RX-8 Safety Issues in snow/ice.
 

UK observations:

I bought a HiPo (231BHP) late 2003 - sold it after 7 weeks because it has major flaws. My initial reactions were "WoW". The car had all I dreamed of after 30 years of ONLY running performance cars (mainly RWD such as TVR's, Porsche 944 Turbo etc). Performance was adequate, handling superb & the smoothness of the powertrain was a dream. However, in the UK gas is hyper expensive at approximately $6.70 a gallon! My first complaint to my dealer was why were Mazda UK putting stickers on their showroom cars claiming a "combined" mpg of 24.8? The most I ever achieved was 20.82 - & this using a pussyfoot & avoiding 6th gear (there's a good reason for this). Dealer connected car to Mazda "Worldwide Diagnostic Computer" & said no problem. Technician who carried out the test spoke to me privately & said that there WAS a problem as he'd worked on RX-7's since '88. He decided to disconnect the battery to reset the ECU to factory defaults. That was when my mpg went from 17 to 21mpg. - Still not good.
On 28 Jan it snowed heavily in UK. On 28 & 29 Jan my RX-8 got stuck on icy flat & level roads several times. It was severely embarrassing to be slewing around, getting nowhere & blocking traffic in both directions in a brand new "state of the art" performance car fitted with Traction Control. Mazda's traction control is crap. On ice/snow it MUST be switched off or you will just get horrible judders from the rear end & the rear wheels won't even turn. The stock Bridgestones are totally unsuited for "all weather" use. They are great on a dry road but even with a slightly damp surface they cause the ole' ticker to suddenly go hot/cold when you realise that you're not in 100% control of the car.
I have many other issues e.g: Heated seats are pathetically lukewarm - try a German car! Without the A/C on the heater is pathetic - the A/C costs mega mpg... In damp weather the interior windows mist up immediately & actually have running water inside. Front & rear lenses mist up - illegal with xenons (HID in US?). Build quality is suspect - after 7 weeks in UK weather my wheels (rims) were corroding.

I traded the car immediately I had the safety problems on 29 Jan. Bought a new Golf R32. I smile every time I fire this car up, it leaves the RX-8 for dead, the quality is better, I can drive safely (4WD) anytime & I'm getting 32mpg.

Don't let love be blind. The RX-8 is seriously flawed. Just visit WWW.RX8OWNERSCLUB.CO.UK & read the comments. - Clutch problems, serious engine flooding, new engine needed on the day of taking delivery, nasty smells for 3500+ miles, catalysts breaking up, undriveable (unacceptable in 2004) in slippery conditions & totally unacceptable fuel economy in the UK where fuel is expensive.

I lost a lot of money on this car but I'm now happy with my R32. All you people should approach your dealers or Mazda USA about these issues, 'cos they won't go away & when word gets around, the residual value of your RX-8's will plummet when nobody wants to buy them. Mazda UK 'phoned me 2 days ago & expressed their concern at the wet/snow/ice problems & said they were discussing the issues with Mazda Japan. I have no faith 'cos commercial interests (profit!) apply above safety. Bet the RX-8 is taken off the market very soon though & I also bet that Mazda will abandon the rotary engine..........


Regards to u all


Satan666

HAHAHA!!

Sorry, but your funeral. A VW? Yeah, because *those* have wonderful long term reliability. VW/Audi products are garbage, from my parents 50k a6 to their 72K s6, all have been mechanical nightmares. Enjoy what *you* have bought into.

And to take issue with the traction control? YOU are the one who tried to drive in the snow with a summer tire, and you dare to blame Mazda for that? After "30 years of running performance cars" you should have something resembling a clue!

And did you even *imply* in that message that a TVR is more reliable? Oh man, that'll keep me laughin all day! So long, and don't let the door hit you.. well, you know where ;)

Dont worry, this troll was kicked out of rx8ownersclub.co.uk anyhow.


Shame he slags of the car because he sux.

We seem to have a problem here. Perhaps it is because I am English & you are obviously not very conversant with either the English language (spelling, grammar etc.) or you are, as I would suspect, just an uneducated moron. Am I right to assume that you are under 25, have never had the finances to buy a "decent" car & in fact know nothing about machinery? Old son, "Trolls" do nothing for me.
I professed an honest opinion on a car that I owned (outright - not on your US culture of "finance"). What possesses the likes of you to be so rude to somebody you don't know? Is this the latest American thing? I'm interested in comments from the rest of you out there 'cos the way things are going, these sort of unprovoked attacks & Bush's insistance on Visa's for UK citizens to visit US are a killer to UK tourism.
From your comments I suspect you are a nobody. I supported your US aircrew in the last 2 Gulf wars. Never again. If you represent the views of the majority in the US (which I suspect u do) then the US is dead in the water.

I love the British :) ............. they are just so .....British.

Uh you seem to have completly missed some facts.

I'm a member of the UK owners club. And a UK citizen. Please take your American hate somewhere else.

Own an RX-8. Outright, no loan.

Have done 5000miles in 3+ months of ownership.

Recieved the first rx-8 from my dealers, one of the first handfull in the country.

I have a degree (BSc in Software engineering, so am well educated).

Here is mazda UK's official respnce regarding the tyres :
I get above the official stated MPG for urban driving which is 90% of my driving, and have achieved 26mpg with mixed driving.

1 engine faliure, nothing like VW's problems.

Flooding? once or twice out of 1000's of cars - I've never had a problem in 5k miles, often short (less than 1 mile) trips.

nast smell? sure for a few hundred miles, a protective coating for shipping, burns off withing 1000 miles.

Catalyst breaking up? never heard that one, more info please.

"undriveable (unacceptable in 2004) in slippery conditions " Do some research here, the car is great in icy conditions iwht the correct tyres, as ANY car is.

"totally unacceptable fuel economy in the UK where fuel is expensive." Uh, I accept them, I knew about it when I bought the car, ist poorer than my focus, but its also a 6 sec to 60 sports car. I'll admit I wont ever see the stated figures (up to 32mpg) because I just cant drive it economicaly, I always drive it like it should be. I'm sure you can achieve close to the stated figures (which are the govenments NOT mazda's) if you try.

I get just as good/better MPG than my brother in laws 2.5v6 saab - which is slower. Thats plenty good enough for me.

"Bet the RX-8 is taken off the market very soon though & I also bet that Mazda will abandon the rotary engine.........."

Not a chance in hell. Its a big hit, selling well, lauded by all the motoring press, awards everywhere. The renesis is an absolute gem of an engine, stats on paper do not tell the whole story, its so smothe its incredible - way better than a v6, I6 or v12.

I called you a troll because thats what you were onthe UK owners club forum. Honestly I believe you've owned neither the RX-8 or a 'new' golf R32. As they dont MAKE golf r32's anymore and they sold the last new ones in november.

What a load of old bullshit from Mr "Rob Dickinson". (Please excuse this argument between Brit's).
Rob, you both know F*** All & haven't even bothered to do your research before opening your loud mouth! I traded my 8 in for a "brand new" R32 on 30 Jan. If u had the intelligence, which u patently don't, u would have looked at WWW.Volkswaen.co.uk.

If you had gone to "used cars - Golf R32" u would have seen that there are over 40 R32's - Brand new- but pre-registered still for sale. I think your credibility just went out the window.................

geez Mr. satan66...you have got to be one of the biggest jackasses I have ever seen post here...and we've had some doozies. 3 threads slimed by you in just a matter of minutes. I cannot wait for you to be shown the door here also. Enjoy your VW.

Complaints about mileage in the same paragraph that states he wouldn't use 6th gear.

Wow, I'm shocked. (Not.)

Then again, driving in snow on the stock summer tires and being surprised they suck?

If you really dumped the car after seven weeks, it must not be your money as you just lost at least 20% of the car's value the millisecond you drove it off the lot...

Also for "Rob Dickinson": Today I posted the comments on why I could not live with the RX-8. These were honest findings. I do not understand why people find the need to get upset & post offensive views. Why? It is not necessary - these forums are here for people to learn & perhaps solve their own problems.

Mr Dickinson, I sold my 8 because it was crap. That is MY opinion & I'm entitled to it. - End of story. You represent the UK RX-8 Owners Club on this US forum & your narrow minded opinions are unworthy of a British view.

Get outa here!

SATAN666-

Sorry you had such a bad ordeal with the RX8, just the wrong type of car for your needs.

Don't like your attacks towards AMERICANS. Then I look at your name and it tells all.

I just want to know why does anyone even bother to reply to threads like this. Just let it drop. RX-8's Rock!

Guys, just ignore him. It's like all troll posts. This post has nothing constructive to add, does nothing but criticize the car, and in a very snide indirect manner, Americans in general (you know what they say about assuming stuff right satan666?). That is called flame bait.

Dont waste your time with this as the thread will either be locked or deleted.

"Used cars". Hmm a hint there I think.

BTW I dont represent anyone except myself.

I dont mind honest opinions or due criticism of the rx-8 , but you just rant. No car is perfect, else we'd all be driving that car instead of any other car.

For me the R32 is to lardy, 4wd and front heavy, and every fast VAG i've driven (including the 225tt) has been teribly dull to drive.

Each to their own I guess.

satan666....

I have blood-Brits in my family, and I'm frankly ashamed to see what you're saying here.

Cars aside, your contempt, random stereotyping, and politicizing of events is foolish. You claim to have a lot of money and criticize people for financing? That shows a lot of character...

I have my own concerns about the car, which I have expressed here and received many a constructive reply to. Why don't you try something in that vein instead of insulting the entire nation of 300 million people, oh whom I'm sure you likely know only a handful. Your intolerance and quickness to judge is what leads to unnecessary conflicts, not our president.

Just cool it, and think before you speak.

So why did you feel it necessary fill one of your posts with a lot of insulting generalisations about Americans??? Honestly, what kind of a response do you expect?

Its just like that saying..

Dont waste your time or your breath..

Satan666: Perhaps you do not understand internet etiquette. You've arrived on a forum where most people like their cars, and you slam it for what appear to be pretty silly reasons (you use SNOW tires in SNOW & ICE- NOT performance tires. We've all gone over this repeatedly- take a look at the search button). And then you attack members who have been making valid contributions for months. You don't have to like the car, but you do have to be polite. Your points are valid, your approach is not. Please refrain from the attacks (this goes to all of you), whether personal, country-wise, or any other such.

Re: RX-8 Safety Issues in snow/ice.
 

Simple, the rotary engine needs some break-in before achieving its best results. I've got 24-26 MPG Imp. quite often.

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On 28 Jan it snowed heavily in UK. On 28 & 29 Jan my RX-8 got stuck on icy flat & level roads several times. It was severely embarrassing to be slewing around

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Maybe YOU should have been paying attention! There's been dozens of threads here on this forum advising that the high performance SUMMER tires are useless and treacherous on snow and ice - many of us have fitted real winter tires and are getting around just fine in winter mountain conditions - I've taken my RX-8 skiing in the Rockies several times, it's been great.

Quote:

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The stock Bridgestones are totally unsuited for "all weather" use. They are great on a dry road but even with a slightly damp surface they cause the ole' ticker to suddenly go hot/cold when you realise that you're not in 100% control of the car.

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That would be because they're NOT all-season tires, they're high performance summer tires. Duh!

Quote:

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undriveable (unacceptable in 2004) in slippery conditions & totally unacceptable fuel economy in the UK where fuel is expensive.

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So you must feel that Porsches, TVRs, Ferraris, Nissan 350Zs, etc. should also not be sold because they get poor gas mileage and have performance summer tires fitted? Take some responsibility for yourself and stop blaming everyone else for your own oversights. The RX-8 mileage was heavily discussed here and elsewhere, and every single review points out that the car is thirsty. The driveability issue is simply the nature of high performance SUMMER tires, and every single other car on the market with similar tires will have identical issues.

Bottom line - you didn't do the requisite research before you bought the car, and you are woefully ignorant about the performance characteristics of tires and the compromises inherent with the different types of tires. Neither of those would appear to be Mazda's fault, now would it?

Regards,
Gordon

"Used cars". Hmm a hint there I think.

BTW I dont represent anyone except myself.

I dont mind honest opinions or due criticism of the rx-8 , but you just rant. No car is perfect, else we'd all be driving that car instead of any other car.

For me the R32 is to lardy, 4wd and front heavy, and every fast VAG i've driven (including the 225tt) has been teribly dull to drive.

Each to their own I guess.


Says it all really. If you are ignorant enough not to read what I said previously about "pre-registered" R32's then you deserve what is coming to you in the way of rock bottom secondhand values of the RX-8. This car is going to be (is?) a salesmans nightmare.

However, I am trying to do you all a favour by publically pointing out that the RX-8 is not a safe car on anything other than perfectly dry roads. I am both old & bold enough not to give a poo for disparate comments made personally against me. Do yourselves all a favour & READ the first comment of this thread. There will be no more observations by me as my complaints are being dealt with by Mazda.
In the UK there are a couple of sayings: "Charity begins at home" & "Don't shit on your own doorstep". From the replies I've had today to this post I think that the good 'ole boys of the USA just shat on their doormats. Nothing against Uncle Sam except that he did'nt help me when I needed air support over BiH in 1993...
Mazda do not want to address what are quite obvious problems & unless you complain to your dealers nothing will be done. Quid pro Quo.

So why do you feel it neccessary to post your offensive views? Classifying it as "crap" is offensive, and is why you're getting the reaction you are.

So please - go away and use your energy for some more constructive purpose.

Simon.

Maybe Uncle Sam already knew of you personally and decided that they didn't want to give you support. :)

And if Mazda is the one to address, why complain to us?

Speaking of ignorant enough to not read what was previously said - are you just deliberately ignoring the statements pointing out that it's not the car's fault that summer tires don't work on snow or in slippery conditions, and that every car on summer performance tires will have the same issues? It's up to the OWNER to fit appropriate tires for conditions, not Mazda (or TVR, or Porsche, or Nissan, or BMW, or Ferrari, etc.).

Care to directly address this point, or would you prefer to continue to make an ass of yourself by blustering away in ignorance?

Quote:

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Mazda do not want to address what are quite obvious problems & unless you complain to your dealers nothing will be done. Quid pro Quo.

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The tires are not Mazda's issue any more than they are TVR's, Porsche's, Nissan's, BMW's, Ferrari's, etc. issue. You do realize that with an attitude and approach like yours, Mazda will simply be saying to themselves that they don't want an ignorant whiner like you for a customer anyway, good riddance, and after you go away they'll be laughing because they know that the competition (VW) is going to be stuck with having to put up with your whining...

By the way, what tires does your R32 have? Tried them in the snow yet? Ahh, I thought not.

Regards,
Gordon

See, here is where you are WRONG. But god forbid you should listen to anybody else. Like Gord said, you didnt do your research, and now it's everybodys fault but yours.

If you want to talk about cars, let's talk about cars.

But bashing one country, or another, as stated above, "Nothing against Uncle Sam except that he did'nt help me when I needed air support over BiH in 1993..."; that has no place in this thread.