If I was still commuting 40 miles a day I would be selling my Eight. I just could not afford the gas. However, I moved 10 minutes from work so I'm good. After a few issues my car it is running great now and the compression is perfect on the original engine (I keep my foot in it). I am falling in love with RX-8 all over again. It still is the best handling and fun driving car I have ever owned. Only regret is I wish it was a R3.

If did have to trade her in. I would get the Mazda Speed 3. The 3 is better on gas and is easier to drive if you have a family. If the Speed version doen not work for you the normal Mazda 3 is still a great car. Mazda is also coming out with the CX-5 which looks pretty cool as well.

 

If you had read the title of the post you would've seen I posed the question "Death to the rotary"? It was supposed to be a discussion primer not a bitch primer.

 

Humorous.


Because that is exactly what is sounds like you are doing.


Even if it was actually for discussion. Did you seriously think you were going to get a good reception trying to discuss something that has been beaten into the ground over and over and over and over and over and over again? So it sounds like yet another owner bitching about their fuel mileage. Again.

 

All you've done is bitch

 

About yet another owner bemoaning their gas mileage. Alright. I'll concede that point. I have bitched about your complaints.

 

Stay the **** off the thread if you don't want to discuss. Leave the discussion to the adults. You were the only one bitchin! Everyone else acted like an adult and discussed the issue.

 

Actually, Al was the only one that responded with anything different from my line of responses. Go ahead and read everyone else's responses that are telling you the same thing I am.

 

You're an *******! Stay off the threads. You sound like one of those punks who talk **** on the PS3/Xbox 360 network when you're at home.

 

Don't make this personal folks.

 

It's your ******* tone that makes you sound like a punk.

 

I haven't told you anything different than I've told anyone else. On the web or to their face.


If you had wanted to discuss the efficiency of future rotaries, perhaps you should have included that as part of your posts, rather than complaining about not being able to afford to pay the cost of gas any more.

They are two entirely different topics.

 

"Tone" is interpreted rather loosely on the web, with only text to read.

For example, I perceive you all heated up yelling at the computer screen as you are responding. This is probably not accurate.

The only "tone" I ever typed in was a simple matter of fact "tone". Your interpretation clearly varies.

 

I envision you all talking calmly, in white letters, on a dark blue background.....

Very soothing.

 

Very nice

 

Let me try and make this easier for you to grasp. The title of the the thread reads "Gas $3.98/gallon, Death to the rotary?" Question. It was supposed to spark discussion on the viability of the rotary in this climate. Hell, mazda took it off the market themselves. What I wrote in my 1st post was just context around the mileage issue. I didn't say I hate the car. I love my 8. I've been living with the 8 longer than you.

 

But, Mazda took it off the market due to new emissions requirements for Europe and future ones for California and the US. Not due to mileage issues.
Low sales also had something to do with it.

 

The problem with that concept is you then completely failed to actually include a question regarding the viability of the NEXT rotary in this climate. All you did was comment about your own gas expenses of a rotary that isn't produced any more.


Perhaps actually typing the question intended will produce a better result next time. We aren't mind readers.

That being said, it's also been discussed quite a bit as well, and is all theory and rumor since Mazda isn't releasing any actual information.

 

Totally worth it for me, i drive at LEAST 3k city miles a month. The money i saved on gas is more than enough to cover my car payments and the cost of full coverage, and i get to drive a new car. So for me it makes total sense to trade the cx7 for a hybrid.

Yea there are idiots who trade their suv even econ box for a hybrid ... when all they go is their local supermarket or costco ...

 

Honestly, Rotary will not die because of mpg, it might die because of emission standards tho.

30 something years ago there was a gas price spike, rotary didnt die, it gave mazda a hard time i think even worst than now, but mazda came back with the fc shortly after their finances are back on track.

Current rx8 died down due to emissions, euro zone was first, then it comes to us then japan. Pretty much like what happened to the fd. (Fd was forced to end production due to not meeting japan's newer emission law in 2002)

But guess what mazda released fe shortly after.

Mazda already sad they solved 2 fundamental issues out of 3 for rotary, and that was last year. We know what 3 fundanmental issues rotary have for decades we just dont know which 2. Dont underestimate what mazda can do. Look at their sky-activ, its like a slap in toyota's face.

 

Well, this thread has veered of course a bit, but I'm going to chime in anyway. Could raising gas prices kill the rotary? They certainly could. The key word is 'raising'. It is the unknown that really gets people thinking......the unknow of how long it will the continue to raise. If they were to stabilize at +/- $5/gal, in two years from now no one would even talk about it because they are either used to it or have adjusted their lifestyles accordingly.

For me personally, other than my wife's Mazda6, the 8 gets the best gas mileage out of any of the other eight cars I've owned over the last 15 years. It's not my DD either. if I was to buy a new DD, I would shoot for something in the 30mpg or better range. However my truck that is my DD is long since paid for so I can buy a lot of fuel with what I would spend on a new car.

Hell, my Formula boat with a pair of big blocks that I sold at the end of last season held 140gals of premium fuel.....$700 fill ups (at the gas station, at the marina you can add $1/gal.) It would burn the entire tank in a weekend. Talk about making you pucker!

 

Do you think Mazda would release a new rotary in this climate that didn't get much better mileage? They themselves stated that the 16X didn't meet their mileage goals.

 

They never stated what their mileage goal was, so it makes it hard to say what the mileage of that iteration actually was. If their goal was 35mpg, and it made 32mpg, Mazda would not have been lying, but people would have been thrilled to see it anyway.

They also said that the 16x development had ceased. I believe it's because they learned from it before it ever got to production, and have moved on incorporating 16X elements with SkyActive piston elements and are working on the Sky Rotary, even if probably only a couple guys in the basement.

 

My Mom's SUV (saturn vue)
My brothers Mustang (78 Mustang)
My other brothers SUV (Ford explorer)
My Dad's Van (Chevy Express 1500)
My old car (mitsubishi 3000GT)

All get less MPG than my RX-8.


I will never understand this forum and its constant obsession with MPG. I mean who buys a sports car and expects to get good gas mileage. 20MPG is perfectly acceptable for almost any sports car (especially in 2004 when this car came out)

Look at the sports cars back then that competed with the RX8 (350z / mustang / camero etc.) The RX8 gets around the exact same mileage as these do.

 

It's people that feel that their car should please their senses when you put your foot down, and please your wallet when you aren't.

And to some degree, every single person has this same perspective. Non-enthusiasts simply don't care about the first, and most sensible enthusiasts (oxy-moron I know) don't care about the 2nd. People feel the RX-8 is a "practical sports car", which is another oxy-moron, even if true. And they feel that if it has a layer of practicality, then it shouldn't be damaging their wallet so much.

 

But if that goal keeps going up, particularly if piston engines keep getting much better mileage year after year, it's going to hurt the rotary. I want the rotary to come back, I love the RX8, but even I wouldn't buy one if it didn't get much better mileage than the current model