself a massive speeding ticket. Also, aluminum body panels are expensive to fix in case of a scrape and good rotary mechanics are few and far between.
On the other...it's an RX8. It's pure distilled driving pleasure. It's built entirely of Funtanium and it delivers like no other car in its price range can. That perfectly smooth travel to the redline, the slick gearbox, the little purring-spaceship whup-whup-whup it makes at the stoplight, and the way it will, under no circumstances, ever step out in the turn unless you are driving like Beelzebub himself - the car is just win. And the devil - so to speak - is in the details as well; go read "The Little Things" thread and see how many cool little touches Mazda put into this car and you realize it's something special.
Ah heck. I think I just sold myself. Go get 'er.
10-16-2010, 08:12 PM
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I got my Rx8 right before i turned 15 and didnt start driving it till around 15 1/2. but i researched the cars for along time before i got mine. so it is smart that you are doing the same. i actually bought mine from columbus ohio but i live in iowa. if u just take good care of it and keep it maintained you will be fine. i havent had any problems yet. Just keep looking around for them and you will eventually find a good deal just dont make a rash decision and get one that hasnt been well maintained.
Make sure if it's an 04 model, that all the recalls are taken care of and research the recalls. Compression test, if it's a manual drive it first of course and make sure it shifts good. People who don't know alot about rx8's don't know their transmissions are semi fragile. In other words, you can't just bang gears like you would in a civic or integra. Check fluids regularly (I check mine every saturday) as mentioned by zumn. It was my "first car" as well. I had an older ford expedition from the time I was 15 till I was 18, then I got my rx8. It is an amazing car. Handles amazingly well and its high revving which is music to my ears. Don't expect it to be a red light to red light car because it's not and the 232hp factory rating isn't correct, more like 170-180hp to the wheels and if you plan on modding it, don't expect alot of power from just bolting on parts.
I'm on the fence about recommending it to a first time driver.
On one hand, the RX8 is an expensive car in terms of upkeep - the fuel economy is SUV-like, and the car itself is a devil on your shoulder about speeding, being so planted and capable that you know you can handle that turn at 30+mph over...and then you land yourself a massive speeding ticket. Also, aluminum body panels are expensive to fix in case of a scrape and good rotary mechanics are few and far between.
On the other...it's an RX8. It's pure distilled driving pleasure. It's built entirely of Funtanium and it delivers like no other car in its price range can. That perfectly smooth travel to the redline, the slick gearbox, the little purring-spaceship whup-whup-whup it makes at the stoplight, and the way it will, under no circumstances, ever step out in the turn unless you are driving like Beelzebub himself - the car is just win. And the devil - so to speak - is in the details as well; go read "The Little Things" thread and see how many cool little touches Mazda put into this car and you realize it's something special.
Ah heck. I think I just sold myself. Go get 'er.
On one hand, the RX8 is an expensive car in terms of upkeep - the fuel economy is SUV-like, and the car itself is a devil on your shoulder about speeding, being so planted and capable that you know you can handle that turn at 30+mph over...and then you land yourself a massive speeding ticket. Also, aluminum body panels are expensive to fix in case of a scrape and good rotary mechanics are few and far between.
On the other...it's an RX8. It's pure distilled driving pleasure. It's built entirely of Funtanium and it delivers like no other car in its price range can. That perfectly smooth travel to the redline, the slick gearbox, the little purring-spaceship whup-whup-whup it makes at the stoplight, and the way it will, under no circumstances, ever step out in the turn unless you are driving like Beelzebub himself - the car is just win. And the devil - so to speak - is in the details as well; go read "The Little Things" thread and see how many cool little touches Mazda put into this car and you realize it's something special.
Ah heck. I think I just sold myself. Go get 'er.
10-22-2010, 03:36 PM
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I don't know how anyone could possibly recommend a used RX-8 as a first car...
If it's your first car, you probably don't know how to drive a stick. While people will argue this, it's much easier to learn how to drive a stick on a car that has more torque as it is harder to stall the engine. So, realistically you're going to put some amount of wear on the car learning how to not stall it, shift properly, etc. Unless you go with an automatic RX-8. But while rotaries love to rev, transmissions and torque converters don't. I can't speak for the 06+ six speed automatic, but I had to replace the torque converter and automatic transmission on my RX-8 at 46k miles despite not abusing it.
Since we're presuming the car is used, you most likely will have no idea how the previous owner treated the car. Thus, the motor might need to be replaced. Mazda is cool with the 10 year engine warranty, but there is still that risk that you will be without a car for 3-4 weeks while they source a replacement motor (like my girl is going through with her RX-8). If you can afford a spare car or your parents will give you the money to buy a car knowing there is a reasonable chance you might need to borrow theirs, that might not be an issue. But when I was a kid, it would have been.
Things that should be cheap are ridiculously expensive, thus it's doubtful a high school kid is going to fix small things. Do you really see yourself spending $130 to replace a sun visor that cracked and split open when you know that there is a reasonable chance the replacement will crack again?
Maintenance is higher than most cars, but really isn't that bad for a sports car. I can't think of any other car that you have to pull the coil packs off regularly to make sure they're functioning properly for fear of the motor losing compression.
Plus, you'll have the "cool car" and have to drive everyone everywhere. I know when I was young, I didn't have a lot of spare cash, so driving a car that got ~18 MPG would have made me more reluctant to drive. The low MPG would be fine if the car was fast, but honestly it isn't fast from an acceleration standpoint. In high school, I never autocrossed or anything like that (taking advantage of the RX-8's cornering and braking), but I did (stupidly) drag race at stop lights a couple of times. Since you'd have a cool car, people will bait you into doing it. And as soon as some cute girl is present, do you really see yourself citing driver safety and not showing off?
Likewise, you can't really mod the Renesis unless you drop enough money into it that you could have just bought a faster car to begin with, so you better be content forever with the current power level.
If you get an RX-8 with traction control and stability control, then you'll have possibly the best rear-wheel drive sports car you can drive in the snow due to the RX-8's low torque. However, you're still limited with low ground clearance and if you live in an area with hills, I wouldn't recommend driving it in snow without a set of winter tires or cables if you cannot afford a second set of tires.
Do yourself a favor - get a RSX or base model WRX. Both have a track record for above average reliability and would provide you with a sporty, fun ride. For whatever reason, most girls think the RSX is just as cute as an RX-8. And the WRX would be great in winter, plus it opens up a lot of potential to mod your vehicle. Use the time and money you save in repairs and maintenance to take girls out, hang out with your friends, etc. Looking back at when I was in high school, I have a lot more regrets about girls than not having a nicer car.
If it's your first car, you probably don't know how to drive a stick. While people will argue this, it's much easier to learn how to drive a stick on a car that has more torque as it is harder to stall the engine. So, realistically you're going to put some amount of wear on the car learning how to not stall it, shift properly, etc. Unless you go with an automatic RX-8. But while rotaries love to rev, transmissions and torque converters don't. I can't speak for the 06+ six speed automatic, but I had to replace the torque converter and automatic transmission on my RX-8 at 46k miles despite not abusing it.
Since we're presuming the car is used, you most likely will have no idea how the previous owner treated the car. Thus, the motor might need to be replaced. Mazda is cool with the 10 year engine warranty, but there is still that risk that you will be without a car for 3-4 weeks while they source a replacement motor (like my girl is going through with her RX-8). If you can afford a spare car or your parents will give you the money to buy a car knowing there is a reasonable chance you might need to borrow theirs, that might not be an issue. But when I was a kid, it would have been.
Things that should be cheap are ridiculously expensive, thus it's doubtful a high school kid is going to fix small things. Do you really see yourself spending $130 to replace a sun visor that cracked and split open when you know that there is a reasonable chance the replacement will crack again?
Maintenance is higher than most cars, but really isn't that bad for a sports car. I can't think of any other car that you have to pull the coil packs off regularly to make sure they're functioning properly for fear of the motor losing compression.
Plus, you'll have the "cool car" and have to drive everyone everywhere. I know when I was young, I didn't have a lot of spare cash, so driving a car that got ~18 MPG would have made me more reluctant to drive. The low MPG would be fine if the car was fast, but honestly it isn't fast from an acceleration standpoint. In high school, I never autocrossed or anything like that (taking advantage of the RX-8's cornering and braking), but I did (stupidly) drag race at stop lights a couple of times. Since you'd have a cool car, people will bait you into doing it. And as soon as some cute girl is present, do you really see yourself citing driver safety and not showing off?
Likewise, you can't really mod the Renesis unless you drop enough money into it that you could have just bought a faster car to begin with, so you better be content forever with the current power level.
If you get an RX-8 with traction control and stability control, then you'll have possibly the best rear-wheel drive sports car you can drive in the snow due to the RX-8's low torque. However, you're still limited with low ground clearance and if you live in an area with hills, I wouldn't recommend driving it in snow without a set of winter tires or cables if you cannot afford a second set of tires.
Do yourself a favor - get a RSX or base model WRX. Both have a track record for above average reliability and would provide you with a sporty, fun ride. For whatever reason, most girls think the RSX is just as cute as an RX-8. And the WRX would be great in winter, plus it opens up a lot of potential to mod your vehicle. Use the time and money you save in repairs and maintenance to take girls out, hang out with your friends, etc. Looking back at when I was in high school, I have a lot more regrets about girls than not having a nicer car.
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