bgm@braasco.com

Current owners - I am thinking that I am about 90% sold on purchasing and RX-8, but am looking for a few pointers. The big concern is that this will be my everyday car. I understand that a good set of winter tires makes the car acceptable in the winter, but I would love some more direct feedback. Also any other tips you might have for me in regard to shopping for my new RX-8.

Columbus

The stock tires are horrible in the snow, absolutely terrible. Get a set of the Pirelli PZeroNero all seasons and its fine in the snow although its never going to handle like a front wheel drive Accord or a camry.

Good luck in your search, you should be able to find a left over 05 for cheap. These cars are incredible and I don't think you'll regret buying one.

bgm@braasco.com

Thanks for the specific info on the all season tires. I looked at a brand new 2005 Grand Touring model yesterday at a dealer. They had it discounted down to under $25K which seemed very reasonable to me vs. a sticker price of over $31. Is that as good a price as I thought it was?

yiksing

Since its your daily driver, traffic jams or short trips is gonna make mpg bad, take this into consideration before you buy. You can definitely have fun from this car.

Mazdaspeed RX8 ver2

Best thing to do if you want to save some fuel, heres some tips that help me out with mpg. I shift at or under 4k, dont have windows down or moon/sunroof open while driving over 50mph but tinting the moonroof is alright. If driving over 50mph, use vents and even ac or hearter. And try to stay under 65mph crusing speed to maximize gas efficieny. Works for me but it sorta kills the fun of the car. BUT, i run it on the track every now and then to make sure its still strong. Also, use 5th and 6th gear even on street roads to keep rpm pretty low. But its a fun car to drive and i love th response of it.

Groo

$25k for an '05 GT is a really good deal. It sounds like some people are managing a bit less than that, if you don't mind traveling a ways or doing a bit more footwork you might manage to get another $1k off or so. But I don't think you would regret taking a GT for $25k.

I live in Minnesota and have Dunlop M3s for winter driving. It's not perfect, but so far I've been really impressed with how it handles. I've always had traction, though getting used to a RWD in the snow can take a few tries if you are used to FWD cars. ABS with Traction Control & Stability Control really goes a long ways in the snow as well. Looks like you are in MN too- which dealership are you working with?

And about the gas mileage- personally I say don't worry it ;-). It's a great car, just accept that you will get 15-16 mpg city (using premium don't forget!) and have fun driving it. If it's going to bug you then maybe it's not the right car choice. But if you can live with that, it's an absolute blast.

bgm@braasco.com

This weekend I was at Luther Mazda on Brooklyn Blvd. They are the only dealer in the Twin Cities with any RX8's. They have just 3 left. I was a little torqued at them when I went to visit. They were happy to talk about the car, but they wouldn't let me drive one unless I was willing to seriously negotiate a deal that day. I don't spend $25K on my first trip to a dealer. I have found 3 more RX8's at a Mazda dealer in St Cloud. I would happily take my business 90 miles away if they treat me like a customer and not a goofus.

Groo

yeah, I hear you. I'm actually surprised they are the only ones with inventory left. If you haven't already, try autotrader.com for local dealer inventory, that tends to me a little more reliable than the mazdausa.com website.

Have you thought about used? Walser has 4 or 5 used ones, but I'm guessing with the discounts on the '05 it's probably better to go new at this point.

I remember talking to someone in St Cloud too when I was shopping last fall, he was really curteous over the phone and was easy to talk to, just ended up I got a better deal locally.

Also, you might call Walser and see if they can do a dealer-swap for a new RX-8 if you buy through them. They may let you drive one of their used ones if you are looking at a new one.

bgm@braasco.com

I found two more '05 RX-8's at Eich Autos in St Cloud. You are right, they are nice folks, and I got to drive the car through some tight windy roads - VERY NICE! Price from the St Cloud dealer was $2K higher though, so I may have to go back to Luther, even if I don't like them! I will check out AutoTrader and see if anything else shows up.

Raptor75

I just bought a 05 GT, paid $26,360 out the door (taxes, fees, etc...)

First thing I did was to peel off the OEM tires and put on a set of Avons ultraperformance all seasons. They have great write ups and were $132 each from tire track. They also have a 360 ware rating vs 140 for the OEMs. Dealer switched them for me, part of the deal. They keep the streets pretty clean in Chicago so I felt these would be a good choice. So far so good with them.

Kevin

Arweg

I have the 04 GT and I can say for sure that if I could go car shopping again, I definitely wouldn't by an RX8. Gas mileage is crummy and its kind of slow. Really depends on what your looking for. I filled up yesterday around 2pm and I just filled up again today around midnight. Most people put their cars in storage during the winter, but I'm definitely putting the 8 in storage during the summer and save some gas with my gixxer.

I have the 18" Dunlop M3s and I love them. $1400 at tire rack which isn't to shabby with 18" wheels.

Acceleration is decent, but like I said, not very satisfying. No wonder almost everyone is hoppin on the latest mods and turbos on this forum. If I were you, I'd spend a little more money on a used M3 or maybe a C5 if your looking for fun. I'm not a fan of STIs and Evos but I hear theyre fun to drive. A4, G35, TL for practicality and just plain nice cars. The car is just average stock. I got mine last year for 24k and for the price, its definitely a good deal.

O yeah, one thing that drives me absolutely crazy is the freakin rattling in the car. The rearview mirror, the door panels, the dash. Cheap plastic and not very solid.

Arweg

And no offense to anybody else on the forums, just expressing my frustrations with the 8

Groo

Make sure you give eich the opportunity to price match, they may be able to do it.

Also, even though Luther was a pain to work with, at least you can be pretty certain you won't be getting a car from them with hundreds of test drive miles on it where people were beating up on it. Sounds like the only people test driving are the owners.