About to Purchase
 

I am about to purchase a 2004 6speed RX-8 with 13,000 miles on it and finally move up from my SVT Focus that I have. There are 3 things that bother me about this move, those being the following:
1. Gas mileage, is it really a big problem?
2. The engine being prone to flooding.
3. Longevity of the motor, don't know much about this?

Can some of you that know more about this please clue me in on these questions, other than that the car is a blast and I think it is very much worth upgrading.

I'd start with the search button. These questions have been answered many, many times before.

My experience
1. 14.5-19.5 mpg (lower number was all city)
2. Flooded once. Make sure your flash is updated and never kill the engine cold.
3. Should last as long as/longer than piston engine if properly maintained

Do a search for more detailed info from different members. Take your time.

1. Gas mileage can be a problem if you want it to be. Some people obsess over it. I say, don't worry, be happy, enjoy the ride.
2. Mine hasn't, many haven't, some have. Read the thread.
3. Not an issue.

1. What is a problem for you, if you require 20+ miles per gallon, don't buy this car
2. If you take care of it properly, it won't flood. Also look up how to start a flooded engine.
3. If maintained properly, it is not an issue, if abused, you can screw it up like anything else.

Like they have told you (but don't worry I tend to be lazy with the search button too) just go search. I use to think the search button did not work to well but after testing it out, it sure does answer your questions pretty fast.

Fuel economy is baded on alot of things (conditions, driving style, etc) but so far since I got my RX8 I've gotten:

19.8, 19.3, 18.9, 18.9, 19.2mpg in 85% city driving so as far as I'm concerned those numbers don't scare me. Some people have some scary stories but hopefully you wont end up with a thirsty RX8.

A rotary engine has less parts so IN THEORY it should last longer than a piston engine but like any motor, take care of it...and it will take care of you.

Finally, the flooding issue is avoidable if you simply DO NOT shut off the engine cold. While I use to think this would be a bit of a pain...it's proved to be nothing more than a tempoary "Ahhh man..."

many of the questions you ask depend on you.

This car is rev happy, (some people never seem to keep it below 7k rpm's), but as long as your not driving in high rpm's all the time gas doesn't seem to be an issue. It is a sports car and getting 30mpg is definitely not in this car.

That said, some of the older models ( the first batches) have had some mpg issues, with some getting as low as 10 mpg. The majority of people seem to be getting between 16 and 19 mpg, with some saying they are getting in the low to mid 20's. I seem to get between 17 and 18 mpg no matter how I drive, city and highway. Depends on how you drive.

A small percentage of owners have had flooding issues. Again most seem to be in the older cars but a few have been in fairly recent ones. Updated flashes seems to have taken care of most of these but a few still happen once in a while ( I suspect cold shut downs). There is a procedure in the manual for starting a flooded car, and yes, it works. Depends on if you shut down cold.

As far as longevity, that depends on how you take care of it, just like any other engine...

The biggest difference is you check you oil level every couple of fill ups. This car is designed to use some naturally and you just need to check it. I've added 1 quart of oil so far with 2500 miles on the car. Nothing major, takes 1 minute.

I know what is said on other websites concerning the maint and upkeep of this car, but it really isn't true. I think most people are assuming that since it's basically the same engine as the rx7 , that it should have the same problems ( rx7's had some very "interesting" maint. issues), but none reported yet and we got a few drivers over 40K already.

So, if you find a good deal, and there's lots around right now, I would say don't worry and go for it...

1. It's not a big deal, but it only seem bad due to the size of our gas tank. Other cars with the similar mileage usually have at least a 20gal tank or large while we only have a 15 gal. In other words, it makes our cruise range a lot shorter than comparative cars which makes our mileage seems worse than it is. (although it's not too great to begin with) Also, it depends largely on your driving style. If you cruise on the open freeway at 65-75, you'll get excellent mileage, however, if you drive around at 5k RPM 90% of the time like I do, you'll get below 20MPG on average for sure.

2. Never flooded my car and shouldn't be a problem, just be sure to have your car warm up before shutting down. If you don't, there's a shutdown procedure where you rev up to 5kRPM for 10 sec and shutting off then, no problem afterwards. Also, this car warms up pretty quickly in short trips, at least for So Cal weather so not much of a problem here either.

3. It's a Rotary with 4 moving parts compared to the hundreds in a Piston engine. Overall, it has every reason to be more reliable than a piston engine. Only downside is it's nature to consume oil which is not a problem but the oil is injected to lube the seals. As long as you change oil like you should with any car and keep an eye out on the oil level which is approximately a qt every 2500 miles, you should be fine. The only reason you're hearing problems regarding the rotaries is with the turbo FD3S (3rd gen Rx7) which is mostly due to it's complex squential twin turbo system, and the insufficient cooling which is not a problem with the Rx8. Also the Naturally Aspirated Rotaries are known to be reliable and capable of going 200k+ miles without any problem.

Mine hardly takes any oil. I've added about 4 quarts so far and have about 15,500 miles on it.

If you need plus 18mpg --NOOOO
 

If milage figures into your purchase equation- this is NOT the car for you/

If pure fun, top sports car handling, and head turning good looks, are what your looking for- you will will get will get all 3 in volumes!!

1 - If you are asking about the mileage, this may be an issue for you. As everyone else stated, if you get on the car (which is hard to resist) your mileage will be lower. This is no different than any high performance engine.
2 - No flooding here. I beleive it is less frequent than it's made out to be. I have an 04, build date of 9/03 and I have never had a problem. Flash was updated.
3 - I beleive all things considered, if you maintain the engine properly, it should last as long if not longer than a piston engine and require significantly less maintenance.

**Car is one of the most appealing cars on the road, turns heads, it's quick and handles amazing. The rotary doesn't drive like any other car. Drive one, you'll be hooked. I was! I believe the way the RX & rotary drive makes people very devoted to this type of car. .

1. I usually get 20 to 21.5 mpg, no issue w/ the gas mileage. Like you, I did my due diligence and researched this car from every possible angle. Plus, I just figure the low mileage is a labor of love which you WILL feel if and when you buy one.

2. No flooding but I always let it warm up before I move it but let's face it, it's no big deal just to let her run a couple of minutes.

3. As far as longevity goes, I see all model years of RX7's even RX3's and RX4's on the road. So I believe w/ proper maintenance this engine will last as long, if not longer, than any other engine out there.