Finally convinced the wife of the benefits of a third car. Parameters were: (1) weekend track-worthy, (2) good looking, (3) four-seater. It came down to a Mini Cooper, vintage Alfa GTV or older BMW M3. RX8 seems to be the winner. It's unique, modern and surprising practical (having a real back seat).

I may wait until the Fall and shoot for a $20,000 price point. What are the top factors that will distinguish a "bad" from a "good" RX8?

 

A good RX-8 is one that you own? A bad one is the one still on the lot?

From what I've read (I'm sure others can give a lot better advice) the 2005 models have mostly worked out the problems of the early RX-8s, in terms of flooding, old versions of the PCM flash, etc. If you're buying a 2004 (unlikely if you're waiting till the fall) you would want to check the build date on the sticker in the driver's side doorframe. Older build dates generally had more problems though most owners seem to be very satisfied even with the first builds.

 

I would be looking a a used RX8, which means 25-35,000 miles. Is there a build date that I should use as a cut-off for avoiding teething pains?

 

Good question. I've usually heard that anything past around 04/04 is pretty good. Of course if you're buying used from someone who knows the 8, they may have already had the flash updates done at their dealer. My new '04 8 (just bought on Friday) is a 05/04 build so I guess that's okay.

 

I've had mine for 1 year now; just passed 14k miles. No problems here. The 8 is a wonderful and as you pointed out, very practical car. She's sexy, sleek, and sophisticated. An excellent performing well balanced joy to drive sports car that will keep you grinning ear to ear for a long time coming :D

Keep your oil changed regularly (I go every 3k-3500 miles, having the tires rotated every other oil change or so). I think this next time around I'll have the spark plugs switched out.

Every time I have her serviced for maintenance I get the newest flash Mazda has; no asking and no fuss. The only problem I can see here Old Phart is you're waiting way too long. Get it now! Get it now! You'll be amazed how much you enjoy it. Edit: Oop and 1 more thing - you're required to post pics here when you buy your 8

 

Nice once!

Anything late 04 and up should be fine.

The only real problem your going to run into is leaving the car when you park it at night! I've had my car for almost a year now, and getting out still hurts! :D

 

It's hard to find any negative stuff on the RX8, which is surprising for a car that is such a unique machine on the high end of the performance ladder.

My current car (which will remain my commuter car and family car) is a 2000 A6 2.7T. I've done some work to make it a very sharp handling car (coilovers, wheels, tires) but it's an automatic and still a big implement.

 

If possible, find one with a VIN # of 30000 or above(last 5 digits of the VIN). I would also ask the owner/dealer to provide you with copies of all the services records for the car.

 

Also, I don't think you have to wait for fall to get one for 20k unless you want a fully loaded model. If you don't care about plastic body parts and nav 20k should be doable with a used RX-8 right now. You might even be better off getting a new left over 04 since you'll get lower rates and won't have to worry about what the previous owner did to the car.

 

I don't think that build date has anything to do with the desirability. What counts is whether or not the previous owner kept up with things like re-calls, PCM flashes, etc.

Click HERE to see all the technical service bulletins applicable. If you're buying from a Mazda dealer, then have them verify that the car is up to date.

If you're not buying from a Mazda dealer, then take the car to a Mazda dealer and have them check it over - as all work performed on the car will be available under the VIN number. So they may charge you - but cheap insurance in my book.

Again, passing up a good car simply for something as meaningless as build date is pure folly, so don't get sucked into that frame of mind. My car has a build date of 5/03, and except for a metering oil pump at 164 miles I have had ZERO problems.

 

What hardware changes have been made to the RX8 throughout production? At what approximate build date did each change occur? Seems like this would be good info to compile...

 

I know of no reason to avoid an early build date RX-8, unless you want an RX-8 in white (color was not available in 2004).

I have a 5/2003 built car (first shipment to the US). It has been a fine car with no problems. Just review all the TSBs and, if you should have an issue, print out the TSB and go the the dealer to get it fixed. I have had a few TSB fixes done, but most TSBs have not affected my 8. You do need the two recalls done (transmission damper and passenger airbag wiring) and the PCM firmware level update.

Yes, there is a convenience issue here but that should be offset by the price. As stated earlier, build date is much less of an issue than the condition of the car and how the previous owner maintained it.

Note that the higher the mileage, the higher the chance you will need new tires ($700 - $1,200). The stock Potenzas do not have a rep for being "long lasting".

 

The only concern I'd have over such an early build date is why it didn't get sold with the initial rush to snag this car and why has it lasted so long since then? Definitely drive it and be very sensitive to any possible problems and give it a solid once over before committing to anything. Other than the car itself having its own problem, there aren't really any major problems with the early builds.

 

Excellent point in general. I am not sure where all these early 2003 builds are coming from to begin with and why Mazda has the $4,000 incentive to clear all 2004s out so late in the 2005 model year.

They can't be the HP buy-back cars, not if they are being sold as "new". So where have they been? However, I can tell you that the "initial rush" never occured. My pre-order cost me $1,500 extra and if I had waited 6 weeks I could have bought an 8 off the lot for sticker price, or less. RX-8 have always been plentiful, at least in my part of the country.

 

From what I recall, I believe some of the earlier built cars have had the worst gas mileage (less than 15 mpg). It's obviously not all of them, but the earlier 8's seemed to have the problem more often than later 8's, even with updated PCM flashes. Perhaps someone whose 8 actually has this issue can chime in on their car build date.

 

It certainly seems that the Mazda incentives on '04s are working, though. The dealership I bought my 8 at had 5 '04s listed last week, but on Friday after I bought mine there was only one left.

 

Yeah, I have an 06/03 build date. I bot mine as a "new" '04 with 401 miles a few weeks ago and I get crappy MPG compared to a lot of others. I get 15 city and 17-18 hwy. If I drive her hard I get 13-14 city.

I've suspected for a while now that the build date has something to do with the MPG discrepency on these cars, but it's just a hunch... no definitive proof.

BTW, I got $7400 off sticker before tax/license - you should be able to get at least $7K off sticker or better on "new" '04s right now. Some claim better than $8K, but that's b/c they're counting favorable trade ins. With out a trade, you should get at least $7K below sticker. At least.

Good luck bro! You'll be VERY happy with the 8 as long as you can stomach awful MPG.

 

Basically I agree with you, my gut says that early build cars seem to have a tendency towards lower gas mileage. I get 15 around town and the PCM flash did not dramatically change this (maybe 1 mpg).

However, there is no real proof of this perception with a number of early built cars getting OK mileage (17-20) and , most importantly, there are plenty of newly built cars whose owners report low gas mileage (13-15). So buying new does not necessarily protect you from this problem.

 

Silver are fastest

 

But Velocity Red has better handling :D

 

I agree with you as well. LawFitz above mentioned getting 15 city/17-18 hwy with his early-build 8. Sadly, I think those numbers are on par with the majority's average mpg, including myself (I just calculated my mpg and just realized that I sometimes get 13 in mixed driving. Damn! )

 

I have seen the same thing, mixed driving sometimes getting 13.5-14 mpg when usually it running 17-18. The erratic nature of of both my and other people's gas mileage indicates other factors at play that are beyond our control (outside temp, gasoline additives, altitude, duration of driving not distance, humidity, maybe even wind resistence). Who knows what things have an effect on how the PCM calculates the A/F ratio. Very strange.

But in terms of this thread, I don't think that the newer cars are sufficiently "better" for gas mileage to be a major consideration when looking at an early or a late build for an RX-8. Obviously, if everything else (including price) is equal you get the newest build you can.

 

As I said before, my build date is 05/03. I've owned it over 16 months now and no problems. When I first got the car (6MT GT), I would get about 13-14 in town, but with the PCM flash upgrades (started with K, then L, M, & now N) I now typically get 17-18 MPG around town and 24-26 MPG on road trips cruising at 75+ generally.

My mileage is just a tick over 10,000 now and I change the oil every 3,000 miles, and I use about 1 quart between changes. I have no rattles, wind noise, or noticable wear & tear inside or out.

If the car has been kept up to date, then there is virtually no difference between one built in 5/03 and one built later. Even if the car hasn't been PCM up-dated it's only a 1/2 hour job at the dealer to re-flash it. Don't get caught up in gas mileage issues. If the PCM has been updated, then mileage is dependent on driving style.

 

My build date is Jan 2004. Mileage? Call it gallonage. 15 city under moderate driving, 20 highway in good conditions and under 80 MPH.
I love the car, there's nothing else like it. But it is "quirky" and you have to give it a little attention. Change oil frequently and rotate the tires. It has "hot spots," too. The cup holders are great for coffee, but don't put a coke in there unless you like it hot. This works well in the trunk - you can steam wrinkles out of your clothes while you drive.

But its all about love, you know?

Mine's silver with black and red leather...and I have a red over black pinstripe.

 

Hi there,

I agree with Dave. i have a 2004 MY. Before purchasing, i was worried about the milage among other things. Things changed though when i bought the car got into it for the first time and drove it off the lot. Milage concerns seem so distant when you hear that rotary engine sing.