stevja1

Hey All -

I've been riding bikes for the last few years. Winter is almost upon us and I'm in need of a car that wont freeze me on my way to work. Apparently, cars are safer than bikes.

I've always liked the RX-8 and the newer RX-7s. I thought it would rock to own one. I test drove an 8 last Thursday and loved it.

The cars I'm looking at are:
Blue 04 RX8 (not sure on trim but it has the Bose sound system, but no navigation)
Gray 05 RX8 (no Bose speakers, no spoiler, no navigation)

Both have sunroofs.

Both have about 35k miles on them. The 04 body is in excellent condition. Not even buff marks. I haven't yet seen the 05 in person.

I need a reliable car that rocks to drive. I've read of some troubles with the 8s but that they can be fixed by ECU reflashes and other dealer recalls.

My questions are:
1. Will this car make it to 150k at least before needing major engine work?
2. Will the announced 8-year warranty apply to a used car?
3. Anything else I should watch out for or check while looking at the cars?
4. How do these do in snow with snow tires? With sandbags in the back? So far I've read that they suck in the snow, but I can't find any examples of the car with snow tires.

Thanks.

Lunacy

I don't own an 8 yet but I will try my best from my research.

1. You can't really tell. Some make it to 150+. Some kick the bucket not 100 miles out.

2. Yes

3. https://www.rx8club.com/purchasing-financing-insurance-56/tips-when-looking-buy-rx-8-a-182956/

4. Dont know about snow. I live in florida.

expo1

1, Mine made it to 110,000. I expect more from my 2nd engine. If you pre-mix you improve the odds.

4, 17" cheap rims + snows and you will be fine. https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension-55/winter-wheel-tire-pics-installed-28442/

Symbioticgenius

Question 1. goes like this 04s are worst due to the original flash the car came with, already allowing for too much wear. By 05, they had begun updating them, and TBH, I dont hear about any 06+'s needing rebuilds, although I am SURE there are some. I would recommend the 05 based on that alone, but regardless of which you get check to see which flash is has. Mazdausa.com live support can do this via VIN number, or any dealer can too.
Check on the flashes before you buy, because with any decent mileage on a crappy flash, its likely the engine is on its way out anyway.
Question 2. Yes as answered.

Question 3. That post is decent, don't take that Oil recommendation for anything. Read the forums and make your own decision...

Question 4. Canadians Drive them all winter with no issues, if they can we all can. (Not a slow joke, but a Snow joke).

This wasn't asked, but you should also know if the starter was replaced, or the engine had been flooded prior to buying, flooded engine CAN mean worsened compression but not usually, and upgraded started means it may have been flooded, BUT, it was taken care of by the dealer. Huge bonus.

Dude, there are already used 09's going for low 20's, and you can get new 09's for that with some good talking. If you want the most reliable daily driver that is fun and winter ready, get an 09. The new Oil system is worth the extra 5 grand or so.

Lastly, Get some Idemetsu Pre-Mix, or some premix made by a well known Rotary tuner. I beleive Pettit and Racing beat may have. That increases you engines lifetime many fold.

stevja1

Thanks for the quick responses, (and lack of flamage as a result of my noob questions).

110k miles killing an engine kinda freaks me out. Are the rebuilds expected to last longer? How does the ECU reflash/starter upgrade impact this number?

Thanks for the links on the snow driving.

I'll also check the VINs on the website - good to know about.

I've heard people talk about listening to the starter - the one I test drove was a little hard to start but the dealer attributed that to the rotary. Is that normal?

What's nice about the 04/05 is that they're cheap enough that I can buy the car without getting banks involved. This gives me a little extra bargaining power as well. I've lustfully looked at the 09's but at the same time, I love not having car payments. I'm actually considering waiting for a while and saving money a little more and picking up a 09 in a year or two... the thing is, winter is cold.

iwc3707

Good luck on your decision.
I own a '09 GT and I know its new, but it starts up as soon as I turn the
key.
BTW, they do have a $5k rebate on '09s right now. Do the '04s and '05s have
stability/traction control? That might make life a little easier in winter and having
Bridgestone Blizzaks.

stevja1

From what I can tell, they do have stability / traction control.

I figured the $20k number included the $5k discount. I certainly wouldn't mind a $15k RX-8 brand new.

Jared

ferg

you can buy my rx8 for 16k its a 06

Kaiser bun

iTrader: (2)

I just bought 4 blizzaks that i am going to put on my stockers, some people say its quite a bit better to get 17's but i am wanting new rims for summer, so i just decided to go the cheaper route and only buy one new set of rim's/ tires instead of 2. Give me a month and i will let you know how the blizzaks are in winter lol.

CyberPitz

Everybody who has decent winter tiers on their 8 say they have no issues in the snow. Thankfully, if we have a bad enough storm here, I just hitch a ride with a guy in an AWD Jeep

stevja1

I'd love to take it for a test drive and kick the tires, but you're in So. Florida. Thanks anyway.

Good to hear the snow tires work out. I went to my local dealer and the 8 they had for 20k was priced after the 5k discount - so, I'm back to used cars. They did offer to trade in my bike for the car though, which was interesting.

I may try to see if this used dealer would go for a trade in.

daisuke

I run synthetic Castrol 2T two-stroke premix in my engine pretty much every single fill up and the car feels as fast now as it did when I first got it. I also test drove one with 108k miles when i was shopping around and it felt solid and rattle-free.

The car rocks to drive at all speeds and in all driving conditions. Once you get used to it and drive some other car like an accord you'll realize just how amazing it handles when you get back in yours. I drove my uncle's V6 accord for a weekend on a family trip, I used to think it was a nice car until I was at the wheel for a few hundred miles, now I hate the damn thing.

Stock tires suck in pretty much every way you can think of, if the cars you're looking at have them, ditch them ASAP.

The RX-8 is a sport touring car and the ride is just superb, you can drive 8 hours and feel rested, not something I can say for nearly any other sports car. Makes a great daily driver.

The only other cars that compare to the RX-8 in most every way are the Infiniti G35 or G37 coupes. You're going to get piston engine reliability out of them, but they're heavier and less practical. IMO the G35 looks as good as the 8, while the G37 is outright better looking. Next car that comes close to the same concept is the Maserati GTS, and that's prettier, better handling and over $100k more expensive.

Things to watch out for: crappy stock tires (the bridgestones) and lying owners or salesmen that are full of ****.

04RX8man

stick w a beater

stevja1

Update -

I went to my local Mazda dealer to look at a new 2009 RX8 for $20k. We talked about trading the bike in and they'd only give me $4k for it. I'm kind of glad they at least tried - most dealers wont consider a motorcycle trade in.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the used dealers - I found out the gray car is actually an 06. If I can't sell the bike - I may wind up waiting until spring.

Symbioticgenius

06 you say? How much they asking?

stevja1

For the 06, they want 9,990. I did more checking and found that it has a rebuilt title.
The blue 04 is going for 10k as well. I got a carfax and autocheck on it and its super clean. The owner had all service done regularly at the dealer including all recalls and oil changes.

I'm about 90% sure ill buy this tomorrow.

Apollo

I've got a 2006 Shinka for sale, if you're interested PM me.

rodjonathan

iTrader: (6)

i wouldnt get the rebuilt especially on an 8

stevja1

Agreed.

Just to be clear, if all goes well, I'm picking up an '04 Blue RX-8 this afternoon with 38k miles on it. The title is clear, has a maintenance history, and is actually in really good shape. The plastic film is still on the name plates on in the door frame. I'll have some pictures later tonight.

stevja1

I'm having a hard time getting pictures off the phone. I'll take good pictures with my nikon tomorrow.

The car so far has been a blast to drive and cruise around in. The transmission has an awesome feeling. I love how it just slides into 3rd gear. The short throw is nice too - I don't feel like I'm driving a truck.

There is a gauge on my dash that I'm not sure about - it looks like its an oil-level gauge, (like a gas gauge???)

adamwzl

iTrader: (3)

Yeah its our dummy oil pressure gauge. If the needle is slightly to the left of the center then you have oil pressure. If you dont have oil pressure it will be as far left as possible. When that happens your car doesnt move...

If you must know about your oil pressure then purchase aftermarket guages. Most of us do..