Rotary Soul

There's seriously way too much criticism about this car... they say low torque, they say low hp, they say slow straightline acceleration, they say engine failures and whatnot... but the truth that nobody can deny is that this is one helluva car. i've owned mine for about three months and i love driving the crap out of it, and there's been no problems so far. my heart goes out to those who are experiencing problems with their rx8, but every time i drive my 8 through a winding road, i almost ruin my pants. i'm absolutely amazed at how well this car turns.

SethMcMichael

I dream at night to live in the mountains and be able to drive those roads with my 8.

-=Zeqs=-

A-men! It almost feels like an extension of your body.

zoomzooomp5

Same here. I love the hell out of this car. I love it's look. How it handle. She not the fastest care in the world, beside how fast do u want to go.

Jag

You'll always hear more negative feedback than positive, people who are unhappy with their vehicle are always more vocal than those that love theirs, that just the way it is. I can't wait for mine to arrive, I got to test drive a demo RX-8 today and I was very impressed, its plenty fast enough for me. If all I did was drive in a straight line then maybe it wouldn't be good enough.....but I live in the real world.

RX-8 Pimpin'

I love my car as well. Haven't said it yet on this forum but now I will. I only had the oil light problem and that's it. 7700+ miles and still going strong!

vibec

I love my car, it truly does feel like an extension of your body. It is able to weave in and out of traffic effortlessly.

having said that, this car is not very good at the lights.

its not just the low torque,
its the manual transmission,
its the need to rev to 2000 rpm before you engage the gears

by that time, the people in their automatic commodores (hulking antiquated 4.0L pushrod V6's with heaps of low down torque but no ability to rev) are way ahead.

but then its in good company with most of the german cars and probably a few exotics.

it comes into its own once it is rolling

vibec

I don't know about anyone else out there but im sick of people whining about the RX-8 as if every single problem is a sign that the RX-8 is useless, unreliable, doomed to failure etc etc.

Reports of various engine problems are very valuable to owners and serve as notice of various things to look for but honestly, people should expect that the ownership of a RX-8 is likely to be more complicated (and more costly) than your typical toyota corolla.

It is;
- in its first year of production (or less)
- has a an engine designed used by 0.0001% of production cars out there
- is a sports car

I for one, expect to be stranded on the side of the road more often than if I bought a bog standard boring run of the mill sedan. I expect to have to pay more for service costs and for fuel.

But in return, I get to drive a rotary engine which I know 99.9% of the rest of the population will never get to experience, I get a chassis that responds to my every movement and (for the first six months at least) I get everyone stare at me with their jaws wide open as I drive right by them (or pass them).


So my advice is that if you expect that owning an RX-8 is like owning a toyota corolla then you will be very disappointed and I suggest that you don't consider an RX-8. You'd better play it safe.


note: actually mazda did make a car that was like owning a corolla in its reliability, ease of use etc, and that was the Miata/MX-5. I think the corolla was one of its benchmarks so maybe those people would be happy with a turbocharged Miata

Literatii

Unfortunately, I see this trend all the time on other bulletin boards for various consumer products (particularly electronics). I see it particularly on gaming boards with a largely immature visitor rate. What's unfortunate about it is that alarmists and demagogues can actually hurt a product.

If you see people posting outlandish BS that is not backed by fact, then I suggest you call them on it. New and casual visitors need to immediately see bunk de-bunked, because they might not have the patience to go through 5 or 6 threads to sort out the facts.

In particular, I'd like to call attention to this growing sentiment that I see far too much lately. It goes like this:

"So, now that we know most 8s are going back for dead engines or bad trannies...".

Get off it. Or start a real discussion with some facts and sources.

cruzdreamer

Please don't bash people who are having trouble with their 8's! You have to hear all sides of this car and this is how people figure out problems and know what to expect. It does not mean they are just chronic complainers....they love their cars as much as you and it's frustrating when your dream car is having issues...where else can you talk to people who understand and maybe can help and make suggestions?? I have my dream car and it's getting really bad gas mileage(11-13mpg) and she runs a bit rough at times......It's ok for me to state that....hoping someone may have ideas etc. I love my car and hope these issues work out......It is a totally awesome vehicle! Cheers!

allstate

Well said. We are not bashing people who discuss their problems though. What we are tired of is non owners calling the 8 a 'failure' because of these mentioned problems. IMO if you own the 8 and are experiencing problems then you have the right to talk about them and be upset about them. I feel your pain.

Omicron

I have to point out that this is NOT a slow car! Maybe it's not as fast as a 'Vette, SVT Cobra Mustang, or 350Z, but it's damn close - and it's a helluva lot faster than MOST cars on the road. Of course, it also handles like an extension of my soul, and looks awesome, and is comfortable as can be...

Astor

I agree with above. Yes the gas mileage could be better, but when you drive short little trips like carpool and grocerey etc. you will have very low mileage. That's to be expected, on longer trips, mine seems fine. I don't do the above errands but I believe that might be your problem Cruzdreamer, I've seen a few of your posts and know you are a stay at home mom. My car has been great other than when someone ran a stop sign Sunday (I have a full post about it), but it still drives. All new cars, even ones that have been in production a while can have problems. My friend had to bring her 350Z back to the dealer about 10 times before they conceeded she had a lemon and replaced it. If you don't own an RX-8, you don't know what you're missing, this is a great car.

mav

Its the same BS that people say about the S2000... low torque, blah blah.

The RX-8 is a great car, enjoy it.

cruzdreamer

Astor....yep, I pretty much stay at home except for two days a week...work for hubby. I drive a lot though since I love driving. I am hoping as the car breaks in the gas mileage will get better. I hope to get at least 16-17mpg at some point.

Hard 8

... owns what?

ptiemann

funny.. LOL happened to me in my first week, now I know better

cebat

I....Love.....this....car!!!! My god, anything that makes you look forward to driving to work and driving home has got to be good.

This car is quick and smooth to the point of being misleading. I always have to double check my speedo regarding speed, since it is so easy to approach 70 mph in 4th gear!

I'm guessing it feels sluggish to some because most power is gained after 4000 rpm, and shifting too soon does not do the car justice.

For those who question this, just try an entire tank of gas keeping your rpms above 4000 and notice the diffence in pick up. Sure your MPG will suffer some, but it will bring out the SPORT in your sports car!!

ROTARY OWNERS BE PROUD

viggen

Most car mags have ranked the RX-8 ahead of G35, 350Z, Mustang, 330Ci etc... Why? It's the best combination of style, perfromance, handling and value out there...

Omicron

I think the torque is fine too, if you know how to use it... and I have yet to lose any stop light or freeway on-ramp Grand Prix contests... including versus a newer Mustang GT, an older IROC Z-28, several BMWs, a Twin turbo 300ZX, and an (:D) Infiniti G35C. Man the last guy was pissed! :D

I agree with Cebat - if you think the car is down on power, try keeping it above 4000 RPM, you'll change your mind.

Rotary Soul

try "taking on" someone on winding roads. they'll be left in the dust

rxeightr

Coming home from work today I chose the opportunity to check out how the RX-8 handles in rain. We have not had much rain the past couple of months, and now I feel much more 'oneness' with the car.

Turned the DSC off before a high-speed turn after a stop sign (no traffic going my direction). Instead of making a 90 degree turn I went ~ 150 degrees, before getting it straightened back out.

Boy I sure missed powerful rear-wheel drive vehicles. Love the way the RX-8 handles.

G8rboy

You are right. Exactly what Mazda was trying to achieve. The RX-8 will be a fierce competitor in the market.

-=Zeqs=-

Exactly...not every race starts from a dead stop, or consists of a mere straight-away