Roytary

My owl point was to compare the ''this thread bashing the Renesis'' to the ''stock internals'' DSM. Two ''+ or -''200hp cars'' witch IMO are build to be cheap & OEM fast little cars, RX8's Renesis engines are not more reliable than 4G63t's (dsm ones), The thing is that Renesis are already on its limit pretty much just like a dsm, difference is the renesis is designed to be n/a and average owners would have a hard time getting @ 300hp area for cheap, Lack of aftermarket updrades as n/a, The money involved to turbo it is not worth it IMO for the max hp you can get with it. Dsm's as an otto cycle turbocharged car can be modified easily for cheap but they're not built strong enough for it. For most ''tight budget'' owners, a stock dsm 4g63 with boost/turbo upgrades will make hem happy, but not for long. If you can afford build internals & a good turbo setup YES you can own a fast reliable dsm but the owl design of this car ain't that. If you could afford a fully build 4g63 why not buying an evo for about the same money? If we talk about how great is a 500whp fully built dsm then can we talk about a 13b-REW fully build rx8 ? Dont get me wrong here, i love my dsm back then when i was young, one goal in mind, own a fast car without much money in my pockets, nightmares from owners in my situation was cummon thing back then, a stock dsm wasn't crap @ OEM and was somewhat reliable/ just like the 8, but they were not a BETTER/cheaper ''used'' car as an 8.

Belalnabi

Actually the 4door idea was genius in my opinion... Always loved coupes but was never a fan of the small amount of space in the back. Not in the rx8

j9fd3s

yes, but find a car in 2003 with a metal radiator and a metal cap adaptor, its slim pickings.

you know whats better than a distributor? the Rx8's Crank angle sensor, you put it on, and its correct, every time.

trust me, i have cars with carbs, and distributors, and they are fun, and they work well too, but the Rx8 crank sensor is just better.


i do agree with you here, look at all the progress the piston engines have made in the last 15 years, who is to say the rotary wouldn't have even larger improvements?

gwilliams6

Please, to make your statements more credible here, you should really know your rotary histories first. Thanks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Wankel_engine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankel_engine

ShellDude

iTrader: (12)

Couldn't get thru the five pages of dribble. This was probably already stated.

The 8 gets its best mpg at 70 mph in 6th gear at 3500 rpm. Efficiency curve ftw

AllSeeingChris

Did you not know all this before purchasing the vehicle? Every car does have draw backs, and if you have been modding cars and have 550hp dsm then most the drawbacks on the 8 should be common sense fixes. No car is going to be the exact way every consumer wants it. You want a reservoir for oil? make one, it's not hard. You dont like the plastic coolant overflow? make a new one. This is why people modify cars....

ShellDude

iTrader: (12)

I did, having owned an FC 25 years ago.

You bought a Rotary dude.

IamFodi

iTrader: (1)

This slightly misses the OP's point, but I think it's very true and worth emphasizing.

I didn't buy my R3 because it's perfect. I bought it because it's better than anything else for my tastes, and I'm coping with its shortcomings because I don't think there's a better trade-off to be made.

akagc

Only thing that annoys me is the fact that I have not be able to get more than 250 miles on a full tank. Ever even while driving between 3500-4k at cruising speeds. Oh well. Rotary right.

gwilliams6

akagc , that 250 miles while cruising equals only 15.7 mpg on your 15.9 gal tank. That is subpar if you are truly cruising between 60-70 mph for the whole tank. With a healthy engine and car you should average closer to 20 mpg in highway cruising, unless you are driving in a headwind always and/or you have the heater or ac on , and the windows down all the time. Still your mpg seems low.

What are the compression numbers on your engine? How old are all your ignition components ? Are you only using premium fuel ?

What affects generating Power at Full Throttle: (these items also could affect your mpg efficiency at cruising rpm)
Ignition Coils
Spark Plugs
Spark Plug Wires
Engine Compression
E-Shaft Sensor (ESS)
Air Filter
Intake Valving
Throttle Body
Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF)
Fuel Pump
Fuel Injectors
Catalytic Converter (Cat)

WaitingforFI

iTrader: (1)

I cruise at 85 mph which is 2,800(ish) RPM in my 6spd auto and I get around 22mpg.
So you def have an issue with your car.

Gravey

iTrader: (3)

I get \/ this many EMPEEGEE's and I do ALL back country driving!

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Sure? 85mph is above 4k @ 6th in my 6spd manual. Same 22mph on crosscountry drives though.

Dominarian

I have to speak on this one..

Highway trips, I can get 300 miles on a tank, and that's just as the light comes on. That's in 6th gear going 85-90mph, which may be a bit fast for tickets sake but..

I almost never have to fill up before 240, even if I drive it like a crazy person.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

I try not to let mine get below a 1/4 tank so that the fuel pump doesn't get hot.
I don't think I go more than 200 on
3/4 of a tank, average a bit more than 14 mpg.
I almost always drive like a crazy person.

Dominarian

meeeeeeeh I don't always let it run below a quarter.. but sometimes, I gotta stretch it another day of work so I can get paid so I can fill up the silly alchy :P

IamFodi

iTrader: (1)

More or less my situation....

ShellDude

iTrader: (12)

yup... best gas milage hauling *** sustained on the highway.

I think my test was 26mpg on one of my PA to TN trips.

gwilliams6

I personally got 23-24mpg on steady highway cruising 65-75 mph from NJ to SC and Fla. (with the a/c on). I do try to not take it down to 1/4 tank. I fill up to keep the fuel pump covered and cooler. I am running a new Series 2 fuel pump now.

akagc

There's nothing wrong with my car. I use premium fuel, however maybe I should note that my car isn't used daily. It's up to date on its service, with all tune up parts (coil, plugs, wires filters, oil changes, filters, and O2 sensors), inspections etc, all done at the dealer. They take my car and I let them do all the recommended work when it's needed. Never did a compression test. Mazda never told me I needed one, they test drive it and let me know. The car is serviced once or twice a year as needed. The car is blazing fast and smooth, doesn't run rich or too lean, no miss firing, never flooded, never had a sing problem, no check engine lights. Nothing ever broke... It still has factory brake pads :P.

It's a flawless vehicle. I should note that my car only has 57k miles. It's an 05... I drove it maybe 1000 miles in the last 12 months, and probably 2000-3000 miles each year over the years. My mpg is probably not as good because I'm not actually driving it that much. When I do drive it, it's mostly at night with the windows down... but if it's really hot, then yes, AC on all the time as I live in FL.

I start it up once or twice a week and leave it running in the garage to warm it up and make sure it doesn't just sit there and sees some cranks... I take it around the block for a couple of miles at a time. Every other week.

I have 3 cars... and I work from home, so I don't drive as much, but I still love my cars , so yes my MPG will not be optimal like others who are cruising at 2800 rpm for hundreds of miles... but I didn't buy an RX8 to cruise at such low rpms and when I do use it, I open it up from time to time and get through the gears... it's a 6 Speed Manual, so probably will be different than what the guys with automatics are getting.

Gravey

iTrader: (3)

....

This many's....
\/

gwilliams6

akagc you seem to have your back up here. What you may not realize is that dealership service only is NOT the best to keep your '05 RX8 in proper shape. Dealers don't look over, inspect and replace many critical items as these cars age. ANY "05 could have an engine compression issue, even if you think it drives with full power. Without a proper rotary-specific compression test on a 10-yr old car, you are just guessing about the health of your engine. Just guessing ! And a dealer won't do a compression test unless you ask, or the car just stops running. You can't properly maintain a rotary car with just a dealer servicing once or twice a year.

I know, I have owned seven rotary Mazdas over the years.

You are living in a fantasy place if you think nothing possibly could be wrong, and you are reporting such poor mileage while cruising. Hopefully you came to this forum to get education from thousands of experienced and knowledgeable RX owners. If you choose to ignore our sincere advice and concern, then live with your sub-par mpg performance.

We can only go by what you tell us. And what you tell us points to issues with your car and/or your driving. Issues that are not being addressed by your dealer or you. And BTW manual owners are the ones getting the best mileage.

If it was my car, I would want to know why it doesn't get the mpg it should be getting, rather than getting all in a huff and saying your car is flawless. You can slowly lose compression and/or ignition and other component health over time and not really realize it.

Legot

iTrader: (1)

Dang, I get 250 miles per tank and it's all just needlessly downshifting and redlining one mile at a time.

Gravey

iTrader: (3)

^All DA-AY!

Dominarian

And to the 'no engine light' you said before;

I had low compression with no engine light, very minor power loss, and zero evidence of miss-fire. Only reason I knew, was because I requested a compression test.