Guess what I got in the mail today?
08-30-2006, 05:41 PM
#1
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Guess what I got in the mail today?
the October edition of Road and Track...on page 113 is the follow-up article on the 2004 RX8 after 50,000 mi.....
Im gonna try and read the whole article but Im at work....
I just wanted to pass on the info... enjoy!
Im gonna try and read the whole article but Im at work....
I just wanted to pass on the info... enjoy!
08-30-2006, 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by BlueSky
Don't be surprised if there is a touch of negativity.
Shinks post the article if you can! or give us the cliffnotes.
08-30-2006, 07:27 PM
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Originally Posted by dillsrotary
so much negativity in you young one...
Shinks post the article if you can! or give us the cliffnotes.
Shinks post the article if you can! or give us the cliffnotes.
08-30-2006, 08:08 PM
#7
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First Page of the article:
2004 Mazda RX-8
Close to greatness
OUR LONG-TERM TEST OF THE MAzDA RX-8 has ended. We miss the car. Everyone who drove it enjoyed its sinfully smooth engine and sporty nature. For all the things it does right, it's a shame it isn't petfect. A collection of trivial faults diminish what is otherwise a wonderful car-these are the type of faults that may be irrelevant to some, but of utmost importance to others. After 50,000 miles we've sorted them out and can tell you what to expect of ownership.
It is not a 4-door sedan. At first the rear suicide doors were novel, then we discovered they add complexity that a typ¬ical 4-door doesn't have. The difficulty comes when allowing rear passengers to egress-the front door must be opened first, then the rear. If the car is parked in a typical space gdjacent to another car, the RX-S's open doors trap the front and rear passengers as they attemp to exit. A game of twister ensues while trying to escape the clutches of the RX-8-one's personal space will be violated.
Seating in the rear is comfortable, even for taller passengers, but not very inviting.
The rear windows are like portholes on a ship-not a good place for those who suf¬fer from claustrophobia. Though similar to most 2+2s, the B- and C-pillar thicknesses seem to trap the rear passengers more than in a conventional arrangement.
Our Touring Package-equipped car fits drivers up to 6 feet tall, but head room is tight. The sunroof and S-way power seats didn't help. Seating is compromised somewhat by a steering wheel that doesn't telescope. It could really use another inch or two to keep taller drivers' knees from getting in.....
Close to greatness
OUR LONG-TERM TEST OF THE MAzDA RX-8 has ended. We miss the car. Everyone who drove it enjoyed its sinfully smooth engine and sporty nature. For all the things it does right, it's a shame it isn't petfect. A collection of trivial faults diminish what is otherwise a wonderful car-these are the type of faults that may be irrelevant to some, but of utmost importance to others. After 50,000 miles we've sorted them out and can tell you what to expect of ownership.
It is not a 4-door sedan. At first the rear suicide doors were novel, then we discovered they add complexity that a typ¬ical 4-door doesn't have. The difficulty comes when allowing rear passengers to egress-the front door must be opened first, then the rear. If the car is parked in a typical space gdjacent to another car, the RX-S's open doors trap the front and rear passengers as they attemp to exit. A game of twister ensues while trying to escape the clutches of the RX-8-one's personal space will be violated.
Seating in the rear is comfortable, even for taller passengers, but not very inviting.
The rear windows are like portholes on a ship-not a good place for those who suf¬fer from claustrophobia. Though similar to most 2+2s, the B- and C-pillar thicknesses seem to trap the rear passengers more than in a conventional arrangement.
Our Touring Package-equipped car fits drivers up to 6 feet tall, but head room is tight. The sunroof and S-way power seats didn't help. Seating is compromised somewhat by a steering wheel that doesn't telescope. It could really use another inch or two to keep taller drivers' knees from getting in.....
Last edited by shinka213; 08-30-2006 at 08:22 PM.
08-30-2006, 08:20 PM
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Second Page:
the way. The 6-speed manual transmission is faultless, as is the feeling of the well placed pedals and well weighted steering.
The normally aspirated Wankel twin rotor engine is an engineering marvel, but it consumes a quart of oil nearly every 3000 miles. It's normal for this type of engine, so we learned to live with it, and out of necessity began carrying an extra quart in the trunk. For a car that requires oil to be added regularly, Mazda should have made it easier to check the level, as it necessitates the removal of a dirty engine cover to get at the dipstick. MINE IS NEVER DIRTY>>LOL User friendly it is not. When zinging the rotary to its astronomical 9000-rpm redline, nearly all is forgiven. Even so, it does not make up for the lack-luster torque when pulling away from a stoplight or shuffling through traffic.
Most of our motoring was done solo or with one passenger. Rear seats were often needed for storage as trunk capacity is minimal at 7.6 cu. ft. The trunk is also restricted by a small opening, and by the spare tire mounted oddly at the top.
Many of our 50,000 miles were completed during sunrise-to-sunset long-distance hauls. As such we had plenty of time to ponder the engineering genius that gave the RX-8 see-through sun visors.
Two warranty issues were taken care of by the dealer at no cost. A rattling rear speaker was replaced, and a new center console lid was installed when the original's stopped working. As with most of our long-term cars we had to replace tires; a total of six sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE040s were needed. The front brake rotors warped and needed to be turned once and new pads were added.
Combined with oil changes and regular dealer service, the cost of routine maintenance was low. Fuel economy at 17.5 mpg is on the low side of average, and the high price of gasoline today accounted for the extra cost per mile. Depreciation was about normal and so the cost per mile result is just about average.
Minor grievances aside, the RX-8 is a wonderful automobile, more of a civilized sports coupe than a sports sedan. Prospective owners should be sensitive to the complexities of ownership, as this Mazda tries to be a different type of sports car. Don't be fooled by the two extra doors; the RX-8 is a direct descendant of the RX-7. We'd recommend the RX-8 to anyone, especially those who don't mind getting a little dirty checking the oil and keeping the revs up-way up.
The normally aspirated Wankel twin rotor engine is an engineering marvel, but it consumes a quart of oil nearly every 3000 miles. It's normal for this type of engine, so we learned to live with it, and out of necessity began carrying an extra quart in the trunk. For a car that requires oil to be added regularly, Mazda should have made it easier to check the level, as it necessitates the removal of a dirty engine cover to get at the dipstick. MINE IS NEVER DIRTY>>LOL User friendly it is not. When zinging the rotary to its astronomical 9000-rpm redline, nearly all is forgiven. Even so, it does not make up for the lack-luster torque when pulling away from a stoplight or shuffling through traffic.
Most of our motoring was done solo or with one passenger. Rear seats were often needed for storage as trunk capacity is minimal at 7.6 cu. ft. The trunk is also restricted by a small opening, and by the spare tire mounted oddly at the top.
Many of our 50,000 miles were completed during sunrise-to-sunset long-distance hauls. As such we had plenty of time to ponder the engineering genius that gave the RX-8 see-through sun visors.
Two warranty issues were taken care of by the dealer at no cost. A rattling rear speaker was replaced, and a new center console lid was installed when the original's stopped working. As with most of our long-term cars we had to replace tires; a total of six sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE040s were needed. The front brake rotors warped and needed to be turned once and new pads were added.
Combined with oil changes and regular dealer service, the cost of routine maintenance was low. Fuel economy at 17.5 mpg is on the low side of average, and the high price of gasoline today accounted for the extra cost per mile. Depreciation was about normal and so the cost per mile result is just about average.
Minor grievances aside, the RX-8 is a wonderful automobile, more of a civilized sports coupe than a sports sedan. Prospective owners should be sensitive to the complexities of ownership, as this Mazda tries to be a different type of sports car. Don't be fooled by the two extra doors; the RX-8 is a direct descendant of the RX-7. We'd recommend the RX-8 to anyone, especially those who don't mind getting a little dirty checking the oil and keeping the revs up-way up.
08-30-2006, 08:20 PM
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Umm....way to state the obvious. The suicide doors were made to be a compromise between two doors and four. Rear windows and claustrophobia? That's really stretching it.
08-30-2006, 08:23 PM
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Originally Posted by NgoRX8
shinka. change RX-B and RX-S. 
i can relate to those negativities in the article. it's ok though. haha
i can relate to those negativities in the article. it's ok though. haha
08-30-2006, 08:33 PM
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what i could not copy and paste>>>
ratings at a glance:
Touring: Average
Engine: Excellent
Handling: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Fuel Efficiency: Average
Ownership cost: Average
overall I disagreed with a couple of things but perhaps thats because I have a great love for this car....one of the main reasons why i bought it...I didnt really care about the suicide doors...i didnt buy it as a family car....i wasnt looking for lots of torque.....the looks and feel of the car are its strong suit....and like i said earlier, my engine cover is not dirty and ive got a seibon ks style CF hood
Touring: Average
Engine: Excellent
Handling: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Fuel Efficiency: Average
Ownership cost: Average
overall I disagreed with a couple of things but perhaps thats because I have a great love for this car....one of the main reasons why i bought it...I didnt really care about the suicide doors...i didnt buy it as a family car....i wasnt looking for lots of torque.....the looks and feel of the car are its strong suit....and like i said earlier, my engine cover is not dirty and ive got a seibon ks style CF hood