Purchasing a used RX8
 

Hello. This will be my first post here :)

I test drove a G35 Coupe and loved it. But it did feel very stressful driving the car with the heavy clutch, loud tires growling, and semi-uncomfortable cockpit. But after driving an RX8, it felt so much lighter, comfortable, and easier to drive, so I think I'm leaning towards the RX8 right now.

Here are a few facts:

1. I live in Vancouver
2. I'm planning to purchase an RX8 as a daily driver.
3. My commute to work is less than 4 miles (one way)
4. I'm not going to drive it in the snow, but I will get snow tires nevertheless for driving in cold weather
5. budget is around 14-15k
6. Looking for a 2006+ with ~45-5K km

I've done quite a bit of research in terms of unreliability... blah blah blah. The biggest concern I have is obviously the engine. I've heard you can do a compression test to ensure the engine output power still remains intact, but does this tell you the engine has been well taken care of, or at least shows that the engine is still healthy? I'm guessing any mazda dealer can do a compression test for you? Is there anything else I can check for specifically if the engine is healthy?

If I buy the car, I'm going to bring it in for an inspection, but is there anything specific I should look for?

Give the VIN# to your local Mazda dealer and have them run the Warranty/Service history on the car. That will tell you if the engine has been changed and any history of warranty work done. I would make one of the stipulations of buying the car be, have a compression test done at the owner/dealers expense.