Just completed a 2500 mile road trip in my new 2005 RX-8. Best highway mileage I experienced was 25 MPG.

The 8 seems to kick into higher mileage mode only after it has been driven 40 or 50 miles at a steady speed of 70+ MPH. My guess is: at that point, the computer decides that you are cruising, and switches to a leaner mixture. Just a guess.

For the record, I was using Mobil gas, 93 octane.

Bottom line: The actual mileage I am getting is pretty darn close to the manufacturer specs of 18/24 mpg.

Oil consumption on this "mostly highway" trip was about 1 qt total for the 2500 miles. (City driving would probably be higher for oil too, as it would be for gas).

saxon

 

I've seen another silver, a red and a black one within a mile of my house, but I agree that they are pretty rare around here. But, hey, that's fine with me.

 

I feel for you dude. Mazda service sux ****.

I was consistently getting 14-15 MPG in the city driving like a freakin grandma and when I drove a little harder (shifting 4-6K RPM), I ended up getting 13 and below at times. That is when I decided that the 8 was not the car for me.

So I sold her last month.

I luv the 8, but the MPG was UNACCEPTABLE for me!!! Too bad. Like i told some friends, if the car got 25 MPG I would marry it.

You want performance plus MPG. Go with a VW or Audi 2.0 turbo car with the direct injection "FSI" technology. Get it chipped. You'll get well over 200 hp at the wheels and you'll also get 22 MPG in the city driving hard. If you drive her soft you'll get 25 MPG. You won't get the 8s handling or style, but you'll get a more solid, more practical ride with better materials and craftsmanship.

Longer term reliabiity is a crap shoot for all of them.

 

^ I wonder if they got the brake dust problem fixed yet, also the electrical stuff.... squealing brakes and oh the wheel bearing that goes out at 40k miles.

 

I would love to get a 2.0T Quattro w/APR chip... my future family car. As a previous audi owner, I worried a lot about its' reliability.