mazda_rx8_freak

I am a 15 year old who just got interviewed for a job and I am looking for a first car. My favorite kind of car are Mazda rotary engine cars. I love the sound they make, the rotary engine has an interesting concept and design, and almost every rotary Mazda is beautiful (including the RX-8). With that being said, my first choice for my first car is a manual 2009-11 Series 2 RX-8. It fits within my price limit of $10,000 and it solves many of the issues the 2003-08 RX-8s had. I know the Series 2 had a revised Renesis engine correcting the notorious early engine failure issue found in Series 1 RX-8s. I know rotary engines drink oil fast, so how long should I be able to go between oil changes? Should I still give it one redline a day just to be safe? Are there any non-engine issues I should be aware of? As for monthly insurance and gas costs, how much will I be paying for each monthly?

Thank you for all those who reply to my thread.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Welcome!
How long between oil changes is the wrong question, check your oil and add when it gets to the low end of the dipstick. Regardless, change at 3000mi.

Whether you should get one... first job, college coming up... Cars are not a wise investment. But if you're going to pull tge trigger, S2 is a better bet. Just make sure you have one with leftover warranty and good compression.

ZoomEricZoom

Yeah.. Oil changes are gonna be around every 2500k-3000k miles or so.

This cars favorite drink is gas (and then oil) lol. So you'll be going thru quite a bit of gas.. (Especially if you're gonna be a city/high-rpm/low gear driver).

You might be surprised at the insurance actually!! Think about it, 1.3 liter engine, 4 doors/4 seats, and not toooooo much HP. It's still not gonna be the insurance of your average car, but it's not terrible.

But listen, you're right! Mazda did a pretty good job of improving the car with the S2. BUT YOU STILL NEED TO MAINTAIN IT AND NOT NEGLECT IT. I'm not saying that you will, but an S2 IS NOT a free pass from mantaining an RX-8.. After all, it's still a rotary.

Good luck man!!

Steve Dallas

I won't rehash the good advice these guys have already given you, but I will point out again that the RX-8 is not an inexpensive car to own. Owners face frequent oil changes (every 3,000 miles max even with synthetic), terrible gas mileage, cost of premix in addition to gas, frequent ignition parts replacement, etc. And parts for this car are on the expensive end of the spectrum. In short, do not max out your finances purchasing the car, because you will need cash reserves to feed and maintain in properly.

Be sure to take the time to read this thread in its entirety:

https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-f...t-here-202454/

I don't recommend this car for young people for a variety of reasons. Ignoring that, if you are dead set on buying an RX-8, buy an S2 that has some powertrain warranty left and have it properly compression tested before committing to buy. About 3 months before the warranty expires, take it to your Mazda dealer and pay for another compression test to make sure your engine is still good.

Setflyn41

It will be a cool car for a high school student just don't die in it. I would say pull the trigger on the s2 if someone is buying it for you or you have the money because who knows these cars will only get harder to find as the prices go down and people buy them up and mistreat them and it's always better to remember having one than to say i've always wanted one. they are expensive to own i get 10-12mpg I go through 3 tank of premium gas at about 35 dollars a piece a week with about 60/40 city/hwy its tough to resist spending money on these cars when there is always something that can be better insurance will be high i'm 21 and its still about 1.5 times what it was for my civic so id imagine it will be higher for you.
You could also save some money and go for a series 1 with good compression mine has 135000 miles and counting on engine #1 I bought it from the original owner and he maintained it well as I have been and so far everything is pretty good

sinkas

Sounds like a bad idea to me

boricua13

Unless you have disposable income to do all the proper maintenance, don't do it.
You are better off buying a 4 banger, install a cheap turbo, cheap maintenance. Civic, Mazda 3, even a Neon. In my opinion the 8 is a gorgeous inexpensive car, but very expensive to maintain.
I'll give you an example, since I had the car, I installed a BHR ignition kit, tranny oil change, and tires, that alone was over $1400. Then exhaust, as I want it to cat delete, another $600 or so because I installed it myself. Lets add the oil changes, every 3k mile or less, premix and gas at about 18 miles to the gallon, so another $600 or more. I also have a set of coilovers in my living room that I still have to install, but lets not go there.
Total of $2600 to drive 11.8k miles and that's on the cheap side. I've enjoyed every minute of it, I love it and would not traded for anything, ok maybe for an FD, but for a high school kid, don't do it unless you have a "Sponsored by Mom and Dad" sticker on it!

Nisaja

Bro, I was just like you a few years ago. Always wanted an RX-8. Loved the sound of the engine. Been having the dream since I was 14. After many years, I finally bought an S2 Spirit R.

Is it expensive to maintain? Yes! But you're gonna buy it anyway. I did! And I see my enthusiasm in you. Go for it dude. You won't regret it. Just make sure you find a good car, like others said, with warranty remaining. Everything these guys said are true. Check oil regularly. Don't rev it while it's still cold. Kill it when it has warmed up Do a compression test. THAT IS A MUST! Do it BEFORE you buy the car. NOT after! If everything is in order, pull the trigger.

When you buy it, make sure to fill it up with hot college chicks and post some pics here

Good luck!

Loki

iTrader: (1)

To be fair, that's not maintenance, that's mods You can make any car expensive that way.

It's not cheap on gas, and it's expensive if the engine goes. But otherwise? Tires, brakes and oils are things every car needs, so that's not a determining factor. Premix is $100 for 10,000mi? BHR coils are a good one-time $500 investment.

So let's say the car costs 2 times per mile what a Civic would cost. Can you afford that and still do all the other things you want to do in life? College, hobbies, sports, girls, etc? If you can, great, go for it. But don't sacrifice those things just to have a car. And have a plan you can execute within 6 months if the engine starts showing signs of death.

boricua13

True Loki, but I still need brakes, fluid flush, so lets tack that into it. All I'm saying is that the maintenance/parts for the 8 is twice as much as a regular car. I spend as much on my other 3 cars together than what I spend on this one alone, and my other 3 cars are a Mazda 3, an Avenger and an Escape.

Setflyn41

I haven't been spending much more on the car besides gas and different mods, but parts for this car are more expensive if you want to get quality parts like you should be doing.

wannawankel

I love my Series II and have never regretted owning it since I bought it used last year. The handling is fantastic and the hp/torque is just about right for me (in my fourties and I've driven many cars including out of control Porsches that will break the bank). Keep up on the maintenance and assume that at 100-150K you'll need a rebuild. I planned that in from a finance standpoint.

Good luck and Dallas above said it best on recommendations.

NotAPreppie

I kind of view RX-8's like Top Gear UK views Alfa Romeos:
I love mine and would choose it again but I would never recommend one to a friend.

Jazer

^^ x2

So far excellent advice. I would really consider rethinking this as your first car... while insurance is reasonable (4 door/1.3L, etc) it is, as mentioned, a bit more expensive of a car to own. In general, more maintenance, poor gas mileage, premium gas, uses oil, premix although not necessary is a good recommendation (another expense), etc... id adds up surprisingly fast. You are only 15, and while this is a very attainable "dream car"/sports car - its your first car... so try to think a little more long term. Most people take a few years to get into something they "really" want... took me into my 20s to get a decently nice car, lol. It's so easy to act impulsively when you're a teenager (look at me, the mom in me coming out, LOL)... This is your first job/first car... Id get used to being responsible for the costs of having a "normal" car before you get into one that's more expensive to own. Especially as a primary vehicle.

For example, we have a big 15.9/16.9 gallon tank... I get probably around 250 miles per tank of 93.. i can nearly watch my needle drop.. Im glad this is my secondary vehicle, I wouldn't want to drive it every day.

I can easily get deep into the 300s in my beater that takes 87 and has a smaller 13 gallon tank.. Its a very noticeable difference in cost purely in fuel alone.

Gravey

iTrader: (3)

I can see both sides here, yes it is more expensive to own and maintain, but then I also feel that the experience provided by ownership is worth that much more than the experience other vehicles have provided me. It is a unique and fun car to own, and even if you only end up owning it for a short time before selling it, the experience is definitely worth it.

I love my RX-8! (If you are going for the 2009+ try to get your hands on an R3!)

slipz1622

things to consider....

do you live somewhere it snows? if yes, do you really wanna drive your rx8 in the winter and have it prematurely rust out not to mention the fun of driving a low riding rear wheel drive in the winter?

do you like getting REALLY bad gas milage? 12-15 mpg is my avg for city driving sometimes as low as 10 if i had a lot of fun on that tank.

insurance is a killer on these cars, at least mine is, some people say the opposite... so check with the insurance company you use. ive had quotes for up to $1,000 a month, this REALLY depends on the state you live in and how that company classifies the car.



the part that would worry me most about someone getting any sports car as a first car is how responsible they are going to be. i KNOW how i drove my first car, and i am damn glad it wasnt nearly as nice as my rx8. even if you already "know how to drive" you are still learning how to drive. things can go wrong in any car, but a car that loves to be pushed as much as the rx-8 does around corners doesnt seem like a good thing for someone learning how to drive in my book. eventually one of those corners that are so fun to push around will break loose at a much higher speed than you SHOULD be going, would you be able to pull out of it?

Jazer

You are getting some sound advice. Remember, we are all people that LOVE these cars.. yet there seems to be a theme. No one is saying don't get one ever, it's just suggested you don't get one now. Maybe get it for yourself as a graduation gift when you're out of highschool, etc. Something to work for.

IamFodi

iTrader: (1)

^ This!

Also, make sure there is at least some evidence of a service history in the car's prior ownership. In case you eventually have to call on the engine warranty, you'll want to minimize the dealership's reasons to deny your claim.

But yeah, do NOT expect a cheap and worry-free ownership experience. While I suspect that a few of the maintenance concerns mentioned in this thread are slightly overstated (at least for the S2), you should expect to be VERY attentive to maintenance and to NEVER EVER cheap out on parts.

I don't think this car has any real issues besides the engine. At least, it's not more issue-prone than most other cars. There's just that one part that can fail expensively, and there's so much going on with it that you still have to be careful.

Gravey

iTrader: (3)

Wow insurance at $1,000/month?!?!?!

Mine is only like $95/month....CANADIAN.... most insurance company's classify it as a 1.3L 4 door car. Quotes are largely dependant on your age and driving history too though.

I think the main thing to look at here, and be generous with the costs, don't skimp, can you comfortably afford all the costs associated with ownership, and have a back up fund for repairs that WILL creep up. If so then I don't see why not.

Nisaja

Wow. 95 a month? I live in Asia and my insurance cost for the whole year is $400. And that's with having the car valued at $40,000

Gravey

iTrader: (3)

^See! EVEN BETTER!!!

wannawankel

My 2010 RX8 GT add on cost totaling 3 cars on policy to my current insurance plan was only $443 per year. No tickets, no claims ever filed, no accidents, and it's registered as a daily driver. 40+ age.

slipz1622

right now I pay $240 a month, about $200 of that is the rx8... no tickets left on the record, I'm in my 30's, 1 "at fault accident" on the history still though...

but in michigan at the very least this car is not cheap to insure, every company i've talked to classifies it as a 2dr sports car... they dont seem to care about the size of the engine or that it actually has 4 doors. michigan is also one of the highest cost states to have auto insurance in as well though...



EDIT: that is for full coverage with pretty good $$ coverage, not just the minimum required

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Hi, I'm an 'old' guy with a smart phone & Idk how to post links.
I remember us covering a lot of things with another young guy recently, (not quite as young as you) 6 pages of posts, and as far as I know, it turned out well.

sinkas

Yes id be interested to see what the insurance costs for the 15 yr old would be
My advice is buy a cheap mazda 3 and spend the huge savings on broadening your horizons