I'm a potential RX8 owner... I'm looking at them now...

I test drove a few of them a couple years ago and absolutely LOVED the car. I ended up getting a boxster, but it was a family deal, great price, so I jumped on it. that car cost me a PILE in repairs, and I got rid of it..

i'm now back to my daily driver.. a very nice but very boring Acura RL, 2006. great car, the AWD kicks butt, but it's a big soft floaty luxury ccar, NOT a sports car.

I want to sell my RL and get a sportier car. I really liked the RX8 and am looking at htem again, but wondered..did any of you get bored of your car after a while.. for using it as a daily driver / commuter car.. does the lack of low end torque bother you over time, or not? I know how much fun it would be int eh twisites..but my DAily driver will be commuting to work 90% of the time, and maybe the other 10% i'll take it on fun runs, track days, etc...

for the normal daily driving - does that "fun" feeling ever wear off or do you find yourself still smiling from ear to ear every time you drive it and wind it up to 9k rpm... even a few y ears into ownership???

 

6 years later and still loving my car as much as the day I bought it! (and probably more now)

 

yes, but i dont drive it every day. mine is put away for winter at which time i buy new mods and cant wait for spring. ive had my 8 for almost 3.5 yrs and put about 22k on it and love every minute of it. im lucky that mine doesnt give my alot of problems tho. knock on wood. just beware the mod bug.

ps gl if you get one, and most important DO NOT listen to anything moniche says on this forum

 

i test drove several 8s a couple years back. I test drove the Z, the EVO X, the RX8, S2k, Boxster..

I hated the Z and EVO. hated them. both felt like junk piles. the EVO was a fast econobox junk pile. The S2k was too buzzy and cramped.

the boxste was the best drop top and the RX8 was just plain FUN. the two cars I compared.. the RX8 had less down low torque but more top end.. the boxster I bought was anolder base model 2.7L engine.. about 215hp..

the RX8 was way more practical... and in some ways more fun. both the RX8 and boxster had a distinctive sound that I liked.. both very different.. the S2k sounded horrible, as did the EVO and Z...

I ended up getting the boxster..and for a toy car, it was a better choice than the 8... I had three cars.. my wifes SUV, my DD, and my toy. now the toy is gone. too expensive to keep up trhee cars.. now i'm thinking maybe of selling my Acura RL and gertting a fun car that will fit kids.

I can get by with a 2+2 as I rarely use my car to haul the whole family.. we use the SUV for that.. but I can't have a 2 seater.. there are a lot fo times where me or my wife will go somewhere with one or all the kids, and need to fit at least 4 people.. honestly a 5 seater would be ideal.. but there are so few 5 seater cars that are "fun"...

I know teh 8 gets crappy gas mileage... but my RL gets about 18-20 mpg.. so that's not a big change...

I have to look into the safety ratings..

I already checked insurance... that woudl be about the same.

There are a lot of R3s in so cal... i mean not tons.. but ther are several to look at.. all seem to be in the low 20s.. not bad.

you guys think an 8 is a good daily driver? are the rear seats / suicide doors actaully practical and functional.. or is it the kind of setup where it seems ok on a test drive and then after you live wiht them in the real world for a while, you realize there are downsides to them or they are problematic??

my kids are 9, 5, 3. small enough that they would fit into the back seats just fine... at least the two litle ones... my smallest is in a car seat still - they go in the back ok I assume?

 

Well the rear seats hold 2 adults easily. But not 3. The rear seats are buckets separated by the transmission tunnel so you can't put more than 4 in safely. The suicide doors are very practical and the gap with both doors open is enormous. The front doors open very far. I'm 6'4 and I have to lean out the car to grab the handle lol. The fun is still there every drive. I still get excited when I walk up to her and go for a drive.

 

I'm the same way with storing mine for the winter. During the winter I drive a Chevy truck with a 12" lift so my 8 feels pretty fast when I pull it out in the spring.

But to answer question op, The newness hasn't worn off for me.

 

7 yrs later and love my car even more than I did when I first picked her up

 

Puts a smile on my face every time. The lack of low-end grunt is sad, but it also means that you can drive hard on the street without being a lunatic. That's fun.

After 3 years, there's no other car I'd trade straight-up for it. It's so much damn fun. It's like taking a theme park ride to work every day.

The gas mileage does suck, though.

 

4 years into ownership since new and I still look forward to driving it everyday... so far, it has never failed to put a smile on my face. When that ceases to happen, I will know it's time to move onto better things.

 

Never get bored. My wife and i trade cars every week. First week, i drive the 8, then i drive the 6 the other week. On weekends, we usually drive the 6, because it is roomier and we have 2 teenagers.

 

Does the new ever wear off? I still get that happy feeling every time I walk up to Zoomy and we head down the road together.

Ken

 

Yep, Almost 5 years later, She still brings a smile to my face evry time I go into the garage.

And a shiite-eating grin as I pull out of the driveway.

 

I concur, my car is three years old, and I sometimes still open the garage door and look in on her and really can't believe that she is ACTUALLY SITTING IN MY GARAGE. I have two kiddies, they fit great and love the car. I believe because the car suspension is considered "soft", (for a sports car) it is perfect for a lot of use. Yes, it is lower on torque, you'll have to judge for yourself if you can handle the level of power and speed and response this car offers---for me, it is simply brilliant. I would like to hear more about your Porsche ownership, I sometimes fantasize about the Cayman, but I just don't know, I'm keeping my RX for a LONG time, but someday, when it comes time for a newer ride, will I buy a used Cayman? OR, will I buy the new RX-7 (or RX8 or RX9?). Good luck, let us know what you do. cheers.

 

Every day I love it more and more

 

The Porsche was fun...but repairs were way too expensive. Mine only had 70k miles and lots ofmstuff went bad. Water pump,vacuum leaks, window regulators, clutch was going.... Every trip to the mechanic was 800-1000.... No thanks. Theynsaynthe least expensive Porsche you buy will be the most expensive to operate... Buyna new one with low miles...but they are $$$$

I think an rx8 will provide just as much fun, for less money.

I'm test driving an r3 tomorrow

 

6 yrs + owners here.

still love her as day 1

 

i still love driving my 8 as much as the day i got her. When im at work i cannot wait for the day to end and drive home in my baby. The fun never dies.

 

5 years later and everyday it just gets better. I love going to work just for the ride there and leaving work/school for the same reason.

 

My car is 5 years old and it is still new to me.

A couple years ago, I had a chance to borrow an 02 Boxster (not S) for a day trip.
It was a lot of fun mostly because of the "brrraaap" H6 noise and the top down. It handled very nicely and felt slightly quicker than my RX8. However, it lacked the connection and the feeling of razor precision.

I personally think the RX-8 has the best steering, throttle modulation, and shift action (second to MX-5) I have ever felt. It still continues to amaze me after 5 years. Arguably, one the finest FR handling ever made.

My Speed6 can tear my RX-8 apart in a straight line, but it's nowhere near as fun to drive as the RX-8. The RX-8 is like a suit. You wear it, and it becomes part of you.

Just make sure you understand before diving in that this car requires diligent maintenance for it to treat you right.

 

when you say diligent maintenance... souns like it's mostly stuff one can do themselves.. coils, plugs, wires, etc...

i live in an area whre there is a Mazda dealer 5 min from my house.. but no real "rotary" specialists anywhere close by... is the Mazda dealer generally ok for RX8s.. or can you truly get a tech that knows nothign about the rotaries, even at the dealer????

thanks.

 

6 years with mine and still love it

I have a new daily driver and I'm keeping my 8 as a play thing... and for when my daughter or GF take the Fiesta...

Working on this car is part of the bonding experience, both with the car and with your local owners.

 

Yes, I mention "diligent" not because the maintenance is hard, but because the owner needs to consistently monitor things with more frequency than mainstream cars, such as checking oil levels every other fuel fill up. It's not hard to neglect this simple thing and keep pushing it off until the next fill up, then the next fill up, then the next. Redlining often at load is also an important part of rotary maintenance.

Regarding Mazda dealers, I can only say that it depends on the shop. Some dealers have competent shops and some don't. You should assess that yourself. Maintenance tasks themselves are no different than any other car.

A shop's rotary competency becomes pertinent for troubleshooting and diagnostics. It's a good rule to take a stroll in our tech garage or troubleshooting section when you have a problem. The problems you may face will likely have been covered here already.

 

The only thing I miss about day 1 is that new car smell .... enjoying my baby more and more each day.

 

*shameless photoplug*



5+ years of daily driving n' still lovin' it.

 

These are excellent questions.

I just got my 8, so I am obviously still very excited about the car. But I anticipate the excitement to last for a long time. It is just a fun car to drive. It is a "driving experience", and the experience gets better and better. The reviews don't lie. The handling of the RX-8 is just unbelievable.

-The rear doors are incredibly practical and functional in many ways, not only for humans but I simply enjoy being able to put grocery bags, my guitar, or whatever else I need there. Ask any owner of a pick up truck if they appreciated the added space in the back of an extra cab

-However, in regards to using the RX-8 as a daily driver, I have mixed feelings about it. But that's only because I live right outside of NYC, and daily driving anything around here is not at all practical unless you drive a Jeep, truck or something similar that can take the abuse of horrible streets, reckless cab drivers and the overall brutality of winter weather. I would not mind daily driving the RX-8 if I lived in a different part of the country.

-Also, I guess nobody buys a sports car with the hopes of saving tons of $$$ on gas. Having said that, I wouldn't daily drive the RX-8 if I had a long commute to work everyday. It wouldn't be practical in situations like that at all.

Overall, I feel it is a very practical sports car - as long as you don't live in a big city, LOL.