Didn't mean it as a complaint. Moreso just an observation. I gladly give up the fuel efficiency of my previous car (1995 Impreza) for the other things the RX8 provides. When I pushed my old 1983 Mustang GT hard I got about 9mpg so 18mpg is a blessing!

 

I just wish the gas tank was BIGGER. It's kinda annoying to be looking for a gas station every 200-240 miles or so (I don't like letting it go much below 1/4 tank).

Otherwise, after 50,000 miles I'm still in love with my 8. No major problems, the engine and transmission have been fine. Just cosmetic problems like the parking brake boot tearing every winter, the center console door slide breaking... things like that. Not a big deal compared to how enjoyable my years of commuting and weekend exploring have been with it.

 

Awesome car, especially after driving a Pacifica the last 4 years. Last real car was a 1985 GSL.

 

I'm awed by the smoothness of the engine, after driving a Civic EG for a number of years.

 

the dealer has my car and they say mazda is very concerned. i will get my tranny fixed. i should note that i have no other problems. no leaking tail lights or broke sun visor or heat air control or gunk on oil stick. but yes it does have less MPG. from 20 on the 05 to 18.5 to 19 on the 09. it is a sports car and i except that. now let me tell you about the two deer i missed, the old lady that hit the concrete wall (like in nascar) and i missed her and the wood palate that came out of the trailer in front of me that i missed. this is the best car i have ever owned.

 

I had my first issue with my rx8 recently..........my windsheild wiper (drivers side) got loose and was wiping only part of the windscreen. It was a 2 minute repair which I did myself. Not bad for 2yrs and 26,000 miles of daily driving. I've owned 2 brand new Hondas that did'nt have that good a record. Come to think of it no car I've ever owned, new or otherwise, has been as trouble free as my rx8.

 

I think you were one of the first people here to buy an '09, back in mid-2008 if I remember correctly?

Some of the other Series II owners here who are experiencing grinding were also "early adopters".

ASH points out, interestingly enough, that a change was indeed made in Sept. 08, so those cars wouldn't have even shown up in the US until sometime in November or even December.

So there do indeed appear to be some issues with the new transmission, at least in the early '09 models.

It will be interesting to see if any Series II owners start having problems with cars that have confirmed build dates after Sept. '08....

 

as has been stated by myself and lots of others the irritation is not with mazda or the car, its with the dealer and service people. Like the comment from the parts person that the ONLY change with the 09 was the transmition and oil filter

 

You have to remember that the "Parts Guy" is a worker, he is not specifically trained by Mazda US or any Distributor... The Parts Guys are the LAST to get or hear anything, all they see is New model..that is basically it.

IF he is not an enthusiast (like ME) he ain't going to take home or read information about a facelift..they don't have time.

So it is by "on hand experience" they learn.

As a manager I used to go through every frame of the (Fiche then) to a new model and write down the new parts and the stuff I was going to stock.
Most Dealer Parts Managers do not do this.

Parts guys are at the WRONG END of the food chain when it comes to ANY brand of car...they ain't loved.

In time a Parts guy knows more about Mazda models than anyone at a dealership, as he sees parts that Mechanics never touch (Body gear), plus Engine/Chassis and the usual stuff.

 

I have to point out that the Part Number change to 6th gear on Series II does not necessarily mean that Mazda Japan has recognised the issues "Some" owners are having now.
The change may be very minor, like the a change in coating, or a change in the material structure but still looks identical.

It may also be the case that Mazda Japan have yet to remedy any of the Gearbox issues some are having.. I think this is the case, and would not read to much into the Part Number change on this one.

I have an original Gearbox and so far it is fine!!..Cross Fingers.

 

Yup, still having issues here

 

Mazda has updated the transmission in the 2009 MX-5 with new coatings on the gear or synchros (I forget which) for gears 1-4. I wonder if they'll do the same for the RX-8?

I also wonder if MX-5 owners are experiencing the same issues with their 6-speeds too??

 

ASH8. i understand what your saying but it was the parts manger that said that to me... i live in a county that is 600 sq miles the next dealer is 40 miles away. in another county. i do have a support in the salesman in that he is a driving enthusiast but the dealer as a whole is into what is not going to cost them time and money. if i lived in an area where i had more dealers to go to it might be different but in dusty oklahoma!!. by the way we also have big grass fires and we get tornadoes. the fires don't get us but the tornadoes do. hope you are no where around the fires

 

HIGH SATISFIED

cons: low torque, squeaks, mpg. but guess what. the rest of the car makes up for it easily. a bit more toque would be nice, i don't mind. mpg sucks a bit, don't mind. squeaks, eh.

very very good car and decision

 

I can speak for my MX-5: '07 / 6sp / 36,000miles / no transmission problems or ghosts at all.

Side note:
Man, it's been awhile since I've been in this forum.

 

Just curious, how tall are you?

How does the MX-5 compare to your RX-8 as a daily driver? Or do you use something else to commute?

 

I don't like my 04 RX8 for a lot of reasons, but gas mileage has never been a factor. As a "V8" guy I have never been concerned with gas mileage, that's part of owning a V8 especially the early carburated models. This is the second non-V8 model I own, the first was a '98 4cyl Chevy S-10. I've come to the conclusion that I'm just a V8 guy. I've had so many problems with my RX8, such as clutch, trans, engine, and the evedr annoying moisture in the tail lights problem. I've decided not to sell the car since I've only got a few payments left on it. I only drive it when the weather is bad. I keep the Challenger in the garage when it's raining or we have other bad weather forecasted. I considered putting a turbo on it when I first bought it ,to give it a little more HP. I'm glad I didn't because there was a guy on this forum that changed his intake, I believe and when his motor tooka crap Mazda siad it was probably something he did. Over all I'm not satisified with the car as a whole, I pretty much deal with it, since it's a nice nimble handling car. The handling of this car is probably what keeps it in my garage. If Mazda ever decides to squeeze 300+HP from this car they will have a beast that a lot of people will want. Just look at the 350/370 Z cars, they have the HP, but no back seat and they don't look near as good as the RX8.

 

I've accumulated 30K miles in a year and half. There is not a squeak. The car still looks brand new and drives like one, too. No complaints what so ever.

I also drive a small Mercedes, and the engine on it is probably smoother than my 8, but the driving fun factor does not compare. Mercedes for the comfort (*when I take the family out for a drive), and the RX-8 for the fun.

Totally, highly satisfied.

 

i got my 09 back and they put in two synchros 5th and 6th.
what they listed was washer,ring snap.nut and lock, lock clutch hub and spring then synchronizer (2) which i believe was p612-17-265
car shifts fine now but still very notchy

 

How Many Miles?

 

6700 miles when the dealer fixed it. but the grinding started about 6100miles

 

Glad to hear it's fixed, hopefully permanently, but keep us up-to-date.

 

MPG is my only issue.

 

I love it, my wife hates it...i love it more,....... she can't drive a stick. i love it even more.
I had an RX-7 for 12 years 125,000 miles...no issues till the end...this car is great and i knew the mpg would suck...No worse than an SUV or a Corvette....Eventually I will go back to an A4 Audi and be bored so that I don't have to do all the driving all the time and we can go on "Drives" and trips because she gets motion sickness in the RX on long trips and twisties....but I still think it's a great fun car. Wish I didn't have to give it up......

 

I LOVE MY 8! I'M VERY SATISFIED WITH IT. Go To THE ROTORS! RoTary4LiFe!