allmotorRX8

ive been lurking around this place for a bit and have been wondering
if theres any difference between the 04 and 05 models in gas consumption.
it seems as tho some people get good milage while others get unlucky.
this seems awefully inconsistent. but anyway, back to my question, are the
05s' gas consumption a little better than the 04? though i think it may be
the same, im just asking for answers from those here who are 05 owners.
if you are an 04 owner, and can shed some light on this topic, please do
not hesitate

guy321

it depends HEAVILY on the type of driving, the distance you travel etc.. you almost can't even just seperate highway, mixed and city.

my mpg is constantly changing anywhere from 15mpg to 22mpg

Glyphon

i was reading in one thread that people were hypothesising that cars built in 03 got better mileage as compared to those built after 04 and later.

i don't make any claims to the validity of the statement, its just a theory that i saw being tossed around.

personally, i think it is more driving style. for example, i just bought a used 04 rx8, and on my first tank i got just below 24 mpg (~33% highway). the previous owner found me on here and after we conversed about the car a bit I found out that she never got above 18-19 mpg.

she described her driving style as average. she didn't grandma it, but she typically didn't redline it, she just reved into the upper range, but stopped short of redline (7000-8000 maybe). i didn't ask her where she normally shifted though.

myself, i describe my driving style as laid back, with some spirited driving thrown in for fun. i usually take it up to 8000-8700 at least once a day. but when i'm driving easier, i usually shift before the 3750rpm point where the 2nd intake port is utilized. i also skip gears when shifting (i typically go 1-2-4-6).

wow...that was a long way of saying driving style is the largest factor in gas mileage.

smd3

I just went to the dealer to get the latest ECU updates for mine, hoping the milage might improve a bit. (maybe they run the car a bit leaner than my original programming did. - jan 04 build date I think)

I've been driving it really gently too. Shifting at about 3k, sometimes skipping gears. My milage is better, but not enough to justify driving that way. We'll see if the new programming helps. I hope so.

mjd

I have trained myself to take it a little easier than I used to. I usually do all shifting at around 4000-4500 with a little more spirit thrown in once in awhile. I usually get between 19-21 mpg. I mainly toned it down because I'm just sick of the gas prices.

Smoke Honda

iTrader: (1)

I'm on my first tank in the 04 and I have to say it doesn't look too good. From full to empty in under 160 miles, 10 mpg. Maybe I just s*ck at driving all together.

BlueFrenzy

I think it also depends on where you drive. If you make commutes on fast highways, you are going to get better mileage than someone who is in stop-and-go traffic all the time (lots of idling). Personally, I have two routes to get to work. The scenic route which is stop and go, or the highway route. I found that the tank where I did the highway was better in terms of mileage.

Smoke honda, it sounds to me that you are in stop and go traffic. Mind you the engine still has to be broken in.

Glyphon

True, don't get discouraged...an engine that is still in its break-in period won't get as good gas mileage as it will later after. also, sounds like you may be heavy on the throttle and/or reving too high (in terms of fuel economy, not driving fun).

LawFitz

14-16 MPG for me. The MPG for this car just plain sux. It's hard to get over, but I suggest you find a way to do so otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy. I'm past 2400 miles now and have seen no improvement. Sorry man.

This is 75% city/ 25% hwy. And I don't drive hard. Normally shift between 3-5K rpm.

Build date: 6/2003
M Flash

Man I do wish I had one of the 20+ MPG 8's!

Glyphon

had my 2nd fill up today...dropped a few mpg...from 23 to 17. granted, i didn't do nearly as much highway driving this time (~15%...down from ~33% on the first tank), and i had moments of spirited driving. that said, still not bad for a sports car*.

10/03 build date,
M flash
yes, it was already broken in

* marked for emphasis..

JeRKy 8 Owner

Ive got an Rx8 that was built in 2003. For two years my mileage has remained consistent (which is a bad thing) except random flukes that have occurred maybe 3 or 4 times a year where my mileage went up 2 - 3 mpg for no apparent reason. I always end up averaging 16 - 17 mpg regardless of whether its in the city or onthe highway. Youd think Id do a lot better on the highway but unfortunatelyin this stinkin city Im always hitting rush hour -- the long idle periods really hurt the gas consumption more so inthis car than any other Ive ever driven in. And well probably be paying 3 bucks a gallon by the end of this year.

The fuel inefficiency w/this car is really starting to get to me since were getting *** raped at the gas station. Its notthat I cant afford it - its justthat I feel like my money is going to waste when Ican be driving a different vehicle thatI dont have to fuel twice a week. I hope that hydrogen rotary comes out soon

j1mb0x99

I just drive how I drive. I get around 18mpg in the summer, about 15 in the winter. On road trips I get anywhere from 20 to 24. The amount of variance in this car's fuel consumption surprises me still, but I don't let it get to me. It is still better than my truck. It got 14 mpg once. That was a good day.

-JiM

Peregrine8

I've never had a problem with my gas mileage. I just realized that having to hit the gas station a few extra times is a very small price to pay for the joy I get out of driving this car!

zoom44

see thats wher ei think other people get it wrong when they claim low mpg on "highway miles". hwy doesn mean that you are just on the hwy it means on a long stretch of relatively open road where you can get into 6th gear at low revs for a long amount of tiem with little or no accelerations or decelerations, cruise teh same speed and rpm for a whole tank. thats hwy mpg. not the stop and go rush hour ont he way to or from work highway thats the same as "city mpg" or worse depending on idle time.

Rotario

I see right at a 3 mpg difference driving between home and Tulsa depending on what speed I set the cruise at. The drive is 38 miles, all turnpike, with a speed limit of 75 mph. If I set the cruise on 73, I get 3 mpg better than if I set it on 80. Difference? 73 mph is just under 3750 RPM's (in 6th gear) where the secondary intakes open up. I've done the trip both ways (73 and 80 mph) several times, and the 3 mpg difference varies a little, but not much. With a couple trips to Tulsa on a single tank at 73 mph, I get right at 20 mpg for the tank. I'm not complaining at all, but I am a bit peeved that my wife's Lexus SUV gets a solid 23 mpg......

Bill

TALAN7

Regardless of how you drive, you're going toget crappy gas mileage with the RX8, period.

Rotario

I don't consider 20 mpg to be "crappy." If that is crappy to you, perhaps you should be driving a Prius.

Bill

RotaryJeff

I've been keeping exact details of every fill-up, and here's something I posted elsewhere a while back.

MPG by category

Since then, I've leveled off aroung 16 city / 21 Hiway.
The spikes have definately smothed out a bit.
I need to update my sheet and repost it.

Jeff

Deslock

Just came back from NYC (saw a couple Red Sox / Yankees games... watching ARod drop that ball in the 9th was awesome). Anyway, got 23 MPG on the highway doing 75 on lots of hills and in some stop 'n go traffic. Was a nice change from the usual 15-17 MPG I get (I drive entirely in-town).

klegg

I have found that my milage fluctuates from season to season. Colder is worse.

RotaryJeff

Updated Stats:

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

i have noticed that shutting down and starting up the engine eats a lot of gas, so if you do a lot of start/shutdowns through a tank, your gas mileage will probably suffer on top of whatever driving condition you drove in.

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

oh, and FYI, with 6500 on the engine, i'm averaging 18-19mpg in constant stop-n-go highway commute traffic. I think I broke into the 20's for the first time when I drove nonstop for 250 miles to southern VA, lol

Gomez

The only diff between the '04 and the '05 is the paint finish. The '04's have accumulated gunk on the paint and this affects the mpg. Get yourself a good polish and use it regularly if you want your mpg to improve. The '05 guys have a good headstart, their paint is fresher.

Don't buy a Metallic, that paint is heavier. The Mica's are midrange weight wise, the plain paints like the black or yellow are the way to go. As the yellow has been discontinued, the Brilliant Black is the fastest and thriftiest of the current RX-8's.

Fast and cheap....like McDonalds. Buy Black, the best of both worlds.

Gomez.

rx-8_or_?

It depends on the time of year. I'm looking at my mileage chart here ... March 14th is good (just over 20mpg), the rest of the time between Christmas and now has not been as good (14 to 16mpg). I did pick up the most dead insects on March 14th, I wonder if that was it.