Hello. I found a 2005 in good condition. Clean title, one owner, clean carfax. I had our mechanic check it, and he said the car is in good condition. He said it would make a horrible commuter car because of maintenance costs and repairs.

I plan to use it during the week for a 30 mile drive to work (one way). It will be a mix of city and hwy driving. I want my driving experience to be pleasant and fun, and figured the rx-8 would accomplish just that. I'm not too worried about MPGs, but I'm worried about cost of repairs and being stranded. I've been reading the FAQs, the 'read this before buying' section, and other forums. Now I have mixed feelings about getting it or not.


Here's the link:

http://www.motoblastluxury.com/vehic...-mazda-rx-8--8

I'd appreciate your opinions.

 

Always get a compression test before you buy any rotary.
Tell you mechanic to go **** himself, but he's right about the maintenance costs and fuel.

Personally I don't think the maintenance is anymore than any other car I've owned and cared about but I think others would disagree.

However something I believe we agree is the RX8 loves its gasoline
If that bothers you, this ain't your ride bra

 

I agree. Granted Ive only put on 10k but at least I know what to expect when it comes up.

 

Is your RX8 used as a DD?

 

I've used my 8 as a DD, the past year, I've put on about 9,000 miles on it and no problems so far, kept up with regular maintenance (coils, plugs, oil changes) works out fine for me

 

No it is not.
I don't need a DD in my job.

I take a taxi to the airport every Monday and again on Friday

 

Should I take to a mazda dealer to have it checked for compression or is a 3rd party mechanic able to perform a propper compression test with relative ease?

 

It's easy to do the compression test as long as you have the correct tool
You can't use a standard compression tester device

 

Is it pricey? is it a lenghtly process?

 

My car is a daily driver and weekend racer, it used to do about 15 miles each way and its still going strong. Ive had to do a lot of maintenance but the cars character makes up for it and it kicks *** at the track. I do all my own maintenance it only cost about $30 to do an oil change every 3K and I clean out all the filters, and MAF etc is just time.

I say go buy it!!!!

 

Did you look at the URL I posted? Would you mind? The car looks clean. I'm just worried about all the recalls, start-up issues, and blown engines. If there were issues with this RX8, would it be apparent?

 

The car looks clean and is a good price for a reasonably low mileage car. Here are some things you want to check. Take a check list and negotiate either money off or fix the car if it has any issues.

Check the service history if it has any
Have the coils been changed if not they will need it soon. (I found that out the hard way)
Check the tire wear - new tires fitted will be at least $150 per wheel
Look under the car for rust, especially around the suspension components near the wheels
Drive the car and accelerate whilst not holding the wheel and make sure the car drives straight
Do the same but brake and check the car goes straight
Check aircon heating and all other controls inside the car
They will probably give you some type of warranty like 90 day 50/50 on any faults.
Make sure there are no lights on the dash
Maybe drive a different Rx8 and see if they feel the same.

Buying a car is always a risk but that looks like a good option. Also there is so much info on here to fix everything yourself if you are not afraid of getting dirty.

Engine is covered under 8 year 100,000 mile warranty. Any car you buy can have problems but not every car has the character of the Rx8

Good luck, remember if it all goes wrong you can buy a Prius and say I used to drive a cool Rx8

 

To do a compression test takes 30 minutes ... tops.
Less if you can drive the car up on a hoist.

 

Honestly have a look at this.... good info

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/used-car-checklist-popular-mechanics-230332/

 

I drove a different 2005 RX8 with 79K miles on it. The RX8 with 79K miles on it drove sluggish, poor acceleration (compared to the one i'm thining of getting), bad paint job, worn tires.

The RX8 with 59K:

-drove straight when letting go of the steering
-tires have 6 months to 1 year of life left
-braking was good (probably need to do a brake job for maintenance)
-drove it to 80 MPH on the freeway and drove smoothly
-radio works, CD works
-cruise control works
-windows work
-interior was clean.

I thought the manufacturer's warranty only covers up to 3 years/36,000 miles.

I do have a weekend car :D

 

^Why are you still asking questions? Go and buy that car!!

 

I'm just concerned about the engine getting blown on me..

The carfax doesn't display detail info about what has been serviced. I did register @ mazda.com and entered the VIN, but did not find any service history.

The car was purchased in Florida and the owner moved to Tx on 11/05/2007. Car had 41k miles when registration was done.

Last entry in carfax says:

11/17/2010 59,231 Miles - passed emission inspection.

The car now has 59,997 miles. I did ask the dealer to have the inspection done and wiper replaced - which he agreed to do.

Seems like the car hasn't been driven for a bit over a year..

 

At least your doing your research before deciding to buy.

 

I drive the hell out of mine! 25000 a year. I love it for a daily driver, smile when I pull on the on ramp, or weave through traffic. Gas is a bitch, but I get paid from work per mile.

 

I think that is for the bumper to bumper warranty. Covers everything. The 100 k is for just the engine

 

Car sounds like a great deal, buy it, then post any problems you are having on here and we will help you fix it.

There are a few extended warranty's such as emissions (7 years) and engine (8 years)

Usually when the engine gives up they still drive just lose power not like a piston engine.
I would invest in a new set of coils wires and plugs though (BHR are one of the best and should last the life of the car)

 

I've been using mine as a DD for a little over a year now, put about 12kmiles on it. Done a lot of maintenance the car needed (brakes, coils/wires/plugs, flush coolant, tranny/diff fluid, engine oil) No real issues though. Never got stuck on the side of the road yet. If your worried about breaking down just get insurance that covers towing.

 

I use my 8 as a DD...My commute to and from work is a total of 122 miles...I kid you not...With my work commute and extra driving (totaling aroud 35k miles/year, give or take a few), I spend about $700-$800 per month on gas, but I love my baby

I've yet to have any major issues since I've owned the car...Just the typical maintenance like plugs, coils, wires, brakes, tranny and diff fluids, etc...But my first mod was the BHR ignition, so I haven't had to worry about coils ever since...It's an 04 MT with 137k miles, 58k on the engine, and has held up pretty damn well for how much and how I drive it...Then again, I spent about $3000 just on mods and maintenance the first year.

 

I daily my rx8 with no problems. Just stay on top of maintenance.