Go4It

8 tested against the Z and Boxster. 8 has room for all the golf stuff. Z and Boxster fail the final exam.

randyrx8

They would loose sales to people who need the car to be dual function.

Is there a sports car I could buy that would get 20+ miles on the highway, and still have top performance when you want it???

I think so, actually I thought I bought one.

If I had known it was 15-17, I would have chosen another model. Probably a G35, sure it has less attractive styling, but more torque. Ect....in the end some pluses some minuses, but for my personal case 15-17, is not acceptable. Our full size SUV gets better milage, it has a 3.5l V6, more horsepower, more torque, more wieght and no areodymanics.

MadDog

randyrx8...I have consistently gotten 20mpg no matter how I drive. The current tank looks like it will be better than that :p. I have about 1500 miles so far. Car came from the dealer with the L calibration. It seems like folks are reporting improved mpg with the latest flashes. Sorry if you have answered this before, but what calibration are you on?

pgtr

NO! I said $10,000 as in TEN Thousand off sticker! SUBTRACT $10K from $44K... There is at least one place advertising on the web at $9,200 OFF MSRP TODAY and by summer $10K should be EASY to swing just about anywhere. The catch? The longer you wait the less selection and color choices. But I'd say a BRAND NEW C5 could be easily had in the mid to upper 30s. I think 35 will be about rock bottom.

Check your local Chevrolet dealer and look for $10K off MSRP on a C5. I lurked some Covette boards and found: http://www.corvettesbyrickdaniel.com...PLASHPAGE.html has been extending between 9200 and 10K off MSRP. Folks on those boards are just starting to report 04 NEW street prices at $35K to $37K on coupes.

What does a fully contented Rx8 run?

This car long since had it's kinks worked out (It's an incredible platform - the C6 is really a C5.5 - same platform w/ tweaked body/engine). It's not as goofy looking at the 350Z. 30+mpg is NOT unrealistic and commonly reported on Corvette boards. And performance? Clearly it's in another league.

Technically those EPA estimates aren't 'advertised' like say horsepower (something that Mazda/Ford have gotten in trouble over in the past). THose are EPA 'estimates' calculated from measured emisions from a sample car(s) and for a NEW car (not one w/ 20k miles) and placed on the sticker by law. The funny thing is that usually the EPA is pretty conservative and tend to be a bit lower than actual or observed on most makes. I suspect their calculations are calibrated to piston engines and don't reflect the mileage innefficiency of a rotary. Heck turn the clock back 20 years and look at an SE w/ EGI 13B - it got rated at low to mid 20s! - maybe the EPA figured Mazda could at least match it's efforts of 20 years ago. Not! Clearly Mazda is benefiting from those unrealistic and overly generous estimates. I suspect next year the EPA may modify those estimates if they receive too many complaints. Also Mazda may likely tweak the calibrations to try and improve mileage.

I suspect that MPG to HP wise - this may be the single worst or least efficient mass produced sports car manufactured for 2004. Further I suspect the only worse performers efficiency wise are probably more exotic low production fare. This kind of mileage for this kind of performance is pretty abysmal. Go look at the EPA estimates as well as actual observed mileage for Nissan V6s, BMW I6s, CHevrolet V8s (in a sports car) etc etc etc - intuitively I'd say the Rx8 is landing distinctly in last place in this category. Considering how gas prices are spiraling upward - TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP over the course of say 5 years - is the Rx8 really that much cheaper? 17mph HWY - ya oughta be getting 12 second quarters or something!

The C5 EASILY gets 28+ to your paltry 17 hwy. Over the course of 5 years / 50,000 miles at say $2.00/gallon - difference in operating costs: Rx8: $5800.00; C5: $3700.00.

I'm a long term fan of the rotary but at this point I'm beginning to admit to myself that if this is all the mileage it can muster - it's time to reconsider the whole approach. In this day and age makers are pushing mileage envelopes, developing hybrids and alternative fuels, V8s trounce it and even trucks can do better than the Rx8 - it's time to seriously question the viability of such a power plant as it's currently executed. We're neither having our cake NOR eating it - either it should be a 12 second car or it should be in the upper 20s - and from where I stand it's not knocking on either of those doors.

BIMMER5&RX8

I sit in a C5 in an auto show. I am sorry I simply cannot get over the cheap rental car feel. It is an embarrassment for GM and for American automobile industry.

rx8miami

what chevy interior doesn't looks sleek, modern, and up to date? you gotta be kidding (smirking)

Reeko

Get it right.
For people that actually drive hwy miles, people are getting 22+ MPG. Some are getting 25 MPG.
Now, the RX seems to pay more of a penalty than most cars for city miles. I ride my RX hard all the time with 0 hwy miles and get about 16-17 MPG.
IMHO, the RX get comperable MPG to most performance cars in it's class.

Japan8

pgtr,

You miss the fact that the c5 is a GM. Better than being a DC car, but that only means your interior ergos and quality is a step ahead DC and well behind even Ford. I can't believe that they didn't put molding around the edges of the headliner in the 99 Grand Prix and the cheap plastic on the seat backs of the 99 Trans Am. So while I don't hate GM, I don't like 'em either.

IF you want to talk bang for the buck look no further than the '04 Mustang Cobra. $35k before incentives and rebates with on-par performance and add a couple thousand in parts and this bad boy will take a c5 like there's no tomorrow.

Japan8

randyrx8... see the other posts. Most people are getting better mileage than that. Spending additional money in the loan to get another car costs more than that amount as you have interest. So it isn't so easy as the extra gas money could by you x...

zoom44

since this has turned slightly towards gas mileage- while some people are reporting lower then expected gas mileage others have always reported good mileage and others are now reporting better mileage- whether because of pcm flashes or improvement over time. as for bad mileage- as has been said here before- the rx8 being 2 -5 mpg under epa estimates is alot better than some hybrid owners reporting 10-20 or more mpg less thanthe estimates for their cars.

MadDog

Here's a thought - the mileage is, in a way, a penalty for the exquisite handling. The rotary isn't the most efficient engine, but the compact nature of the rotary is one reason why the moment of inertia is so low, leading to better handling.

When people talk about the mileage of the 8. they always talk about the performance of the engine with respect to other engines that yield similar, if not better, output and have better efficiency. I think it gets lost that the mileage is subtly related to handling. I think most people who have driven comparable sports cars agree that the 8's handling is near the top of the class (whatever that is). So the mileage-for-handling tradeoff is one I am willing to accept! :p even if its not a one-for-one!

randyrx8

At that price I will be looking to trade in my 8 is summer!

randyrx8

Where are you at? I would like to have you drive mine and get 20, maybe you will teach it how..


I have one built 09/03. It had somthing before "L" I assume it was K. About 3 weeks ago i flashed it to what I was told was 'L". confirmed it was at least "L" with the pedal test.

I need to take it in for an alignment, will try for "M" then.



As I have lerned about the EPA estimates I think I know the issue, and would like to try it out some day.

The EPA estimates for highway assume a MPH of 48!

It is possible to run the 8 at 48 MPH in 6th it feel awful but it will run. I wonder if the mileage at 48 would be higher?

I am theorizing that mabye the number are correct at 48 but get worse as you go faster, more than piston engines get worst as you go faster. for example The 8 and car XYZ both get 24 MPG at 48, the 8 get 18 at 70 where XYZ get 21 at 70?


Is this possible?

I will try to drive 50-100 miles at 48 MPH on the highway and see what I get, hopefully I wont get rear ended. I know I will look stupid, I suppose i could put a sign in the rear window

"Sorry this is all this little wankle will put out"

Just kidding!

randyrx8

here you go!
200 HP
0-60 in 4.1
1/4 mile in 13.2

http://www.acpropulsion.com/tzero_pages/tzero_home.htm

while not technically a hybridIf you get the gererator on a trailer as pictured, I would think it was a Hybrid.

beachdog

Randyrx8, mine is a 9/03 build date too and I've done the hwy testing myself so I can save you the bother. Since the L or M flash (confirmed by myself, the dealer didn't document it to me), I can regularly break 20mpg on a tank which consists of 60% hwy and 40% local. In local driving I never shift under 4500, 6-7000 is typical and 7500-8500 frequently. On the hwy I'll mostly go 72-75 but take it to 85 whenever possible. When the hwy is clear I'll even slow down to 10mph just to make some speed passes. In a nutshell I haven't been doing anything to nurse along better mileage and it's been very consistantly between just over 19 to just under 21.

This might be related to my prolonged break-in. I took things easy until the first oil change at 2500 mi.

Your comment about doing 48 on the hwy reminds me of driving some of my track cars to the drag strip years ago. I didn't have a tow car or trailer so I would drive at very low speeds. Want to talk about mileage? Small block Chevy's running rear ends anywhere from 4.88 to 7.10. Cars would pull along side all the time and laugh thinking there must be something wrong with my hot car that couldn't go over 35 mph.

Just pretend your a low rider - low and slow.

randyrx8

Sounds liek we have the same "car", built same time and same Flash.

However If I drive as you desribe I get 14-15, Maybe that should be the topic, figuureing out why some cars are much worse than othyers?

Japan8

Bad production tolerances? Nah... that is definitely NOT a Japanese thing to do.

Very good question... anyone have any theories?

rx8miami

remember ford may own 33% of mazda but they don't build them!

Chris in MD

I also studied/drove several cars before getting my 8. Being a former RX7 owner I already was keen to look at the new 8. Only criteria - fun to drive - everyday. Drove the S2000, Imprezza, 350Z, Mustang Cobra and the 8.

Never looked at Gas mileage - wasn't one of my criteria.

All great cars - all fun to drive - wish I could chose one of them every AM going to work. BUT for everyday use, fun on the road, overall interior/exterior design and just personal taste I chose my 8.

Sure, most of the above cars could do better in the 1/4 mile (the cobra was eye watering) but I sacrificed the low end torque for the overall package.

However, will probably get a turbo when a good kit is available

Caecil

Sales in Holland so far this year: 155 RX-8's vs. only 97 350 Z's. (Small country!) Need I say more?

rx8miami

if I lived in amsterdam boy the last thing I would be thinking of is the 8! fun place to live huh caecil?

Caecil

If I lived there, I wouldn't want a car anyway! No fun to park a car over there, vandalism, carjacking etc.
But we live in a small city, some 30 km. away from Amsterdam(ned), with far less problems and I hope my 8 will be save overhere.

wayneside

got the 350 before the 8....love both!

the 350 is more powerful but the 8 is a much better daily driver...both cars are great though...

fluque

wayneside,
Lucky you that get to drive both!

350z.JsTyLez

You guyz must be kidding.:D
I own a 2004 350z, ive had not one problem.I love the 2 seats and the trunk. The sway bars look awsome. I cant stand having 4 seats. All my friends have cars and its more fun this way. I love my car more then anything, i heard a guy said my car looks fat and bloated, but ur car looks like a PT crusier. I drive my car everyday,and everytime i turn on the engine found out why i love my car.

-Josh