Purchasing a used RX-8
 

I apologize if something like this has already been posted. I have been doing a little research on RX-8s, because ever since I first saw one I just fell in love with it lol...I've seen alot of '04s for sale, but I have also read that they have had a ton of problems with defects. I figured it would be worth it to spend a few thousand more to get an '05. Do the '05s have the same kind of issues? I'm also looking to get an auto...I know they dont have as much power, but is that they only advantage? I would love to get a Manual, but I've only driven a stick once, so I'm not sure an RX-8 would be a good car to learn on.

Thanks for the info!,
Mitch

Oh, and What price range should I be looking at for an '05? around 15k?

MT is fairly forgiving in the 8. I learned to drive stick in my 8, took a whole like 3 hours to get decent, like 3 weeks to get good.

Ok, I'll take a look at the MT's as well. My friend is going to test drive a few with me today, so I'll have him drive the MT, cuz hes good at it lol...I'll just test the auto to get a feel for it. Any recommendation for a year to look for?

if you decide you want to try a MT, just push the gas in to about 1500 RPM and ease off the clutch the car should start rolling smoothly if you keep the RPM around 1500 to start once off the clutch completely you can hit the gas as hard as you want, when you rev high enough push the clutch in let off the gas switch gears ease the clutch back off and give it a little gas, if you do it right, you should switch gears pretty smoothly. Stopping is easy for beginers, clutch in, neutral, brake.

I don't think there are many differences between the '04-'08 models. There's a sticky at the top of this board about the differences. Just look for low miles at a good price. The real worry isn't with defects, but with improper care.

Do NOT get and AUTO IF YOU CAN AFFORD AN MT!!!!

Ok, so after hearing it from not only everybody on here, but also ppl around campus I'm definitely gonna look at MTs. I know the '04s had some major stuff with recalls, but I didn't see it as much on the '05s. I'm sure 04s are fine as long as you had all of the recalls done it it, but I just wanna make sure that I dont trade in my crappy checy lumina with 160k miles on it that still runs great for something thats only gonna last me 10-20k miles.

If you have room keep the lumina as a beater/winter car. you wont get much for a trade and its always good to have an extra car.

Mine is an 04 MT with about 36k on it. Its running and driving fine. No complaints yet, just keep up on the maintnance.

I agree, I would kill for a pos lumina for a winter car, lol. I just share expenses on my girlfriends Grand prix and drive that while mine stays waxed in the garage :)

nothing buy MT it is very very easy and you will love it alot more but then you will prob see that when you drive in the 2 different ones

Be afraid be very afraid. Don't buy an auto! They suck when it comes to having problems. Buy a manual chicks dig stick.

Try for an 06 if you can find one.http://www.rockstargames.com/midnigh.../videos/?id=14

Just buy a manual. end of story.

dont know if you have read this thread, but it will help you a lot...

btw, good job on research!!

https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/rx8-faq-new-owners-116484/

beers :beer:

Thanks! Yeah, I actually just read that thread earlier today. I went and looked at an 05 manual today and OMG! It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen lol....Unfortunately I wan't able to test drive it, cuz I can't drive a stick, but (and I'm pretty sure that this is a sign from God that I need to get and Rx8) I'm up at a friends house, cuz he lives close to lots of dealers that have used ones, and his neighbor has an rx8 and I'm pretty sure hes gonna teach me how to drive it tomorrow! So then I'm gonna head back to the dealership and take that baby for a test drive!

Got my 8 two weeks ago, first time I ever drove MT, took me a day to get used to it.. parents had me thinking you were supposed to let go of the clutch and hit the gas at the same time..

Once I figured out you're sposed to push the gas and then let off the clutch though, took a few hours.
So you really shouldn't worry about it ;)

I really wouldn't bother with an AT, MT is just so much more fun to drive, and it's very easy to learn :D

I'll reiterate what everyone else is saying: avoid the huge surge of '04s for sale, spend a few extra grand and get an '05. Absolutely do NOT, under ANY circumstance get this car in automatic.

Yeah, I'm pretty much set on an MT now... Just to clarify something, did Mazda bump up the warranty for the engine, so if the seals blow you can have it repaired under warranty? Cuz just in case it does happen I wanna make sure I don't have to drop thousands on an engine rebuild...

motor only. 8 yrs. 100k miles.

beers :beer:

sweet, good enough for me!

i second that. i got an AT 04, worst decision of my life. its really really slow.

So I had another experience that makes me feel like I "need" an RX8 lol...I was out looking around for one when I came to this used car dealership...He told me that they didn't have any 8's and proceded to show me everything that he did have. Right when I was getting ready to leave this lady pulled up wanting to trade in an 04 rx8 with 50k miles on it. Its got a body kit, sweet rims lol, some audio stuff, and tint...I went home and he told me he would give me a call if she traded it in. 2 hours later he calls me, and she had traded it in. I drove up there and he let me check it out...I couldn't drive it, cuz they were still filling out paper work, but it was sweet! I think they are gonna ask around 13-14k for it. Is this reasonable? I'll post some pics later tonight. Oh, and I'm 18, is this a good idea for me? lol

sry for dbl post...heres some pics

http://photos-f.ak.facebook.com/phot...02781_2899.jpg


http://photos-g.ak.facebook.com/phot...02782_4253.jpg

http://photos-h.ak.facebook.com/phot...02783_5599.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.facebook.com/phot...02784_7128.jpg

wow that looks hot

buy it. that's what i would do if i were you.

gl

imagine washing it and waxing it omg i am in love again ahaha

I'm gonna try and go put the deposit on it next weekend! :)

dude i am not even kidding do you have a gf??

if not you will have chicks all over you hehe

gl bro

no I don't lol...I'm kinda fat XD not the reason for getting it, but I'll take all the help I can get. The only thing that I'm worried about is the fact that has a few blemishes on the body kit...I don't really care...Oh, and its an 04 with 50k miles...that worries me a little, cuz of all the stories of the apex seals blowing, but I guess it still has another 50k before warrenty is up... :P

dude don't worry i got 50kmiles on mine and its a 04 as well you still got warranty.

The hood fitment...
eww.
Never thought i'd say this but the Konigs actually look alright on it...
gl w/ the sale&enjoy!

If you look in the last pic it looks like there is no front undertray. I would try to get one from the dealer. Also if it is lowered I would tell them you want an alignment done on it.

GL

Don't take this wrong, but I would keep looking. Typically, in the used car market, something that has been modded is probably ragged out. Been run hard, raced, etc. Not to mention, the first inkling of "race" and the dealer voids your warranty. Including the extended. I had a harness in the back of a Mazdaspeed Protege, Mazda voided the warranty for that. I bought an '04 with 31,000 miles, looked like it came off a showroom floor, $13,900 last spring. Belonged to a couple with one kid in the military. I checked that out. He kept up the maintenance etc, and told me they traded it because child number 2 was coming.

Can you call the previous owner in your state? We can here. Don't forget carfax either. There are plenty of good deals to be had. And yes, stay away from the automatic, without the peripheral ports, those engines were more prone to failure.

Well actually I was there when the lady traded it in. She said that her son was getting in trouble in it, and he was going to college, so she wanted to get rid of it....I know before I buy it I'm gonna make sure that it was taken in for everything that it needed. There hasn't been anything done to it, just cosmetic stuff...

I would stay away from that car if I were you. It's been ragged out for sure, and when something goes wrong you may find your warranty voided because of mods or abuse. Also, it doesn't look like the mods were done by a pro, and there's no telling what he jacked up while putting all that crap on the car.

ok, well damn...I guess I wont be getting one then....This is the only reasonably priced one that I have found...Everything else that I have found is craptacular....I really like this one. Can't I just take it to a mechanic and have it checked out and stuff before I buy it and check with mazda or whatever to make sure that my warrenty is still valid? *cries*

Do what you want, life is a big lesson. I was just trying to give you advise from 18 years of car buying experience of nearly 20 cars. I've been burned and I just wanted to give you the chance to avoid the costly mistake.

Take it to the Mazda dealer and ask if the warranty is in force and if there is any reason they would tell you they wouldn't cover something. They can tell you by VIN number the in service date and what coverage is left, including recalls that were done and warranty work done.

I really do appreciate the advice :). Oh, and btw...the lady said that he was getting in trouble for speeding...not for racing necessarily, but I guess he could have been...does it matter which mazda dealership I take it to? I really do like the car, but if something ends up being wrong with it, like the warranty being voided or something, then there is no way I'm gonna get it...

Any Mazda dealer.

ok, thanks! :)

I helped my friends girlfriend learn on the 8 and she would always, always drop the clutch and was spinning the tires in every gear even downshifts, lol. Learn on something that has torque I would recommend, but it's not impossible.

I probably wouldn't want a car momy took away from her son, the guy probably neglected it... keep shopping maybe... Definitely make sure the tranny on it doesn't grind in the high revs, mine did and is was about the same.

Ok, I'll make sure and check that out...when they were trading it in, the salesman said that they tranny and clutch looked like they were in good shape, but I'll make sure to take it to a mechanic to have everything checked out...

Oh, also, I have a friend who has a friend who rebuilds rotary engines, so hes is gonna come take a look at the car as well...

Awesome, that's a good resource, I would just have someone drive the car hard at high rpms to seem how the tranny does and the engine too.

ok, will do!

exciting, hope you get one.

Is that a pic of it in your avatar? what are the rims?

edit: saw the pics, I'd get different rims, sorry :) and paint those brakes maybe

yeah, i'm not a big fan of those rims, and the brakes need to be black! :) I'm just concentrating on getting the car right now lol

i guess i shouldnt have gone into my dealership yesterday with all my seats removed, except the drivers, and my helmet in the car. and drag numbers still on the windows.

:uhh:

^yeah your resale just went through the floor

^^^
LOL, did you really?

that was a fantastic idea lol

are there any sounds or anything that I should be listening for if there is something wrong with the engine, or anything that I would feel or notice while I'm driving it?