Katie

I came over to the forum to look for opinions on the 8 in regards
to quality. My Camry has lasted 155K and still going strong but I want a car that is both fun to drive and dependable.

I have never owned a Mazda and the reviews I have read suggested the jury is still out on rotary engines.

Does anyone plan to keep their 8 for 100,000 miles or more?

Thanks,

TD in Texas

red_rx8_red_int

I do. I've also never owned a Mazda before, but I'm just over 20k and plan on putting several hundred k more on my baby.

RX8by

I wouldn't recommend anyone purchase a Mazda car. The Mazda company is very strict on repairs and will go to any length to disapprove a repair. I just had a visor crack and hang down almost causing a accident. When I took it to the dealer he said any interior repairs must be approved by the manufactor's Rep. They called today and denied the repair claiming Mazda engineering claims no problem with the visor. Only problem is the piece of sh*t broke.This car has 5400 miles on it. How do you mistreat a visor? I love the car but refuse to pay $105.00 for their engineering mistake (see Broken visors). So much for your 4 yr warranty. If you buy this car you can expect a problem with every repair request. The Mazda company is losing money and they are trying to save money on the backs of their customers. If they don't change their customer service they will be history in a few years. If you want quality and service buy a Toyota or a Honda. When my Tundra's arm rest had a worn crushed look where your elbow hit it they replaced it, no problem.

zoom_gator

Sorry to hear that RX8by. This is my first Mazda (I've owned Hondas and Toyotas previously), and I hope your experience is the exception rather than the rule.

I plan on keeping my 8 for a while (my last car was a '94 Accord (bought new) with 134K miles and going strong).

ZG

sportscarfreak

I have owned 3 Mazdas prior to My RX-8... a 1st Gen Miata, a 2nd Gen Rx-7, and my 3rd Gen RX-7. I've never had any major problems with ANY of my rotaries. The only thing that I can tell you is that a roaty is not for everybody. You HAVE to be on top of the maintenance constantly. You have to add a quart of oil every 1500-2000 miles (depends on your driving style; Mazda recommends checking your oil levels wth every fill up); Other than that they are very fun cars.

Good luck with whatever your decision might be.

red_rx8_red_int

That makes no sense. So what if engineering claims no problem! All production lines produce defected items. No manufacturer says 100% perfect runs or no go. That's why all parts are defined with manufacturing tolarences. Even with a six sigma process, defects will occur. It's not in the engineering, it's in the manufacturing. I would raise it to the next level. Keep complaining.

loco4rx8

RX8by, I think you need to try a different dealer.

Katie, this is my second Mazda. My first was a '92 Miata which I drove for 176,000 miles. The only problems I had with that car occurred after an accident at around 165,000 miles, so I think the accident caused the problems.

So far, my RX-8 has been problem-free through 17,500 miles. Admittedly, this is very early going, but I'm hopeful it will stay a dependable car.

sportscarfreak is right. You should only buy an RX-8 if you're going to keep up with maintenance. You have to check the oil at least once every 1000 miles. You WILL need to add oil between oil changes. This is normal for the rotary engine, but most people are not used to worrying about adding oil in their piston engine cars.

To me, it's no big deal, and I've just gotten into a habit of checking my oil every time the odometer rolls over another 1000 miles. And it's a small price to pay to have this much fun!

xlr8ng

Katie,

I was concerned about the maintenance and reliability of the RX-8. I test drove several vehicles, including the Acura TL, that I thought would be more reliable. Since the RX-8 is in it's first production year, there isn't a true history of the vehicle's long term reliability. Even Consumer Reports doesn't formulate an opinion as to it's long term quality.

I finally decided that, based on the amount of fun that the other forum members were having driving their 8's and the amount of fun that I had while test driving it, I was going to take a calculated risk and get it. I was able to come to grips with the additional maintenance requirements (i.e. adding oil, etc.). I got my 8 on Saturday and I already have over 1,000 super-exciting miles on it.

The only suggestion I have is to test drive every car that is in your price range. Read about them online (Car & Driver, Consumer Reports, etc.) as well as on forums such as this. As long as you know what you are getting into, it makes it easier to make the final decision without regrets.

Hope all goes well with your decision.

EatMyBanana

Very well put xlr8ng. 6 weeks.3000 miles and driving has never been more enjoyable.

Jeffjett

Katie:

Excellent advise given by many. You just need to recognize checking the oil is critical with this car, as the rotary is designed to use some oil. I check every other tank of gas. However, if you don't like to mess with your car (checking and adding oil) and don't have a significant assistant, this car is not for you.

However, if you can handle it, as many other women 8 owners do, the car is great fun, It's not just transportation. Hope we helped

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

I certainly wouldn't worry about the engine....

In 1975, I bought an RX-3 with a PRIMITIVE version of this motor - it lasted 180,000 miles. The body finally rusted out, and that engine was still as strong as the day it was new.

The engines (and hopefully the bodies!) have come a long way since then, and I am confident they will last as long as you want!
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doc

pret

heh, it is funny that rx8by had a problem with a DEALERSHIP and therefore advises against purchasing a vehicle. when will ppl learn that dealerships are not owned by the manufacturer and therefore should not be used as representation?

hey, stuff happens! it happens with any vehicle, any make, any model. look at this thread, this guy did have a legimate engine problem, and Mazda honored the warranty and replaced engine. all he can say is WTF? who knows what the real story behind rx8by's story is...personally, i think he's an a$$...maybe the dealership did also! maybe the dealership ripped him off! who knows and who cares?

https://www.rx8club.com/west-rx-8-forum-34/wtf-new-engine-being-replaced-after-only-8-months-33339/

understand, that you can't believe everything you read on the internet. you will hear stories that rx-7 engines require alot of maintenance and money. if you do, you need to find out what generation rx-7 that person is talking about. the 3rd gen rx-7 do unfortunately require alot of maintenace. that is because they are sequential twin turbos and they generate enourmous amounts of heat. they were pretty much street legal race cars unfortunately, there are alot of idiots and trolls on this forum. there are also alot, ALOT of knowledgeable ppl! (myself not included )

anyway, this is my second Mazda rotary. with regards to your question, at 9000 rpms, the rotors themselves are only spinning at 3000 rpms. at 9000 rpms, there is less vibration then the piston engines. Mazda has been working on rotaries since the early/late 60's - 70's and has been continually been making improvements as they learned. this current engine, they have been working on since 1995! this new engine has won International Engine of the Year, not once, but TWICE!

I use my vehicle as a daily driver, and i will tell you, it is fun each and every day. I always have a smile when i'm in my 8. this rotary version is as, if not more reliable then piston engines. logically, think about how a piston performs. up, stop, down, stop, .... the rotary just spins in a circle.

If I can recommend anything, I recommend that you test one. Don't worry about the engine, it is fine (if not better then pistons).

RX8by

The person that disapproved the replacement was not the Dealer but the Manufacture Rep who approves or disapproves replacement. She never saw the visor or contacted me. Things do happen to any car. It’s the lack of customer service, that happen to me and many others on this forum, that separates the good car companies like Honda and Toyota from Mazda. I simply asked them to replace a broken part and they refused. I am just warning a potential buyer that they may experience a different buyer experience from Mazda then other companies. Comments from two different service managers about how strict Mazda is on warranty claims indicates this. Its hard to maintain that great new car feeling when you look up a see a big hole where your visor was.

purcellj

RX8by: you said "the Manu Rep never saw the visor". So who did they rely on for info....the Dealer. The Dealer has a tremendous amount of latitude. If it looks like an gorilla manhandled the visor, guess what the dealer is going to relay to the Manu Rep about it.

Dealers are really nasty people. My car is in the shop today getting a new climate control console (cracked button) -- under warranty. The Manu Rep never saw it or got involved. This part is a bit more expensive than your visor.

The old saying goes something like "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". Maybe "if the story/person sounds like an a$$, they probably are".

Katie: As others have said, just keep up on the maintenance and all will be fine.

davesaunders300

I plan to keep mine for 200,000 or more and I fully expect it to hold up that long without major problems. I have almost 14,000 on mine now without any significant problems.

I think the main thing with maintenance is finding a reliable dealer who is responsive to your problems. I've been lucky here. The dealer closest to my home has been very responsive and helpful and I didn't even buy mine from them. I got it through an auto-finder service at my credit union that located one for me from a dealer across town.

I agree with some of the others that the rant about the visor problem really doesn't make sense. I think this must be more of a dealer/personality problem.

My only other experience with Mazda has been with a B2300 pickup truck. My 1994 has 128,000 and is still going strong without any mechanical problems so far. But this is really a Ford/Mazda product so I don't know what it says for Mazdas in general.

pret

let's see, the visor is a solid one piece connected by 3 screws to the ceiling and additionally connected by electrical connector. what exactly 'cracked'? it sounds to me you 'cracked' the small plastic 'retaining' piece where you clip the visor. if so, that is your problem, don't blame engineering. Mazda warranty covers engineering problems, however they do not cover excessive wear, nor would i expect ANY car manufacturer to. and if i'm wrong, i go with my opinion about you in my first post. oh..and AGAIN, learn the difference between dealerships and manufacturers! FIND ANOTHER DEALERSHIP (perferrably one not OWNED by the same person)

its apparant to me ur an id10t, so:

bluesunlion

Katie. Ditto what everyone else said about watching your oil.
I own a 1993 Miata with 162K miles. It had a rough life before I got it, but it always starts each time. The only issues I've had with it were of the "severely deferred Maintenance" kind, IE, it was still on it's original front shocks until recently, and a couple other repairs that were necessary for a car of it's age and mileage. My family owns a 1987 Mazda 626 (the car I learned to drive stick in) that my folks sold to my uncle, who sold it to his daughter, who sold it to her uncle! I think it's got over 200K on it now.
My daily driver is my RX8. I've been very pleased with it, and had excellent service from both the dealer that I purchased it from, and the dealer (closer to work) that I have the maintenance performed at. With proper care, I forsee keeping this car for significantly longer than the 3.5 years that it'll take me to hit 100Kmiles.

RX8-TX

I come from a Toyota which is still running @ 170K miles. I don't know how long the 8 will last, but given my attachment to the darn thing, I am taking as much care of it as I can. If I can get 100K miles out of it, I will do so.

From a reality standpoint: I should be getting rid of the car before the warranty expires -but I don't have the financial liquidity for such luxury.