I currently own a 2002 Acura RSX Type S. I am looking to either purchase an RX-8 or a 1995-1999 BMW M3. I was wondering how does the RX-8 compare to an M3 in terms of reliability, performance, maintenance, expected life of the engine, etc. ? Can any previous M3 owners chime in? In terms of price, the M3 I am looking at is around $10,000 with 100k miles. And, the RX-8 is a 2004 with 50k miles for $12,000. It is not a GT, but it has leather and it is a manual.

 

BMW repairs dont come cheap.

My brother owns an E90 M3 which I have driven quite extensively. The performance is phenomenal. The M3 has significantly more power than the 8, which I especially notice in 2nd gear (E36 M3 at ~240hp may be a different story however). That said though, I didn't find the power of the E90 M3 to be as mind blowing as I would have expected.

The M3 handles just as well if not better than the RX8. Both are awesome to drive.

I ultimately bought the 8 because the power differential between the two wasn't large enough to seal the deal and I fear the post-warranty BMW repair costs.

 

Id say go a little higher and look for a 05 with around 30k.. you should be able to get a very clean one, still under full warranty, for around 14-16

 

Really, I think this comes down to how much the more modernized looks and rotary engine matter too you. The E36 M3 performs roughly on par with the RX-8. Maintenance is probably a little higher on the M3 with it's age, but it will get better gas mileage.

 

get the rx8, and turbo it. It will kick the M3 in the ***. And if you ever destroy the engine, you can get a remain for about 3k.

 

according to top gear, the rx8 is just as fast as an e46 m3 around a technical track.

 

Right now, I am leaning more towards the M3. I have noticed that 1995-1999 M3s with over 130k miles can sell over $11,000. On the other hand, RX-8s have horrible re-sale because this is the second RX-8 I have looked at that has been $12,000 with less than 75k miles. And, the other one was a GT model.

The looks of the RX-8 are so much better than the M3 though. So, that is what is keeping me from deciding between the two.

 

Price something simple for the M3, say spark plugs, wires and labor...Then for the 8. Unless you are mechanically inclined you'll pay for maintenance on both, being the M3 is out of warranty. If you look at an 05, rx8 or you might even find an 06 you are looking at a warranty. Mazda offers extended warranties as well. Bottom line you get what you pay for..Lots of owners have had trouble free cars since 04. Maintenance as with any car is the key.

Edit: There's at least one owner if not two on this forum that have reached the 100k to 150K mile mark with their 8's....

 

You're talking about a 10 year old BMW. Reliability isn't the first thing that comes to mind. When you buy a car, it's not just the buying cost that you should be concerned with, it's the cost of ownership as well.

Personally, I wouldn't look to get a 10 year old performance car unless I had plenty of $$$ on the side for repairs and maintenance.

 

As much as I love Top Gear and the RX-8, the RX-8 does not keep pace with an E46 M3 through a race track. The Black Stig that drove the M3 in the first season must have been awful.

The E36 M3 is about the same speed stock, if not a little faster. More torque helps a ton, and they are much more open to modifications than RX-8 is. I've never owned an E36 M3, though i was pretty close to buying one when looking for my RX8. I've driven a couple so here is what I think about the car...

E36 M3

Pros -

Motor - Better motor than the RX8, especially the 3.2L on 96-99. The 95 had a 3.0L that was good, but has a bit less torque than the 3.2L. Regardless, all have more torque than the RX8.

I will be hated by RX8 owners, but rotary motor lets the RX8 down. The motor is fun, has "soul", loves to rev, sounds good, and makes ok output. But its lack of gaining any power through mods and drinking gasoline like crazy while putting out unimpressive power numbers with the torque of a lawnmower are the major downsides. The rest of the car is so great, but the engine is just "ok". Too bad, that 2.3L DISI in the RX8 would have been awesome.

Good interior - With the right color and trim options, the car's interior is still classic BMW and looks good if maintained well. The RX-8 interior is great too.

Resale - The car is way past its big depreciation years. It should hold its value better than an RX8.

Gas Mileage - Anything is better than an RX8.

Huge aftermarket - Good after market if you're into modifications. RX-8 is awful for power gains through bolt ons, you have to sink serious money to get a bit of horse power out.

Do it yourself - Since this car is getting into enthusiast's hands, and since they're out of warranty, you'll find TONS of documentation on how to fix, maintain, and take care of the car on your own. Tons of community support. The RX-8 isn't quite there yet, but on its way.


Cons -

Body - Exterior is getting to look dated and so "90s". The RX-8 looks much better in my opinion, but the RX8 was designed nearly 10 years later.

Old - It may be difficult to find one in good shape with low miles. May be more maintenance than an RX-8 since they're much newer and seems to be pretty reliable. Also there are plenty of RX8s with low miles in good condition in comparison to the E36 M3.

Steering - I hate the steering ratio of the E36. Too slow. The RX8 is very fast and responsive.

There many be other issues, but just some things to think about.

Both are fun cars, but just sharing my experience with the vehicles. Drive both and see which makes you happier.


Jonathan

 

my pops has an 03 m3 and hell yeah repairs cost alot he had to take it in twice cuz his clutch got messed up a month later he took it to a friends shop cuz the allignment was all f'd up other than the repairs its a nice car sounds nice looks nice and is pretty fast

 

I would never buy a car over 100k miles, older the car the more problems it has or might have. Just my experience with used cars.

 

if the 8 has leather it's a GT.

 

* note to posters *

please do not mention the rx8 in da twisties..hahah

 

you are buyng, not selling. You should be praising poor resale value. This is a free discount for you. The drop on price doesn't exponentially increase or anything, so why is it bothering you?

Also, keep in mind "poor" is a relative term. The rx8 value is not much worse than aother cars out there. This is amazing concedering that at one point mazda screwed us by selling new rx8s for 8k under msrp. This was due to over production... Which also works in your favor. Cheap replacement parts since it was not a limited edition vehicle.

 

if you have similar cars in performance

but!!

1 is cheaper and newer

why would there be a question?

it really does come down to the small scale aftermarket power adders imo.

 

Some feel the 8 outhandles an M3. The editor of Sports Car International recently listed what he thought were the 5 best-handling cars, regardless of price. They are (in no particular order; he didn't rank them):

Mazda RX-8
Nissan Nismo 350Z
Lotus Elise
Audi R8
Porsche Cayman

 

Exactly, when and if anything goes wrong you are gonna pay big time. Any car, I don't care how good the initial quality/reliability is, once over 10 years old becomes questionable as far as reliability. Any problems and the cost of ownership could rival the initial used cost of the car. The 8 would be quite a bit newer and half the miles and I would see any replacemant parts on it being quite a bit cheaper. If you could stretch a little more and get an 8 with around 30k miles or so that would be even better.

 

if you're going for poser value, people will also see the outdated bmw model and assume it's a hand-me-down $5,000 vehicle too.

The Rx-8 styling is the same since it was created, no one can tell if you have a 30k brand new rx-8 or a 15k one (unless you have a color that was discontinued, or 16" base automatic rims).

 

Everything is unique on a BMW. Even lug nuts. You have to bring it to a special mechanic and then bend over while they rape you.

It is well known that European cars are less reliable than Japaneese.

You will go broke on maintence.

A RX8 is made in Japan, not USA like Toyota.

However since you bring up reliability get a Civic. This car is not for you.

 

im going with razz on this one

 

Wait, since the 1.3 engine we have is pretty much at it's max it can do without FI, it's a bad engine, and you'd rather waste money on a few smaller things on an engine then put something that will add significant power to the engine...?

 

Good answer!

 

Boo this man boo him...I really had nothing to ad it's all been said.

 

You are correct my friend.