How many use RX-8 to haul kids? How about high mileage commute?
 

Hey gang! First post and looking for some input on potential RX-8 ownership. I've read through the post about potential ownership and tried to read as much on the forum as I can, but I have very limited free time to search a lot, so forgive me if I'm asking a question already asked.


Quick snapshot of my situation. I'm a car guy, have had tons of really cool stuff. One of my hobbies is amateur road course racing, I'm part of a large team and have my own car. So if I buy an RX-8, it would be 100% commuting use, no autox, no track days. My wife and I have 3 active kids, plus I work full time, so I'm always on the go. Hence, between the kids and my other hobbies, it leaves me precious little time to wrench on a daily driver. Yes, I'm aware the RX-8 requires a certain level of upkeep and I could do that. What I mean is that I don't have time for a problem child car...a "diva". VW comes to mind as an example. My commute is 55 miles...each way. 90% of that is highway. In the morning, it's 80mph cruising. In the afternoon, it's part cruising, part Atlanta rush hour traffic. Between work and family things, I drive 30-35k miles per year.


So here are my questions about the RX-8. How kid friendly is it? My wife and I have a minivan, so I would never need it to do family hauling. The RX-8 only has 4 seats anyway, so it wouldn't work. But if I needed to bring one or two kids to football practice, how feasible is it? Given proper maintenance, how does the RX-8 hold up to the type of commute I have? The reason it has my interest is that I'm looking for a fun to drive, reliable daily commuter that won't break the bank. RX-8 prices are way down. I've seen nice '10-'11s for under $14k. Plus I know Mazda extended the warranty to 8 years or 100k miles. So if I find a '10 or '11 with under 50k miles, I'll have some decent warranty left.

Thoughts?

I have two kids (well not kids anymore, 16 and 21) and they grew up in my 2004 RX-8 and I can't think of a situation where I ever needed more room.

I had a daily commute of about 80 miles a day (all highway) for about 5 years. It really depends on the car you buy and the mileage on the engine. I was stock (well basically except for a midpipe and exhaust) back then and got my third engine at 96,000 miles, the longest engine, a Mazda reman (they are hit or miss in terms of reliability much like the factory hand built engines) lasted 74,000 miles, the first one only lasted 22,000 and the last one, also a Mazda reman only lasted 27k or so before a coolant seal failed. I am OCD about maintenance as well so neglect was never an issue. Realistically, you can only expect about 100,000 miles out of a Series I Renesis engine and that is best case scenario.


That said, I love this car and while now it is highly modified and not a daily any longer I have been thinking of getting a series II (2009+ RX-8) as a fun daily because a lot of the reliability issues were addressed in significant changes to the engine. I suggest you do the same. A series I is not a good idea just due to the age of the Chassis and the high probability of an engine failure at some point unless it had a proper rebuild done.

For consideration:
-Mileage is not so good, and must use premium. I assume you know that, but it bears repeating. Plan on 5-6gal/day over a 110 mile commute
-The car is famous for usability / flexibility of the interior. big trunk, easy comfy access for 4.
- S2 (2009+) cars are the way to go. Large improvements in reliability, and 8yr/100k warranty on engine.
- That said, still be prepared to replace the (known spotty quality) ignition coils/wires/plugs upon purchase. This should be a one-time expense/hassle
- plan on plug changes every 20k or so
- Plan on getting a compression test / general inspection (preferably before purchase). Should be $100-125.
- Think about premixing... it's a bit of a hassle but it's the 'right' way to do it, best for the engine

Other than that, I'm aware of no major foibles; imho the car is pretty darn solid if maintained well. People get themselves in trouble trying to mod the cars.

Good quality, low-mile 2009+ are getting into the 10-12k range. Winter is a great time to buy a sports car...

Perfect, thanks for the responses.


Yes, my target would unquestionably be the '09-'11 models. When I was doing initial research into these, I quickly saw the difference between the S1 and S2. Like you said acroy, a nice low mile '09+ has fallen into the sub $12k range. That's one of the big reasons I'm looking at them. I need something with some practicality, but I want to enjoy the 3 hours a day I spend in the car. I moved to GA about 18 months ago, and sold my "toys" when I moved. I haven't replaced them and have been driving boring beaters. Now I'm ready to get something fun.


The premium fuel stinks, but it is what it is. I know rotary engines are thirsty, but I'd hope to get at least 22-23mpg out of it given that I do a lot of highway cruising. New coils/wires/plugs are easy enough, I can handle that. My bigger concern is with more "major" items.


I've had 5 Miatas in the past, as well as one Protégé, I'm a huge Mazda fan. Every one I've owned has been a blast to drive. If I get one, I would do absolutely zero modifications. I'm not into that kind of stuff, I prefer the stock appearance and don't want to mess with anything that will hurt reliability.

The rear seats are pretty good for adults, and that means it's great for kids. I've driven my cousins around (kids) and never got a single complaint. I think the rear seat legroom is similar to a subcompact car. Maybe a little more :)

Don't worry. It's pretty spacious for it's size :)

I commute in mine, track it as well. Plenty of room in the back, seems to be a bit more behind driver than passenger. My passengers seem to like seat back. My buddy had a Boxster. He declared that there was more room in the back of the 8 than the front of the Boxster.

Only down side is the MPG. But, there is very little in that price range that is anywhere near that much fun, and those that are close, get poor mileage as well. I would not trade. Make sure the engine is good, and lower the front about an inch (improves mileage).

Yeah, the one major drawback here is mpg. I wouldn't "complain" about it, because it is what it is. Getting over 230hp out of such a tiny motor requires fuel, so cool. But with the amount of driving I do, the fuel cost will get crazy. A car like the Focus ST will get over 30mpg highway. Seems like the RX8 will get under 20mpg on the highway. When driven 2500+ miles per month, that extra fuel cost would probably make up the extra cost of a used Focus ST. Again, not "complaining" about the mpg at all, just looking at it logically for me. If mpg were better, I'd have bought the RX8 already.

Where in Atlanta? I commute in mine - Also considered focus ST, and came from a S2000 - The RX-8 will be a lot more comfortable in traffic than the ST IMO - less road noise as well.