5250 miles later
08-18-2004, 09:49 PM
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5250 miles later
I've owned my RX-8 for almost 3 months now. With the miles racking up, I have to say that it's doing quite nicely.
At 3000 miles, I had the oil changed and my dealer did the M-flash change. Given that I had racked up the first 3000 miles in 5 weeks, the M-flash changes were readily apparent to me -- I have "bonded with the car". The car started "differently" and I noticed a nice little up-tick in gas mileage. Overall, mileage has gotten better with the miles.
With the mechanical bits all nice and familiar, I've been getting about 20MPG on average. I am not a lightfoot either. On the highway, I'm seeing 23,24, heck even 25 the other day. Backroad blasting helps bring the average down, but it's not nearly as bad as the 14-16 I experienced when the car was new. I don't give the M-flash full credit -- the combination of being broken in and the flash have made for a satisfying improvement.
Oil consumption has dropped significantly for me as well. I give the M-flash credit as my driving has been pretty consistent and not much else would make sense. The car inhaled a quart of oil in the first 1500 miles and was well on it's way through a second by the time the oil change came around. Since the flash and service, I'm only 2/3 down from the top level and will likely make it between changes without adding a drop. That's not what I expected and another pleasant improvement with the miles.
Many upshifts and downshifts later, the transmission is like "butter". It's not just mastery of slapping it around. The transmission is truly "broken in". The transition from 1st to 2nd is the only one that feels "mechanical". Maybe that's a function of more than a few redline visits in first and second gear. More than one person that I've let drive the car has praised the transmission. It's awesome.
The car gives off a lot of heat, particularly in traffic. The A/C is running almost constantly when it's 70 or above. If not for the leather interior and heated mirrors, I would have not have opted for the GT package. The sunroof of my RX-8 has been used a whopping total of 3 times. I even keep the windows up as the exhaust/engine heat tends to make its way through the open windows. I would have rather saved the weight and gone without a sunroof. If you're a potential buyer and leather isn't a requirement, stick with the base package.
The A/C has gotten much better over time. I can't explain this one mechanically. When I first got the car, I would put it in the "adequate" category. Somewhere along the line, the A/C came into its own. I can frost fingers on command in the heat of summer. Maybe the dealer did something and didn't document it during the 3000 mile service. No issues there.
If there's a hotspot in the car, it's the trunk. My laptop bag fits right in the pit of the trunk and gets mighty toasty. I've taken the bag out and the metal of my Compaq X1000 has been hot to the touch. No, not warm. Holy-crap that's hot. I wouldn't bother transporting ice cream in the trunk of the car. On the plus side, I won't have to worry about things freezing either. Haha
The sunlight silver continues to look great. I put a thick coat of wax on after purchasing the car and have been keeping things tidy with Mr. Clean AutoDry. When clean, the red is the best color for this car, but silver still looks great even when the car is "dirty". I've seen a couple dirty red RX-8's that have confirmed my conservative color choice.
I did not order the appearance package with my car and I don't regret it one bit. To me, it's just dead weight. I know many folks like fins and what-not, but without anything additional underneath the hood, it's just show and no-go. Until some serious upgrades are available, the owners of the standard 6-speed cars have the lightest and fastest machines. GT owners like myself own lead sleds in comparison.
The interior is holding up well. I avoid chemical agents and just give it a sweep with a mini california car duster on occasion. The front beverage heater does a fine job of keeping things warm. I've heard that there's a fix for this, but I'm much happier not having the dealer scuff up the console.
The passenger seat has developed a minor squeaking over time. Interesting in that it sees little use in my car. The back seats have come in handy on several outings with the kids. My daughter claims that it's nice and "cozy". The baby makes great noises when accelerating and pulling G's in the turns. Isn't this what a family car is all about? Haha
Speaking of those turns, the Bridgestones have gotten kind of noisy under hard lateral acceleration. Somewhere between a squeal and a howl. Maybe I'm a little hard on them in my commuting, but it's noticeably more pronounced as I rack on the miles. As long as they do their job, I don't have a problem -- just an observation.
Brakes are excellent. They do rust up at the slightest provocation. It's not a functional issue, but if you're concerned with aesthetics, be prepared that these disks seem to rust even in high humidity. At least with silver, the orange colored disks don't clash with the paint. Haha
Having gone from a BMW to the RX-8, I must say that I am impressed with the materials and build quality. There's not much that doesn't feel like it will hold up well over time. Those unfamiliar with the RX-8 are often surprised when I say it's a $30k car. With a good climate control system and real aluminum in place of the plastic on the center tunnel, Mazda could have sold this thing for $40k and no one would have batted an eye.
At 3000 miles, I had the oil changed and my dealer did the M-flash change. Given that I had racked up the first 3000 miles in 5 weeks, the M-flash changes were readily apparent to me -- I have "bonded with the car". The car started "differently" and I noticed a nice little up-tick in gas mileage. Overall, mileage has gotten better with the miles.
With the mechanical bits all nice and familiar, I've been getting about 20MPG on average. I am not a lightfoot either. On the highway, I'm seeing 23,24, heck even 25 the other day. Backroad blasting helps bring the average down, but it's not nearly as bad as the 14-16 I experienced when the car was new. I don't give the M-flash full credit -- the combination of being broken in and the flash have made for a satisfying improvement.
Oil consumption has dropped significantly for me as well. I give the M-flash credit as my driving has been pretty consistent and not much else would make sense. The car inhaled a quart of oil in the first 1500 miles and was well on it's way through a second by the time the oil change came around. Since the flash and service, I'm only 2/3 down from the top level and will likely make it between changes without adding a drop. That's not what I expected and another pleasant improvement with the miles.
Many upshifts and downshifts later, the transmission is like "butter". It's not just mastery of slapping it around. The transmission is truly "broken in". The transition from 1st to 2nd is the only one that feels "mechanical". Maybe that's a function of more than a few redline visits in first and second gear. More than one person that I've let drive the car has praised the transmission. It's awesome.
The car gives off a lot of heat, particularly in traffic. The A/C is running almost constantly when it's 70 or above. If not for the leather interior and heated mirrors, I would have not have opted for the GT package. The sunroof of my RX-8 has been used a whopping total of 3 times. I even keep the windows up as the exhaust/engine heat tends to make its way through the open windows. I would have rather saved the weight and gone without a sunroof. If you're a potential buyer and leather isn't a requirement, stick with the base package.
The A/C has gotten much better over time. I can't explain this one mechanically. When I first got the car, I would put it in the "adequate" category. Somewhere along the line, the A/C came into its own. I can frost fingers on command in the heat of summer. Maybe the dealer did something and didn't document it during the 3000 mile service. No issues there.
If there's a hotspot in the car, it's the trunk. My laptop bag fits right in the pit of the trunk and gets mighty toasty. I've taken the bag out and the metal of my Compaq X1000 has been hot to the touch. No, not warm. Holy-crap that's hot. I wouldn't bother transporting ice cream in the trunk of the car. On the plus side, I won't have to worry about things freezing either. Haha
The sunlight silver continues to look great. I put a thick coat of wax on after purchasing the car and have been keeping things tidy with Mr. Clean AutoDry. When clean, the red is the best color for this car, but silver still looks great even when the car is "dirty". I've seen a couple dirty red RX-8's that have confirmed my conservative color choice.
I did not order the appearance package with my car and I don't regret it one bit. To me, it's just dead weight. I know many folks like fins and what-not, but without anything additional underneath the hood, it's just show and no-go. Until some serious upgrades are available, the owners of the standard 6-speed cars have the lightest and fastest machines. GT owners like myself own lead sleds in comparison.
The interior is holding up well. I avoid chemical agents and just give it a sweep with a mini california car duster on occasion. The front beverage heater does a fine job of keeping things warm. I've heard that there's a fix for this, but I'm much happier not having the dealer scuff up the console.
The passenger seat has developed a minor squeaking over time. Interesting in that it sees little use in my car. The back seats have come in handy on several outings with the kids. My daughter claims that it's nice and "cozy". The baby makes great noises when accelerating and pulling G's in the turns. Isn't this what a family car is all about? Haha
Speaking of those turns, the Bridgestones have gotten kind of noisy under hard lateral acceleration. Somewhere between a squeal and a howl. Maybe I'm a little hard on them in my commuting, but it's noticeably more pronounced as I rack on the miles. As long as they do their job, I don't have a problem -- just an observation.
Brakes are excellent. They do rust up at the slightest provocation. It's not a functional issue, but if you're concerned with aesthetics, be prepared that these disks seem to rust even in high humidity. At least with silver, the orange colored disks don't clash with the paint. Haha
Having gone from a BMW to the RX-8, I must say that I am impressed with the materials and build quality. There's not much that doesn't feel like it will hold up well over time. Those unfamiliar with the RX-8 are often surprised when I say it's a $30k car. With a good climate control system and real aluminum in place of the plastic on the center tunnel, Mazda could have sold this thing for $40k and no one would have batted an eye.
08-19-2004, 10:11 AM
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BMs...
I've driven 3s and 5s and the cockpit just does not compare. You won't regret it. Also, Valvetronic engines are good, but they're not rotaries.
Don't be deceived by the relative pricing!
I've driven 3s and 5s and the cockpit just does not compare. You won't regret it. Also, Valvetronic engines are good, but they're not rotaries.
Don't be deceived by the relative pricing!
08-19-2004, 03:08 PM
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buzzwordenabled,
Nice summary and much for me to look forward to. Thanks.
I'm at mile # 279 on my new 8, which was M flashed before I picked her up on Tuesday. I got 261 miles on my first tank/15 gallons = 17.4mpg. Not bad at all for a first tank IMO.
I like your take on the GT, Appearance Package, etc. Mine has the Sport Package (love these headlights) and nothing else. I'll probably add the splash guards to - well - reduce splashing, but the air dam and spoiler may never come. Performance and appointments are both amazing value.
You were wrong about the color of course. Yellow is best and that's a well documented fact. Otherwise, great writeup!
Nice summary and much for me to look forward to. Thanks.
I'm at mile # 279 on my new 8, which was M flashed before I picked her up on Tuesday. I got 261 miles on my first tank/15 gallons = 17.4mpg. Not bad at all for a first tank IMO.
I like your take on the GT, Appearance Package, etc. Mine has the Sport Package (love these headlights) and nothing else. I'll probably add the splash guards to - well - reduce splashing, but the air dam and spoiler may never come. Performance and appointments are both amazing value.
You were wrong about the color of course. Yellow is best and that's a well documented fact. Otherwise, great writeup!
08-19-2004, 11:44 PM
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I have test driven the RX8 and own a 94 Twin Turbo. I took like the smoothness of the car.
3 things I do not like about the RX8 are:
1 - Mazda dealers suck, no customer service skills what so ever and no knowledge of rotary either
2 - Rx8 looks too rounded in rear quarter, the whole car looks like an egg
3 - Why does the engine only output 238 hp? Mazda 6 makes 220 doesn't it?
Don't get me wrong, I still like Rx8. But I won't be buying one anytime soon.
3 things I do not like about the RX8 are:
1 - Mazda dealers suck, no customer service skills what so ever and no knowledge of rotary either
2 - Rx8 looks too rounded in rear quarter, the whole car looks like an egg
3 - Why does the engine only output 238 hp? Mazda 6 makes 220 doesn't it?
Don't get me wrong, I still like Rx8. But I won't be buying one anytime soon.
08-20-2004, 06:56 AM
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Originally Posted by djantlive
......2 - Rx8 looks too rounded in rear quarter, the whole car looks like an egg.....
rx8cited
08-23-2004, 06:39 AM
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Originally Posted by djantlive
3 - Why does the engine only output 238 hp? Mazda 6 makes 220 doesn't it?
The 8's peak arrives at 8200. The 6's arrives at 3500. That's the difference. If you don't see why that's important then I wouldn't bother buying a sports car!
My VWAG diesel delivers a lot more torque than the 8, but I know which one is faster. It's not the diesel.
08-23-2004, 11:44 AM
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My RX8 has about 5000 miles on it and I have been also very happy with it although it does have some rattling. Now in defense of BMW, we also have 2 5-series (one is my wife's), and I must say the BMWs do have better build quality. After 3 years my 530i is completely rattle free. And it gets 25 MPG with mixed city and highway driving. Both the 530 and RX8 are fun to drive.
Originally Posted by zevans
BMs...
I've driven 3s and 5s and the cockpit just does not compare. You won't regret it. Also, Valvetronic engines are good, but they're not rotaries.
Don't be deceived by the relative pricing!
I've driven 3s and 5s and the cockpit just does not compare. You won't regret it. Also, Valvetronic engines are good, but they're not rotaries.
Don't be deceived by the relative pricing!
08-23-2004, 12:56 PM
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I"ve had a very very similar experience with my rx-8.. oil consumption was really really high, like 1 litre per 1000KM. but that's totally gone down, gas milage is much better. I noticed a nice change with the m-flash. I'm up to 7500km, everything works great except for the fact of engine coolent leaking into the passenger foot well. seems to be a problem with the heating core and they might have my baby for up to 3 weeks!!!@!
I'll tell you guys/girls this, i'm going into withdrawl driving around this damn civic.. But besides this little "hickup" this car is the greatest. I've driven many different cars from civics(blah), all the way up to BMW's. This is sooo much more fun and driver oriented. I just want my car back!! been without it since saturday and i'm already going crazy..
MrJynx
I'll tell you guys/girls this, i'm going into withdrawl driving around this damn civic.. But besides this little "hickup" this car is the greatest. I've driven many different cars from civics(blah), all the way up to BMW's. This is sooo much more fun and driver oriented. I just want my car back!! been without it since saturday and i'm already going crazy..
MrJynx
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