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!!

yummmm! Find out what a new or reman engine costs locally installed and that might be a taker! At least, theortically, you'd not have that work for a while.

Worth investigating....

I could give you some advice, but it sounds like you've already ignored the 20 or so previous responses.

Are you wanting us to tell you that the 8 is for you?

Re-read the link I posted (#3), and take that into consideration when thinking about purchasing a Mazda RX8.

Oh no! I am listening and taking all the advice in, but they just seem like cars that are great fun, and others have said that they really arent that bad?

Last year we purchase and 02 BMW 325 sedan - the car was great but about 10k miles into owning it all things started to fall apart, air went out, fan, etc etc - it took 2500 to fix everything on the car that was wrong....so that to me was a huge expense on a car that was just ok to me. I do not want to go through that again. So if the RX8 is that extreme I will def shy away.

Back to the one with no engine - a used engine is around 1800 and not sure what installation would be....

I am just yet to find a car that has intrigued me like the RX8...but I dont want that intrigue to get me into trouble!

Yes, an RX-8 within your budget will have the same type of "starts falling apart" issues.



Note, the people that say "it isn't that bad" are 100% true. The people that scream to the heavens about it's problems are 100% true.

It's all a matter of perspective.



I am saying that the RX-8 isn't for you for these reasons:
A) You state that you want to get away from the gas guzzling SUVs, and list their MPG numbers as at the low end of the "acceptable" range that an RX-8 will be in. An RX-8 CAN get up to ~24mpg highway, if everything is PERFECT. You will not get a perfect RX-8 for your budget. This means that you will trade to a funner car, but not any closer to your goal of gas cost reduction.

B) you have concerns about the cost of repairs, with zero indication that you or your husband would be willing to do the work yourself. Paying someone else to fix the RX-8 is incredibly costly. Example: the common needed maintenence of new ignition. You can get 4 coils for ~$130 from Advance. 20 minutes to install. A dealer will charge you from $250 to $350 for the coils, and another $150-$300 labor to install them. Plugs. $80 from forum vendors, Advance, even Amazon. 10-15 minutes to install. A dealer will charge you $100-$200 for the plugs, $100-$200 in labor to install.
And it gets worse from there. Most issues with the RX-8 are easily fixable for free, if you are willing to wield some tools and get dirty. If you take it somewhere, you will be throwing money at someone who doesn't know how to fix it anyway. Like power steering problems. 90% of power steering problems are solved by simply cleaning the connector. Takes a bit of work to get to the connector, but it's still free. Take it to a shop or a dealer, and you could easily be looking at a $2,000 steering rack, or a $1,300 control module, or a $600 wiring harness before they give up. And you will still probably have the problem. See what I mean?





It's not a big deal and not a hardship owning my RX-8. But there are very few things that I am not willing to tackle myself, and only a slightly bigger list that I can't tackle due to a lack of proper tools.


For anyone that needs to have someone else do the work, this car is a bloody nightmare financially. Buying an RX-8 in your price range will be starting out with unknown problems, and it will slowly get worse from there.




Please. Do yourself a favor. Don't get an RX-8. Drop the emotional connection. Come back when you are more financially stable.

We don't want another owner crying about a mistake any more than you want to buy a mistake.




Edit:
A replacement engine from a reputable source will cost you ~$3,500. A used engine with limited history will run you ~$2,500. That's just the engine. Labor if someone else does the work will run you ~$1,500 to $3,000, depending on competence and labor rates. A low compression engine will never get better. It will always continue to get worse, and the worse it gets, the faster it will fall.

So depressing, very defeatest state of mind RIWWP today. Are you serious and saying that unless you do your own work on your car to save money ... that you aren't recommending the car? And you seem certain that some car you don't even know about will have certain problems .. for sure. Yuh?

But to the OP. Have you driven one yet? ... and are you thinking manual or auto? Certainly start there. The car is unique, and drives unlike 99% of cars on the road. It's an aquired addition for sure, not for all.

I doubt there's anything that emulates buying a used car better than gambling. The stakes can be substantial, the excitment is additive, or so you've read or felt. On the other hand, you can loose, in fact the odds of it are built in because it's a used car. Accept that and balance the potential fun quotient, then yea or nay. Simple, but not easy :)

Would I give this exact same advice to everyone? Nope. But given the OP's original request and responses since, it is far more likely that they will run into significant problems than not. It's a gamble as you say. She doesn't seem like she is willing to stack the odds in her favor. In fact, quite the opposite.

So in this case, yes, I do paint a grim picture. Because that is what she needs most right now. It's far better that she have a real grasp of the problems and choose it anyway than be shown just the bright side and walk face first off a cliff.


And I wouldn't recommend a low compression RX-8 for sale for $4,000 from a financially troubled kid to anyone if they weren't willing to do the work themselves... If they have the money to blow on paying someone else to get it back good again, they have the money to just get a better condition 8 in the first place.

Wrong car for both of you...sorry. :(

No, I think you're right.

A sports car owned by a young man-boy that's being advertised as having a blown engine and offered for only $4k is probably completely perfect, and has been wonderfully maintained by the same young man-boy who is selling it because he can't afford to fix the engine that isn't really blown.

You've actually broken through our secret wall of mis-information.

We actually built this forum so that we could misinform the public on this wonderful car in order to drive the asking prices of used cars down to the point where all of us can own 4 or 5 of the cars at the same time. I own 7, and don't actually own a 2011 Sport.

You've caught onto our act, and now we're going to have to pick another car to create a forum about, and destroy the public image of, in order to have another pristine driving machine.

I was thinking the next car should be the Subaru BRZ.
What do the rest of you guys think?
Maybe we can claim the dual fuel injection system actually injects way too much fuel if you drive it too gently all the time, and washes off the protective oil film on the cylinder walls, leading to excessive wear on the piston rings, too much clearance, loss of compression, and eventual engine failure?

When should we get started on this rumor mill so that in 5 years, we can have cheap ones available to buy?

As for your $4k RX-8, all you have to do is spritz a bit of superglue into the spark plug holes while you slowly turn the engine over by hand with a wrench. You need about 1 ounce of superglue per apex seal for it to raise the compression back to perfect numbers like it left the factory.

God I love sarcasm.
Puts a smile on my face to write all of this on one shot.

BC.

I am super nice person, but really the above post is just beyond sarcasm, it is borderline rude. I really could do just fine without all that BS. I get the point. So to the people that are helpful and not being a-holes....

I appreciate your guys info. I know it probably seems like I am just some girl on here asking a bunch of stupid questions but I was really trying to get some info before jumping into something. I did get some great info. I re-read all the info and I do think you guys are correct I do believe we should pass on this very cool, but what seems more than we are looking for vehicle! Urg! I just really love the look of this car! Oh well, keep my money and move on!

Our next choice was going to maybe be a Mazda 3, but I dunno, it just didnt do it for me like this car. A fun car with lower maintenance is important to us.

I am still open to suggestions on the cars....I really want to stay away from BMW's as our last one we did not have good luck with, although the car was nice and very solid!

Cars.com search using 6,000 to 8,000 price, 4 doors, AWD or RWD, sedan, convertible, coupe, or hatchback. 4,100 possibilities. Unfortunately, they don't list "fun factor" to search on, or weight, power, etc... (would love a car search engine to do that one day), but the drivetrain selection should help narrow it some. Obviously many of these aren't at all 'fun', but should help you a bit.


It's not going to be an easy time finding a match, given your requirements.

More bang for the buck, more fun, and absolutely bulletproof - Honda S2000.

More focused/sporty though, and only two seats.

But may fit your criteria....

Tell that kid with the $4K 8 that there's an 8 year, 100,000 mile warranty on the engine. '04 might still be within the 8 years. If it is, tell him about this site, and folks here can advise him on how to approach Mazda.

Can't advise you on what other car to consider. When I was car shopping back in '06, I ruled out everything else except the 8. I can, however, report that I went on a road trip with a friend in a Mazdaspeed 3, and it was pretty damn good for a sedan. Don't know if you'd find one of those in your price range, though.

Ken

I'm sorry you feel I was being borderline rude.
But we have seen plenty of people make the exact same choice that you were trying to make, and your justifications of it are based on wishes, not reality.

Sometimes, the only way to get through to people is to change tactics, which is what I did. You weren't listening to all of our recommendations and experience, hence the reason why I took it to the level that I did.

And, it got your attention.

Trust me on this, if you bought that car for $4k, you would quickly find out that there is a whole lot more wrong with it than an engine. Young men are usually not the best people to buy cars from, and, honestly, neither are young women, for that matter.

I certainly wouldn't buy any of the cars my gf's 20 year old daughter have owned and driven. I certainly wouldn't buy a car owned by some of my neighbor's teenage sons.

Buying a full on sports car from a young guy with an already blown engine is even less appealing.

And here's the thing, you spent $2500 on getting a BMW up to snuff, and you hate that car. You're going to need to spend that much right away on this RX-8, and then more once you realize what else is wrong with it.

I can't understand why you think the RX-8 would be a better ownership experience than your BMW when all of us are telling you that the chances of it being a money pit right after you buy it to be nearly 100%.

Like I said, either spend more money on a newer RX-8, or you should consider some other car to buy. You will most likely do better in the fuel mileage department with just about any other car on the market. You should also have a car that has an engine that won't be questionable, and fragile.

You can do better both with an RX-8 if you spend more, and with a different car.
Good luck to you.

BC.

As an engineer the unique Wankel engine most intrigued me to the RX-8. It was a 'bucket list' engine if you will as I had built plastic models of same more years ago than I care to calculate. Followed closely by 'strap it on' handling, suicide rear doors, pleasing lines, etc. etc.

But as many enthusiasts here I recognized that the rotary has not had the same level of long term and multi-manufacturer development as piston engines and therefore required some special handling. The apex seals in particular still suffer to some degree from ongoing materials technology development, hence the 8 yr/100k warranty on the drivetrain and the many engines replaced to date.

So, we do appreciate your also being intrigued, but at your desired price point your odds of reliability are pretty low.

Again, a nice pre-owned Mazdaspeed 6 would seem to have the sportiness you crave with 4-doors, good looks and excellent reliability. They produced it prior to Mazda caving to the current widebody craze (no doubt necessary for ever more wide-body Americans!).

I can't believe this thread is as well behaved as it has been.

Lock it now ... its only get ugly if she kepts posting.
She's been told everything she needs to know.

edit ---
Also if you step back and read the whole thread like you just came across it, there is bit of a stink of Trollolol