Hi folks! I've been a fan of the rx-8 since the day mazda released it. I have never really been in a position to buy one though. I live in downtown Toronto, so there is even LESS of a need for a vehicle!

But i've been getting this urge to get my hands on this car. I want to find an option that is easier on the wallet and found a 2004 rx-8 GT with 73K on it which, would run me payments of about $300 per month. That's at a rate of 8.9%.

This would actually be my first car that i would buy (parents have given me cars before).

Any thoughts on the make, mileage and cost? Should I be worried about an rx-8 with 73K on it?

I'm not so scared of driving an '04 because the body style hasn't really changed radically.

Thoughts, oh fell Canadian RX-8 lovers??? :o)

 

I was in pretty much the same position as you (minus the Toronto part and less-need for a vehicle) when I got mine. Picked up a 2004 with 130,000 km on it and haven't had any problems with it.

What I'd suggest if you're iffy about it, check the carfax (www.carfax.com), ask the current or previous owner(s) (if possible) how well they took care of it, and any maintenance records. The big part is if the maintenance has been kept up, and kept up properly because that will hurt the engine the most if it hasn't been. On the bright side, if the engine does die it should still be covered under warranty which has been extended to 8 years or 160,000 km (100,000 mi).

If you've done you're homework on the RX8, trivia the seller. That might tip you off to how they've been running it. ("Oh, so you use synthetic oil hey?")

Really, you shouldn't be too worried. 74k on an 2004 vehicle isn't that bad and as long as its been kept well you shouldn't have many problems.

 

RX8, 2004, 130 000km, no problems, all in one sentence. Dude, that is awesome.

 

According to the carfax the first owner took it in every ~4000km for oil changes and regularly for engine maintenance and is recorded up to around 80,000km... from there its blank until 118,000 for engine maintenance under a different owner. So clearly the first owner took extremely good care of it, and is probably the reason why its holding up so well. Lucky me!

 

8.9% interest rate is pretty high... you could probably go to the Bank and get a line of credit for like ~5%....Just a thought
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Ebony live

 

I hope you don't plan on driving it only in downtown. That would be terrible :D
Mine's an '04 with 86k. No issues.

 

Other then the Loose Nut behind the Wheel

 

i used to live downtown and drove it one block on dupont to bathurst to get groceries at loblaws... i needed to do the whole rev >4k thing tho before shutting off once i got to the parking lot though lol

it is less fun than driving it out here now in hamilton though that's for certain..

still fun tho.. go for it OP..