Branski81

Alright you guys. Let's do some background.

I currently own a Mazda Protege5 that is my baby. Love her to death. 2.0l 5 speed 2003 silver. She's gorgeous. But stock.

Now, many of you know that proteges have a very serious rust problem. It prevents me from doing mods and even working on my car as every bolt I take off, I run to ace hardware and have to pick up a replacement. The car is just falling apart, plain and simple.

Now I'm only 19 and can get 3200 for my protégé5 right now, so I need to take out a loan to help me build credit as well.

I'm very on the fence about buying a wrx or a RX8.

Im somewhat familiar with Subaru, and have loved the Wrx for years. But the rx8 has always caught my eye and the fact that they just depreciate in value like a led Zeppelin is awesome for me. There are a few in my area for about 8,000 us dollars with around 80k miles. If compression test go good, would this be a good buy for the 2004 model? I've checked every model around here and they're ALL 2004. So that kind of says a lot about that year, eh? I tried looking for an 06 but there's just none in the area at all. $8,000 is a stretch for me alone considering I can get a reliable subaru that needs half the maintenance as a rx8, but here's the catch.

The WRX isn't a Mazda.

Tell me, if I cared for the oil, got new ignition packs immediately, and used this car as a daily driver dealing with the 7 mpg, do you think I could hit at least 150 miles in this car?

I come to you guys because most of your rx8s have had at least one engine swap. I tell ya, I don't have $4k for the engine alone and then labor to get it put in. I understand the engine will die eventually, but around how old (with good care) do yo7 think it'd last?

Seeing that they have reliability issues terrifies me. It honestly makes me never want to even get in one. I've been downright frightened and am under the impression that Mazda actually selling this car was a terrible idea.

I just want some inside information and what you guys think. I'd love to own one, but it seems like I'd only get 14k miles out of every engine swap I put in an 04.

And as for the ECU issues with not injecting enough oil, (I tell ya, I've learned hell of a lot about this car in one full day of research due to this forum. And the 'first time buyer' stickies are damn awesome) could it be fixed with putting in say, an 07 ECU into an 04 model? Let me know guys.

Hopefully I can retire the Protege5 and still be zoom zooming over on this forum.

Thanks.

niteshade247

Ok I realy don't know for sure but I almost positive you can't swap the ECU best thing to do is premix and SOHN adapter. To be real honest go with the WXR easy to mod cheep to maintain the 8 is a awesome car but you must be ready to pay. The WRX can go x miles over oil change and not get damaged the 8 can not. The 8 is like I wife you neglect her in even the smallest way and she's done with you. Your really young yet and need to find some thing that can take a bit of neglect with out costing you. I don't wish to talk you out of the 8 but I am being honest with you.

Branski81

That's exactly what I needed to hear.

It'd be nice to get the Wrx as a daily and someday an 8 as a weekend warrior, but as for now, you're probably right.

It kills me to steer away from Mazda, but even a Mazda3 or MX5 doesn't appeal to me like the rx8.

niteshade247

Owning any rotary is a passion you must love it completely and be fully committed to it. It is a joy to hit that 9k redline and the 8 it's self is a grate road car the best by far handling I've owned but you must be ready with the $$$. I consider my 8 to be the mistress I have to sneak around the wife to get the 8 gifts every time I look at here the wife gives me a look. When you settle in and have spare $$$ id defiantly say get one.