DocBeech

iTrader: (1)

but its one thats important in the long run, unless you plan to part it out when your done instead of trade in for a newer one.

terch1

iTrader: (2)

How do you know how much this car is going to cost the op a year? First off if he lives on campus chances are he won't be spending all that much a week on gas or oil for that matter. Secondly, as mentioned by another member depreciation is not a maintenance expense. However if you would like to include it what your saying makes little sense. The biggest depreciation takes place when you purchase a new 8 and not when your purchasing one used.

Renesis07

iTrader: (1)

+ 1 on all thats stated above, plus I STRONGLY doubt this RX8 will be worth $2,000-$3,000 miles next year. So that statement of depreciation was straight non-sense.

Please ignore that OP, read my previous post about the costs. Those are going to be your FIXED maintenance costs, meaning the things you must do. Any additional expenses can more than likely be avoided by proper maintenance and making sure the previous owner did his part in upkeeping the vehicle prior to you taking over.

You should be fine man. Think long and hard about it and more importantly, test drive one to make sure you like it.

funkyfresh

Thank you Renesis07 and terch01. I will be living on campus so i wont be using it all that much but I will definitely take care of it. The maintenance stuff as renesis07 broke it down, doesnt seem that bad, altho DocBeech scared me with the $7000 comment but like you guys said its mostly incorrect.

I drove a local one around here and its an amazing ride, I loved it.
I just got to check this one im looking into, any recommendation on what to look for to see if its in bad shape, other than the obvious carfax, dents, etc.

Thanks

Renesis07

iTrader: (1)

Feel along all the seems (in between the panels), if they feel rough like sandpaper, that means that fender has been re-painted (I sell cars ).

If you're buying from a dealership, request a compression test before purchasing. Give it a ginger run through 2nd gear up above 7K rpms, should be smooth all the way, any hesitations may be signs of an issue or bad coils ect.

Idle will give little vibrations and may dip in RPMs just a tad with the AC on, thats normal. However it shouldnt be violently shaking.

During the test drive, a little trans noise while accelerating is normal, but you really shouldnt hear anything aside from the intake (which sounds like a UFO whistling noise - yes its normal). The shifter should feel like a warm knife through butter; grinds, banging, etc shouldnt occur (except reverse can be tricky and may make some noises).

After your test drive, park the car and immediately pop the hood and take a smell, make sure you dont smell any burning fluids. Look under the car, shouldnt see any oils etc.

Request any service records as well, and if I were you, I would write the VIN down and call your local Mazda Dealership to obtain the previous history and warranty records to see if this car has had any repeating issues, or if it was a part of the new engine group (which isnt necessarily bad ).

funkyfresh

would you take the "I love you, thanks so much" now or after I get the car? ahah

thanks for the detailed reply, its gonna save me so much headache and money!

Renesis07

iTrader: (1)

lol Ill take it now

Best of luck and hopefully your next thread will have some pics of the new 8, keep us posted.

DocBeech

iTrader: (1)

edmunds tells you the average. if you go look they will tell you the cost of ownership plus what the depreciation is going to be.

DocBeech

iTrader: (1)

http://www.edmunds.com/used/2005/maz...=75226&vdp=off

read for yourself.

Razz1

The gas will kill you.

Get a Civic

Renesis07

iTrader: (1)

HE was asking what EXTRA maintenance costs everyone was referring to. Insurance, depreciation, fuel, financing, car payment will be there for any car he chooses.

EXTRA MAINTENANCE is the stuff I mentioned.

IMO, there's so much hype about these cars being sooooo hard to own. It's freaking easy, just maintain your damn car and put oil in it every 1000 miles. Oh god, its sooo bad to have to replace coils every 30K miles instead of 60K like some cars, must mean the RX8s are ****!

People are retarded, so I cleared it up for this young man with my personal expenses Ive seen over the last 5 years of ownership. Read my sig, orig engine still, must be doing something right. I was a college student and made it just fine.