Drw814

Hi everyone, brand new user here.

I'm looking to buy my next car and an rx8 is one im looking into.

Let me start off with a short history of my past cars.

1st car - 1988 FC rx7 vert. My first real car. Loved most of the things about it, but also disliked a few. The roof got old after about a year in new England, the power wast too great, the a/c didn't work, and the trunk was tiny. I loved the handling, and the way it looked though.

2nd car - Sold the rx7 and bought a 1987 corvette. Car was an auto and in great shape. The handling was also very good, with the rx7 beating it by a small margin. Power was much better though, with 345ft/lbs of torque and 240hp. I liked this car a ton, but pretty soon I got a trade offer that I ended up going with.

3rd car - 2008 dodge charger police package. I thought it was great at first. 340hp and 390ft/lbs out of a 5.7 hemi, tons of room being a 4 door with a large trunk, etc. But after a few months the handling started to get to me. The tranny being an automatic on the column meant no shifting, at all. The car weighed about 4,100 lbs without me in it, and it was pretty high off the ground. Essentially it was a large car good for straight line acceleration with little handling prowess on curvy roads.

That brings me to the present, I just sold the charger, and im looking for something to essentially combine the best qualities of these cars. Basically im down to a new edge mustang gt (1999-2004) or an rx8.

Both have the stuff im looking for, being
-manual tranny
-2+2 config
-Rwd
-Trunk (Main reason im not looking at something like another vette or a 300zx)
-Sporty

Keeping that in mind im somewhat torn with my choice. I know the mustang will be faster in a straight line, but I know the rx8 will handle much better through the bends.

With my first car being an rx7, I know a fair amount about rotary care. Adding oil, not flooding, preventing carbon buildup etc. But from what I am reading online, the rx8s seem particularly problematic, which has me concerned.

So to sum it up:
-Is an rx8 going to be a problem child if I buy one with about 100k?
-I know it will be slower than the mustang, but does the handling make up for it?
-What are some things you guys like and dislike about yours?
-Any big issues I should lookout for? I know what I'm doing in general with buying a used car, but anything rx8 specific?

I'm 20 and it'll be my daily. I cant afford to dump tons of $$$ into a car on a regular basis.

Sorry for the long read, and thank you for your input.

Williard

iTrader: (18)

First and foremost welcome to the forum

Second, below my post in my SIG block you will find two links. Read all the information in the New and potential owners thread. It'll answer all of your questions.

100k on a chassis is nothing. GET A ROTARY SPECIFIC COMPRESSION TEST BEFORE YOU BUY IT! I can't stress that enough. As long as you make sure you buy a decent car you wont really have to dump a ton into it. It's not cheap to boost and maintaining is a bit more expensive than most others.
The trunk is tiny. Great for what it is, but small.

If you buy an RX8 that was well maintained and has good compression scores, your in good shape. If you purchase one that was beat and sometimes heavily modified more than likely it'll be a money pit. Handling compared to a Mustang is amazing but you lose a lot of that HP and Torque. You can always make the mustang handle a bit better and it would be WAY cheaper than making the rx8 faster. It's a personal choice really. A DEEP personal choice.
Hope that helps a bit.

Travis

No_Doritos

personally id go for the 8 no matter the condition of the engine. it can be rebuilt or swapped. overall, its far more appealing appearance wise over a mustang, in like, every aspect.

unless this is going to be a dedicated track car, id stick with the rotary and make it a cruiser. keep it fresh. also, its nice to hear an exhaust tone only a rotary can make in a crowd of cars, a lot of people turn their heads to see where its coming from.

KingKoopa93

Plus everyone and their mom had a mustang

Red line envy

MUSTANG where!? Aaaahhhhhh. Lol
Definitely go with the 8. Its so beautiful

New Yorker

Time and again, year after year, reviewers from every automobile magazine have lauded the RX-8's handling. Several years ago, "Sports Car International" put it on their list of the "Ten Best Handling Cars In the World at Any Price".

I don't believe a Mustang made the list.

IamFodi

iTrader: (1)

On handling, let me put it this way. My last car was an E36 M3, often regarded as an example of what good handling is supposed to be like. Then I test drove a base RX-8. After that, the M3 felt sluggish and numb -- even though it was on wider, grippier tires. So yeah, the RX-8 handles, and feels excellent doing it. Any normal live-axle Mustang will handle like a school bus by comparison.

Speed-wise, I'm sure you know what's up in terms of numbers. There are a few things I'd add. First, speed is cheap and common, whereas good handling is rare. Also, straight-line speed is actually a liability when you're not using it (big engine = heavy, lots of power to manage in the rain, etc.), whereas good handling and braking contribute to your safety at all times. Lastly, isn't the whole point of speed... to feel like you're going fast? If so, the RX-8 is much better than the numbers suggest because it feels a lot faster than it is. That's a really, really good thing on the street, IMO. It's all part of why the RX-8 makes everyday moments an absolute joy.

In terms of upkeep, that's where things get dicey. Besides the engine, I don't think RX-8s break any more than Mustangs do. But for a Mustang, parts are usually MUCH cheaper AFAIK and engine failure is much less likely. So, you should still plan on the RX-8 costing more to maintain IMO.

Good luck!

acroy

Get an S2 (2009+) RX8 with some factory warranty left, and enjoy it

wannawankel

I agree

IamFodi

iTrader: (1)

Best option by far if it fits the budget.

Drw814

Thanks everyone for your input. I was still unsure of what to buy, and was basically just waiting for a nice example of either an rx8 or mustang in my price range. Well, a couple days ago, I found what I was looking for on Craigslist.

I ended up with this rx8. Its a 2004 with 74k miles. Now I just need to register it and get going.

Red line envy

Nice find. Congrats you have been reborn as a rotard.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Sweet, S1 is better looking in my opinion.
I have a '04 also, LYGT, almost 4 years now, 55+k on the odo.
Love it.

04Green

iTrader: (1)

Nice,

Since 04, check out the congrats thread below. Is what I learned across both of mine.

Drw814

So I haven't even registered the car yet, but I already have a question. The car seems to take a little longer to start than I think it should. I dont exactly remember how long it took my rx7 to start, but this seems longer. I dont think its compression, as it takes equally long to start weather cold or hot, and idles/drives great etc. So that has got me reading about the starters in these cars. Mine is an 04' which I believe has the weaker starter correct? I am in no rush to replace it as it is nothing more than a minor annoyance, but for future reference it would be good to know. Thank you in advance.

Chrishoky

iTrader: (9)

There is a chance it has the weak starter, but the only way to know is to get under the car and check the part number.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

How much longer is longer?
So wait. Did you get a compression test before buying?

Drw814

Its just a little longer than I remember my rx7 being. Its about 2 seconds.

I know it is frowned upon in general, but I did not do a compression test. The car has relatively low miles, from an owner who knew rotary care, and shows no signs of compression loss. It also just sounds like the engine should turnover a little faster. Its not a problem as far as im concerned, just something I might get to in the future.

I know I am going to receive flak for not getting a compression test, but I felt confident after a thorough look over and test drive. Not to mention the closest Mazda dealership is somewhat far away.

-The engine starts in the same amount of time hot or cold
-The engine holds idle
-The engine does not want to stall
-The engine is responsive and has good power
-The engine does not overheat

I am just trying to get opinions about possibly upgrading the starter to a more powerful unit. If I'm correct, Mazda switched to a 2.0kw starter from the 1.3kw starter in the early models, and the 2.0 is much better. I have located what I believe to be the correct one on amazon for about $100.

Also, the previous owner was running idemitsu rotary premix, so I need to pick up some of that, as the bottle he gave me is almost empty.

Williard

iTrader: (18)

drw,

The starter your looking for is the N3R3, it is the most updated starter for MT 8's. Compared to ANY other of our starters it is a BEAST. I recommend them 100%
And yes they are fairly cheap on Amazon now.

Travis

Drw814

Ok, so it is this one correct?

2009 2011 Mazda RX 8 1 3L M T N3R3 18 400 Mitsubishi Starter M001TA0271 | eBay

Thank you for the clarification.

Also as far as premix, is it necessary to use every tank? Every other tank? etc. I am planning on using it as much as I can, but I'm sure there will be times here and there where I dont add it. The previous owner used it, so if I stop using it will there be any side effects? I never did any premixing on my old rx7 and it ran great for as long as I owned it. Thanks.

Jazer

Premix is an option, not a necessity, persay... many people dont and are fine, tho personally I recommend it as it's an added safety measure (research premix and make your own decision). If youre going to do it, do it every fill up. Why spend the money on premix to do it sometimes... when you dont put it in, your kind of countering that extra protection you put effort into already. I would be even more inclined to stick with it since the previous owner already was. It insures the entire contact face is lubricated where the oil squirters may have spots they don't cover as efficiently.

The general concencus is 1/2 oz per gallon. So at 1/4 of a tank, I always fill up and add 6oz of premix. Some may add more especially If you're going to be racing it, etc... I stay at the lower end of the spectrum as I still have a factory cat in there. Main debate against premix is for a car that already tends to like to eat cats a little more than average, premix will make that even more of a concern ( your'e adding more stuff to send out the exhaust.)

Williard

iTrader: (18)

You decide.
I always premix, not "sometimes" . But again thats something your going to have to decide on. Many here believe it works, others think it's pointless.

Travis

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

You might want to try a new battery.
I recently got my 3rd in 4 years.
Advanced Auto Gold Tops, not too expensive, but not cheap either.
The last one going bad resulted in it flooding, it wasn't dead, just weak, turning over slower than usual.
During the deflood process it wouldn't hold a charge, so I knew it was dying.
Guy at Advanced said it tested good, but I insisted on a new one, (prorated warranty) and no problem since.
Our weather goes from below 0° in the winter to +100° in summer.
Also be sure your terminals are in good shape, clean and tight.
They can stretch and seem tight when the bolts bottom out, but still be loose.
I put shims, then the little post caps instead of changing the terminals, works fine.

gwilliams6

Do yourself a favor and still get that compression test. Even though you once had an RX7 and are confident you know the compression is good in this car, the odds are equally as good that the engine will test out lower than you think in a 12 year old car.

There are a lot of good suggestions from posters here, for example you DO need to upgraded that starter. But don't dismiss the possibility your engine is having issues.

Drw814

OK, like I said the starting isn't an issue as of yet. It still starts fine either cold or hot, I'm just looking for some input on the speed at which it starts. I'm going to check out the battery tomorrow to see how old it is etc. If it isn't that, I will most likely get a new starter. Being the car still isn't registered or being driven (unfortunately), I'm in no rush to do much, just trying to plan out some future stuff to buy.

Although I feel the engine is in good shape, I agree with you that a compression test would be a good idea to prove/disprove my thoughts.