RX-8 Is A Perfect Car For the Price Except...
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From: El Paso Texas
I've had rotaries all my life..rx2,rx3,rotary truck, 2 rx7's..What I'm going to do is buy a 05 '8
used with low miles and the depreciation hit I save myself from will more than make up for fuel consumption/prices. What you GET in EVERY RX8 is a completely one of a kind car.
used with low miles and the depreciation hit I save myself from will more than make up for fuel consumption/prices. What you GET in EVERY RX8 is a completely one of a kind car.
^^ I got the 8 as a second car a month back and bought a used 04 GT with low miles to take care of the big depreciation dip... I filled up 3 times since then and gotten 18.7, 17, and 20 mpg respectively... Those are decent number IMO. My g35 gets 18-22 mpg as well in similar driving (better on hwy though).. I use shell or chevron 87
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I'm probably going to buy an 06 or an 07 if I decide on the 8. The dealership I went to was willing to sell at invoice, no questions asked. I asked if they would give me the same deal on an 07 since I was wasn't ready to buy, and probably wouldn't be until the end and they said "no problem."
So even though letting someone else take the depreciation hit is smart, I would rather get the car at invoice and have it be new, and not worry about how the previous owner drove it or maintained it.
So even though letting someone else take the depreciation hit is smart, I would rather get the car at invoice and have it be new, and not worry about how the previous owner drove it or maintained it.
Mu ha.. ha...
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From: Cali
I hate these threads, then the morons go out and buy a frickn SUV that gets 13 mpg at best.
Around here they drive those things 70 mph plus and that's all they get at the best.
You never here those idiot's complaing about gas. They love those want ta bee yuppie vehicles.
As far as I'm concerned an SUV doesn't give you prestige it makes you look like an idiot.
The 8 is way ahead of those pcs. of shizters.
If your really concerned about gas, stick w/ a economy car and get the hell out of this forumn.
Around here they drive those things 70 mph plus and that's all they get at the best.
You never here those idiot's complaing about gas. They love those want ta bee yuppie vehicles.
As far as I'm concerned an SUV doesn't give you prestige it makes you look like an idiot.
The 8 is way ahead of those pcs. of shizters.
If your really concerned about gas, stick w/ a economy car and get the hell out of this forumn.
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From: Madrid-Spain
If your really concerned about gas, stick w/ a economy car
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I get 16, city and highway...it's annoying.
The cars range is ~200 miles...that's annoying.
Considering how much gas it sucks down, i do wish i had a bit more grunt to show for it...annoying.
But, it drives like a dream, sounds cool, is nice inside, comfortable, looks cool-ish, and is very affordable. All in all, i'm happy...but somewhat annoyed.
The cars range is ~200 miles...that's annoying.
Considering how much gas it sucks down, i do wish i had a bit more grunt to show for it...annoying.
But, it drives like a dream, sounds cool, is nice inside, comfortable, looks cool-ish, and is very affordable. All in all, i'm happy...but somewhat annoyed.
Originally Posted by dgs
The gas mileage.
First off, just want to introduce myself and say I'm the current owner of a 2004 Mazda 3. Really like the car, but since purchasing it almost three years ago, my income has gone up substantially. And of course while still young (if you consider 30 young) and single, I have been thinking about replacing my very practical Mazda 3 hatchback with something less practical and far more sporty. I was thinking about staying in the Mazda family.
I really, really like the 8. It's great looking, it has awesome handling, it's comfortable for long drives, and in the grand touring package has all the gadgets you could want in a $30,000 car. With the rear doors it's somewhat practical. I could even live with the supposed flooding problems and oil consumption. But the gas mileage, man it's just terrible. To drive the car aggressively and only get between 13 and 15 mpg is aweful. Even driving it sanely people are still reporting pretty poor mileage. This would be somewhat acceptable if we were talking about a V8 with far more horsepower, or even a turbo charged monster engine like the EVO or STI. But let's face the facts, the 8 simply doesn't have near enough horsepower and torgue to justify it's instatiable appetite for premium fuel.
This is a major bummer for me, because in my quest for a new sporty car the 8 is just about perfect for what I'm looking for. I know historically rotary engines have never gotten good gas mileage, and the 8 is no different. But with gas prices sky rocketting, I'm just not sure I could live with that kind of mileage. Or I should say, if I'm going to get that kind of mileage than I at least want something with far more hp and torque to justify.
Does the gas mileage bother any of you guys, and if you had known it would be so bad, would you have still purchased your 8? Any regets? Feedback would be welcome.
P.S. Other cars I've test driven and are considering: Honda S2000, 350Z touring, G35 coupe, and WRX STI.
First off, just want to introduce myself and say I'm the current owner of a 2004 Mazda 3. Really like the car, but since purchasing it almost three years ago, my income has gone up substantially. And of course while still young (if you consider 30 young) and single, I have been thinking about replacing my very practical Mazda 3 hatchback with something less practical and far more sporty. I was thinking about staying in the Mazda family.
I really, really like the 8. It's great looking, it has awesome handling, it's comfortable for long drives, and in the grand touring package has all the gadgets you could want in a $30,000 car. With the rear doors it's somewhat practical. I could even live with the supposed flooding problems and oil consumption. But the gas mileage, man it's just terrible. To drive the car aggressively and only get between 13 and 15 mpg is aweful. Even driving it sanely people are still reporting pretty poor mileage. This would be somewhat acceptable if we were talking about a V8 with far more horsepower, or even a turbo charged monster engine like the EVO or STI. But let's face the facts, the 8 simply doesn't have near enough horsepower and torgue to justify it's instatiable appetite for premium fuel.
This is a major bummer for me, because in my quest for a new sporty car the 8 is just about perfect for what I'm looking for. I know historically rotary engines have never gotten good gas mileage, and the 8 is no different. But with gas prices sky rocketting, I'm just not sure I could live with that kind of mileage. Or I should say, if I'm going to get that kind of mileage than I at least want something with far more hp and torque to justify.
Does the gas mileage bother any of you guys, and if you had known it would be so bad, would you have still purchased your 8? Any regets? Feedback would be welcome.
P.S. Other cars I've test driven and are considering: Honda S2000, 350Z touring, G35 coupe, and WRX STI.
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Well my first fill up with running the AC constantly and 19.6 MPG. That is keeping it below 4k RPM but always modulting the RPM so not letting it cruise so probably a trade off. Better than I expected so I'm happy.
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From: Portland, OR
My first tank was 19 something. I also let the car warm up excessively long before I would drive it (because I knew I was going to kill it relearning how to drive a stick and I didn't want any chance of it flooding on me), and then I kept killing it repeatedly trying to get used to my clutch. LOL The second tank I killed it a bit less and got 21. Then I have gotten pretty much 23 since after I figured out the clutch taking off. I've been running my AC constantly the last several tanks also. When it was cooler out I would just crack the windows a little.
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My commute to work is 8 miles. I drive through a suburb and no fewer than 15 traffic lights. As you can imagine, it's all stop and go. I average about 20-25 mph during this entire trip (which means I can get up to 50 mph, but then I have to stop).
My last 2 tanks, with the AC on and me lead-footing it, I've gotten 12 mpg.
When I baby the drive and have no AC running and mix in some highway driving, I can get this up to 17 mpg.
Pure highway at 75mph is 20-21 mpg.
I've never driven a car that had this much variance in its fuel economy. I've also never driven a car that's city mpg could go as low as 35% lower than the EPA city sticker. What I've come to realize is that the "city" sticker represents the fuel economy you can expect when averaging 35mph, and the highway is at 55mph.
Since nobody drives 55 on the highway, the question comes down to how much does the efficiency drop off at higher speeds. On the 8, the answer is "a **** ton".
<shrug> I still love the car and will pay at the pump.
My last 2 tanks, with the AC on and me lead-footing it, I've gotten 12 mpg.
When I baby the drive and have no AC running and mix in some highway driving, I can get this up to 17 mpg.
Pure highway at 75mph is 20-21 mpg.
I've never driven a car that had this much variance in its fuel economy. I've also never driven a car that's city mpg could go as low as 35% lower than the EPA city sticker. What I've come to realize is that the "city" sticker represents the fuel economy you can expect when averaging 35mph, and the highway is at 55mph.
Since nobody drives 55 on the highway, the question comes down to how much does the efficiency drop off at higher speeds. On the 8, the answer is "a **** ton".
<shrug> I still love the car and will pay at the pump.
Mentalhealth is overrated
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From: Calgary
Originally Posted by V Vette
F*ck....another person bitching about mpg. DON'T BUY THE CAR..STAY AWAY. If you can't get past this then buy anything else...
I'm curious why you felt the need to convey your personal view on mpg that would be so different from the other 500 threads and 1000 posts about this.
Where's Mugatu when you need him? (oops, I missed his post)
Last edited by rotten42; Aug 8, 2006 at 01:42 PM.
i pwn therefore i am
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From: Delaware, USA
OP, there is a very detailed statistical analysis of mileage and a variety of correlated factors somewhere on this forum -- you should read that.
Also, I wouldn't recommend buying this car until the end of the year. Dealers gave incredible discounts last year when the new models started coming in. There's a good chance you'll see a similar situation this year.
Also, I wouldn't recommend buying this car until the end of the year. Dealers gave incredible discounts last year when the new models started coming in. There's a good chance you'll see a similar situation this year.
2005 Black RX-8 GT 6M
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: San Jose Area
Originally Posted by Wankel_lover
....What I'm going to do is buy a 05 '8
used with low miles and the depreciation hit I save myself from will more than make up for fuel consumption/prices. What you GET in EVERY RX8 is a completely one of a kind car.
used with low miles and the depreciation hit I save myself from will more than make up for fuel consumption/prices. What you GET in EVERY RX8 is a completely one of a kind car.
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Originally Posted by Raevik
My commute to work is 8 miles. I drive through a suburb and no fewer than 15 traffic lights. As you can imagine, it's all stop and go. I average about 20-25 mph during this entire trip (which means I can get up to 50 mph, but then I have to stop).
My last 2 tanks, with the AC on and me lead-footing it, I've gotten 12 mpg.
When I baby the drive and have no AC running and mix in some highway driving, I can get this up to 17 mpg.
Pure highway at 75mph is 20-21 mpg.
I've never driven a car that had this much variance in its fuel economy. I've also never driven a car that's city mpg could go as low as 35% lower than the EPA city sticker. What I've come to realize is that the "city" sticker represents the fuel economy you can expect when averaging 35mph, and the highway is at 55mph.
Since nobody drives 55 on the highway, the question comes down to how much does the efficiency drop off at higher speeds. On the 8, the answer is "a **** ton".
<shrug> I still love the car and will pay at the pump.
My last 2 tanks, with the AC on and me lead-footing it, I've gotten 12 mpg.
When I baby the drive and have no AC running and mix in some highway driving, I can get this up to 17 mpg.
Pure highway at 75mph is 20-21 mpg.
I've never driven a car that had this much variance in its fuel economy. I've also never driven a car that's city mpg could go as low as 35% lower than the EPA city sticker. What I've come to realize is that the "city" sticker represents the fuel economy you can expect when averaging 35mph, and the highway is at 55mph.
Since nobody drives 55 on the highway, the question comes down to how much does the efficiency drop off at higher speeds. On the 8, the answer is "a **** ton".
<shrug> I still love the car and will pay at the pump.
As for some of the people bitching about "another gas mileage thread," seriously, unless someone put a gun to your head and forced you to type a response why are you even bothering to reply? I'm pretty good about ignorning things that don't matter to me, you people should do the same.
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From: Delaware, USA
Originally Posted by CarAndDriver
That's how I think about it and also the lower insurance goes toward added fuel costs.
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I currently drive a 2004 Mazda 3. $100 a month for full coverage. When I called about the 8 and gave them the VIN # of a car I test drove (6-speed grand touring package) my insurance would only go up $7.00 a month.
The insurance is great, it's still the gas thing I'm wrestling with. LOL
The insurance is great, it's still the gas thing I'm wrestling with. LOL
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Hey dgs,
I had an '04 MT and traded it in because of the gas mileage (among other things). What other car has a sticker of 18-24mpg and only gets 15 with normal driving? Maybe they should offer a buy-back program like they did when they published the wrong horsepower numbers. I loved the car but I'd feel better if I had 400hp to justify the fuel consumption. Heck, a Corvette gets better gas mileage and it DOES have 400hp. Just my thoughts, I'm sure I'll get flamed by someone.
I had an '04 MT and traded it in because of the gas mileage (among other things). What other car has a sticker of 18-24mpg and only gets 15 with normal driving? Maybe they should offer a buy-back program like they did when they published the wrong horsepower numbers. I loved the car but I'd feel better if I had 400hp to justify the fuel consumption. Heck, a Corvette gets better gas mileage and it DOES have 400hp. Just my thoughts, I'm sure I'll get flamed by someone.
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Originally Posted by wallyb
Hey dgs,
I had an '04 MT and traded it in because of the gas mileage (among other things). What other car has a sticker of 18-24mpg and only gets 15 with normal driving? Maybe they should offer a buy-back program like they did when they published the wrong horsepower numbers. I loved the car but I'd feel better if I had 400hp to justify the fuel consumption. Heck, a Corvette gets better gas mileage and it DOES have 400hp. Just my thoughts, I'm sure I'll get flamed by someone.
I had an '04 MT and traded it in because of the gas mileage (among other things). What other car has a sticker of 18-24mpg and only gets 15 with normal driving? Maybe they should offer a buy-back program like they did when they published the wrong horsepower numbers. I loved the car but I'd feel better if I had 400hp to justify the fuel consumption. Heck, a Corvette gets better gas mileage and it DOES have 400hp. Just my thoughts, I'm sure I'll get flamed by someone.
This thread is f@*&ing ridiculous to me...if you really want a car then the gas mileage should be irrelevant...if you find yourself thinking about that while driving around then go by a damn Prius...I never thought about it in my '96 Vette and I don't think about it now...Jesus...get a better job or by more fuel efficient cars, but get off the freakin' fence and decide...If the difference between 15 and 20 mpg is breaking you then you bought too much car
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From: Calgary
Originally Posted by dgs
Thank you for this post. Wow, pretty eye opening. With gas prices in serious flux right now, it's a constant struggle between wanting to drive a car like the 8, and not wanting to pay $4 a gallon for premium (where it seems the price is heading). I guess I need to determine for myself when fun simply isn't fun anymore because of the price of gas.
As for some of the people bitching about "another gas mileage thread," seriously, unless someone put a gun to your head and forced you to type a response why are you even bothering to reply? I'm pretty good about ignorning things that don't matter to me, you people should do the same.
As for some of the people bitching about "another gas mileage thread," seriously, unless someone put a gun to your head and forced you to type a response why are you even bothering to reply? I'm pretty good about ignorning things that don't matter to me, you people should do the same.
we bother to reply because the subject has been discussed to death and if you were smart enough to us ethe search button you would have found 3 nights worth of reading on the subject.
Mentalhealth is overrated
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From: Calgary
Originally Posted by dgs
You won't get flamed by me, and I appreciate the input. This is exactly what I'm struggling with. If I get V8 gas mileage, I want V8 power.
then you don't understand rotaries and should get a different car.