I know the whole series I vs. series II topic has been beat to death, and I am aware of the SII's better oiling system and all that. My question is this: at what point is the increase in price worth it to upgrade to an SII? I am currently between two cars - an '05 6 speed with 61,000 miles for $9,000 and also an '09 6 speed with 33,000 miles for $14,000. Does anyone here think the SII is really worth that much extra? I wanted to cap my spending at $10,000... but I have read too many horror stories with the Series I cars that I feel like it may be better to just bite the bullet and buy the more expensive, lower mile SII.

Anyone have any thoughts on this, or personal experience?

 

Sounds like a personal question. I think you can find better deals than both of those though

 

It is personal to an extent... I suppose I'm just looking for someone else who may have been in the same dilemma, and which direction they went and why.

Maybe it's just the time of the year... But those are the cheapest I've found, especially on an SII with so few miles. It also doesn't make it any easier that I'm looking specifically for a car without a sunroof (for helmet fitment purposes). It seems 70% of all 8's were bought with a sunroof.

 

Regardless of SI vs SII, you're looking at cars with a factor of two difference in age and miles. It comes down to what you can afford, how long you like to keep cars, comfort level as stuff wears out, etc.

Personally, I never buy used cars. It's a vow I made to myself after driving old clunkers when I was school, and I'm fortunate to have been able to keep that vow. So other than pointing out the above, I can't advise your best move.

Ken

 

S2's still has warranty...

 

I was in this exact situation about 3 months ago, and came very close to making a completely different decision than I did.

I ended up going for a 2006 with about 50k miles. The price point was right, around 9g with three sets of tires (winter, oem, summer with beautiful OZ rims), well maintained, and an average of about 7.9 compression. Once all of that was addressed, the appeal of a newer rx8 became much less. I think that compression results will help you make your decision, I offered to split the cost (about 100) with the seller but he wasn't too concerned once struck a deal.

Regardless of this being an rx8 the choice between an 06 and 09 of any car brings up typical automotive wear and warranty type things. In my case I couldn't find an SII quite that cheap, so I figured I'll pay off my SI in half the time it would have taken for an SII, and the SI just seemed more 'me' if that makes sense.

Best of luck

 

I am the same way - My current DD was purchased new, however this is going to be a car that will see a bit of track time and could potentially be wrecked... So I'm trying to stay away from anything too expensive, just in case that happens.

I thought only the S1 cars got the 8 year/100K warranty?

That's great advice... I suppose with a good compression test, my mind would be alleviated about an SI car. Sounds like you got a pretty good deal too! Appreciate the advice!

Thanks everyone!

 

For what it's worth, my rx8 has warranty until September 2014. A 2007 may even get you more warranty, but still not what you'd get from an SII

 

To be honest, warranty aside, as long as compression is good in the older 8, I see no reason why you shouldn't stick to your original budget. I really like the look of the S1's better than the S2's (with the exception of the R3, but you're looking about about double your budget for that...)

 

I'm leaning that way. I consider myself fairly competent at working on cars, so an S1 seems to make more sense, especially at $5,000 cheaper. I did find a 2006 model with the Sport package and 32k miles for $9,000. If the compression test looks good, I think I will go ahead and buy it.

Thanks for all the help everyone!

 

Doubt I'd have purchased an 8 had it first appeared with the grille and side vents of an S2. Deal breaker for me.

 

S2's carry the same warranty in the US