Hey guys! New to the forum, so please bear with me. I'm looking to purchase a new car, and i have found a 2007 rx-8 with roughly 61k miles going for around $13,000. The dealer link is pasted below:

Used 2007 Mazda RX-8 GT M/T For Sale in Bloomington, MN | Minneapolis Used Mazda -

I was just wondering a few things, such as A) is this a good deal, and B) the overall quality of the 2007 rx-8 engine. Yes, i have looked through other threads, but haven't found much specifically on the '07 model. In short, I was wondering if any of you had an '07, and how many miles you were able to put on the engine before a rebuild was done, if one has been done at all. Yes, i know to keep the oil topped off and to never use synthetic. Yes, i know to let the car warm up, especially before hard driving. Yes, i know to never shut off the engine whilst its cold. And for heavens sake, yes i know to redline and drive on the highway throughout the week. I also have the option of purchasing a 4 year comprehensive warranty, for another $4,000. Let me know your thoughts! Thanks!

 

Hey, Its good to see you have researched a little prior to purchase..

Make sure you get the compression done from Mazda.
Go to facebook join rx8club page..we recently had a thread there, "rx8s with over 100k mark before a rebuild. and We had about close to 150 people responded..

To give you an idea a properly maintained Rotary Engine is as reliable as piston.. Mine is 04 its got 251k on it right now not a single problem..
2007 should still be under MAzda's 8 years / 100k warranty.

Make sure you read the New / Potential owners thread thats your rx8 bible.

After 2 years and 110k kms of trouble free ownership I would describe this mean machine as an Amazing Car..

All the best

 

It's probably a bit overpriced at that age and mileage, but otherwise looks in pretty good shape. You will need a compression test to determine how much it is overpriced (dying engine = WAY over priced)

All Series1 engines are the same, regardless of which model year car they are in, and no, there isn't a specific mileage for rebuilds. See the new owner's thread for all the possible failure methods. They all still apply, and you will still have to manage each possible failure method. The one you ignore is the one that will blow your engine.


The extended warranty isn't going to be worth it, since that is more than it would cost you to get a replacement engine. If you bank the $4,000 in an interest bearing account, you will come out ahead financially, even if you have to replace the engine out of that funds.

 

Thanks for replying so quickly! I test drove her the other day and absolutely fell in love! The engine and transmission were so smooth, and the stearing made me feel connected you're the road and the car itself. Haven't felt that since driving a BMW z4! I will definitely check out that fb post, and that really gives me peace of mind.

 

As RIWWP stated, you need to get a compression test on the rotary engine BEFORE you buy any RX8. Don't let your euphoria over the fun of the car overwhelm your senses here. An RX8 can seem fine to someone who has never owned a rotary engine car, even with a dying engine. But a RX8 with a dying engine is going to be a real headache and potential money pit for you. Only a Mazda dealer or someone with the proper rotary engine compression testing equipment can properly perform this compression test. Please, please get that done. There are too many new members here that bought a used RX8 WITHOUT getting a compression test done beforehand, then found themselves singing the blues later as they encountered all sorts of engine and engine-related problems. The car can be reliable if taken good care of from the beginning, but since you don't know the complete maintenance history of the car , you need to start with the true health of the engine. BTW I have owned seven rotaries and loved them all. I am NOT trying to discourage you from owning this car, I just want you to be smart about your purchase.

 

To give you an idea of price, i just picked up White 09 GT with under 13k miles for $17k. You should be able to talk them down I would think. And yes, it is worth it to pay for the compression test even if it is out of your pocket (~$200 to be sure is much better than "saving" the $200 and later forking out $5k for a new engine IMHO).

 

What exactly should I look for in the compression test (ie, what are acceptable results)?

 

The new owner's thread that is linked in my sig, stickied in this subforum, and linked in the annoucement at the top of this subforum has all the details about why you need one, where to get one, what results should look like, and how to interpret the numbers.

The thread even has a table of contents allowing you to skip all the other important information to get right to the answer to your question.

 

Thanks so much, especially to RIWWP! That new owners thread has given me a ton of useful info, as have the rest of ya'll. I take solace in knowing that, if I choose to purchase this beautiful piece of machinery, there is an extremely knowledgeable and helpful community. Now, just to get that compression test done and *hopefully* be the new owner of an 8!