Possible new RX-8 owner...
 

I plan on getting a car soon, and one of the cars that I am looking to get is the Mazda RX-8. I would like a Miata over them, though...just personal preference, but these cars seem really neat and interesting to me. Unfortunately I have heard that these cars, due to the rotary engine, can require lots of maintenance issues.

I'm not sure, though. I've heard lots on the matter. I plan to have this car for about four or five years. I'm twenty, and this is the first "new" car I will be purchasing since my father gave me his old Saturn to putt putt around in when I was 16. Oh...those were simpler times...

Anyway, the car itself scares me because of the maintenance issues I hear about. I came to this site so that hopefully you all, being owners, could shed some light on the problems the car is known to have, and to perhaps tell me the best ways to prevent these problems. Things like what to do, what not to do, what kind of car to look for, what to avoid...things like that. I would really appreciate any pointers here, because I can certainly imagine myself driving around in a RX-8, but I just want to make sure that they are not TOO much trouble to maintain.

Thanks for any advice I can get. I figure owners themselves know the car better than anybody else.

Since you are by no means the first potential owner to ask these questions and have these concerns, someone put together a thread addressing all of those, plus more that you are going to ask, but don't yet know that you will.

It's stickied in this same subforum, an inch or two from the new thread button, depending on screen resolution.

Take a read through it first: https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discuss...t-here-202454/

I remember when I was looking into getting an 8 and I read that thread.. I was so close to being scared off of buying one.

When i already bought the rx8, i never knew that the engine is a rotary...and i said to myself...what's rotary? lol

I'm really glad that I did not discover this site until after I bought my 8. :)

Ken

Welcome to the forum 'slightly', the link RIWWP gave you is invaluable, read that and all the other 'sticky' threads on the forum.

To put your mind at rest, these cars do not need loads more maintainance than other 'normal' cars. The only real thing that needs to be watched is to check the oil more often (a slight top up every couple of weeks on average depending on how you drive it as the engine is designed to burn a little oil off as it keeps the rotors lubricated) and how you actually use it (they don't like very short journeys and shouldnt be turned off when cold for example).

So long as you buy a good one to begin with and dont mind higher than average fuel consumption, you'll have alot of fun.

Thats what the salesman I was talking to yesterday said when he asked what kind of engine was in my RX-7.... and he was the one trying to sell me the RX-8.

Stupid salesman...lol

It's all good, when I bought mine and got it home I checked the dipstick the next morning (it was january so it was cold) and I saw this white junk all over my dipstick I was so pissed, thought I paid 9k for a blown head gasket car. Then i was like "Hmm...no head...so no head gasket" smh. But after some research here I found out it was perfectly fine with the creamy junk on it. Honestly was looking for a 350z but test drove the rx8 after I test drove the Z and liked the 8 more. People said I was an idiot for choosing the 8 over the Z but hell, to each their own. I love my 8, fun car :)

the rx8 is not the best "new car" to start with, unless you are a mechanic and got time..get yourself something more economical like a civic, corolla or whatever