Hey all. I've been a long time fan of the RX8 and when I get back to the States I plan on buying a used one, but don't want to go out and blindly buy one. I want to know the pros and cons of this car if possible and all care and maintenance required for the car and the rotary engine. The only real experience I have is working on diesel engines and doing basic automotive work: changing oil, building and changing out tires ect. I have no hands on experience with rotary engines but I am familiar with its basic principles of operation. Anyone help me out?

 

Take some time and just poke around the forums and read as much as you can.

 

I've read a few threads like this, and, being on an rx8 forum, most people will say "oh yes, the 8 is a great car" etc.

The 8 has to be the right fit for you. If you've been to known to push your maintenance intervals, and not check your oil every week, this car will punish you with problems. The engine uses oil, gets poor mpg, doesn't have "stomp your foot down" torque and it needs parts changes out or else it will run like garbage (plugs, coils)

If you have the time to devote to the car, it will run great. If you want something to drive fast light-light, this is not the car for you. If you want to carve up some twistie roads and experience the unique power band of a rotary engine, then welcome!

I guess what I'm saying is that this car is serious about it maintenance. The 8 got a bad name because people would ignore the car's needs and then complain when it broke. You don't have to know much about cars because nearly every problem with the car can be, has been, addressed on this forum.

 

I'm not so sure about maintenance being that big a deal. Oil does need to be changed regularly, at the 3000 mile interval that's preferred for most cars. Plugs get changed at 36k miles rather than the 60k that's more common these days. Coil replacement is controversial - some burn out early, but there are posts here from people who have never had a problem.

On the plus side, there's no timing belt to replace every 60K miles, no valves to adjust, etc.

The only negative I've found is fear of flooding. I understand it's not a big problem with the latest flash, but I'm just paranoid about turning it off cold. This intrudes on my life once every two or three months.

There are random engine failures, but Mazda's 100K engine warranty keeps that from intruding on my serenity.

The smile from driving it intrudes every day.

I concur that the real key is

Try one and see if it suits you.

Ken