Owning Costs
01-03-2004, 02:21 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Vermont
Posts: 205
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Owning Costs
Maybe i am getting in over my head by getting an 8 i just read that spark plugs are $115 a set. what are some other costs for owning the 8 that i may run into and what is the cost itself?
Painful considering it's only a 30k car. If it was a Porsche or a Ferrari maybe...
01-03-2004, 03:48 AM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think the killer is the $900 - $1000 we'll end up spending for new tires every 15K - 20K miles. The gas and maintenance costs are relatively small amounts spread out over intervals, albeit in total they are significant. But the tires will hit you like of ton of bricks all at once :p
I have decided that I am going to do all my oil changes on my own. My dealer charges about $45 for an oil change.
I have decided that I am going to do all my oil changes on my own. My dealer charges about $45 for an oil change.
01-03-2004, 12:21 PM
#7
Registered
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Philadelphia, PA USA
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nah, this is one of the easier cars that I have ever changed oil on.
Personally, I think that the largest cost is going to be buying all the driving music on CD "One more radar love is gone ..."
Personally, I think that the largest cost is going to be buying all the driving music on CD "One more radar love is gone ..."
01-03-2004, 01:52 PM
#9
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The xenon headlamps go for about $300 a piece but hopefully they will last for years to come.
Is it just me or does 15 to 20 thousand miles sound like an awfully short life on a set of tires? I got about 32K miles on the factory-tires that came on my Mustang. I'd hope to do at least as well with the 8.....
Is it just me or does 15 to 20 thousand miles sound like an awfully short life on a set of tires? I got about 32K miles on the factory-tires that came on my Mustang. I'd hope to do at least as well with the 8.....
01-03-2004, 02:20 PM
#11
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Vermont
Posts: 205
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
if they only last 15-20k i think i will buy some better tires lol that does seem like an awfully short lifespan to me as well... cant you get tires for it that will last 50k miles?
01-03-2004, 02:22 PM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Could be. I guess time will tell. I'm fuzzy on the back-tires comment though. (This is going to sound sarcastic, and I really don't mean for it to but) is there a reason that you can't rotate the tires to more evenly distribute the wear? If not, at the cost of these tires, I'll be rotating them pretty religiously trying to maximize their life.
01-03-2004, 02:29 PM
#14
8 w/ Trunk Monkey option
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Hampton Roads, VA
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh absolutely the tires depend on your driving habits. I had a set of Firestone Firehawk SZ50s on my 3000GT that lasted for nearly 40k miles. If you keep your tires rotated and don't drive like you're at the track every time you get behind the wheel, you'll definitely get more than 20k miles out of these tires - Firestone/Bridgestone are the same company, and the rubber ought to be the same or a very nearly the same compound.
01-03-2004, 02:44 PM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: So. California
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Idleone - Your question, "Owning Costs", is a good one. Unfortunetly, there is no easy answer. I'll try and be as helpful as possible, and use real life experiences.
The bottom line is cost per mile.
In order to get to the cost per mile figure, you need to consider:
Total Days of ownership (end date or today minus the start date)
Total Miles driven
Depreciation (Purchase Price minus {sales price or current value})
Finance Charges (Interest only)
Insurance Costs (total over days of ownership)
Operating Costs (Again, total over days of ownership - and, this includes cost of care {wash, wax}, fuel, license, registration, parking, repairs, maintenance, and tolls)
Total Cash outlay is the sum of Depreciation, Finance Charges, Insurance, and Operating Costs.
Cost per mile is total cash divided by mile driven.
You'll find that the three most important elements to ownership cost are "days of ownership", miles driven, and depreciation.
Two of my own examples:
1990 Nissan 300ZX
Cost per mile was 39 cents. Owned for 5206 days over 151,880 miles. Total Cash outlay $58,633.61 for an original sales price of $31,366. Depreciation was $28,066; Financing was $1,475.88 (Just 12 months to payoff); Insurance was $11,922.72; and Operating costs were $17,169.01. Note, found that operating costs maintenance (oil, tires; shocks; bushings; etc) basically doubled whatever the gas bill was. You obviously don't need to maintain it as well, but the handling/performance will suck if you don't.
1998 Ford Mustang GT
Cost per mile was $3.17. Owned for 285 days over 3795 miles. Total Cash outlay $12,024.74 for an original sales price of $23,997.33. Depreciation was $7,797.33; Financing was $1,501.82 (Lease interest charges); Insurance was $1,115.27; and Operating costs were $1,610.12 (had to replace all 4 tires - flat spotted - long story).
The 300ZX was a much more expensive car at purchase and to maintain than the Mustang. However, cost per mile was significantly less because of lengh of ownership and miles driven.
I expect that the RX-8 will emulate the costs of the 300ZX. That is, the tires will need replacing every 25,000 to 35,000 miles; the shocks and bushings every 60,000 miles; the timing belt somewhere betwen 100,000 and 120,000; and so on. Just put away double your gas receipts each month, then invest it in maintenance & repairs, and you should be able to keep this car looking new and performing the way it did the day your brought it home from the dealership.
The bottom line is cost per mile.
In order to get to the cost per mile figure, you need to consider:
Total Days of ownership (end date or today minus the start date)
Total Miles driven
Depreciation (Purchase Price minus {sales price or current value})
Finance Charges (Interest only)
Insurance Costs (total over days of ownership)
Operating Costs (Again, total over days of ownership - and, this includes cost of care {wash, wax}, fuel, license, registration, parking, repairs, maintenance, and tolls)
Total Cash outlay is the sum of Depreciation, Finance Charges, Insurance, and Operating Costs.
Cost per mile is total cash divided by mile driven.
You'll find that the three most important elements to ownership cost are "days of ownership", miles driven, and depreciation.
Two of my own examples:
1990 Nissan 300ZX
Cost per mile was 39 cents. Owned for 5206 days over 151,880 miles. Total Cash outlay $58,633.61 for an original sales price of $31,366. Depreciation was $28,066; Financing was $1,475.88 (Just 12 months to payoff); Insurance was $11,922.72; and Operating costs were $17,169.01. Note, found that operating costs maintenance (oil, tires; shocks; bushings; etc) basically doubled whatever the gas bill was. You obviously don't need to maintain it as well, but the handling/performance will suck if you don't.
1998 Ford Mustang GT
Cost per mile was $3.17. Owned for 285 days over 3795 miles. Total Cash outlay $12,024.74 for an original sales price of $23,997.33. Depreciation was $7,797.33; Financing was $1,501.82 (Lease interest charges); Insurance was $1,115.27; and Operating costs were $1,610.12 (had to replace all 4 tires - flat spotted - long story).
The 300ZX was a much more expensive car at purchase and to maintain than the Mustang. However, cost per mile was significantly less because of lengh of ownership and miles driven.
I expect that the RX-8 will emulate the costs of the 300ZX. That is, the tires will need replacing every 25,000 to 35,000 miles; the shocks and bushings every 60,000 miles; the timing belt somewhere betwen 100,000 and 120,000; and so on. Just put away double your gas receipts each month, then invest it in maintenance & repairs, and you should be able to keep this car looking new and performing the way it did the day your brought it home from the dealership.
01-03-2004, 02:53 PM
#16
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Vermont
Posts: 205
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the very detailed layout of the costs... I will not be finacning the only things i have to worry about are the operation costs and the gas, insurance... i will try to set aside double what i use for gas a month but that could get rather expensive if i drive alot lol... Sounds like in order for me to make this car affordable for me from my income from work i need to park it in the winter and drive it mildly in the summer LOL what's the point 
i will just have to work my *** off to take care of my new baby
i will just have to work my *** off to take care of my new baby
01-03-2004, 02:58 PM
#17
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Vermont
Posts: 205
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
on the other hand all the operating costs could just be considered a portion of the would be car payment i would have if i wasn't buying it outright.
i have estimated that insurance is about
$230/mo to put away (paying yearly)
gas is about $100/mo
and maintenace i could do $200/mo
not bad $430/mo for this car... i could afford that i would just need to go to work each and every day or i couldnt drive the car...
i have a bad job history lol i never stay at a job for too long i start to hate the job and know it is not what i want to do with life but i think having this car and the want of driving the car will change that. I am in college now so in a few years i will be able to get a job that i want and like.
i have estimated that insurance is about
$230/mo to put away (paying yearly)
gas is about $100/mo
and maintenace i could do $200/mo
not bad $430/mo for this car... i could afford that i would just need to go to work each and every day or i couldnt drive the car...
i have a bad job history lol i never stay at a job for too long i start to hate the job and know it is not what i want to do with life but i think having this car and the want of driving the car will change that. I am in college now so in a few years i will be able to get a job that i want and like.
01-03-2004, 04:00 PM
#19
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Vermont
Posts: 205
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i just checked with the dealership to see if the plugs in the car were the ones that fixed the problem and he had no clue but will talk to the service dept monday morning
01-03-2004, 04:09 PM
#21
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by Zeltar
I expect that the RX-8 will emulate the costs of the 300ZX. That is, the tires will need replacing every 25,000 to 35,000 miles
I expect that the RX-8 will emulate the costs of the 300ZX. That is, the tires will need replacing every 25,000 to 35,000 miles
01-03-2004, 05:05 PM
#22
Lurking troll
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 330
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How long your tires last depends upon two very important factors.
1. How you drive your car. (Fast take off's and fast stops)
2. Treadwear rating of the tires. (If I am not mistaken, the treadwear rating for these tires are fairly low which means that the rubber is softer)
The softer the rubber, the better stickiness to the road....
1. How you drive your car. (Fast take off's and fast stops)
2. Treadwear rating of the tires. (If I am not mistaken, the treadwear rating for these tires are fairly low which means that the rubber is softer)
The softer the rubber, the better stickiness to the road....
01-03-2004, 05:19 PM
#24
Registered
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: North Kingstown, RI
Posts: 1,022
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The reason most people's tires look like they are only going to last about 20,000 miles is because of the type of tire. The RX8 OEM tire is an RE040. Tirerack.com rates them at a fairly low tread life. When it is time for new tires try looking into one's with better tread life for more bang for the buck.
