Originally posted by johnsocal
Is anyone concerned about buying the first of an all-new car that using an all-new rotary engine?

Im not suggesting that mazda doesnt make good cars but you cant help having problems with an all-new design.

I understand that it doesnt really matter to those of you who are only leasing since you would have most likely have moved on to a newest must-have toy in 3 years but those of us who practically marry our cars and keep them a long time would it be better to wait a year or at least 6 months?

Glad I'm leasin

Originally posted by johnsocal
Is anyone concerned about buying the first of an all-new car that using an all-new rotary engine?

Im not suggesting that mazda doesnt make good cars but you cant help having problems with an all-new design.

I understand that it doesnt really matter to those of you who are only leasing since you would have most likely have moved on to a newest must-have toy in 3 years but those of us who practically marry our cars and keep them a long time would it be better to wait a year or at least 6 months?

Originally posted by SA22C


Calling the Renesis all-new design is a bit misleading. While the port placement and size is new, the shape of the rotor and its eccentricity has been used by Mazda for thirty years. Normally aspirated rotaries have been used without incident for 200,000 miles on a regular basis. That includes a lot of owners who take their car out to race every weekend. As far as the engine goes, there should not be any issues of reliability or longevity.

Originally posted by BRx8
not to rain on anyone's parade, but Mazda is one of the worst car companies in terms of reliability and customer satisfaction...it's right there on paper on various reports magazines like Consumer Reports as well as many newspaper publications...the RX-7 even had many many issues and Mazda's warranty department too it in the ***...

i'm really hoping the RX-8 is a completely different breed of Mazda since i just bought one...i don't want problems with it...

EDIT: again, this is just stuff i've read from various sources...i've only owned a Mazda 626 in the past and it gave me no problems the entire 2 years i had it

How automakers stack up for 2000
The average three-year-old car had 55 problems per 100 vehicles. Some makes did better, others worse.

MAKE PROBLEMS per 100 vehicles
Better than average
Acura 21
Toyota 25
Lexus 25
Honda 32
Mazda 34
Subaru 36
Saab 37
Nissan 40
Mitsubishi 42
Lincoln 47
Buick 49
Hyundai 53
BMW 54
AVERAGE MODEL 55

Chrysler 56
Ford 56
Mercury 57
Plymouth 57
Dodge 59
Audi 64
Oldsmobile 67
Pontiac 68
Jeep 68
Chevrolet 69
Volvo 70
Saturn 70
GMC 72
Mercedes-Benz 73
Volkswagen 74
Cadillac 82

Worse than average



Reliability is one of the most difficult aspects of a vehicle to evaluate, yet it’s one of the most important. Our annual survey of almost 3.5 million subscribers provides the most comprehensive reliability information available. The 2002 survey yielded responses on nearly 480,000 vehicles spanning eight model years--1995 to 2002. Owners told us about problems they had during the preceding 12 months in 14 areas, ranging from the electrical system to the engine, transmission, and more. In this report, you’ll find information that can be invaluable if you’re in the market for a car or if you simply want to see how your current car is likely to fare.



FEWER PROBLEMS ALL AROUND

Overall, the news is good. The newest cars in the survey, the 2002s, had fewer problems than the newest cars in the 2001 survey: 18 problems per 100 vehicles, down from 21. Similarly, cars that were two to eight years old had fewer problems than we’ve seen in previous surveys.

As in the past, Japanese brands led the industry. Korea’s Hyundai was also among the best 2002 brands--a striking turnaround from its poor showing 10 years ago. We have enough data to report on 2000 to 2002 Hyundais.

In this report, we focus our analysis on two model years: 2000 and 1998. These three- and five-year-old cars are more likely to have problems than new vehicles--and you’ll have to foot the bill if the warranty has expired. Knowing how such models are holding up is vital if you’re deciding whether to keep an older car or if you’re thinking of buying a used one.



WHAT’S UP WITH 3-YEAR-OLDS

On average, model-year 2000 cars had three times as many problems as the 2002 cars: 55 problems per 100 vehicles. By the time the average car approached three years old, problems that were apparent when the cars were new--such as those in the electrical system and power equipment, or queaks and rattles--were two or three times more common. Systems that were fine at the outset, such as brakes and cooling, started having some problems.

The table above shows the average number of problems reported for 29 nameplates, or makes, of cars. (We include only those makes for which we have sufficient data on at least two models.) Most of the 10 best were Japanese, led by Acura. Some luxury-auto makers, such as Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz, were among the worst.

Within those 29 makes, the best of 2000 were the Acura RL, Honda CR-V, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Lexus ES300, Honda Civic, and Toyota Camry--all with fewer than 18 problems per 100. Worst: the Chevrolet Corvette; Ford Focus; Mercedes-Benz M-Class; Volkswagen Golf, Jetta, and New Beetle; and Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari--all with more than 90 problems per 100 vehicles.




HOW 5-YEAR-OLDS DID

The average 1998 model had 78 problems per 100 vehicles, about four times as many as the 2002s. Their Achilles’ heel: electrical problems, which were seen five times as often as in new cars. The best 1998 vehicles were the Honda CR-V, Toyota Tacoma (4WD), Acura RL, Lexus ES300, and Honda Odyssey/Isuzu Oasis, all with fewer than 25 problems per 100 vehicles. Worst: the Cadillac Catera, VW New Beetle, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, and Dodge/Plymouth Neon, all with more than 140 problems per 100.

Originally posted by Elara
Ok, hopefully I'm not going to get smacked by consumer reports for posting this. THIS is what I was referring to.

Originally posted by lefuton
why would you get smacked for it?