voted highly satisfied

I have only owned the car for two weeks and am breaking it in pretty carefully. Got 17.5 mpg on first tank (who knows if the dealer really topped it off) and 19.2 on the second tank. there were a lot of hwy miles on both.

This is the first time that I have ever bought a first year production vehicle in over 30 years of buying cars. I watched this site for about a month before purchasing. I have concerns regarding long term reliability and crashworthiness but felt pretty confident because I owned an 84 Mazda 626 and had a very good ownership experience with it.

Time will tell, but right now everything is great. The car was delivered virtually defect free - the only "broke" item was that one of the rubber nipples for the flip up door on the center console was torn off - probably by the kid that removed all the plastic protective sheets. The throwout bearing is a little louder than I would like while sitting in neutral, but I will wait to see if it quiets down with some more miles.

:)

MP3 Player
 

This may be a dumb question but I had to ask.

Does the RX8 have an optional MP3 player?? Or do u have to buy one as aftermarket?
Thanks

Re: MP3 Player
 

Yes, it does. (page 5 of 9)

MP3 Player GJ6B-79-AGXB
MP3 Player Trim Panel F151-79-BGX

this car stinks!!!

and so do your posts. bye bye now.

"Well", I finaly got my new RX8, It's a Titanium GT M.T. with black leather and aero kit. I had the car 2 days now, so it,s too early to find problems though, even if I didn't drive it yet, it's like that commercial where the guy gets up in the middle of night, opens the garage door and just stares at his car, "yep" that's me. My other positive coments are, the car fits like a glove almost like it's and extension of you, the handling is out of this world, i'ts very easy to drive at low and high R.P.M.s I have not quite burned a half tank of fuel and I have 177 miles, it offers a very comfortable ride and is quiet enough for it's sporting nature, and last but not least it is the best looking car that I ever seen, the looks that people have when I drive down the street are very entertaining, mouths agape, bulging eyes,although thats not the only reason that drove me to purchase it. Overall I am extremely satisfied!

In addition to my post above, and I am not a Mazda rep and I'm not getting anything out of this ( I used S-plan) but, I just want to add that John Jenkins at Delray Mazda has been a pleasure and he is the consummate professional, I recommend anyone in the South Florida area that wants to buy a Mazda go see him, Honest, pressure free, and repeat customers are his forte. They are by far the best dealership I have experienced.

I was under the impression that S-Plan wasn't avaliable for the RX-8 yet.. how much did it run ya? =)

Mega congrats, Jim! :D

Yeah...congrats! Your comments, like "the car fits like a glove almost like it's and extension of you" and a few others, are right on!
I only have to question your mileage quote... uh, nah...can't be. Is that 177 since the dealer topped-up the tank for the sale? I truly hope you're right, but 400 miles per tank is pretty high. Typical is between 250 & 300.

The gas milage is the only disappointment, but I kind of knew it would be that way going in.

This happened to me about three weeks ago- my husband got just over 170 miles and the tank was still over the halfway mark. Haven't been able to duplicate it, so I'll have to sit down and see what he does next time he drives it. Of course, I destroyed the rest of the tank, and only managed 250 some miles before I decided to fill it up. Got just under 14mpg on my last tank, though.

Thanks Omicron, Racer X-8. my bad on the mileage, I was so excited I couldn't think straight (kinda like Beavis on a sugar rush), it was 127 miles. Yes, Mazda allowed for S-plan pricing(invoice) on the RX8 last month. $ 30,900 out the door- 6 M.T. GT, aero pkg, and spoiler. MSRP was $ 33,000 for this car, not including taxes.

Wow....I hope that's true. I work for Ford Motor Co., and have been dreaming about getting an RX-8 since probably a year before they became available. When I went to test drive one, I fell in love with it, but was told that A-plan wasn't available on it. As a Ford employee I'm only aware of AXZ plans for vehicle purchases. Is the S plan what is available thru someone working for Mazda?

Anyway...the main thing stopping me from buying the RX-8 was the inability to get the discount price. And also nervousness about buying any first year production car.

I'm gonna call the local Mazda dealer in the morning and ask about the availability of employee discounts again.

If you go to the Ford X plan web site and pick up your PIN code you will see that S plan is what Maxda calls X plan. S plan comes out to a small fractional percent lower than invoice.

Rx8 has been available on S plan since June when the S plan price list was published.

Don't leave your house until you get a commitment from the S plan administrator at the dealership that the dealer will provide S plan on the 8.

Satisfaction...
 

Just finished my 1st road trip. 600 miles round-trip. Finally got 20+ MPG (20.56 was the best). The car was very comfortable and handeled well under modest snow/ice conditions in Yosemite. Low pressure warning came on the first cold morning. The sensors are very sensetive. The Mazda air pump showed 18 csi all around. Filling to 22 csi set things right.
Be careful reading the gauge correctly. At first I thought the gauge read 18 PSI. If I had tried to get that needle to 30, I would have certainly blown something up!
My Nordic Green got filthy in the slush. Zanio did a great job when I got home and washed it up.

Yeah, that is a good answer Beachdog, some Mazda dealers might not want to give S-plan pricing, so please check, especially if they are selling those cars like hot cakes! Before I bought my car I went to another dealer just to test drive, they were much closer, and they informed me that they would honor S-plan, after all the paper work was done, they were about $50.00 a month higher, so I walked out and I bought my car at Delray.

Now let me see?

A car that has had kids bowing to it on the pavement, gorgeous blonde in BMW giving me the thumbs up and a smile, has had me talking to 20 strangers about it of every age over the past two weeks, goes like stink, people leaping out of the way on the motorway when they see me coming, and sounds like that from 7000 to 9000 RPM ....

Hell ... this is fun!

After having the car around at the dealership for a little bit now here are my thoughts............ The car is not selling like it should. There is alot of interest in the car, but no one is seeing the practicality in the car. People who have purchased the car are not seeking performance, they are looking for the appearence! (well the majority) This car is one of the most rigid and well handling vehicles on the road. I think that the main driving complaints are the fishtailing and the lack of torque.(I work at a BMW VW MB Porshe dealership) If you drive like me turning of the traction contl. is a must! Hands down this is the best value in a car I have seen in a very long time! People who drive 911's usually walk over and take an RX-8 for a spin! The ride is unbelievable, the handling is so precise, there is no wind noise when the MR open, the rotary is a blast to drive, the seats are comfortable as hell, the styling is unique, you have room for four, the gearbox is tight, you could put this car on a track anyday, you can go 120 MPH comfortably, and the chicks dig it! Did I mention the value! Well equipped at 31,000! WHAT ELSE COULD YOU ASK FOR?!? EVERY CAR ENTHUSIUST WHO STEPS IN THIS CAR LOVES IT! Maybe there aren't enough enthusiust out there, resulting in the sluggish sales? I demo this car every other night and I am in love with it, oh yeah and it hugs me!

S- plan anyday in Milwaukee--- cheap shipping anywhere in the US Have a huge stock.... sorry moderators I couldnt resist! I want to give these people who are on the fence a push..... oh yeah invoice too! Snow is coming!

I couldn't agree more, MazdaSalesMario. It is a very well made car, I was surprised coming from a 2003 Accord EXV6, just how well made the interior and exterior of thr RX8 is. This car exceeds in performance with just about every car I owned or tested, I love it, and yes I wish it was faster, it looks like it should be and it would probably sell a heck of a lot more cars if it were, and It was practical enough for me and I have a wife and 2 kids, ages 6 and 10. If it weren't for the extra doors and seats I wouldn't be driving in one now! Now as far as sales go, I dont understand and it's probably why I'm not a salesman, but when I drove it to my house and work for the first time everyone was floored and said "wow", nice car, what is it? Maybe some more advertisement is in order?

Satisfied?
 

2,800 miles now and absolutely nothing has gone wrong. This is the first car I've owned that has not had something, even very minor, that had to be fixed by the dealer. I'm not satisfied, I'm ecstatic!

I gave the car "somewhat satisfied." Don't get me wrong, I love the 8, but I hate the packages. Touring/GT was not an option to me because of my height, and that meant I didn't even have a CHOICE to get leather/homelink mirror, etc etc.

Great car.....Bad Bose......no highs no lows it must be Bose!

Not Satisfied for a good reason
 

Would you be a satisfied customer if they had to drop a new engine in yours?

Re: Not Satisfied for a good reason
 

I wouldn't...did you get to go through it?

My guess as to why it doesn't sell like it should: It gets unbelievable trash talking by dealers of cross-shopped vehicles. I'm sure they go on and on about how you're lucky to get 80K out of a rotary engine, they flood all the time, the HP is down, etc.

It's very hard to get the truth out when all of the competition spews the same BS. Also, the rotary is different than everything on the road, and people fear what they do not know. Too bad for them... they don't know what they're missing!

I let you know in 2 weeks when i get mine..:) but i am very happy with what i seen from now....

khoney, I think that you are giving the dealers too much credit.

No offense to the dealers out there that are knowledgeable, but after visiting two different dealers in my area, it was clear that these people had no clue about the product that they were selling. They couldn't answer any questions accurately and kept telling me that everything was an extra cost option despite the fact that it was included in the GT package that I was buying.

Buyers of a car like the RX8 get their information from the trade publications, friends and web sites like this one.

Mazda could do a lot more to promote this car. My number one hesitation before buying was the first year of production of a totally new design. Mazda should be taking a page from the Hyundai book and offering ten year 100k warranty. The RX8 is a great car and it is reasonably priced but the fear factor will keep the sales low.

Mazda's forte' for years has been to bring very well thought-out, feature rich cars that are well-built to the marketplace, and they're not afraid to be a little different -- very unusual given the Japanese psyche. I've had Mazdas as my primary car for 23 years, and rotaries for 17 of the 23, so I'm obviously sold on them.

Blissfull of monkey with swank. ie, it's up to swankmonkey standards ;)

Highly Satified.

13 city 16 highway (only issue)

I thought I'd post a little update from my mileage a month ago with my fuel consumption.

Observations:

1. Best MPG to-date was 20.31 mpg after a 234 mile roadtrip. Most of it was driving highway, 55~... mph

2. Worst MPG to-date was 13.72 mpg after a lead-footed week! -alright, just kidding. I don't know if its my driving, the weather or the gas: I've been getting pretty disspair calculations lately. If you pay attention to the last crest, and how its falls....it's weird.

3. Even with my crappy mpg's and doing mostly city, short-trip commutes to work (30~46 miles driven a day) I am averaging 16.3 mpgs.

4. 90% of my fill-ups are @ a Shell station. Always 93oct. unleaded.

5. Curious improvements in MPG were observed after fill-ups @ Exxon & RaceTrac(??).

Oooh! OK!

I'm assuming "distance" is miles driven between fill-ups?

Not really needed, but charting "Gallons" on there too would confirm it all (to me at least :) ).

mmmm....I much rather change the graph for the excel spreadsheet. Now I know why I've been keeping all the charts separate: its a mess to analyze them visually.
Once I get home, I'll upload the spreadhseet itself.

And, YES: distance is miles driving between fill-ups.

Here we go, charts included.....

This car is AMAZING. Easy to drive and the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

And everytime I look at it I realize its the most beautiful japanese car ever built.

I took your file & added your "gallons pumped" to the chart. (I'm not sure if it says anything, but, here it is...)

Thanks Racer! you have better excel skills than I do. I tried to plug everything on the same chart and came out to be a mess. Its really neat in order to visually analyze mileage.....dependant on weather (season at least) and other factors that could be plugged in. Ahhhhhhh, the beauty of factual / statistical analysis (which I don't know how to do!)

You're so very welcome. :)

I picked up a trick from you in doing it also. That comment that you added to the one date cell about your service / oil change...I didn't know what that red corner was until I put the cursor over it...cuel! I'm gonna use that a lot!

Later!

What a sweet ride!!! A vehicle like no other in the world for drivers who appreciate the efforts of a few engineers striving to let those fortunate enough to experience their results, drive with an oh so unique smile.

2 WEEKS!!!!
 

gosh, i just couldn't agree more!! i was on vacation and coudn't drive my baby, spacepug, for 2 weeks. got in him yesterday, and remembered all over again how fun he is to drive!

-BSG
:D

Favorable opinion
 

No problems yet, immensely enjoyable, mileage poor but expected.

OK, I don't have one... yet.

Not trying to talk out of place either on the forum or on this thread. I just read thru the postings and wanted to add my .02.

My main concern about NOT buying one was the initial model year glitches. The VW I had had, while not a new model year, was a total lemon and the thoughts of a problematic car were more than I could deal with. My VW only made it a year and a half before I bent over, took the loss, and moved on.

Mazda USA needs to market this car better/more/whatever.

Mazda USA needs to offer a 100k/10y warranty. Period.

And just so you folks don't think I'm a total butt:

Rotaries Rock!!!!


http://prod.bsis.bellsouth.net/coDat...2068Av2av3.jpg

IMHO, the number one thing Mazda needs to address is the size of the fuel tank.

Most SUV drivers don't care if they only get 12 MPG if they have a 25 - 30 gallon tank.

I know the Gen. II RX-7 had a larger tank; I don't know about Gen. III.

Other than that, the spare tire situation is a joke; the can of fix-a-flat and compressor is silly, and the spare tire kit eats up most of the trunk room.

I also have to admit that I have been on the fence for a long while, and the thought of having to have the car towed to the dealer if I accidentally stall it backing it out of the driveway is not really a point in its favor...

A (mostly) satisfied owner
 

I've jumped to the end of this thread, so I may repeat what's been said:
First, I love this car. It's a blast to drive.
The rear seats are great! The view from the driver's seat is perfect. The engine is sweet and fun to rev. The handling is quick and confident. The shifter is crisp and light. The styling is eye catching and unique.

But it is the first year and it is not perfect. So my suggestiosn are:

The gas mileage is still poor at 2400mi, there should a fix for that or at least two modes to the ECU programming: economy & sport

The center console needs a new design: the cup holders are too far back, the sliding cover is too flimsy, the seat heater switches need to be repositioned (I often accidentally switch it on with my arm).

The power trunk release is too low under the dash.

The arm rest is too low (but I like the door bin space).

The rear visibility takes some getting use to (after my smaller Miata)

A little less bling-bling in the headlight and taillight treatment

The red-line buzzer needs to be louder or repositioned

The radio is fine, but could be more standard to allow greater owner flexilbility.

And...we could always use the 9Hp back :-)

I just clocked in with a "somewhat satisfied" vote.

First the absolutely outstanding stuff (in no particular order):
- handling
- braking
- power
- styling
- reliability
(4000 miles w/o an issue and I am a very picky person)
- small conveniences
(remote trunk release, homelink mirror, etc)
- interior space
- TRUNK SPACE (the RX-8 replaced my Miata)
- world's smoothest shifting manual transmission
- minimal oil consumption for a rotary

Next, the not so great stuff that really doesn't matter to me:
- version 1.0 bugs (mpg, flooding)
- rear visibility
- leather "trimmed" interior (vs full leather)
- packaging (no homelink w/o a sunroof, etc)
- rear passenger ability to see outside
- trunk release button placement
- no auto-off for trunk light
- no automatic door lock/unlock
(too many damn buttons to hit getting in and out of the car)
- non-adjustable clutch pedal and/or non-telescoping steering wheel
- cramped ingress/egress for short driver


Finally the stuff that bugs me (totally personal opinion)
- it won't do 0 to 60 in under 6 sec
(not that this is something I do regularly)
- not holding its resale value
- instrument clutter (not misspelled)

Bottom line is that I really like the car (despite what is said in the last section) but I am not "in love" with it. My Miata and even my Gen-1 RX-7 seemed to "fit" me from day one (or at least that is how I remember it). I also felt that they took care of me. I don't have that feeling with the 8 yet. It will probably come with time.

So far im pretty happy. I am not the best standard driver, but im still getting the gas milage I have expected. I expect it to go up as I stop sucking :). The seats are comfterble and I love the looks I get as I drive by. The car is fun to drive, and that is what I really wanted. Everything else is just a plus.

OK, 3 weeks in. 470 miles total. 16.2 MPG in "city".
Had a CEL at 165 miles - bad oil metering pump. Dealer took one off another car, back on the road same day. Told me to forget babying it and "drive it like you stole it". Haven't had the smile off my face since. I posted earlier that first you fall in lust with this car, and love comes later. I think I'm in love now. And my grandkids think I'm the coolest dude around. Highly satisified.

This car has issues. i called mazda about the mpg an for best mpg they told me to shifted before 2500 RPM's. and the clutche isn't strong enough to handle the RPM's on the down shitf and my trany went out and i've only had this car for two months and it's been in the shop for 3 weeks already.