so im going on a 10 hr drive up to maine for a week... i know the rx8 is entertaining but for anyone who has done long trips in the rx8, whats the best way to stay entertained??? i cant rev it all the time cuz im estimating hopefully average of 20mpg??? am i close? any considerations

 

I just did 8 hours each way to Huntsville and back last weekend. It helps to have company (my wife was with me), but I can be very entertaining on my own. I've done the same trip solo and it's not so bad.

Make sure you bring good tunes. Vary the speed during the trip. Try not to gas up in ethanol states - you'll lose 10% of your mileage.

Have fun!

 

I tended to do a lot of long drives 8+ hrs from CT to DC for trips home for the holidays and I just moved from the east coast to california (3000+mile drive in the RX8) and really the only thing to keep yourself entertained is music.

Lots of music and alternating between using the A/C and putting the window's down & opening the sunroof.

If traffic permits, check out the scenery too.

 

Dont lean back too far, sit up straight and you won't fall asleep.

 

I usually run into enough traffic to curse at... that will keep you entertained...

 

i did a 12 hour stretch, you'll find the sweet spot for seat adjustability along the way... so don't let anyone mess with your seat afterwords.

but other then that, open the sun roof, blast some good tunes, bring some snacks.. and if you bore easily, stop at attractions along the way even if they're stupid.

it helps to do some pushups, situps and a short jog when you stop at a rest area... splash some cold water on the face and ur good to go.

 

I've done 4 x 10hr trips in my 8. Very good ride, decent highway mileage.

Never had trouble with getting "bored". Just get some nice music and enjoy the ride.

 

I have done a 1500 mile trip from Pa to Fl by myself....not bad tons of tunes and just drove...i had lots of fun just driving....my gas mileage was 24.3 i believe on the highway with 93 octane I have a thread on here somewhere called "gas mileage findings" if you search i have the break down of every fill up how much I speant!!!

 

sweeet, haha well how do i know which states are ethanol states and this is where i wish i had an ipod... ill be stuck switching cds most probably

 

Don't forget to bring oil with you to refill as you go along and some napkins or papertowels cause some gas stations always seem to be out when your checking your oil.

 

If you're on the Interstates, there's nothing to entertain but music. Standard radio on the 8 has a cool feature where it will find the six strongest stations. I find that to be more enjoyable than constantly working the seek button.

You could get a GPS and amuse yourself by watching the exits go by on the screen as they go by on the road.

As far as the car itself goes...no special precautions are needed. Last fall I took a trip to Charlotte with a friend. Six hours each way. All I did for car prep was check under-hood fluid levels and tire pressures before we left. I still have my spare bottle of oil in the trunk - the one I stashed after discovering this forum and reading the spare oil threads.

Ken

 

ok the sapre oil someone has to explain to me, i have heard something about it before on the forum.. is it a rotary engine special maintenence thing???

 

Uh....if you don't know already rotary engines are oil injected(oil injected into the firing chamber to lubricate apex seals) and it burn it so about a quart or so every oil change is burned(depending on the type of driving) but if you don't know that already u might want to check the oil NOW NOW NOW so u don't run out and ruin ur engine

 

Because the rotary is designed to use a little bit of oil you will want to check it every few tanks of gas. It should not use very much at all at a steady cruise. It will use more the harder and higher revving you drive it. The rear storage compartment between the rear seats is perfect for two quarts of oil, some rags, and gloves. I keep 1 quart of oil and 1 quart of pre-mix.

As for entertainment? Music, scenery, and state license plate counting are about it. The RX8 is a great road car. Have a fun trip

 

A year ago, I drove solo down to the 24 Hrs of Daytona. 18 hr trip each way non-stop (except of gas). I think I used a quart of oil each way. This is the most comfortable car I have ever drove. If you start to get tired, listen to talk radio or a audio book to wake you back up.

 

Just it's usual consumption. The deal with keeping spare oil in the car is that you might check and need to add oil at a gas station that does not have the right grade. Good possibility of you use the Mazda-recommended 5w20. If you use 5w30, as a lot of people recommend, that's common and any gas station will have it.

Ken

 

hmmm well good thing i asked, iv only had the car for little over a month and did not know much about the oil, what happened tho is the oil light came on and i did add a bit of oil even tho it seemed at level, but after driving 5 min it came on again so i just got an early oil change since the last one was done at the dealer which i never trust. but thanks def will chek the oil cuz i have a heavy foot

 

but i do wish i could watch a dvd while driving wish i had done the video switcher hack ... oh well radio and mp3 player it is

 

Get a memory foam seat cusion. It will prevent a sore tailbone since it has a cutout for that, as well as keeping your legs from going asleep.

Somehow all these people about "45 mph" speeds have got it dead wrong. Best mileage ever in rx8 is long continuous road trips with no shut-down start-up cycles. And these trips are 85 mph at least!

Just bring some coffee beans to chew on to keep from falling asleep.

If you hit those uphill mountains, just accelerate up them because it is no big deal for rx8.

 

Your car brought me back to my childhood days when I watched batman the tv series...

 

13 hours of drive from Califronia to Utah .....

1)music
2)extra oil ....and its a MUST
3)make sure u have enough money for gas
4)five rockstar energy drink + 2 bottles of water
5)one pit stop to pee
6)look out for subarus & evos to play with

driving back wasnt that bad coz i stop at vegas for a day ~

 

haha so the 10 hour drive... amazing both ways in the rx8.. by far the most comfortable car ive driven in

pros:

-Racing to 130mph on highway
-Racing Motocycles on nj turnpike--- kept up with them up to 140.. found out thats about where the car maxed out

Best Pro:

putting all windows down inside baltimore tunnle and flooring it to 9k rpm all i can say is its the sexyes sound ever expecialy when i had a black 350z beside me giveing me the thumbs up

cons:

-20mpg
- $250 ticket for speeding but only 84 in a 65( got connections that are gona reduce this ticket for me)

over all f***ing amazing time

 

I had a good time from Cali to Iowa, 28 hour drive. Did good, averaged 21 mpg and got a 140 dollar ticket for 89 in a 75, LOL. And a tinit ticket from a different cop in Iowa.

 

To relief boredom, visit the redline for a good Beep!