Automobile Mag Reviews: 2010 Mazda RX-8 R3
 

Not a bad review, oddly formatted with 6 pages of super short sections. The writer echos I feel - the car is great in every way, just a bit more power would be the cherry on top!

Each super short section was a different writer, so it was actually 6 micro-reviews...and every one of them "got it"!

Quote:

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Much of this lightness, of course, comes from the compact rotary engine, which, for all of its torque-deficient, oil-using quirkiness ...

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So engine using oil is "quirkiness" ... ?

Like Pistons don't use it ? Hmm ...

here is another one

LOL ! TALKED ABOUT FAILED @

This editor is just about as smart as the other editor on MSN Autos.


and I notice that everybody kept talking about "poor fuel economy & oil usage"

but Im willing to bet NONE of these "so called" editors even drive a RX-8 more than 10 minutes.

I'd venture to say just about anyone will agree with them. You don't buy an RX-8 for it's fuel economy. The thing burns a quart of oil every 1,000 miles and gets 18mpg PREMIUM in the city. I'd say they're more than justified in what they said.

Uh, what? You can't say such an absolute number as a fact.

I never burn more than half a quart of oil between oil changes. I drive ONLY in city, so your 18 MPG is very steep...I get 15 *to prove the fact that I don't baby it.*

I red-line it at least 5 times a week...if not every day, then often on the weekend. The "High Oil Consumption" is just people regurgitating things they have heard, yet have no clue about. Gas mileage is retarded to make a point of, since most sports cars make that, but there is always someone that thinks "BUT THIS MAKES X MPG...."

I don't understand why they were going on about how expensive it is. Magazine used to always talk about what a good value for money it was.

feels like it could be a $40k+ car to me. :dunno:

We neeeeeed more POWER!!! 30 more hp and our cars will sell like motherf@ckers!

Amen brother......!

16X with ~300HP ± 30
2800 lbs curb weight

= market success

Let's see what Mazda can come up with....

Can't wait!

RX8s don't need more power. Other cars need less.

Consumers look at easy-to-see numbers like HP and MPG when they shop for a car, most of them would prefer an automatic transmission, and generally speaking they are not interested in handling or performance. This is why the concept of the "muscle car" is so popular in the US, as opposed to the "sports car".

The rotary engine will never make a good muscle car. If it's going to be a success, it has to play to its strengths - weight, balance, responsiveness, and so on.

Power may make a muscle car, but a sports car can have more power without being "all muscle". Everyone who's done turbo-charging on the 8 has said that at 300rwhp, the car starts to excel.

I agree that some cars made now should actually have less HP, but then again, they weigh so much they sort of need the power.

interesting article linked from page 5 of the above article:
Slow Cars - The Joy of Slow

It mentions the miata and two generations of RX-7. I own a 1991 non-turbo RX-7 (sloooow), so I understand.

Good review, although I have never understood the gripe with paying a couple bucks per month for motor oil. This is a negligible expense for anyone. And it's not like it's a big deal to pop the hood and check/fill the oil every few weeks, especially for people who are into cars and like looking at the motor and whatnot anyway....


I can understand the gripe about fuel economy though, because it does have a significant effect on running costs, unlike motor oil top offs.


People pay double the price of a month's worth of motor oil for the rx-8 on their morning coffee....

awesome doll mod Sheffield!

You never burn more than half a quart of oil between oil changes? :squint:

I've owned two RX-8's now and 1/2 to 1 quart of oil being burned every 1,000 miles is average for both. I'd also venture to say that's far more average than your car that is designed to burn oil but apparently never does.

They consume more oil than the average sports car, and get worse gas mileage than the average sports car. Of course they're going to comment on both of those. If anything I find it strange that some of you take offense to it considering how well-known it really is.

I think it's safe to say that the good majority of people who buy RX-8's don't buy them for those reasons anyways. They bought it because they hopped behind the wheel of one of the greatest driving cars in recent time and couldn't find anything else that felt as good afterwards. I'll gladly buy more oil and gasoline than what is considered normal if the driving bliss I continue to experience every time I drive my car is the trade-off.

I'm sure most of us don't care that we burn oil/use more gas than most cars. It's just annoying when it's labeled as being something terrible!

And no, I usually burn 1/2 to 3/4 a quart *The 3/4 was the max I've ever seen...* Even my old RX-7's never burnt that much. Maybe it's because I rarely hit the highway, so my redlining is in 1st mostly with some occasional 2nd when I feel like breaking the law.

"We" might not care, but your average American consumer might. Just because we are more enthusiastic about our cars doesn't mean we are the only people who buy these cars.

I'm lost as to why that post was aimed at me? I'm not saying anything otherwise.... The only point I'm making is an extra quart of oil at max between oil changes, or the loss of 1 or 2 MPG *depending on your driving habits* isn't as terrible and game breaking as most people make it.

It matters when I top off every few gas-ups, and my friends ask me what I am doing. It's because they never had to do it before with their Corollas, Camrys, Accords, TLs, etc.

Is it that bad that we have to buy a bit more engine oil? Or as you state, game-breaking? No, I don't believe so. But I'm sure there are tons of lazy or cheap people out there who would say yes. Of course, this car is not for those people!

Oh, trust me, I agree 100%! This car is hardly for the common every-day Joe. Hell, even some gear heads I know hate it because of the exact same 'issues'.

What were we politely arguing about again? :lol2:

I have no idea! I personally think that non-car enthusiasts (especially young people) shouldn't buy sport cars like the RX-8. Heck, they shouldn't buy the bullet-proof S2000 because there's a good track history of kids wrapping the S2000 around the nearest tree during a rain storm. Same thing goes for the 350/370, etc etc :lol2:

Mind you, I'm a 23 year old kid who nearly killed himself in the rain with my 8.

I don't see how it's that hard to get.

Americans. Nowadays. Do not want to pop their hood. Check and fill up on motor oil. In their sports car. In 2010. Between their 3,000 mile oil changes at the dealership or oil change place. They just want to put the key in. Crank and go...

I have to chuckle when I read your comment. You should join the BMW Club and start receiving and reading Roundel magazine they send monthly to members. It's almost a joke at this point, but so many people have bitched and complained and written letters to the editors about how "BMW has gone to the dogs...", "they will never buy another BMW again...", "what's wrong with the car world when..", BMW has lost they way..", BMW has sold out to the luxury crowd..." **simply** because they have replaced the oil dipstick with an electronic sensor to tell them when they need to add oil! There is simply no end month after month after month of letters streaming in...

And these are Americans! ..in 2010 ...angry owners! They want to pop their hoods! They want to check and fill up motor oil! In their sports sedan! There is a large population of (piston head) Americans that WANT to CHECK their own oil using their own DIPSTICK between 15,000 mile oil changes. Is it any wonder? They feel insulted, belittled, and betrayed when this is taken from them. They want to pop a hood, check the oil in their own hands before they go.

I blame the Castroil dipstick campaign.