Deciding on an Rx8
 

Hey guys,
Im brand new here i currently have a scion Tc im about to get rid of and i think ive decided on my next car being an rx8. Just wanted to ask some questions first, see what u guys think from your experience. I am a little weary on the 15mpg i think it gets and the premium gas it drinks adding to my wallet, Is it really that bad from everyones experience or no? Second i like near Albany, NY so snow is a big thing here rear wheel drive and snow dont mix. Most imporantly there are 2 ive seen and narrowed it down to an 04 dark gray(not my fav) gt black leather interior for 15.5k or an 06 rx8 black (very hot) with rims an pioneer nav sysem and black/red 2 tone leather interior rims and intake/exhaust buts its like 18-19k which is too pricey what do u guys think in your opinion?

Yep, its a sports car and you will et 15 mpg in the winter.

Maybe 18 in summer.

Sounds like you can't afford it.

I've gotten as little as 12mpg and as high as 15mpg around town. Does not seem to matter how hard or how easy I drive my RX-8. I average about 20mpg on highway trips. It is a sports car that makes up for its shortcomings with an incredible driving experience every time I get behind the wheel.

If you are worried/concerned/leary about mpg, get a different car. With an RX-8 your give-a-damn needs to be busted.

yeah I get about 16mpg mixed...22mpg all highway...best ever 24.4mpg....
Yes it takes premium some get away with it but mine does not like anything but 93(or 91 but we have93 round here)
As for snow when I was living in Northwestern PA (yes I know about snow being a huge deal for AT LEAST 6 months of the year) I drove it from feb on when I first got it cause i didnt have the extra cash for snow tires....the next year I bought a 350 dollar beater and parked the 8 for the winter. Many here use the 8 all year around but I suggest to buy a beater for winter and keep the salt off of the 8....

sounds like u better check ur finances if u can afford it..

this is not a regular car, so do your research, it requires more TLC then your scion...

i can afford it im 21 this is gonna be an upgrade car for me and i never had a sporty sports car before so im just gonna need to adjust to it with the premium gas and such. I was just interested in your guys 2 cents and what not. Im def diggin the whole sports car tuner thing so im pretty pumped i test drove a few and it seems pretty sweet so far... I drive ALOT so im just gonna have to get used to hittin up the gas station more :P

oo an one more thing i have a 10inch jl-audio 10w1 sub i gotta fit in this thing the sub box i have right now isnt fitting in the trunk. anyone make custom sub boxes or something?

jus remember you'll be reaching for AT LEAST 10$ bill to throw into her EVERYTIME you get in (for gas). That was my experience with the rx8. Its worth it though :)

^yeah I def spend about 10 bucks everytime I start it.....

to the OP I have 2 10" Polk audio's in a box and it fits perfectly back into the "indent" of the back of the trunk....takes some menuvering(?) but it fits so unless ur box is F***in huge then it should fit....

I just swapped out the plugs, coils, wires, had the fluids changed, and am getting 22mpg. About 65% of my driving is city and 35% highway.

I drive normally, red line it once or twice a day, and have fun driving it.

I would stay away from 04s. An 05 with all recall work done or an 06 is the way to go. I got my 05 Shinka fully loaded (sans Nav) with 51000 miles for $12k.

BTW - Premium is not required, just recommended. I'm running midgrade and haven't had any issues with performance or mileage.

I have a 10" JL sub installed on the left side of the trunk. Fits perfectly.

I think you should look for a car with better gas mileage. Plus those 8 prices are way too high.

are you guys supposed to be rooting for me and encouraging me to get an rx8 lol every seems to be tryin to tell me not to get it lol? heres the two im tryin to decide on http://usedcars.kbb.com/fyc_b/compar...pare=263438667 Id like to get the black one but not such a huge fan of the 18k price tag

This isn't your typical fanboi forum.
Most of the posters here have been here so long that they know who's a good candidate for this car, and who's going to come back in a couple of weeks and complain/regret the purchase.

..............lame

the gas mileage over time, you just learn to accept. what do you expect from a sports car?

trust though, its a much better car than the Tc. i drive my sister's all the time and it feels like a huge box. its so bulky i hate it.

yea thats what i figured like i said, im just gonna learn to adjust :) But whats the difference between an 04 and an 05 didnt they both have the recalls?

Depends if the previous owner brought the car in for service work and recalls once they received the letter in the mail about it. Most dealers wont do the recall work on the car if they receive it from a trade in or auction purchase. They just want it inspected and sold, they don't care about if the car will last you 100 miles or 100k miles.

It's a great car if you are aware of and willing to accept the differences between it and basically every other car out there. It has a rotary engine that is designed to burn oil as it runs and is also designed to rev. And the car doesn't get great mileage with respect to the engine size and the weight and aero-design of the car. The reason it may seem that people are discouraging is that people buy the cars and then come on here and complain about all of those things because it isn't basically maint. free. You need to check the oil often, every other fillup or so, and add more oil when needed. It is recommended that you redline the engine everyday you drive it to blow out any carbon buildup the rotary is proned to have.

Bottom line, there is an additional cost in both time and money that comes with owning an 8. If you buy knowing that, you'll be much happier with it than finding out after the fact.

With all that said, they are very fun to drive and own. Look around and you can find some good deals on them out there. If you are buying used, check the service history if you can and run a carfax or vincheck before buying. You can also call Mazda corporate with the VIN number and they can tell you if any recall work has been done on the car.

hmm if your worrying about gas mpg, i think the car is not for you. you should get a car that is better on mpg just IMO.

in all honesty im not too worried about gas mileage i mean a do drive a good amount because of work and its mainly highway, so yes i understand that it will cost me more w/ more visits to the pump(which is a lil bummer) but i think the car is pretty sexy and fun to drive that thats whats most important to me loving the car i drive and keepin it lookin good

^ If your willing to put in the time and effort then go for it. Just dont complain to us a couple weeks after you get the car about how bad you think it is etc.. Always make sure you have at least 2qt of oil in your trunk. Top it off when needed. Red line it a day. You will dread the gas pump everytime you have to go to it, but once you drive your car you will forget.

There are a couple of mods you can do to increase mpg but it wont be by much. You most likely will get between 2-3mpg with about 1400 invested. 700 of that is from MM Cobb AP, 50$ for k&n filter and how much you want to spend on a cat back. New spark plugs and ignition coils will keep your car running better but also use less fuel if changed every 30k.

If you can swallow all of that then you might be able to fit the rx8 owner challenge.

The problem is far too many people think they can handle the compromises, but in the end they decide it is not worth it.

Oh and I am talking about the RX-8, though the same applies to marriage. :-)

Like everyone else said, this is not a group of fanbois or RX-8 sales people. It's a great car, but the gas mileage does suck and it has a couple of quirks.

Since you're in Albany, plan on getting a set of winter tires and wheels. Blizzaks on 17 inch rims. Browse this forum and the tire/wheel forum for how happy people are with that combo. Lots of Canadian members who drive through the winter.

Look for threads on fuel grade. A lot of people have been happy running 87 instead of 91. Personally not my style, but read their experiences.

Ken

I've always been under the impression that professional skateboarders are fairly weathy, so premium fuel shouldn't be all that big of a deal....

The only thing I dislike after owning two RX-8s for a total of almost 3 years is the gas mileage. I've always averaged 18 and my current 8 is on its original plugs and coils after 52k. The whole reliability stigma is a load of shit. And both of mine were 04's

The only difference when driving the RX-8 vice other cars is the necessity to check the oil level more frequently.

Going easy on it until it warms up is a necessity, but how many cars do you recommend jumping into and gunning it while it's still cold?