>.< Sorry, this does kinda show how much of a newbie I am in high performance cars, but I was wondering about 2 things:

1) the RX8 doesn't come with a spare tire? Has this affected anybody at all? Is the "tire patch kit" useable/useful?

2) My cousin drives a BMW 325 (rims, obviously) and all the cars I've ever driven had hubcaps. My cousin told me a horror story once about getting his tires changed and spending $500 per tire ... and when he got a flat he had to dish out again for a complete new tire cuz they told him tires with rims were either nonrepairable or harder. O.O Is this true? I know it depends greatly on what tire, but how much is it for an average 18" tire useable on the RX8?

 

1. unless you have complete tread separation or slashed sidewall, the patch kit (an air pump and some kind of goo) should allow you to fix up most of the nail holes that you pick up. Or you can just install the optional spare tire kit in the trunk of the 8 (takes up a lot of trunk space though)

2. your cousin got RIPPED for paying $500 per tire. yes low profile tires (like the 45 series tires on the RX-8) are more difficult to change, but it is still doable by most tire shops, and they shouldn't charge more than regular tires for labor. it's not the type of wheel (steel or alloy) that determines how hard the tires are to change, it's the sidewall height (aka tire profile) that determines that. Your cousin just got ripped really hard. The tires that would fit the RX-8 rims are pretty much all super high performance tires, so I'd expect to pay at least $150 or more per tire, but not above $200 (see how your cousin got ripped off?)

 

oh, did I mention Mazda also has 24 hour roadside assistance for all their new cars in case your car is disabled? I forgot how long this service lasts though, I know it's pretty long.

 

You should expect to pay around $20 to get a tire replaced.

Replacement tires themselves should cost $100-300 each, depending on what brand/type of tire you get.

The fix-a-flat goo isn't recommended, as it will get that crap everywhere inside the tire and on your TPMS. Use the free mazda service plan to get your car towed instead.

 

go to www.tirerack.com and look at prices. You can search for tires b make and model.

You're looking at around $175 to $275 per tire for some good high performance tires.

 

I owned an E 36 M3 (BMW) and my wheels were 17" stock. I paid no extra for changing them or for replacing them as I did on any other car I owned. The 3 series today have 17" wheels if I remember right (buying the wife a 325 xi tonight or tomorrow most likely) and there is no difference in cost there either. The 3 series in the E 36 body style also only came in 15" or 16" stock. So your cousin was ripped off worse than you think. $500/tire might be some great wheels and great tires together but not seperately. Hope this helps.

 

Wow thanks for all your help and advice guys. This definitely eases my worries a lot. *hugs* I knew there was a reason I'm constantly on these forums. ^_^

 

Is the mazda service plan (towing, etc) transferable if you buy a used RX8?

 

Mine came with the spare tire for an extra $395. I think it is a necessity. In the New Orleans area, there are just some places I don't want to get stuck without a spare tire. It does take up a bit of trunk space, but I find there is still enough useable trunk space.

 

remember to use the spare ONLY on the front wheels, using it on the rears will put unnecessary stress on the LSD and the drivetrain.

 

rumatt,
The warranty on my (three day old, woo-hoo!) RX-8 says it is transferable. Nice touch by Mazda.

 

and the roadside assistance is good for the length of your bumper to bumper warranty! (4 yrs/50k miles!)

 

That's bunk about the spare. Don't drive more than 20 miles on it, or at more than 50 mph and you'll be fine. At that speed you could nearly drive on the brake rotor and not mess up things.

 

Thanks. Is the roadside assistance transferrable too?

 

I was wrong about the wheel size on the E 46 3 series, they are actually 16" wheels. We did pick up the 325 xi so I checked the wheel size. It may be 17" on the 330's. Oh well just wanted to set the record straight.

 

the standard 3 series rims (325) are 16 inch wheels. the sport package 325 and standard 330 are 17 inchers. i think the sport package/performence package 330 are 18's

 

Thanks. I knew that the M3 was 19" wheels since that is what I was going to buy but I didn't pay too close of attention to the other 3 series cars.