Is the RX-8 right for my husband and I....?
 

Ok hello guys...here goes...if these are dumb questions please ignore!

My husband and I both have a truck and SUV...gas guzzlers! We are looking for a car to have fun with, mainly drive around on weekends, etc. With gas already almost at 4 bucks in our area we do want something better than what we are getting with our truck and suv which is about 15mpg.

I have read about the RX8 as much as I could but still have some unresolved questions....

Is this car expensive to maintain? ie, parts, service, maintenance, etc?

What is the hype with the engines in these cars?

If we purchased what years, etc should be shy from? I know I have read the eariler models had issues?

Does it take a special mechanic to work on these?

Do these take regular or premium gas?

Regular or synthetic oil?

Any other info or tips would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

no. wrong car for you - sorry .

Please read this https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/new-potential-owners-start-here-202454/

OK??? No explanation as to why?

Ok, I read the info or at least all I could! Your correct, I do not think this would be the best "fun" car for us!!! I know this is an RX8 board but would anyone mind helping throw some ideas out for a car that would work for us but still is something enjoyable to cruise around in!? We are looking at used....

A Miata/MX5 or Honda S2000 are in my opinion the next closest things to an RX8 in the driving department. Both are pretty purebred sports cars. Both of them get in the upper 20's mileage wise for most people I know. But you can get a bit more from the S2000 if you drive it gently.

Yeah S2000 or an MX-5.

They take premium gas, get about the same mpg as your truck/suv, and the rotary engine isn't going to give you the torque you may be looking for. as for service you would get charged extra and even for the oil(where i live i they charge extra for 5w-20). the take regular oil, and a lot of it. I would recommend a miata or 240sx for you two.

They take premium gas, get about the same mpg as your truck/suv, and the rotary engine isn't going to give you the torque you may be looking for. as for service you would get charged extra and even for the oil(where i live i they charge extra for 5w-20). the take regular oil, and a lot of it. I would recommend a miata or 240sx for you two.

The rx8 is a great car, but you will have to spend a fortune on premium gas and with no warranty another fortune on maintenance... I bought this car because it looked cool :P Like a dummy I never bothered to research the vehicle and all of its needs as a car. lol However now that I own and understand this car, it's a vehicle I could never consider getting rid of no matter how many troubles it gives me.

I would agree with the above posts, a honda S2000, miata mx5, both seem to be pretty reliable, sporty and fun!... If you are looking for some serious fun with corners, my best friend just got a 2012 Subaru WRX and damn, that car can grip due to the all wheel drive. lol Good luck on finding a fun car!

Is this car expensive to maintain? ie, parts, service, maintenance, etc?

Pretty expensive. lol

What is the hype with the engines in these cars?

The rotary engine is totally different from a regular piston engine. It feels almost as free flowing as a sport bike. Very long RPM band...

If we purchased what years, etc should be shy from? I know I have read the eariler models had issues?

I have a 2004, and it has had more problems than I have fingers.

Does it take a special mechanic to work on these?

Yes... Mazda recommends Mazda rotary certified technicians only, however if you feel the need to take on a task yourself (besides changing oil and other fluids) that may cost you warranty coverage (depending on if you get a warranty or not when you buy the vehicle.)

Do these take regular or premium gas?

Premium only recommended.

Regular or synthetic oil?

Regular Oil. (SAE 5W-20 down here in FL.) In some instances oil needs to be added every gas fill up or two.

Used BMW 1 Series.
370z
MX-5
Saturn Sky/Pontiac Solstice
Mustang (eww)
Camaro (eww)

Infiniti G35 would fit the bill nicely. A used M3 would be great as well, although they are pretty expensive to maintain.

If you have one in mind (RX-8) at least go take it for a spin. You'll have a good yardstick with which to gauge other cars you may try as the RX-8 is as about as much fun as you can have in a car just driving it. If it's only your weekend 'fun' car, not a comuter car, conside - do you care so much about MPG...? because as many will say .. it's a sports car after all...what do you expect? No car is without issues of some type, and at the price of an used RX-8s being not so very much ... you can buy a lot of expensive gas and still come out on the plus column.

Only other cars I can think to replace the RX-8 for me personally, MIGHT be a Porsche Cayman S, Audi TT RS, new version M3 although a bit big.

guess i should have mentioned we are wanting a sport or sporty car with a back seat or 4 seats at least. Miatas are awesome but just too small for us. Also not really into the american sports cars. Even a sporty 4 door would do....we like the Mazda 3 and 6's but not sure how sporty that is!?
Also we had found some RX8's for around 6000-7000 so that is what we are wanting to spend.

^ A Mazdaspeed 6 might be a good choice. Sporty, 4-seat, and very reliable.

BMW 3 series. Mid 2000s in year range probably. You get good handling, decent mileage, decent power, 4 doors, and various driver comforts.

Just re-read my new owners thread that was linked. Brettus is right, the RX-8 is NOT the answer to your goals.


Quite a few inaccurate responses in this thread though.

No special mechanics needed. Joe-smo's corner garage is usually no worse than a dealer tech. Neither knows what they are doing. The 8 is expensive to pay someone else to maintain, reasonably cheap if you do everything yourself. And Mazda made it ridiculously easy to work on. Paying someone else, you are getting billed for their ignorance.

Oil is a religious war without a point because these engines don't fail due to oil choice. Read the oil section of my thread if you get an 8, and make your own decision.



But go with a different car. Not an 8.

And now the truth comes out.

So, in this price range, you are going to be limited to very early '04 cars, or an '05 that has a ton of miles on it.

If you choose an automatic on top of this, you are going to have a car that has a more expensive engine to replace than the manual transmission engine will cost. And don't doubt me when I say that you WILL have to replace the engine. You might as well put $4k aside for this day right from now when it comes, because it will.

You are going to need to spend quite a bit of money on new parts when you pick up this used car. It will need new spark plugs (4), spark plug wires (4), ignition coils (4), new starter, new battery, most likely needs new engine mounts, possibly a new catalytic convertor, the SSV valve will need to be removed and cleaned by hand, and also possibly a new coolant reservoir.

Other things you should do immediately is a rear differential fluid change, and a transmission fluid change, as those tend to be overlooked by most owners during the life of a car.

This list of parts will prevent you and your husband from coming back within a period of either days, weeks, or months, and create a post that says "Our car is having trouble starting, staying running, restarting after filling up, cranks over very slowly and doesn't always fire up, coolant light it on, failed emissions test, etc". We see these posts on a DAILY basis.

So, I recommend that you either spend more money on your truck replacement fun car today, or you save up as much money as you can over the coming year, and try again after you get your tax return next year to buy a newer one.

It's that, or you take our advice, and buy some other car.

And no, the bulk of the car can be repaired and maintained by any local mechanic you can find, its just that when it comes to full on engine repairs, you are going to need to have someone you trust perform the replacement.

The advice is free.
It's entirely up to you if you place any value into it.

BC.

If you budget is $7k do not buy an rx8. Get a 1990's bmw 3series

That's a pretty pessamistic outlook lol.

Saying you will "need to spend" is obviously wrong. You have no idea the previous owner/maintenance, or even how many miles the car might have on it. To say the engine will fail is BS, as many posts on the forum are "I've driven 5.....6.....7 yrs and no problems at all", for example when others bring up their gripes.

The people who come here bitch and moan, and rightly so, because they're here and they have had problems are certainly justified (might be you?)....but that's not to paint the car with the broad brush and say the "you will too". Every car has problems, some more, some less. One could say it is likely a performance car will had more problems, because it is stretching the limits of performance. Go to the BMW forums, go to the Porsche forums, go almost any performance car forum and read the horror stories. The RX-8 is no different ... problems just happen ... and tinkering people cause problems too.

Oh yes, and an older RX-8 MAY have gone thru all the TSBs and recalls, and be the better for it to the used owner who didn't have to go thru all the effort to get to that point... and a good reason to check service records on any car (of any make) that one intends to purchase.

Hey,

Aside from looking for better fuel economy, you should be fine with an RX8. You'll probably get around 19-20 mpg, as do I with mine. The car takes conventional oil which is a relief since its cheaper than synthetic, but it uses more oil than other cars. Other than that, just pay attention to previous owner's service records and make sure you do the recommended services if you buy one. This is a really fun car to drive, so if you like one, just take it to a Mazda dealership have them look at it and tell you if there's anything wrong with it.

How can anyone say no to this

Eek 6-7k limits your selection for a sports car with low maintenance.

They aren't going to find an R3 for 6-7k that isn't wrecked.

Ok guys now I thought I was off the RX8 kick but today I found an ad for an 04 only 4000. Well a younger guy has it - 2 months after he got it engine acted up and took to Mazda tech - says the engine compression is low and that it needs a new engine...? I think he said the current engine has around 89,000 miles. He is a younger kid and now just wants the money versus the hassle of repair. So would a low compression engine def need a replacement? This seems like a really good deal but maybe I am WAY in over my head!? Haha....thoughts and ideas would be great!!