Winston Zhang

Hi
First of all, logically the 8 isn't a good idea for my circumstances, which is fairly complicated. However, that face and the engine is just... Anyway, here you go.

So, I currently have a Nissan Cube, and am going to be selling it for another car, whether it ends up being the 8 or not. The requirement from my mom is the following

• Automatic
• Can be driven be her or my grandma
• Doesn't breakdown once I leave for university

Yeah, now you know why I say it's a bad idea. I'll be driving the car for at most two years, and after that I'll probably go to another country for university. I wanted the 8 because I want to learn about the rotary, so this one is really just a beater. I'll be probably selling it after I finish highschool (for a miata for my mom probably), so the last requirement really isn't that much of a problem. The one that concerns me the most is the second. Since this car is a RWD and just the platform itself, it's not exactly what I would consider "good for elderly".

I won't be having a garage to work on the car although I can replace ignition, change oil and all the basic maintence. The car will probably be mid-piped. I might get the engine rebuilt if I find one for dirt cheap, although that will probably not happen.

My grandparents will be with us for about two months in a year at most, but I don't really want to ignore that factor just because they are not gonna stay for too long. When they're here I could take the 8 out for a drive once per day onto the highway where I could redline it.

Despite all the thoughts on getting a more reliable and more "average" car for utility, the 8 is just... there's something about it man... Don't really want to delay two years and have two more years of looking at other people's 8 and not owning one. I've read the new and potential owner thread, and am fully aware of the cost and maintnence involved with the ownership.

Any opinion is welcomed. Thanks!

Loki

iTrader: (1)

The problem is how much you're willing to spend. A proper engine rebuild is north of 3k, so if you're planning to buy a cheap car and maybe rebuild it, you'll quickly find that it ends up costing you more than if you just bought one with a rebuilt engine.

The RWD thing is fine, the car is very well behaved and the stability control will keep your grandma out of trouble. It may be a bit difficult for older folk to get in and out of, being so low. Test drive it with them. Do you have winter where you are?

You can get yourself an RX8 later when you don't have to compromise with 5 otber people on what you get. Don't let emotions overpower your rational functions. It's just a pretty car.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

If you want to buy an 8, you can get an automatic cheap, but it's a lesser RX8 than one with a 6 speed.
If you're elders have to drive in winter weather it's horrible without snow tires, and not great in rain either.
Pass.

UnknownJinX

I actually found AT RX-8 to be harder to find versus MT. It's the opposite of a lot of other cars where manual are a PITA to find. Most of them are also the 4AT version(more prone to trouble and a pain to sell), and they are more likely to be owned by someone who has no idea what they are doing. I once saw a 09 Sport AT that took a dealer one year to finally sell it. Not joking.

As for RWD, it's pretty much like Loki said. This isn't a Mustang with a lot of torque so you wouldn't be in trouble unless you are pushing it. That said, snow tires are a must if you see snow.

If I were you, I'd keep the Cube or if it's having major issue, trade for something like a Mazda 3/Honda Civic/Toyota Corolla since your mom and your grandparents are the ones driving it for the most part. And will an AT RX-8 be fun? For most people, definitely not as much as a 6-speed. When you are ready, trade it for a 6-speed RX-8. Patience is what you need here.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

117 autos starting at $1200 to 93 MTs starting at $1600 on my most recent search.

If you're going to post contrary answers to my replies, at least back it up with facts.

UnknownJinX

First is a random local result(250 mi radius) from the US CarGurus.

Second is national results from Canadian CarGurus.

Third and fourth pics are national results from the US Autotrader.

Fifth pic is national results from Canadian Autotrader.

So the correct answer is "it depends." I stand corrected.

But suffice to say, this is still a lot better than most cars where AT to MT ratio is 10:1, if that.

Besides, did you even make an argument about AT RX-8 being more common? Can't disagree with a statement when there is no statement.

sinkas

are you actually in New Zealand?

fuel costs might be a factor
do you relatives need to " get in the back" as unless they are former jockeys or severely height challenged, they might not make it out again,
the rear seats are ok for Kids up to about 10 ,
the they are not great.

Winston Zhang

I mean I do, but no snow and temps barely gets below 10 celsius in the winter.

Winston Zhang

I am. If I'm not mistaken the 8 burns minimum 95 unleaded and prefers 98 octane? and yeah the fuel cost is gonna be... a problem. But hey, where else is my salary gonna go! (other then the ignition system, maybe new radiator, perhaps a rebuild, oil and...) I mean...

Winston Zhang

Maybe I didn't make myself clear, so my bad. I'll mostly be driving, Mom and Dad have their own cars. occationally they might wanna go for a cruise in it. Dad's all for an RX-8, Mom is a bit meh. Grandma will be here for about 4 months in two years, making about a drive per two days or so.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

I'm 6'1 and fit in there comfortably. You must have some giant kids over there
But yeah. It's not exactly a sedan.

A lot is going to depend on the specific example of RX8. If it's well taken care of, great. If it's on its last legs and/or the owner didn't know what he was doing, you might find yourself with a car that doesn't run for some period of time in your ownership. Is that an acceptable scenario for everyone concerned?

I find it difficult to square "fuel cost is going to be a problem" and "well I'll just rebuild it if it breaks". Fuel is dozens of dollars, a rebuild is thousands.

In a different situation I'd totally encourage you to get an 8, but looking at the comments you've made, that's difficult to justify...

UnknownJinX

Rear seats are fine assuming you are not too tall. This is a legit 4-seat car, not a 2+2 like a Mustang.

And I actually had my grandparents ride in mine when they visited me. This is a bit of a variable as well... My grandpa is relatively fit for his age, he even had a little field where he grew vegetables so he can get in and out of the car easily. Grandma, much less so, as she had some severe back issues years back but it's getting better. With a little help from me and my grandpa, she also had little trouble getting out of the car. If anything, the back seats are much more accessible than most Coupes, and the lack of B pillars can be helpful.

Does it rain?

On dry ground, it's hard to break loose unless you try(not recommended on public roads; go do that on an Autocross or drift course). Get some performance tires and don't worry about losing grip on dry ground.

95 RON will be enough. It might be good to pump in 98 RON on a very very hot day with low humidity to have a bit of safety buffer, but don't count on performance increase otherwise.

Well, in that case, I don't see why not a 6-speed. Your family already have a bunch of AT daily drivers, so having a MT weekend cruiser won't hurt anything. Can't your grandparents drive your parents' car?

Otherwise I think you are better off with an AT sedan/hatchback/wagon. Avoid AT RX-8 if you can.

Winston Zhang

Sorry if I sound like I don't know what I'm doing (or if I just sound like an idiot), only started living in a english speaking country 4 years ago.

Here's the situation after I clean it up

My mom wants to be able to drive it, however she has her own car and won't really be driving mine. She's not a fan of sport cars either.

Grandparents will be a concern once per two years for about 3 months.

Engine rebuild will probably be within the budget (saved up from a year and a half or working), however I'll have to continue to work for fuel (more consistent cost), which isn't really that big of a problem, only have to take a bit of time off other stuff and Youtube, which isn't really a bad thing. Parents aren't gonna pay full price since I'll be "Hooning the car on the highway" every once in a bit because I can't redline it on normal streets in my area because of the 50km/h speed limit.

delhi

This car is wrong for all the factors you have listed. Sure you can force it to work. At the end your desire for the rx8 as a shared ride with your elderly folks would lead to angst and frustration. Automatic rx8 is just plain cruel.
If you want a fun rwd car that mates well with an automatic you can get a used g35 coupe, e90 BMW, or whatever.

sinkas

+ 1,
I think this guy/ will buy one, no matter, it will die in traffic and the police rescue will have to cut the roof off to get his grandma out of the back as she will have a cauda equina syndrome from getting int and out of the back with grandson squashing her back into the seat.
it will be made into a black comedy short film " RX-8 was beached as bro - the car that dint hug me"

sinkas

I think this guy is in New Zealand,
Wages are low there, i think he is currently a student or wants to be
and fuel is often over $2 local dollars a liter,
roughly id equate it with fuel /gas in USA being around 5-7 dollar a gallon
new zealand had plenty of cheap hi powered jap import cars,the best selection in the world,
as they do direct import of second had cars.
and rx8 is just a poor choice for his situation

anyway,
he asked,
we responded, we look forward to the " new owner, wont start" thread in the future

UnknownJinX

I don't own a G35 Coupe, but I don't think the rear seat access for that car would be any better than my Honda Accord Coupe, and this can become an issue for old people if they have to take the back seats.

And a BMW... It pretty much has the same reliability as a rotary except everything is overengineered. Great that you get a perfect 50:50(instead of RX-8's 51:49), but most DIY stuff on a BMW is way more painful.

I have to double check to make sure I am not in a Mustang or BRZ forum with people complaining about back seat space.

Again, depending on the individuals, you may or may not have trouble getting in and out of back seats. The back seats are not as spacious as a Camry, but this isn't a BRZ either.

With everything said, I am with BigCajun and everyone else who recommends a manual trans. Autos are not recommended for many reasons.

sprsta

If youre looking for something a bit sporty, id suggest a 350z, V35 skyline, Chaser, S2000, NC MX5 or or silvia. You'll pay a bit more outright but you won't have to worry about the extra maintenance and potential/inevitable cost of a rebuild.

A rebuild in NZ is usually in the $4000-$6000 range depending what's useable and machining etc. A new block from Mazda is about $9000+gst plus fitting.
Almost any car you will find on Trademe will be about that 100k mark right where they are due for a rebuild if not looked after correctly.
If youre still looking to pull the RX8 trigger Id suggest an S2 (2008+) as they have much better oiling system and 6 port motor in the auto.
Something like this one:
https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/use...287edce388-006
This is the sort of car that you want to take out the 3 year mechanical warranty on offer.

As usual with RX8s you get what you pay for.

Hopefully this helps.