Please help me decide to buy by answering these questions
11-21-2003, 08:24 PM
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Please help me decide to buy by answering these questions
well yea im a new person to this rotary engine thing and i was reading all the negative things about the Rx-8. im wondering if i should buy it.. the top 10 reasons im worried about spending 33g on this car are as follows....
1) I read about engine failire below 5000 miles... apex seals etc.. wondering if mazda redid the engine design yet or are planning on fixing the problem on future models.
2) I read gas mileage is way below the estimated 18/24.. some getting 13? wondering what everyone else is getting for their mileage...
3) Transmission failures? iono.. just read about them.
4) Car is slow.. (one thread said it was..) wonder how fast its 0-60 time is. ( can it beat the IS-300? my friend gets under 6.5 for 0-60)
5) GOoey stuff all over the new cars.. dont want to have to go back to the dealer everytime something weird leaks out or have any goop on my car.
6) No Tuning? i read somehwere in this forum that you cant do anything to the "delicate" engine... is rotary to be babied? can it take the NOs shots and turbos, intake, exhaust, headers that pistons can?
7) Irvine dealers can be dumbasses? hahhaha...
8) does the DVD nav system go in and out of the dash? or is it stationary?
9) Warranty on the 8... nobody here mentions it.. wondering how good the warranty is and if it covers bumper to bumper. (is-300 is 7 year 70,000 bumper to bumper)
10) insurance quotes? anyone? do the suicide help lower the price on insurance cuz its 4 door?
those are my main questions feel free to let this newbie know how rotary works... its limitations and its good-stuff-ness..... oh yeah and ive been comparing the following cars: Rx-8, Subaru impreza sti, Is-300, Evo, audi a4. tell me which car is good for the money. (im guessing all you people will say rx-8) oh yeah and i just wanna know how the sound system is... ok thanks...
1) I read about engine failire below 5000 miles... apex seals etc.. wondering if mazda redid the engine design yet or are planning on fixing the problem on future models.
2) I read gas mileage is way below the estimated 18/24.. some getting 13? wondering what everyone else is getting for their mileage...
3) Transmission failures? iono.. just read about them.
4) Car is slow.. (one thread said it was..) wonder how fast its 0-60 time is. ( can it beat the IS-300? my friend gets under 6.5 for 0-60)
5) GOoey stuff all over the new cars.. dont want to have to go back to the dealer everytime something weird leaks out or have any goop on my car.
6) No Tuning? i read somehwere in this forum that you cant do anything to the "delicate" engine... is rotary to be babied? can it take the NOs shots and turbos, intake, exhaust, headers that pistons can?
7) Irvine dealers can be dumbasses? hahhaha...
8) does the DVD nav system go in and out of the dash? or is it stationary?
9) Warranty on the 8... nobody here mentions it.. wondering how good the warranty is and if it covers bumper to bumper. (is-300 is 7 year 70,000 bumper to bumper)
10) insurance quotes? anyone? do the suicide help lower the price on insurance cuz its 4 door?
those are my main questions feel free to let this newbie know how rotary works... its limitations and its good-stuff-ness..... oh yeah and ive been comparing the following cars: Rx-8, Subaru impreza sti, Is-300, Evo, audi a4. tell me which car is good for the money. (im guessing all you people will say rx-8) oh yeah and i just wanna know how the sound system is... ok thanks...
11-21-2003, 08:48 PM
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Re: Please help me decide to buy by answering these questions
Originally posted by kimhsoj
1) I read about engine failire below 5000 miles... apex seals etc.. wondering if mazda redid the engine design yet or are planning on fixing the problem on future models.
1) I read about engine failire below 5000 miles... apex seals etc.. wondering if mazda redid the engine design yet or are planning on fixing the problem on future models.
2) I read gas mileage is way below the estimated 18/24.. some getting 13? wondering what everyone else is getting for their mileage...
3) Transmission failures? iono.. just read about them.
4) Car is slow.. (one thread said it was..) wonder how fast its 0-60 time is. ( can it beat the IS-300? my friend gets under 6.5 for 0-60)
5) GOoey stuff all over the new cars.. dont want to have to go back to the dealer everytime something weird leaks out or have any goop on my car.
6) No Tuning? i read somehwere in this forum that you cant do anything to the "delicate" engine... is rotary to be babied? can it take the NOs shots and turbos, intake, exhaust, headers that pistons can?
7) Irvine dealers can be dumbasses? hahhaha...
8) does the DVD nav system go in and out of the dash? or is it stationary?
9) Warranty on the 8... nobody here mentions it.. wondering how good the warranty is and if it covers bumper to bumper. (is-300 is 7 year 70,000 bumper to bumper)
10) insurance quotes? anyone? do the suicide help lower the price on insurance cuz its 4 door?
11-21-2003, 08:59 PM
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Much of what you read is from the vocal minority. If you look at the satisfaction survey, the majority of people who responded think highly of the car.
I think many of the issues you mention (1, 2, 3, and 5) are problems with specific cars for certain people, not a general rule of rotaries in general.
Mazda had problems with seals long ago, where they used to blow out around 50K miles, but that was long ago. You figure with improved technology, they should do better rather than worse over time. My 82 rx7 got about 230K miles on it before everything but the engine died (I drove it off road, used it to haul stuff in the back, etc., in general, I drove it real hard). My 91 rx7 got about 120K before the engine needed to be rebuilt, but the seals were fine (the mechanic who rebuilt my engine and races rx7's never saw an engine fail in the same way mine did). For seals to go out at 5K fits in the realm of infant mortality, and is why cars come with warranties.
Gas milage varies. There are people who say they are getting 13ish MPG. I get 18/19. Others get more. My highway driving is either stop and go or above the speed limit, so I expect that I could get better if I really cared.
I haven't seen any threads here relating to transmission failures, but again, I would expect a few on any car model (again, infant mortality). My 98 Durango (first year for the truck) had severe transmission problems and if I returned it once more in the first 2 months would have qualified under the lemon law (I took it in 4 times in 2 months).
The car is slow: I don't necessarily agree, and it's all relative. 0-60 times are bad, but non-turbo'ed rotory engines always had that. 40-80 acceleration is sweet (as is 60-100). I've had my car up to about 120 without any hesitation and without feeling any loss of power. I intentionally held it there because I didn't want to go past 6K RPM yet (until I have more miles on the car). Another poster indicated taking it up to 140, which is plenty fast. Of course, if you are comparing it to a Ferarri, it will never be considered fast. Again, it's all relative.
I've had two RX8's (replaced one with the other during the HP buyback). Never saw any goo on the car other than bird **** and tree sap.
I don't know much about the new RX's, other than to know that for tuning rotories, you don't want to go to your normal mechanic (and many of the other "in-out" tunup shops won't even touch the rotary, since they don't know it). Other than the fact the engine is a rotary instead of a piston, engines are engines (and these days, car computers are car computers). Living in CA, I have looked for a turbo kit which is CA legal (approved by DOT), but nothing yet, and I wouldn't expect anything until after there are enough of them on the road in California to create a market for aftermarket. A 30K car isn't going to be modified as frequently as an 18K car. With the older RX7's, as a friend described it: "if **** could burn, the rotory could be powered by it". If NOX is your thing, the engine should work with NOX fine, and when there is a sufficient market in CA for someone to go through the process of certifying a NOX kit for an RX8, they will.
No comment on #7, I live in the SF Bay Area, and the original poster about Irvine was basic flamebait.
The DVD monitor is above the dash, the DVD is between the rear seats, and the controls are next to the driver. The position of the controls sucks if you have the seat up (I am 5'2"). The position and size of the display is real nice. Having a touch screen would make it a lot better.
Warranty is better than most, with roadside assistance thrown in.
For insurance, I replaced my 91 RX7 convertible with my RX8 (same deductables and coverage), and my insurance went down. I think the car is not treated as a sports car because it has four doors.
My biggest issue as far as driving is concerned is the lack of power at the low end. On the other hand, it handles better than anything I have driven before, and the responsiveness to my "instructions" is near perfect.
Hope this helps.
I think many of the issues you mention (1, 2, 3, and 5) are problems with specific cars for certain people, not a general rule of rotaries in general.
Mazda had problems with seals long ago, where they used to blow out around 50K miles, but that was long ago. You figure with improved technology, they should do better rather than worse over time. My 82 rx7 got about 230K miles on it before everything but the engine died (I drove it off road, used it to haul stuff in the back, etc., in general, I drove it real hard). My 91 rx7 got about 120K before the engine needed to be rebuilt, but the seals were fine (the mechanic who rebuilt my engine and races rx7's never saw an engine fail in the same way mine did). For seals to go out at 5K fits in the realm of infant mortality, and is why cars come with warranties.
Gas milage varies. There are people who say they are getting 13ish MPG. I get 18/19. Others get more. My highway driving is either stop and go or above the speed limit, so I expect that I could get better if I really cared.
I haven't seen any threads here relating to transmission failures, but again, I would expect a few on any car model (again, infant mortality). My 98 Durango (first year for the truck) had severe transmission problems and if I returned it once more in the first 2 months would have qualified under the lemon law (I took it in 4 times in 2 months).
The car is slow: I don't necessarily agree, and it's all relative. 0-60 times are bad, but non-turbo'ed rotory engines always had that. 40-80 acceleration is sweet (as is 60-100). I've had my car up to about 120 without any hesitation and without feeling any loss of power. I intentionally held it there because I didn't want to go past 6K RPM yet (until I have more miles on the car). Another poster indicated taking it up to 140, which is plenty fast. Of course, if you are comparing it to a Ferarri, it will never be considered fast. Again, it's all relative.
I've had two RX8's (replaced one with the other during the HP buyback). Never saw any goo on the car other than bird **** and tree sap.
I don't know much about the new RX's, other than to know that for tuning rotories, you don't want to go to your normal mechanic (and many of the other "in-out" tunup shops won't even touch the rotary, since they don't know it). Other than the fact the engine is a rotary instead of a piston, engines are engines (and these days, car computers are car computers). Living in CA, I have looked for a turbo kit which is CA legal (approved by DOT), but nothing yet, and I wouldn't expect anything until after there are enough of them on the road in California to create a market for aftermarket. A 30K car isn't going to be modified as frequently as an 18K car. With the older RX7's, as a friend described it: "if **** could burn, the rotory could be powered by it". If NOX is your thing, the engine should work with NOX fine, and when there is a sufficient market in CA for someone to go through the process of certifying a NOX kit for an RX8, they will.
No comment on #7, I live in the SF Bay Area, and the original poster about Irvine was basic flamebait.
The DVD monitor is above the dash, the DVD is between the rear seats, and the controls are next to the driver. The position of the controls sucks if you have the seat up (I am 5'2"). The position and size of the display is real nice. Having a touch screen would make it a lot better.
Warranty is better than most, with roadside assistance thrown in.
For insurance, I replaced my 91 RX7 convertible with my RX8 (same deductables and coverage), and my insurance went down. I think the car is not treated as a sports car because it has four doors.
My biggest issue as far as driving is concerned is the lack of power at the low end. On the other hand, it handles better than anything I have driven before, and the responsiveness to my "instructions" is near perfect.
Hope this helps.
11-21-2003, 09:40 PM
#4
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Re: Please help me decide to buy by answering these questions
Originally posted by kimhsoj
1) I read about engine failire below 5000 miles... apex seals etc.. wondering if mazda redid the engine design yet or are planning on fixing the problem on future models.
1) I read about engine failire below 5000 miles... apex seals etc.. wondering if mazda redid the engine design yet or are planning on fixing the problem on future models.
2) I read gas mileage is way below the estimated 18/24.. some getting 13? wondering what everyone else is getting for their mileage...
3) Transmission failures? iono.. just read about them.
4) Car is slow.. (one thread said it was..) wonder how fast its 0-60 time is. ( can it beat the IS-300? my friend gets under 6.5 for 0-60)
5) GOoey stuff all over the new cars.. dont want to have to go back to the dealer everytime something weird leaks out or have any goop on my car.
6) No Tuning? i read somehwere in this forum that you cant do anything to the "delicate" engine... is rotary to be babied? can it take the NOs shots and turbos, intake, exhaust, headers that pistons can?
8) does the DVD nav system go in and out of the dash? or is it stationary?
Regards,
Gordon
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