time is up
 

well now that october 1st is pretty much here, i would like to have a "head count" here to see how many have returned the car and how many kept it. I know most kept it but i want to see the #s so here is the poll.

Please note that i am not asking WHY? or TELL US? just say i kept it or its going ..

After a fair amount of back and forth, decided to keep it.

Mine's going back in 2-3 weeks.

NICE..!! good for you. really . what was it that made you make that decition?(just curious coz i still am looking for excuses to keep it:D )

Gone Back

Why would I want to return my favorite rotary? I could never go back to my RX-7 as a daily driver after being spoiled by the 8 :D

Mazda will get my 8 back when they pry my cold cadaver out of it.

Confirmed by phone today they received my letter (sent last Weds.) They said I'll have the card in 2-3 weeks.... right!

amen.

I give the 8 back and what am I going to drive... there's is nothing out there that meets my criteria or interest. My main interest to give the 8 back would have been to try to buy another one well below MSRP, just wasn't worth the effort.

I bought mine AFTER the hp announcement and buyback, Why? Because a 9 hp difference is not that big a deal. If pure power is critical to buying and keeping a car, just get a Viper. I think the RX-8 has so many other virtues including unique styling that other cars in its class were quickly scratched off my list. I think the interior of the '8' is several notches above the competition, and since that's where I spend my time with the car, why not enjoy being there.

keeping it for sure

Bought mine after knowing about the "power problem."

Personally, I'm glad to hear that some people are ditching their cars.. I wouldn't want a bunch of sad whiners in my club anyway. Like I said, give me a car with a dedicated cult following anyday. Its a rotary.. and if that isn't cool enough in and of itself, then please just go away.
:p

stunishing, almost half so far will return/has returned it. But i know that there are still many people in this forum who hasn't respond yet, please respond.

For those of you who bought the car AFTER the hp issue and/or in one way or another do not qualify for the buy back option, please refrain from this poll as it does not apply to you at this time. Thanks

Got the best of both worlds. I bought the car knowing about the hp, and I still got the $500 and free maintenance :) Why oh why would I give it back now?

A week after sending in form, received another form. Faxed it in. 2 Weeks later they called and told me which dealer to take it to. Sadly returned. Cant drive a gas hog.

Don't forget, that since the poll is open to the forum, there's no telling how many 8 haters just decided to vote they were returning it even if they don't even have one, to skew the poll. And vice-versa.

mm very true what do you suggest to address the issue and perhaps get a better head count?

Same conclusion I came to.

After going back and forth on the decision, I took a final look at what I thought would be similar replacement cars again. Tested the G35 and BMW Z4 and 330i. The G35 and 330i came close but really do not handle as well as the 8. And even though I was not "wowed" by the look of the RX-8 when I first saw it last year, I have come to love its' retro design, especially the interior.
Nothing equals this car unless you are willing to pay another 20k.
It is time to move on to new wheels, air filters, exhausts and super chargers!

Pam

I'm keeping it. A delight to drive.

Aside from making everyone who votes give their VIN numbers, which isn't a wise idea, I don't think there is a way. Thats the problem with polls on open forums....

I got my original 8 on July 18th, so I was definatly one of the early adoptors (although I wasn't a pre-order). I felt VERY lucky to find an 8 that was configured anywhere close to what I was looking for. The 8 I found was outfitted with more options then I had original intended, but had all my dealbreakers right.

Absolute nessesities:
6-speed (absolute must)
Winning Blue (also a must)
cloth seats (personal preference + cost + more headroom)
sport package (DSC absolute nessesaty, and better lights due to my large fraction of night driving)

My 8 ended up with the following:
6-speed
Winning Blue
Touring Package
Apperance Package
Spare Tire
Rotary Accents
Floor Mats
Wind Deflector

That weighs in at $31,509 MSRP / $28,789 Invoice, and I ended up paying $32,000 for the packege due to the early date and scarcity of the cars at that time.

Durring the test drive, I though the headroom with the sunroof was tight, but would be ok. (I'm about 6'2") However in the later months I realized that my inexperience at stick shift driving (this is my first stick car) ment that I didn't quite have the correct seating position, and that I was wanting for more headroom (for a more upright seating position).

I took the buyback seriously, especialy concidering the questionable dyno results posted here on the forum. I went back and test drove the 325, 330, Evo, G35C, and even a 2002 M3 SMG. What I found is that while these cars all had advantages (some of them are MUCH more powerfull than the 8), none of them had the same "feel" as the 8. The part of the "feel" of the 8 that I LOVE is that it is like the car barely exists when driving. I feel like I am the one on the road accellerating turning etc. In every other car, the presence of the "car" was very apparent. IE, I would ask the "car" to do something and then it would (and in some cases with more power and outright performance than the 8). Where as in the 8, I alway felt like "I" was the one doing everything, not the car. A much more direct feel to driving.

So I ened up making a deal with a local dealer for a similar car but with a sport packege (no sunroof) and less extranious options:
6-speed
Winning Blue
Sport Package
6-disc CD Player
Splash Guards

This combo only weighs in at $28,970 MSRP / $26,661 Invoice and due to the better sittuation for negotiation we aggreed on a price of $27,500. So I definatly ended up better off by renegotiating then by taking the compensation offer (which others had valued between $1200 and $1500), but partialy because I went for a "lesser" car, not just better negotiation. If it were just negotiation below MSRP I probably would have taken the cash and service to save myself the trouble.

Glad to still be in an RX-8, and one better suited to my needs now :)

Why would someone who gave it back hang around an RX-8 forum? Could you please go whine someplace else? Or how about a challenge: Post an original thought.

RM

I agree
see above post