Mazda RX-8

i had three Mazda rotary engined cars loved them all, N/A for me bullet proff, turbo cars plenty of performance, as long as not pushed past limits!

again for myself,the 2nd are great rugged, for sexy looks 3rd gen are kool,sometimes called baby Ferrari.

of course the RX-8s,could use an earlier engine,N/A, and the flooding probs could be modded with an aftermarket ECU, but then costs start to mount up!

but no matter what the costs,you could always get your money back on a resale.

This car must be fan-fricken-tastic to drive. I take this rotary denial as a glowing endorsement for the car and I really want to drive one now.

I wouldn't say that, it could just be faboyism. There are a lot of terrible things people like in all subcultures, which is what we are. It's odd/different with rotaries and they have fans because of that.

Like the only thing I can compare it to is video games. There are TERRIBLE games out there that sell purely because of the "fanboy" status of them. Like those Total War games, every time one is released now people whine about how terrible they are then the next game only ends up selling more copies. That doesn't happen with cars, because a bad car is an extreme inconvenience, however it does happen with internet discussion of it.

Like why RX8 why not a S2000. You get a similar experience but nobody ever says anything bad about s2000s.

I'm not hating on the RX8 i'm just commentating on "denial must mean it's good" which is flawed logic IMO. I know people that INSIST that MK3 GTIs and Corrados are GREAT cars and are in complete denial. I KNOW otherwise. Every other post in this thread seems to list a plethora of issues with this car.

The only reason the Rx8 intrigues me is the back seat. Now that I have three kids.. well... That back seat is nice, but dosen't allow full family carrying, though partial family carrying would be acceptable I guess.

I do bring the girls to daycare in mine when there's no salt on the roads... when there is, I have to take the minivan to drop them off :(

WonkoTheSane wrote: I do bring the girls to daycare in mine when there's no salt on the roads... when there is, I have to take the minivan to drop them off :(

specifically why I am interested in the car.

WonkoTheSane wrote: Perhaps I've just been lucky, but the only maintenance I've done to my 07 with 60k on the clock is spark plugs, tires, brake pads (original rotors that are now shot after the last track day), brake fluid & gear oil before track days, and... I added a sub and replaced the two rear deck speakers because BOSE. I do change the oil religiously at 3-5k with Rotella 10w30, and I put some pre-mix in the tank if going on track. I generally use about 3/4 qt of oil between changes and I redline it every day. My only complaints are headroom in my sunroof model (see the many, many posts above) which I'm going to mod my seat foam a bit and the parasitic loss from the security system will kill my battery if it's not driven for 2.5 weeks or so in the summer, but that's very rare. I've never had an issue with MPGs, as I didn't buy it for a long distance commuter, and like JohnyHatchi pointed above, it's not significant enough to factor into my equations on whether I like a car or not.

I've been around my brother's '05 RX-8 since he bought it new and it's only needed the same things as yours plus the newer ignition coils. It's probably close to 70k miles now and he drives it year round in Chicago burbs. Oh! It needed rear shocks last year probably due to the several occasions he overloaded the car with scuba gear and drove for hours.

I test drove one many years ago. Loved it! Great handling, ergonomics and fairly practical from what I remember. Can't remember if it has folding rear seats? Or just a pass-thru?

My daily commute (city/bumper to bumper traffic) would definitely keep the car from getting wound out well and become tedious with the lack of low end traffic.I'd honestly be considering one if it came pre-swapped with a healthy (and hopefully very light) 270-3xxhp V6 or an LSx.

DanyloS wrote: I test drove one many years ago. Loved it! Great handling, ergonomics and fairly practical from what I remember. Can't remember if it has folding rear seats? Or just a pass-thru?

Niether. Fixed. But the center piece between the seats does come off allowing pass-thru of small or narrow items.

Tyler H wrote: I see a consistent theme here and on classified ads: "My RX-8 has been really reliable, especially after that engine rebuild..." "My RX-8 gets great gas mileage...especially compared to a 7000# pickup or city bus." It's called denial. Now lest you think I'm trolling, here's where I am: This car must be fan-fricken-tastic to drive. I take this rotary denial as a glowing endorsement for the car and I really want to drive one now.

I'm not saying my R3 gets great mileage compared to a 7000# pickup. I'm saying it gets somewhat better mileage than a 5500# van. get your facts straight.

And yes, it is fan-fricken-tastic to drive.

They really are that great to drive. I had an '04 several years ago for a short time, and nothing, and I mean NOTHING i've driven even comes close. I've had the opportunity to autocross Miatas, S2000s, a Lotus Elise, several Corvettes, STi's, BMWs, and heavily modified Camaros and Mustangs, and nothing is even in the same ballpark. Nothing is as sorted, composed, and easy to drive fast as an RX8, period.

Why did I get rid of it? One day it decided not to start in the garage, and had to be towed to the dealer. They had it for a couple of weeks, (the dealer's fault, not the car's) and eventually I got it back. Very shortly after I took it on a road trip to visit some friends, and it stranded me on a Friday night at midnight 700 miles from home. Towed to the dealer again, their service department was only open every other Saturday and that wasn't one of them. It got traded on a brand new Mazda 3, which although boring, was exceptionally reliable.

I will have another one. Stockholm syndrome, I suppose.

wlkelley3 wrote: I have an 04 w/sunroof. Engine replaced under warranty at 98,000, now has 150,000 on it. No engine issues but I do drive it kinda hard, I use it as it's designed to be used. Haven't had any reliability issues with the RX8. Do regular maintenance and drive it like it's designed to be driven and it has been reliable for me.

Trying to reconcile some of these statements with the ones right next to them.

wlkelley3 wrote: And the heater temp is either full hot or full cold, adjustment doesn't work.

This is a common problem. You need to pull the center dash area out and replace or repair the temperature control unit.

http://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-no-heat-repair-heater-control-158200/

I had it done under warranty by Carmax and the idiots destroyed my dash because they didn't know about the hidden bolt in the back.

Tyler H wrote: I see a consistent theme here and on classified ads: "My RX-8 has been really reliable, especially after that engine rebuild..." "My RX-8 gets great gas mileage...especially compared to a 7000# pickup or city bus." It's called denial. Now lest you think I'm trolling, here's where I am: This car must be fan-fricken-tastic to drive. I take this rotary denial as a glowing endorsement for the car and I really want to drive one now. So..how about RX-8 resurrection stories, like RX-7s of yore? Can you find one of these that won't start, pull the plugs and put in some ATF, drag it behind a truck at 75mph until it runs and then drive the dog E36 M3 out of it and resurrect it?

See, that's the thing, it's fantastic to drive out of the box! It does pretty much everything right! It has great handling, but yet a comfortable ride, steering feel is good, cockpit is nice, shifting is nice, the engine winding up is terrific. A lot of the appeal of that is lost though if you are just puttering around in stop and go a lot and getting 15mpg.

IMO, you don't resurrect these things with something that simple. If the engine is failing then it needs a rebuild, there is nothing to be done about it. If it is flooded you need to clean it out properly (and just blasting the piss out of it doesn't do that, I tried it after my wife flooded the car) otherwise it will run like E36 M3.

RX Reven' wrote: FWIW, I’ve averaged 21.4 mpg over the course of my 2005 RX-8’s 226,000 mile history. Admittedly, well over 90% of those miles were steady state freeway driving but dang, you other RX-8 owners are reporting horrible mileage numbers. I know I drive less aggressively than I used to but you guys must be treating your throttles like an on/off switch.

its not?

clutchsmoke wrote:

WonkoTheSane wrote: Perhaps I've just been lucky, but the only maintenance I've done to my 07 with 60k on the clock is spark plugs, tires, brake pads (original rotors that are now shot after the last track day), brake fluid & gear oil before track days, and... I added a sub and replaced the two rear deck speakers because BOSE. I do change the oil religiously at 3-5k with Rotella 10w30, and I put some pre-mix in the tank if going on track. I generally use about 3/4 qt of oil between changes and I redline it every day. My only complaints are headroom in my sunroof model (see the many, many posts above) which I'm going to mod my seat foam a bit and the parasitic loss from the security system will kill my battery if it's not driven for 2.5 weeks or so in the summer, but that's very rare. I've never had an issue with MPGs, as I didn't buy it for a long distance commuter, and like JohnyHatchi pointed above, it's not significant enough to factor into my equations on whether I like a car or not.

I've been around my brother's '05 RX-8 since he bought it new and it's only needed the same things as yours plus the newer ignition coils. It's probably close to 70k miles now and he drives it year round in Chicago burbs. Oh! It needed rear shocks last year probably due to the several occasions he overloaded the car with scuba gear and drove for hours.

I had mine blow the rears out before 60k. Not sure what the PO did with the car, but I never overloaded it, but New England/NY/NJ potholes are a bitch.

Also, there are always the one or two guys who come into the RX-8 thread and go, "I get 25mpg in mine! I don't know what you guys are doing!"

Meanwhile everyone I've ever met in person never really gets better than 20mpg, closer to 18mpg, which is what I got no matter what I did, but who knows, maybe some of them are just better than others on gas, I did have a 2005.

It's like most cars - it's a compromise. The RX-8 simply presents a somewhat different set of compromises than most other cars. You can either live with them, or not.

fidelity101 wrote:

RX Reven' wrote: FWIW, I’ve averaged 21.4 mpg over the course of my 2005 RX-8’s 226,000 mile history. Admittedly, well over 90% of those miles were steady state freeway driving but dang, you other RX-8 owners are reporting horrible mileage numbers. I know I drive less aggressively than I used to but you guys must be treating your throttles like an on/off switch.

its not?

RX Revin lies! It is an on/off switch!!

Ian F said: It's like most cars - it's a compromise. The RX-8 simply presents a somewhat different set of compromises than most other cars. You can either live with them, or not.

This. My R3 was exactly the car I wanted and nothing I didn't want. I decided what I wanted and what I could compromise on, and this car fit the bill perfectly. So perfectly I stopped my car search and bought it that very instant. I wanted something very fun to drive, and I wanted rear wheel drive (AWD like an Evo or STi was also considered). I also preferred more than 2 seats, and i'm not really into convertibles. I didn't care if it was cramped (in fact I wanted something smaller), couldn't care less about mileage or ride quality, and didn't really need tons of power (but i'd be lying if I said power wasn't a plus). I also wanted a minimum of fancy crap- no sunroof, manual everything, no unnecessary screens everywhere.

in 2010 that was pretty much RX8 R3 or nothing. Genesis Coupe R-spec would probably fit the bill, too, but I couldn't find one and the normal genesis coupe I tested felt like a corolla in normal traffic. I wanted something that felt fun at all times. It's also huge compared to the RX8, and there are no rear doors. Miata couldn't be the answer, either (GASP!) because no rear seats and it was a convertible.

As you guys know, I love my 97 M3. Working for GRM / CMS, I get to drive lots and lots of fancy new cars. (some more fancy, some less so)

Usually after driving one of our press cars for the weekend, I'll jump back into the M3 and think "Yeah....this is more like it!" It's very, very rare that I find a car that gives anywhere close to the visceral feedback that my E36 M3 does. (steering feel, ride quality, shift-linkage feel, etc.)

We had an 08 RX-8 around the office when new. I drove it for about 500 miles over the course of a weekend, and was totally smitten. Not overly fast, but extremely well balanced, versatile, and awesomely communicative. I loved it. Spending time with that car actually made me consider replacing the M3.....but just for a minute.

Yes, they have reliability issues, and yes, they get horrid gas mileage. (I got 15mpg in mixed driving conditions) But damn--- they are a great drive!

Have you tried an R3? I tested both and I have to say while the R3 may handle better and I certainly loved it, most people would HATE the ride quality compared to the regular RX8.

The R3 was the only car in the budget for me that was track ready out of the box. I was looking at Mustang GTs, GTOs, STi's, etc. Once I found the R3, like Rufledt, bingo. The others needed too much work to take to the track.

I drove a track prepped E36 M3 on track and the R3 was very similar. I came from a Miata that was getting closer and closer to track car (FM suspension with heavier springs) and the R3 was very similar in ride quality. On track the car is a bit faster. At Waterford Hills on Michelin SuperSports, Hotchkiss antiroll bars, and Carbotech pads, I've turned 1:22's at 9/10ths. I think I can get under 1:20 if I drove 10/10ths, but I'm not doing that in a street car.

Best mileage I've gotten was 22mpg at constant 60mph. At the track, I see 6 mpg at best.

MPG wise on a trip back home to Maine I was able to pull off 24.3 so they can do ok, problem I have on long trips is the fact the tank is smaller (16 gal with the light on I think) so you are lucky to get slighty over 300mi on 3/4 of a tank.

I haven't driven one, so I don't know first hand how good it is. I do know that it would have to be my weekend/autocross car because 22mpg isn't enough for a daily driver for me. The 04-05 seem to be the majority of the ones for sale around my area.

Tyler H wrote:

bruceman wrote: I would not consider it unreliable especially since I rebuilt the engine after purchasing it a few years ago

Quote for irony. I get the appeal and I think, as a whole, we're a group with a much higher tolerance for mechanical quirks. I browsed through Craigslist within 300mi of my house and the RX8 inventory is full of automatics, blown engines, and bring-a-trailer. Nice ones are still Real Car Money. I'm fine with the possibility of catastrophic engine failure, but not for Real Car Money.

This thread has me leaning away from E46 M3 and towards RX-8 R3.

Why is engine rebuilds so scary? If you do it before the engine actually dies, most everything is reusable and you're just in it for hard seals, soft seals, and gaskets, which aren't all that horribly expensive if you shop around and reuse the metal gaskets. I can and have done an engine rebuild in a on jacks Friday night, road test it Sunday evening, drive to work on Monday time frame.

The only things against the RX-8 to me are that I'd be getting a car that would require emissions testing and I don't know (yet) the vagaries of how RX-8s fail scantool tests, and it would be weird as heck to have a rotary car without doing the 2-stroke oil and funnel ritual at every fuel stop..

I'm really surprised to hear the turrible, turrible mpg figures coming from you guys. Our '06 gets an honest 27-29 mpg on a tank of 100% highway going 65-75 mph and 18-20 mpg around town.

JohnyHachi6 wrote: I'm really surprised to hear the turrible, turrible mpg figures coming from you guys. Our '06 gets an honest 27-29 mpg on a tank of 100% highway going 65-75 mph and 18-20 mpg around town.

It's all how you drive it. If it's like the older ones, the throttle should be treated like a switch! Get the heck up to speed then stay relatively close to that. But this requires looking far enough a head and reading the other drivers on the road so that you don't find yourself in a situation where you quickly have to shed or gain 10mph. This is not always possible no matter how much your strategize your driving.

I've done 30+mpg in my old 12As and 28-29mpg with the bridge ported 13B. It gets a lot worse when there are a lot of fools on the road.