I'm actually looking at an '04 RX8 with 4,000 miles on it

i'm seriously considering getting this car

any useful tips i should know about it? things u guys notice? perticluar likes and dislikes?

I'm looking for something quick and sporty but also practical (my other choices would be along the lines of a GTi, a mazda 6, or possibly a legacy GT). would the rx-8 be too small?

the rx-8 is rear whell and i know thats gonna suck in the snow...but is it that much of a disadvantage?

any insight would be helpful

 

Um... try "SEARCH"... it's your friend.

The RX-8 is "quick", but not fast.
It gets pretty poor gas mileage, even worse when you wring out the engine (think Honda VTEC or motorcycle) for performance.
The 4 seats are actually useable, but the trunk isn't all that big... non-existent with a spare tire.
The performance mods for the RX-8 are limited and bolt-ons (exhaust/intake) don't offer much.
The car is damn sexy and sounds great with an aftermarket exhaust.
It handles well... only good if you live someplace with curves though.
Snow tires and DSC make for a problem-free winter.

The GTI is "quick" (DSG equipped is not far behind the RX-8)
VW's reliability... supposedly the return to Germany for manufacturing will fix those issues... even so there are many past owners who have 100,000+ mi and no problems.
Handling isn't bad.
The torque curve is great...starts at like 1800rpm and run all the way through.
Easy to mod (big gains from "chipping" alone) and the engine is under-rated (rated 200hp, but more like 225hp).
Hatchback makes for great utility.
The interior has some very nice quality and the MkV bodystyle is nice and sporty (better than the Civic Si in my book)
Too bad it's FWD...

Mazda6... why is it even in this conversation? Mazdaspeed6 is a different story (but I find it to be ugly).

Legacy GT... 4 real doors and trunk space.
AWD... can't go wrong with Subaru AWD.
Turbo 2.5L engine is the same long block as the STi making for lots of parts and it makes power easily.
2007 has "SI Drive" and aux-in (finally)
Looks grown up
Some don't like the sedan thing, but no problem in my book.
Anything except 2007 has no aux-in capability except for a radio hack or FM transmitter and the radio and climate controls are integrated (no aftermarket radios)
Pickup a "limited" and get yourself the "Spec B" suspension aftermarket... combined with some more rubber will vastly help handling.

 

run my friend. run and do not look back. the rx8 is just not a good car. gas milege,flooding, cheap interior, poor fit and finish on bumpers, no low end at all,
down right dangerous winter driving, no room in back seat, cheap paint that will chip and flake on spoilers, interior control ***** that will break, door with no door stops(they will fly back at you and hit your shins) OUCH!!!!,need to replace stock small battery right away,need to read book and/or look at DVD just to start the stupid thing, i could go on and on. the best day i had with the car is the day i traded it to some sucker. RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN.....the only thing i really liked is it looks damn good...

 

Take what he said with a grain of salt. There are plenty of people who have had no problems with their 8 at all. I love my 8!

 

How much are they asking for your 04? I would look at an low mileage 05 instead because 05 has less problems then 04. I may actually put my 05 WB AT on sale in a month or two and it only has 5000 miles (wink.)

 

-- gas milege
Don't know about the milege but the mileage (or milage) is indeed not good. Most consider it the price of fun, but the price is going up.
-- flooding
Extremely exaggerated "problem" that tens of thousands have never known.
-- cheap interior, poor fit and finish on bumpers
Disagree.
-- no low end at all,
Not much, but how 'bout that high end?
-- down right dangerous winter driving
With high performorance summer tires, duh.
-- no room in back seat
Untrue.
-- cheap paint that will chip and flake on spoilers, interior control ***** that will break, door with no door stops(they will fly back at you and hit your shins) OUCH!!!!,
Not that I've noticed.
-- need to replace stock small battery right away
That problem has been addressed.

 

The paint can't be that bad. A big rock hit my car and then "skipped" up the hood. My paint was still on. There is very minor "scuffing" from it. Either the paint is not too bad or the sealant I got does a very good job! My doors don't hit me in the shins or anywhere else. My interior looks great. My back seats are fine for my uses. My mileage is pretty good, too. 19.5-23.5. I also happen to have an 06.

 

I was in the same boat, I was torn between the RX-8 and Legacy GT. What won in the end was the looks of the RX-8, I will be looking at this car for the next 7 to 10 years. What allowed it to win is the following.

The car is usable, the rear seat hold adults comfortably and the truck is pretty large for a sports car, the opening is a little tight.

I live in Chicago and put all season performance tires on. I can get around in the snow with out having to keep a 2nd set of tires around. The car is not great but livable for the few times it really does snow.

Reliability has been good and I expect the rotary to last a long time.

The Legacy is such a boring looking car to me, it is faster, AWD, great reliability, and has a nice interior but the looks are so dull. I really wish they would do better design at Subaru.

The only real negative about the RX-8 has been it's absolutely horridness gas mileage, 11 to 12 mpg in the city. This is really killing the car for me and makes me rethink the LGT.

 

I haven't had any problems that joe up there has had.

 

I would echo the earlier poster's opinion about getting an 05 instead of an 04. If you look at the consumer reports surveys, the 04s had pretty bad reliability in some areas, but the 05 was in their "recommended" category because the reliabilty improved. Based on past experience I probably won't purchase a car unless it is in consumer reports recommended category for reliability. From what I've read most of the 04 issues have been fixed with the 05. You can get some leftover 05s for pretty cheap. I got mine a couple months ago for 24,200. 05 AT GT.

As far as mileage goes, I get around 17 or 18 mpg with mostly city driving. That is with an AT, but I do redline it frequently.

 

My gas mileage has been in the 20s and I've got an 04 w/ the new starter/battery. Interior's pretty decent. Fit and finish on the bumpers is fine - did you see someone with a crappy knockoff MS kit or something? I've never seen anyone with poor fit and finish. Low end really isn't that bad if you don't mind learning to downshift to keep the revs up when you go out to play. Doors with no stops? Pretty sure my doors will stop - try opening them enough to actually get out, it works, honest.

I'll give you that it's a good idea to grab a new starter/battery right away. It makes a huge improvement and pretty much eliminates the need for the DVD because it's way less prone to flooding. Pretty sure it improved my gas mileage too.

Just curious as to why you bought this car, Joe. Lots of your problems seem to be ones that would really stand out on a test drive. Normally I wouldn't buy a car that I think is built like crap and doesn't have enough power for me, but that's just me and I'm crazy.

If you test drive this car and like it, it's probably the car for you. Space is quite good for a car of its type, but you may want to reconsider if you vacation often or drive lots of people around. If you just realize that it's a bit quirky and decide you can live with that, I think you'll have a blast with it.

 

I have an 04 RX8 with 28,000 trouble free miles. No problems ,zero. My two teenage daughters fit nicely in the back seat. If you drive it like you stole it,gas mileage will go down,as with any car. I average 20 mpg. The '8' is the most fun car I have ever driven. Listen to what hightshoe said. Go to any car forum and you will find people who have all kinds of problems with their cars,doesn't matter what mark it is! You also have to consider that some people could screw up an anvil with a qtip!

 

Dam now I know what to cut & paste when No0bs ask this lol

 

That depends on how you drive and your car itself. I have been unable to get anything lower than 15 mpg in all city, with lots of redlining whenever possible. I've gotten 18 mpg when breaking it in - haven't yet gone all highway, but I'm pretty sure 22 mpg is within reach.

 

Thanks for the compliment Dominion!

All three I went over are great cars that provide great driving experiences. Vastly different though. The best anyone can do is give them all a good test drive and go with the one that fits you.

 

I have an '04 with 60k miles on it, purchased new with 5 miles on the odo.

Original battery, original starter, new plugs at 37500 (scheduled), Zero flooding, 18/24 mpg cty/hwy, Zero rattles/creaks/fitment issues, one bad motor mount, etc.

All in all, a trouble free vehicle, even after one FL summer and one SC summer (hot, hot, hot).

Even drove in the snow (~1inch) on summer tires, and only got stuck once .

 

Don't listen to him.....The 8 is a good car, just that it has a few downfalls just like every other cars. .....And I've been loving it since i bought it.

 

Search... then search some more!

 

Do a search.... read a broshure, online reviews, magazines...

... then search some more.