Hi Everyone... Thinking of getting an RX8
 

My wife and I are absolutely in love with this car!

The only problem is we're about to move to Rochester, NY which gets about 90" of snow / year... :(

I've been doing a bit of research, and my main concerns are this:

1. If I spend 12-1500 on snow tires for the season, will that solve any problems with controlling the car in the winter months?

2. I've read in some places that the RX8 doesn't have very good protections from winter corrosion. Is that true?


We're thinking of waiting out this winter to get a taste for how bad it really is and then buying a new car in the spring. We've got about 20,000 to spend, so it looks like it's going to come down to a used RX8 or a new Mazda 3.

I would greatly appreciate any advice that could be given about surviving the winter months :)

(One other thing, The car would have to be used for a daily commute of about 15-20 miles)

thanks guys!

Frozen North......
 

Got mine in summer 2003, so this will be it's third winter.

Got good snows on cheap alloy 17"s, and commute roughly the same distance.

The stability control, traction control and of course, the limited slip and ABS, all make this a really fun winter car - turn off the DSC and drift some corners, or leave it all in control and ease your way over ice, snow or slush in safety.

I did some tests the first winter - the usual "one wheel on pavement/the other on wet ice" stuff. No problems, the car will grunt a little as the traction control grabs the back brakes, and off you go! Stops with the anti-lock are straight and quick, using any available traction. (Some more primitive anti-lock setups will detect the wheel slip, and back off on ALL the brakes - terrifying!)

I would not hesitate to use it in the winter, my last Acura had NONE of those systems....

S

if you're scared about the snow, tires will do nothing, the sheer clearance of the car is what will kill you. not to mention the rwd :P

The clearance is rather low, but as long as the roads have been somewhat plowed, you won't have a problem. I'm not sure of exact measurements, but it's barely lower than any other car out there. As far as the rear wheel drive is concerned, don't worry about it. The rear differential, TCS, and DSC work wonders in this car. Read around for some good snow tires. Quite a few of us run either Blizzak's or Dunlop Wintersport M3's. I picked up a set of new 17in rims for $100 a piece, and threw some M3's on them, plus the M3 is offered as a runflat tire too.

My10ea has had his car since its release I believe (correct me if wrong Kev) and he said he's driven it through the winters of Vt since then and last I seen his car it looked completly rust free.

As others have stated slap some winter tires and WHAM your all set. One suggestion I gained from a friend and always pass on to others. First snow if not that horrible, drive out to a open parkinglot and just tear it up if you will. Just learn what your car is able to handle. I was in Rochester last year and I know there are a few hills there but atleast the part(s) I was in they seemed pretty flat and open if you will. Hmm later today I'll ask my friend who lives in Rochester how bad the snow really gets I know he's up north a bit so who knows.

Thanks for all the help, guys :)

I grew up in MA, and have been living in VT for the past year, so snow is something I'm not afraid of, I've just read some scary things in my research like "The car handles like it has plastic tires in snow".

Thanks for all the tips! After a little more thought, My wife and I have decided we'll wait till next spring to make our decision, which will allow us to get a taste of Rochester winters first hand before making a decision.

Kev:

You are correct. This will be my third winter with my 8 (bought in Oct of '03). Car still looks pristine but you NEED to get snow tires. The stock tires are horrible in the snow. Buy yourself a cheap set of 17" wheels (smallest you can go if you have the bigger brakes). I have a set of Kazera KZ-R's with Pirelli Snowsport 210's and they have been great in the snow. Tire wear is nice and even and plenty of tread left for at least till next year.

Dynamic stability control, Traction control, and low end torque makes this a great car to tool around in in the snow. I can attest! :icon_tup:

I lived in Rochester for 6 years. Winters can be all over the place. I think one year we had 40-60 inches of snow in small increments. No biggie. The year before I moved back to Jersey, we had 150+ inches, several large storms, and drove on hardpack for 3+ months. I rusted out 2 exhausts in 3 years on a Ford Probe I bought. To be honest, I found the area to be hell on cars regardless of what you drive. On occasion, you will find yourself plowing streets. My other car handles pretty bad in the snow, but, with a good deal of caution, some good snow tires, and soft feet, it's pretty easy to get around. I would look at where you are going to live first. I spent one winter in an appartment complex where I had to make a left from a stop sign going up hill to get to school. There were days when I (and quite a few others) could not make the left in the snow and took the long way.

I would recommend you look at what you drive now and how well it does in the snow. The 8 can be an average car in the snow. So long as you think you can drive a car in the snow that's average, you'll be fine. If you depend on 4wd or the snow gives you fits, it might not be a good idea.

Right now I drive a 03 Ford Focus ZX5, and with it's skinny tires & light weight, it's not so great in the snow... but I do fine in it. Our other car is an 05 Wrangler, which obviously has no trouble in snow ; )


Another question I thought of... should I be concerned when buying a pre-owned 20-30k mile RX8? Someone said you have to change the oil religiously, and if you don't it'll really hurt the engine in the long run. Would you recomend only getting one if it has all it's maintenance papers? Or is the guy exagerating the issue?

The renesis injects oil into the combustion chambe to lubricate the seals. Thus, it intentionally burns a small amount of oil all the time. If you do not check the oil often (every 2-3 tanks of gas, more if you notice you burn more) you can potentially run low on oil. For reference, I put in 1/2 a quart between my last oil changes. This is not a problem persay as much as quirk. The engine depends a lot on the oil system so it should be something that is well maintained. I've heard tales of people who forget about routine maintenance and seize engines in brand new cars at 30k b/c they have never changed the oil (slightly used 2004 Escort anyone?). In general, I would not recommend a rotary to people like that. It is less tolerant of abuse. I would also recommend those people stop breathing because they are wasting oxygen that could be put to better use.

The rx-8 is more or less a sports car. Very few people who buy new Buicks go to the track and beat the snot out of them. That is going to be more common in a used sports car. Of course, there is a right way and a wrong way to do something. A car that is well cared for and driven well will deal with being driven hard fine even if it goes through brakes and tires more often. A car that is just abused is a bad buy regardless of make.

So, as with any car, it's probably better to buy a car that someone took really good care of instead of something thrashed by a high school street racer. The car burns oil by design, so oil system maintenance is more important than usual. I don't see any reason specifically not to buy a used 8 as opposed to used other cars. It doesn't generate a ton of torque so I'm guessing the stock clutch holds up well. That's just a guess though.