Hi guys! What a pleasure it is to be on a forum like this.

My automotive journey has taken me from the exhilarating to the refined and boring, and (hopefully) back again. A few years ago I bought a Mazda Miata. As much as it put a smile on my face when I had the top down, I drove it for 3 years and then got tired of all the rattling and harshness.

So I decided to get the antithesis of that car in December (3 months ago), a '97 Lexus LS400. What a smooth, but incredibly boring and soulless ride.

I am here today because I am thinking that the RX8 would be the perfect car for me--very little sacrifice in sportiness but gobs of practicality and comfort. But I have all of the typical concerns:

First, the longevity of the engine is concerning to me. How much does it cost to have the Renesis engine rebuilt? Also, is it really difficult to get Mazda to replace your engine under the 8yr/100k warranty? (Do they blame you for the engine failures?)

Second, the issue of flooding. I suppose it's not really an issue. Does unplugging the EFI fuse and cranking the engine for a few minutes work every time? And is there a way to prevent flooding of the engine even if only driving it for a short distance (such as revving it to 3000rpm and holding for 30 seconds before shutting it down cold)? Would a dealer charge you money if you had to have it towed to have it unflooded?

Right now, the RX8 prices seem fantastic. The ones I am looking at can probably be had for $11-12k out the door. That means '04s with only about 50k miles on them.

I keep watching the Top Gear review of the RX8 over and over again on YouTube and each time I watch it I just fall in love with the car more and more. I look forward to hearing your advice/comments!

 

this stuff makes me sick!!!

 

I know this doesn't answer any of your questions, but:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNOAoe667pQ
http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/0...ght-is-enough/
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/mazda-rx8/

 

Thanks for sharing that!

 

wow,

your writing skills are top notch.. search skills fail..

beers

 

I guess what I want to know most is if I can't get the car started after flooding the engine and I have it towed to a dealership, how much does it cost to have it unflooded?

And also does Mazda try to cheat you out of a new engine?

 

Come on, it's good to ask questions since the guy doesn't know much about this car...

 

Mazda doesn't try to cheat you out of a new engine, it's only some retarded dealerships that will. Also the best thing to unflood this car is push starting it... try to get the car to 10-11mph and then put the car into second gear, remember keep the car from stalling. After that worked (as this procedure works 100% of the time, unless your battery is dead or if you have the AT version) go on a spirited drive

 

Does the A/C suck all of the power out of this engine like it did in my old Miata?

 

Well, well, well. I am 95% sure that I will be purchasing an RX-8 by the summer.

How much should I expect to pay (out the door) for an '04 with about 50k miles on it?

Also, my friend says the cloth seats are really crappy. Is the leather really a necessity?

 

Newer rx-8s have stronger batteries and starter motor. Flooding is a non-issue. I've done repeated start and shutdown to move the car about even in the cold. It hasn't flood on me. (hope I didn't jinx it). Mine's an 06.
Newer cars will shut down a/c if you are hard on the acceleration. All cars will suffer from power robbing a/c compressor.
If you can afford it get 05+ models. Unless you can find an 04 with all the TSBs done.

 

Do the TSBs need to be taken care of while the car is under warranty?