LostAlone

Hey guys

After five years of not really being able to justify the expense of a car, I've finally got a new job that needs one and pays me enough for it not to be a worry. So I'm thinking that I'm going to give in to my hearts desire and finally get the RX-8 I've been lusting after for years. But I do have a few pretty basic questions - The one thing I know for sure is that RX-8s are different to most cars, so I figured I'd ask people who really know rather than bank on my experience with other cars being enough to get me by.

My job is about an hour away and I'll be on the road two or three days a week to see clients, so how do RX-8s feel on the motorway? Are they a comfy ride?

Are they really as fuel hungry as I've heard? How far will a tank generally take you?

I've heard they take a lot of maintenance - Is that just the usual stuff (oil, tires, etc) or are there specific things I might not have dealt with before that I'll need to keep my eye on?

Are there any issues that'd make older RX-8s with a good chunk of miles on the clock a bad buy? I'm looking to spend two to three thousand pounds and I see a lot of them listed around there, but they tend to be 04/05 reg, with 50k+ on the clock, and some have 80k+. Assuming they are well maintained would I still get a good life span from a car like that?

If/When I go and see one, what are the typical problem areas on an RX-8 and what are the biggest warning signs of poor maintenance or bad repairs? Since I've never seen under the bonnet before it'd be tough for me to spot anything wrong without a bit of help.

Thanks guys

Phil Bate

The RX-8 is a very capable cruiser and a comfortable place to be during any commute. It is possible to get 300 boring motorway miles to a tank if you are careful, however mixed road driving tends to return much less. I get between 190 and 240 miles over a range of roads.

They do require a bit of maintenance to keep them sweet, and will suffer if certain things are skipped (eg. oil changes) or poor quality parts used (fake ignition coils), however they are easy to work on and parts readily available. The biggest watch-out when buying is for low compression engines. This can manifest itself in poor or non starting when the engine is warm, though this is not a given. The only way to be sure is to have the car tested with a rotary compression tester before the sale or as a condition of it.

If you are serious about buying and are based in GB head over to the uk owners club forum - you may find more location relevant advice (location of rotary specialists etc.) and cars for sale that have been looked after by club members.


Phil

blckninja

iTrader: (1)

From the sounds of it you haven't read this thread, read it: https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-f...t-here-202454/

It will answer most of your questions, for the one that it doesn't answer it depends on what you mean by comfy. If you have the correct tires (tyres) and a working suspension, it won't feel bad but you'll definitely be able to feel the difference and siftness between this car and a traditional sedan without sporty suspension. With that being said, it isn't that bad unless you have REALLY bad roads, really bad. Just bear in mind that with a sports car the ride isn't going to be as comfy, but it won't be unbearable.