Hello, new guy, I've recently been told that there's a high possibility I'll be able to buy an RX8 for an extremely low price. Yes it's new, from the dealership and I'd be able to pick one they wouldn't be giving me a lemon or anything.

Obviusly I got excited because me being a college student and making like 20k a year.......well I wouldn't be able to affort the car otherwise plain and simple.

My question/problem being that I've never had a Mazda or know anyone who has so I have no idea how their reliability is, the engineering or any of that stuff about the company. I'm trying to make a wise decision, obviously I want the RX8 but if it's too much to keep up then I could just as easily get a 6 or a 3, obviously being a car junky I'd much rather have the RX8.

SO with that I'll ask about every question you guys are probably sick of but not because I didn't bother to read other threads more like because I work from 7am to 11pm and only have time to post during my 1st job from 7to 2pm in between ppl walking by my desk. I just want to make sure I don't buy into a car that I won't be able to afford the maintenance cost for and what started out as a seemingly amazing deal will break me and cause the car to be repossesed or something like that, if I get this car its all I'll have for a long time to come, so please help me out guys I would really appreciate this, thank you.

Ok 1st thing is I read you guys posting a lot about a flooding prob. Is this very commong (some said it's over blown others said it happens a lot)? Is it something that is fixed for the '05 model? I know if I ask the dealer they'll say yes just to sell the car....

2nd I see you guys talking about keeping up on "flashes" can someone explain what those are please?

3rd I also read about an oil light problem leading to replacement of oil pan....once again have these problems been fixed in the later years or are they still happening no matter what year you have?

4th A lot of you guys are saying you get 15/16 or 17 MPG......that's slightly higher than a Lambo Diablo.......does that get better with time. I ask because currently drive a Nissan 240 and used to pay $17 to fill up, now I pay almost $35 (I live in southern CA) so not making any money and feeding something with the hunger of a V12 might be ok for a couple of months but if it's going to stay like that I'd like to know ahead of time so I can see if I can afford it

5th I read the article for the RX8 in Road & Track and read their long term article with the car, they said that they had to keep dumping ridiculous amounts of oil into it for quite a while......is this a common problem?

Those are the problems I noticed are written about, but if there are any others you want to warn me about please feel free. Again I just want to make sure I don't overwhelm myself, right now I work all day and in June Ill be going to school all morning and working until 11:45pm so I'll never have time to take my car to the dealer and get little annoying things fixed and if I break down I might as well drop out of school (I attend the Art Center College of Desing in Pasadena CA .....the teachers are all Satan personafied and don't care for excuses)

Thank you all in advance for putting up with the new guy asking all the lame questions.

 

Buy the 6

 

At this stage of your life and considering you are a student, I would buy the 6 or the 3.

 

Cost of ownership won't be that high early on. Everything is under warranty. I wouldn't expect more than oil changes and tire rotations the first year. Insurance isn't that bad because a lot of companies treat the car like a 4-dr. Assuming you won't have money to mod your 8, you shouldn't worry about reliability. I have not had any problems with mine and I bet you could find lots more who are in the same boat.
Flashes have been pretty quiet, if you have M or N you should be fine as long as your battery is in good shape and you know how to avoid it (warm engine before shutoff, etc.). Being on this forum will help you, but don't get too paranoid about what you read. I hardly have to add any oil between changes.

The only legitimate concerns I think would be gas mileage (I get 17-18, which I think is about average), winter driving (if you can't afford an extra set of tires/wheels), and if you need storage capability (wouldn't recommend this car for a college student who is constantly changing residence).

Good luck...

 

1 - flooding, imo, is only slightly more likely than on a piston engine. and the problem has been mostly addressed with the M flash. and a new car should already be at this flash revision.

2 - flashes are updates for the ecu.

3 - not sure, but this should be taken care of on the 05 models. there are some new 04s around, and those might need to have this issue addressed.

4 - driving around town (bad traffic here, and poorly timed lights) i get in the 16-18mpg range. highway driving i get ~23-24 mpg. but it all depends on your driving style.

5 - yes, you will have to constantly put oil in. the car is designed to burn a little oil while the car is running (to lubricate the internal seals). i think its rated at something like 1qt/10k miles. some people see significantly faster oil consumption. some claim as much as 1qt/1k miles. i think typical is 1qt/3-4k miles. but again, this all depends on how you drive.

maintanence will be higher on the 8 than on the 6. 18" tires can get pricy. (100-200 per tire). if you look around you can find good tires closer to the $100 mark, but if you just go with what was originally on the car, those are ~$200 (at tire rack). also, i'm not positive about this as i haven't changed my plugs yet, but i think the plugs are $20-30 per plug (there are 4 plugs).

so, you probably could afford the 8, but it would probably put a strain on you financially. i know you probably don't want to hear this, but i'd recommend getting the 3 or the 6 for your circumstances. then later on, when you have finished school, then you can get an 8.

 

1) Never flooded before. Don't be dumb and do exactly what the manual warns you about.
2) Flashes are ECU software updates. Think of it as upgrading a computer software.
3) I haven't experienced this. If you do, take it to dealer for warranty.
4) These are brand new cars. You will have to drive for a long time to get best MPG (best engine break in). As like other cars, you will have bad MPG, then a peak MPG and then it'll get worse and worse as the car ages. Also be aware Mazda recommends 91+ ocatane, R/M method.
5) Personally, I don't like Road and Track and don't usually find the same things the find. Break in you engine properly, maintain it regularly, drive hard from time to time, and you should be fine w/o adding too much oil. I own 4 rotary powered cars and all my car never consume that much oil.

I'm a college kid too. This is my Junior year (graduating next year) and the only things I've had to do is change oil myself and give her a wash and wax.

FS

 

I’m in kinda the same boat (minus the college and good deal part :P ). I’m married with a 7 year old son and a house that could use some repairs and whatnot. I have a 98 civic that needs new brakes, a new windshield, a tune up, its timing belt checked, and possibly a new clutch. All told it might cost well over $1000 come September which might be better spent on a new car. I’ve toyed with the idea of getting an Accord, but I’m in lust for the 8 and figure I would rather keep and fix my civic than get anything but the 8. My inner turmoil comes from worries about money going to the 8 rather than places like house upkeep or other more important matters. My wife and I make ok money, but I’m concerned with overly problematic issues with the 8. My opinion is that a ’05 should be ok, that the ‘04s were where the problems were which is normal for an all new car. Spending a few bucks a month on oil isn’t too big of a deal to me, and an extra $3-4 per fill-up on gas isn’t going to break the bank, but the extra set of winter tires may be a bit of a pain. Whatever my situation I just cannot get the 8 out of my head! I see them on the way to and from work and just get transfixed with them. I can’t not want it!

 

apexmolester, I'd highly recommend the Mazda3 hatchback for your needs. It is IMO the ultimate college car for the money

 

How long has the RX8 been in the market?

I'm trying to think if I could respect myself as a man and a car nut if I got the 3 instead of the Red RX8 with the gold aluminum MAZDASPEED wheels........Hmmm Financial security or Manly Pride............Chicks laughing at me or chicks riding in my car with me......dang I could fit 3 chicks into my red sports car......better than the McLaren F1 LOL those fools paid 1 million for their cars and they can only get 2 chicks in there haha jk

 

Yeah but since you can't afford gas you'll have to sit in the parking lot and make vroooom vrooom noises as you pretend to take corners at 60mph.

 

rx8 was released in US in June '03 as 2004 model.....

and uh, you should NEVER judge yourself (or anyone for that matter) base on what car you/they drive... [/end rant]

 

buy the 6 or the 3. your in college the extra expense and distraction of the 8 is not something you need right now

 

i'm a colledge student and i own an 8...well granted i got it when i came back from war (x-army here)..so i coudl afford to get it...adn my payments are nice and low no worries here. If i didn't have teh money from going over seas i'd get the 3...i like that car. rather nice and not exspensive....but to each his own..haha get the 8 and learn a lesson about money managment:p hehehe i kid i kid.

 

Three words dude: Get The 8. I'm probably close to your situation, BUT you're a car jock and you'd consider anything else? It's possible to form a passion to this vehicle. Try that with some LMAO POS. You'll respect yourself more inthe morning.

 

1.)Not a problem, don’t turn off the car when it’s not warmed up.

2.)Flashes are free and can be done at any major dealership, I’d imagne all yours are up to date. It’s just Mazda’s way of downloading new and better programs for your car.

3.)What?

4.)Gas mileage sucks; don’t buy the car if you can’t afford to fill it up. It gets about 2-5 MPG less than it’s competition, which in the long run is only a few bucks a week (on normal driving). Expect no more than 20 MPG under any circumstances.

5.)They are dumb, the engine consumes oil to lubricate its parts. It’s not like an old car that is “burning” oil. I check it, and add about a quart a month, at the most ($2).

 

he's referring to this technical bulletin.

 

:D Buy a MUSTANG!!! I did, you won't regret!

 

Personally, I would never consider the RX-8 for a daily driver.

Avoidance of significant debt at this stage of your life is important (unless that NBA contract is awaiting your signature). I do understand that impulse to impress the ladies. It is one sweet car. Do not minimize the undertaking (financial and otherwise) to own it.

 

^^ture true the 8 ain't a cheap date :p

 

First off, the 8 is a great daily driver and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. It's an awesome! You'd be hard pressed to find another car as unque esthetically and performance wise in this price range. With that said, if you decide that you can't get an 8, like others have said, the 3 is a great car too! I actually test drove the 5 spd MT, 2.3 L, fully loaded and it was quite pleasant. The car had a personality and excellent performance for its class. If I were in your boat and I couldn't afford the 8, I'd feel very comfortable with the 3. Just my .02

 

i beg to differ. i test drove a mazda3 befor ei bought the rx-8 and i didnt like it. at the time i had a protege5 and i liked it much better than the 3. the 3 is newer, more practical, more reliable, and much more refined overall, but my protege5 was MUCH more fun to drive. the steering and handling was much better in the p5.

i still think the mazda3 is a great car and you will probably love it, but i passed over it becasue it wasnt what i expected coming from the p5.

 

I can only add what others have said. The 8 is an amazing car, but knowing from my own not-far-in-the-past college experience, having a nice car in college can be a pain too. Aside from the money involved in caring for the 8, you'll have the constant parking headaches and scratches to deal with. The gas money will add up as well. If you think you can afford it, go for it, you will not regret it for a second. But if you're on the cusp, go for the Mazda 3 or 6, both are fine cars, and 3 can't be beat in what it offers for the money. My girlfriend has it, and even as the 2.0L auto it's a blast to drive. 2.3 manual would kick some serious ***.

-arattle

 

Saabaru 9-2x Aero.

$18's with incentives (even less if you know someone that has access to GM pricing for another $1000 off)

Safe, fast, reliable, easily modded, 3 "chicks", and not a target for morons like the 8 is.

Not saying that the 8 insn't safe, fast, or relaible (or even can't carry 3 "chicks") but save yourself some money, have a fun car, and go big when you finish up school and get a real job.

 

just wait until you get out of school to buy a really nice car. i can just imagine what jealous *********** would do to an rx-8 on a college campus.

 

Mazda 6... go with that. It's a nice looking car for any college student. It's on par with the Honda Accord.

Since money could be an issue (20k a year) I would go with something less expensive... than go half *** on it. Even if you buy the RX-8, you'll most likely want to add some mods, etc etc.. which cost more money. Save the money for now, drive a nice decent car, and in the future buy the 8 or a future RX-7.

I drove a rinky dink Civic for the longest time... wanted to drop my savings into a nice sports car... but held off. Now after 5+ years since graduation, I have a G35, and an RX-8. Save now, get more toys later