StewC625

Man, I'm so sick of all the whining over the RX-8's fuel mileage.

I posted this in another thread, but I want to really call it out. Before you jump to conclusions on "how bad" the RX-8's fuel mileage is, you really need to calculate it in terms of annual fuel costs and compare that to whatever other car you're looking at. Then decide once and for all "is this car worth the extra $XXX/year, $XX/month, $X a day? If it is, then cool. If not, then visit eBay motors and buy a Neon.

Just to show you, here's my use case study:

Annual fuel cost calculations:

I used to have a 2001 Acura TL with the V6 and am a heavy footed driver - my average was about 21 mpg overall. I drive 10,000 miles per year - that works out to an annual cost of fuel at $2.00 per gallon of $952.00.

In my RX-8, with the same heavy foot, I'm averaging 17 mpg, still 10,000/year. My annual fuel cost is: $1176/year

The cost of fun? $1176- $952 or $225/year. Divide it by 365 days and that's $0.61 per day.

Now I don't know about you, but for 61 cents a day, I can afford the extra fun that the RX-8 gives me.
For more interesting comparison, however, check total cost of lessorship or ownership.

My Total Cost of Lessorship on this car is quite a bit less than my last one. I paid $448/month for the lease on my Acura, insurance was $900/year, fuel $950/year, and maintenance (averaged over four years) about $400/year for a total cost of "use" of $30,104 for four years.

My RX-8 lease payment is $374 a month for 48 months, costs $1025/year for insurance, $1176/year for fuel, and I'm estimating $500/year for maintenance (mostly tires and brakes costs). That adds up to: $24,250. A $6000 savings over the four years.

So, is my reduced fuel mileage costing me? Well, if all were equal, then yes. About 60 cents a day more than my TL's fuel cost. But all is not equal, and instead, my -8 costs about $6000 less for the term than my TL did - that's 1500 POST TAX dollars in my pocket - the equivalent, at my taxable rate of $2600 in salary.

I'll take a raise to drive my car. Thanks.

Guys, don't get hung up on MPG - it means NOTHING. Cost is everything. Do the math and you'll see.

salituro64

Applause!

snap-on

Sticky this post!

N8theGr8

Interesting numbers Stew!

I think ENJOYMENT is everything. An rx-8 is not an economical family car. It's for FUN! Those who can afford an rx-8 probably shouldn't be too concerned over gas milage and all that anyways. There are a lot of pick-ups and SUVs that cost less and get worse gas mileage. I went into buying my 8 knowing the mileage it gets. This car is totally worth it....

PaulyG CT

Excellent analysis and Amen!

People worry about gas mileage only because price discovery on gasoline is so easy. It is amazing how many people will drive around to save a penny or two ($0.15-$0.30 on a tankfull) on fuel since the price is out in the open on a sign. These same people will then disregard saving money when they are going out on the town or on vacation.

dos

People will stop whinning about gas mileage when Mazda changes the window sticker.

acc3d

I found a reasonable way to reduce fuel cost: get a Citi Dividend Platinum Select MasterCard that gives you 5% cash back on all gas, grocery, and drugstore purchases. Comes out to about $1.35 off each fillup for me...

SE3PO

Man that is simply the best statement I have seen on here in a long time. Cheers Stew

m82492

Mazda doesn't control the mileage on the window. They are EPA estimates. There is legislation out there that would make the EPA use more " real life " driving to calculate their mileage estimates. Thank the wonderful " environmentally friendly " EPA for BS'ing you into thinking you'd get 18-22 consistantly. If they were so worried about the environment wouldn't you think they'd post the worst possible numbers to scare you away???? Just don't blame Mazda for the sticker mileage.

rotten42

Well done Stew!!!!

I can understand the few people that are getting 12-14 complaining but you shouldn't be buying this car for the gas mileage....

AC8

All of you that want to talk about Gas milage, get a life, it is was it is. Find some some one else to talk/type too.

Get a dog, tell IT all about the "gas milage" of the most fun car, you've ever bought/leased, don't bother your wif or girlfriend or partner...with this crap, they don't care about how bad the milage is with your car! They hear enough about how much you love your car!! That's why you are reading this now.

Enough allllllready!!.....right

RenoIV

Standing Ovation

Well said!!

StewC625

Wow! A Sticky!

Thanks for all the comments guys ... I posted a lame "academy awards nomination" speech and realized it was worse than whiining about fuel mileage ... so whack, it's gone (that's what abbid's "ahem" was about) ...

But, thanks. Someone said above "the most priceless commodity is the fun to drive factor" or something like that. Instead I say, no, not priceless. In my case, 61 cents a day in extra fuel.

Q-chan

iTrader: (1)

Well done!
If you drive the RX-8 wisely (means addapt to the characteristics of the rotary engine), then your milage should be not too bad while keeping all the fun. I get
18 - 21 mpg constantly. My old Corolla did about 24, but *what* a difference for that few miles more...!

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

Sounds great.....but what about the cost of the Mods :D

Makes the gas prices look like chump change!

AC8

Enough said. ...and said very well

Say our secret oath: Thou Shall Bitch About Gas Milage, In Public!!


......now go fill-up and repeat the "Oath"...check the oil.....and (insert the reason you purchased the RX-8)

peace

G8rboy

Well said Stew... I'm in total agreement. This might keep RX8wannahave from bitching about "give us more horsepower, too little mileage" in every other post, but I doubt it

mazdabob

Most people spend around $5 a gallon for bottled water. So, if you want to save money - drink less and drive more!

rx8cited

Man, why don't you just ignore these thread that you're sick of then? It's simple, really, try it!

Do the math? If my MPG goes up by 20%, my fuel COST goes down by 20%.

StewC625

Actually NOT. A 20% increase in mileage results in a lower decrease in cost. That's why it's always harder to make back stock gains. If your stock LOSES 50% in value, you have to gain back 100% of the new value to get even again. The math doesn't lie. Therefore ... repeat after me:

IT"S NOT THE PERCENTAGE, IT"S THE MONEY! A 20% increase in fuel mileage means that I go from getting 17 mpg to 20.4 mpg.

Using my formula - always the formula, right?, my fuel cost goes from $1176/year (10000 miles @ 17 mpg * $2.00/gallon) to $980 - a 17% savings. But, it's about the money, not the percentage.

Wow, I save $200. Maybe I can take my wife and kids to dinner on that. Not worth worrying about.

Repeat after me, IT'S NOT THE PERCENTAGE, IT'S THE MONEY!

blue freeze

Way to go Stew! Reminds me of an old saying...."if you wanna play you gotta pay..."

Howard

According to a poll taken on this web site and reading through the mileage posts about 10-15% of RX8 owners get 12mpg or less. Based on gas prices in my area currently, which by the way must be higher then the ones used for the figures used for this post, the yearly cost for those people would be 1833.00. Now that is a chunk of money. Mazda has done nothing to resolve this issue for those with those with defective cars. As long as a situation exists like this, people will continue to complain. By the way another 25-30% get 15 mpg so this post in no way reflects the mileage of RX8s and does nothing to end the issue. Why this is a sticky I do not know but I think it is wrong for someone to take one side of an issue as a moderator and give it this much value. If anything the poll taken on the site should have been the sticky.

GotZoom

Let's see....I want to have fun while driving. I want something unique. I want something that looks really sharp.

1. Honda Insight
2. Toyota Prius
3. Mazda RX8

No Brainer

MI_FamilyMan

Then someone work out the numbers using Stew's TL vs. a 15 mpg RX-8 and see what it comes out to using a $2.30 per gallon gas cost. I bet the difference over the course of a year is still not that great, and in my mind still worth the enjoyment of driving a RX-8. I would do the math myself, but I'm at work right now...

StewC625

The formula is easy - write it down:

((Annual mileage/mpg) * average cost of gas) = annual fuel cost/365 = daily fuel cost.

OK, easy - still presuming 10K a year of driving:

RX-8: $1533/year. (10000/15)*$2.30

TL: $1095/year (10000/15)*2.30

OK, so now we're at $438/year difference or $1.20 a day.

I still lose that much money down my sofa cushions or the washing machine every day.

The POINT that abbid so succintly saw:

IT'S NOT THE MPG. IT'S THE COST OF DRIVING. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE COST, SELL THE CAR.

Pretty damn simple if you ask me.

By the way, I'd love to switch cars for a week with a 12 mpg car to find out if it's the driver or the car. I bet I'd get 17 out of just about anyone's car.