2007 RX-8 5 Months of Ownership. My thoughts and Impressions.
 

When I decided I wanted a RX-8 as my next car, I began to read through some forums/threads and see what some people had to say about their 8's.

And all I found was:
"Rx-8 Motor flooded!!"
"No torque, car flooded!"
"Bose audio sucks, car flooded!!"

After reading so many negative threads, it actually made me want an 8 more, because I had a gut feeling that I was not gonna deal with any of these problems. The reason I thought and felt this way was because I know the only things your gonna hear on the internet are the ones who complain, and the majority who are not having problems are out enjoying their cars and their lives.

With that being said, here are my thoughts on my 2007 RX-8 after 5 months of ownership (lease ownership ;-) )

1. Flooding. I have driven many short distances, and have yet to flood the motor. Just use common sense, don't start your car, move it 10 feet and shut it off. Its very simple :p: I have actually forgotten that this problem exists. Until I come to RX8club.com

2. Audio. My Bose audio system is the best sounding car system I have ever had. Everybody who has been in my car with the radio blasted has commented on my factory audio system, it makes any type of music sound great. Almost theater like.

3.Torque. I still can't figure this one out. You have 6 gears. You have NINE THOUSAND RPMS. Use them.

4. Interior.I absolutely love my Red & Black interior. Everything blends so well inside the car, and the electro-luminescent gauges add a really nice flare to the interior. All my friends have the same response, girls included about the gauges... "thats sweet"

5. Exterior. My first week with my car, there was a group of co-workers (work at mgm grand detroit, thousands of co-workers) standing around my car. I found a couple of hand prints on my windows before, i'm guessing people were leaning up against my car staring inside lol I get commented all the time. Pumping gas, at the car wash, friends, co-workers, and it is a pure chick magnet.

6. Fun to drive. The shifter becomes a part of you, the handling becomes a part of you, the brakes become a part of you. Basically you and the car become one. I know it sounds cheesy but its true.

Overall, the RX-8 has been everything I wanted and more. Anyone thinking of getting an 8, get one, you won't regret it. Don't be turned off by forums, these people complaining are a very, very small percentage. I fear that the next 8 won't have the soul as the current one, even if it is more powerful. But I do await its release, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/1577/rx8dc9ls7.jpg

for some reason this just makes me think
NIIIINNEEEE TTHHHOOOUUUSSAAAANNNDDDDD
Really though you do have to drive this car like you stole it to get the power out of it. That's a good/bad deal I guess, but then there's always FI...

The prints on the window issue has actually made me grin before. A couple of times now when getting into my car I have looked over to see a smudge of a nose print or hand prints where someone cupped their hands to look inside through the tint I guess. The first time it happened I thought someone was just looking for something to steal but later got a compliment on the interior from a co-worker the next day.

I've had mine since sept '04 and the more comfortable with the car I get the more I enjoy it.

Camel, you've got it. I've had Zoomy for just over a year and have reached the same conclusions. FWIW, I discovered this site *after* I brought him into the family. The doom and gloom posts were amusing.

I've got the standard sound system, so I can't comment on the Bose. But what I have sounds very good to me - best car radio I've ever had.

Love the 9000 rpm. I always get a big smile out of that. Walking up to Zoomy in a parking lot and seeing the unique shape also brings a smile. Ever notice how the front grille looks like a big smile?

And driving on a twisty road... :) :)

Contibute something to the "The little things" thread.

Ken

Wonder how many hand prints get on a EVO windows? or Mustang, so on and so on.

Very nice post. For me, the torque issue isn't one unless I'm stuck at a very steep hill and when I try to move, either I risk spinning the wheels or the engine's about to stall (or could be b/c I haven't driven a manual in so many years).. good thing this engine doesn't die immediately, but you can actually catch the clutch after the warning lights come on and the revs dive to 0 and it's back!.. BTW, you picked the best color combination!.. love those sparkles the paint gives off in the sun.. and treating the leather and watching it glow

Your impressions of the 8 very much match mine—and I've had mine over a year and a half. And I couldn't agree more—in the RX8Club.com world, the car is a seriously underpowered, fatally flawed, "not ready for prime time" Mazda disaster, that will be dropped from the Mazda lineup because of horrible sales in 2005. Make that 2006. I mean, 2007. Oops, I meant 2008…

But… all I have to do is get behind the wheel, start her up, and, well, it's nothing less than… sex on wheels. And, like yourself, I lurked here for quite some time—nearly two years—before deciding to buy. And I couldn't help but notice a most curious thing: just about every car magazine that tested the 8, in literally dozens of reviews and "shoot outs", fell in love with the car, almost without exception. And yet here, on this forum, every other thing I read talked about how bad it was. Who to believe? Journalists who know how to think and write, and who beat out hundreds of other, not-as-talented journalists to get their jobs—or a bunch of unknown, self-appointed internet "experts" who decried the 8 a monumental failure. Uh… tough call. :rolleyes: The car is not perfect. I don't like the Bose as much as you, I wish the oil pressure gauge was real, and my sunroof developed a squeak. (The TSB repair took care of that, no problem.)

But yes, the gloom and doom here is, frankly, unbelieveable. (Does Karl Rove lurk on this forum??) My favorite post, so far? "Its certainly possible that 50% or more of the motors in these cars will fail the recall at some point relatively early in their life span… I believe that there will be something closer to a 100% failure rate of these motors in arid climates after sufficient mileage."

Priceless.

^ haha I too spotted that post a long time ago. Couldn't believe it.. but how could it be true.. this NA rotary is indestructible!... gets better/faster/smoother with age/mileage too; now what piston engine can claim that?

what is this, people have GOOD things to say about the RX-8 on this forum?!?! inconceivable!!

I do agree with camel with one exception:

With the car stopped the bose system sounds great to be an OEM system. The only complaint about the bose system is that when you drive the car at speeds over 50 mph the noise from the tyres and engine mask too much the sound of the audio system. Anyway, I prefer to keep the audio system down and the engine "high". That is the best music you can hear. To me a future RX8 generation should improve road noise isulation.

Long ago I tried -deliverately- to flood my engine in several ocassions unsuccessfully (starting it cold and turning it off after a few secs). What is more, the car has started ALWAYS and without exception at the first atempt, and yes with the original crancking motor which is one of the week parts of the car (2005/06 and 07 models are equipped with a much better one).

Yes, there will be quite a lot of people who have had problems with their cars, but it is clear and human that the people with problems show up more on the internet than those who just enjoy their cars.

To many complaints about the RX8 in this forum and my car which 3.5 years old still delights me like the very first day (even more now).

Cheers

jird20

funny you mentioned the flooding...I haven't heard a thing about flooding in at least a year now.

Seems like they finally hit the nail on the head.

I agree with you Camel. I only had the flooding issue once, due to an unknowning wife who moved the car herself early one morning (I worked deep nights and she did not want to wake me) and flooded it. Luckily, the car was under warranty and a tow truck came and took it to the Mazda dealer. I got a new battery and starter out of the deal, so maybe not such an issue.

People still comment about the car all the time and I plan on keeping mine for some time.

Camel,

I see you are from Dearborn... Make sure you post here...
https://www.rx8club.com/mw-rx-8-forum-31/michigan-rx8-owners-list-2007-a-118227/

This site can be really negative at times, more so than any other I've gone through, but still there's more good than bad here. Most of the negative comes from guys who post a few threads than leave, or the stuff comes from non 8 owners. It all makes for the most entertaining car or bike site that I know of.

Haven't counted, but it seems like, maybe, 75% of the negative stuff comes from six people. It's really a shame, because noobies come here to learn about the car and see dozens of negative posts and, understandably, walk away thinking "wow, that car has lots of problems!" All because of the "stuffing" of the verbal ballot box!

Funny… you would think the horrible reliability of the 8 you read about here would be reflected in the dozens of reviews and road tests of the car from around the world—particularly the most recent ones. Something like "Mazda's problems with the ill-fated RX-8 are by now well known…". But you don't read that. No, instead you read stuff like this:

"The Wankel has much to recommend it. There are very few moving parts (no cams, rockers, valves, valve springs, etc.), which reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs. The rotors turn at 1/3 the speed of the crankshaft, so the stresses on it are far less than those on pistons moving at similar crankshaft speeds, which boosts reliability -- as demonstrated by Mazda's overall win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991 (which led to banning Wankels from the race)."—MT, 8/07

Hmm, doesn't sound like there are reliability issues to me. ;)

2005 Shinka with 12,500 miles now (warm wx driven only). Easily the most fun sports machine in its price range I've ever had, even over my youth-enamored '77 Celica GT liftback. And nary a flood either!! ;)

Aside from one leaky rear tailight, which was readily replaced under warranty, it's been thoroughly reliable.

after 1+ years and almost 10k mine still kicks ass and takes names

i can only complain about the traffic around me :)

I had the same sentiments as above except for the Bose. it really is mediocre at best even to my untrained audiophile ears. The 8 is such a good driving companion. It doesn't beat you down on daily commute and when the occassion arises, it handles like a dream. This car is not for the lazy driver. It's shifter is a delight and encourages roving through the gears just to get to that stratospheric rpm and <Beep!>. The engine is such a willing revver and the exhaust sound is wonderful. Reminds me of a Cagiva at full song but with a deeper muted growl.
Handling is devastatingly good. Only the other day I had to take the outside line of a curve on a green light. Due to my entry speed which was prohibitively high for that curve, I saw the faces at the opposite traffic expecting that this car will just push wide and hit them. But no, the back end, tucks in, tires continued to claw the tarmac tenaciously and with the needle at it's sweet 7000rpm spot, the 8 just powers through easily very confidently.
I know for sure my stage II wrx would've just sliden wide.

I have '04 6 speed with 46k miles. Never once had flooding. The RX8 is a car you really have to know HOW to drive for its full potential. The launch is not as simple as dropping in 1st and slamming the gas, the torque just isnt there. To get the power, a synchronized order of revs and clutch release has to be ultilized. If you simply drop the clutch and hammer the gas you WILL bog. But if you rev to around 5k+, ease out clutch just a tad for split second, then release fully after the grab and weeeeeeeeehhh off you will go. Its automatic once you master it. I didnt really get this until like after a month of owning my 8! i always have to tell my boys who drive my 8 for the first time "how" to drive it by keeping it between 6-9k rpms and the launch thing because, like every person who hasnt driven the 8, they have no clue.

Were you by chance an English/Lit major?? Because your use of adjectives in this piece are superb!!!!!! LOL Felt like i was in your car with you

Yes... but having only 3 moving parts means nothing when you start having engine failures...That is only a selling line... thats all....

I think that there is a tunning issue with the ECU...?? Conceptually, the engine should be very reliable... (but unfortunatelly the nature of the engine doesn't make it that way...)

+1

going in my sig, blast! it won't fit!

LMAO! Seriously, excellent use of words dude. I got such a vivid picture in my mind, It sucked me in. I realized after reading your post my face was 2" away from the computer monitor... and its a 24" monitor

Reading all these positive posts makes me want to go out and drive my baby. The best feeling is after a long hard day at work, i'm greeted by my 8 with a smile on its face. I turn her on, and I hear some cool popping sounds, and then I hear UFO sounds... I instantly forget about the stressful day I just had.

yea I think the difference is though that those 'experts' drive the car for a short period of time. The ones on this forum have it all the time. So problems would arise that wouldn't on a one-day test drive...

I remember watching a Top Gear program on youtube, about the 8, and although Jeremy Clarkson said all good things about the 8, like the handling, its practicability, etc, he said that this car is not the prettiest car... & I thought wait a minute, I really like how the car looks, esp the headlights and tail lights, with all those trim details inside, I am just so in love with this car.

I used to drive an accord 4 cylinder, so the 8 does have enough torque for me.

O yeah, last but not least, gotta love the 9,000 rpm.

I'm a first gen migrant. FOB if you wish. :)