I just reached my break-in point (per Mazda) and I thought I’d share how the first 600 miles have been.

I’m so happy I went with the RX8 and while the GTO, G35, and 05 Mustang GT are all good cars the RX8 is just a better overall car. From it’s GREAT looks to it’s quality Mazda really did a good job with the RX8.

It’s funny, I worried about…

Oil consumption (just a little)
Fuel economy (main concern)
Lack of torque (just a little bit)
Rotary engine (since it would be my first)

Yet I’ve seen that so far it has not even had a slight drink of oil. My fuel economy has hit 19.75mpg & 19.34mpg on my first two tanks. The torque (as they say…linear) really never comes up much, it seems to have more than enough power for normal driving. Finally, the rotary (while not perfectly smooth at 800rpm sitting in traffic) is as smooth and fun as an engine can be.

Sure I would love if it had more HP & torque but even though I have not even pushed it over 6K I can see the potential she will have.

I find myself staring at her sexy lines and curves inside and out. At lunch and break I go and sit in her (I use to do that before anyway) and stare at the interior design of the car. I touch it to feel the texture of the dash, hold the stick like I’m day dreaming of a twisty road, and I wonder about all the good times to come. Then as I go back into the office I walk up the stairs staring back at her waiting for my day to end.

The RX8 is one of the rare cars that makes other nice cars look so normal and boring. It stands out at my job’s parking lot like I don’t belong working there. People keep telling me stuff like “Hey, big man…with the 30K car” or “I saw your car and it LOOKS GREAT”. I tell people about the rotary and they look at me like if I’m not from this planet…but they nod and say, OH…not knowing too much about it. It’s funny, they must think that I got a raise or something because my two other cars were old cars.

It’s crazy but I almost feel like my 8 looks back at me and appreciates how much I love her. It’s as if when she sees me she sits up strait, wags her tail…and invites me back into the drivers seat wanting to go play around a twisty.

No, she “probably” aint perfect…but the experience of driving a RX8 makes me smile with each new drive.

Thank you everyone at rx8club.com, I know share the experience…

PS. She is a little dusty, but that will be taken care of soon enough... :D

 

At 600 miles , I put the hammer down on mine ! Just wish I was getting the 19 mpg , I ave 15 mpg , but its all city driving . Not bitchin , car had never been in for anything ! Now you are really going to enjoy your car so much more

 

You will be surprised one day after puting a few k on it. You will notice WOW this thing is looseing up! The hp and torque will keep going up.

 

what?! you already finished breaking in?!
I'm still at 400!!

 

I told you.

 

Well, I try and drive her as much as I can...ha ha. I actually have had her about a month so reaching 600 miles is still below what I should have hit which is 1,000 (per AVG of 12K a year) miles.

Also, keep in mind that I will continue to break her in...as RB suggested, not exactly like they said but very similiar. At 1K I'll take her to 6,000rpm and after 1,500 miles I take a trip to redline for the first time. Hopefully I can wait that long because she keeps telling me...come on, let's play...lol

Yes you did and alot of others. Thank you all for helping me make the RIGHT choice!!!

 

WOW - I feel bad for you. I picked mine up two weeks ago today, and am up to about 960 miles. I should break 1000 on the way home from work today. I, too, am doing the RB break-in (sort of) and plan to avoid the beep for another 500-1000 miles. (It sure is tough to shift at 4000 every time, though. I can't imagine waiting a whole month.)

 

By the way - I LOVE this car, too. I have noticed a few things since I bought it.

There should be a warning label on the dash stating "Do not attempt to check the oil at night!" I tried this and couldn't get the dipstick back into the engine for about 5 minutes, at a gas station at night with the temp. around -12 deg. Otherwise, be sure to have a flashlight in the glove box.

Also, has anyone else noticed that the engine at idle sounds exactly like the little one-man submarine that Crash drives in the Crash Banidicoot - The Wrath of Cortex video game? I pointed that out to my son, and now he talks about it every time he's in the car.

Again - I LOVE THIS CAR!!!!

 

Two weeks = 960,lol, you have been living in the 8 for two weeks huh...LOL.

I drive just 17.5 miles a day to work and back so I pile on the miles a little slowly. Of the 600 miles I had on it since yesterday I've put about 250 miles worth of driving for fun and the rest was going to work and back.

Now that I reached 600 I'm thinking of taking a weekend and go some place with my wife to rack up some more miles and get a better feel for the 8 on the highway.

It's funny, my wife likes the 8 but she hates the bumb on her passenger side footwell. Is it me or is that a 2005 thing??? I never saw that before but then again I have yet to sit in the passenger side of a RX8.

Maybe, MAYBE I'll let someone drive my 8 one day....and that's a BIG HUGE MAYBE!!!

PS. I can't wait to get out of work today for another drive!!!!

 

Well, I had to drive back from the dealer (about 150 miles) and took it to pick up my daughter once (about 3 hour round trip). But the rest have been back and forth to work. However, my commute to work is in the hilly, curvy back roads of the unglaciated region in SW Wisconsin. (The area was listed in the top 5 places for good motorcycle roads in the nation by Cycle World this summer.)

My biggest problem was with two of the TPMS sensors leaking in the winter wheels I got from the Tire Rack. This obviously was not the fault of the car, but was a huge pain in the tush, as I had to add air to one tire twice a day. (By the way, the Tire Rack sent two replacement sensors for free, and paid the labor for the replacement. I was very pleased with their customer service.)

I have noticed a big bump on the left side of the passenger footwell, too. I haven't sat there ever, but it looks like it would be irritating.

 

I've discovered that the screen on my cell phone is really handy for illuminating the way to the elusive dipstick orifice. Yep, I tried it in a dark parkade, and ran into the same problem you did.

 

OH yes, the cell phone light...it does come in handy...

Is the footwell thing just a 2005 issue? I just don't remember seeing it before or hearing about it either...and I thought they talked about EVERYTHING in this place...lol

 

You will find that your enjoyment factor goes up, substatially, as you grow more in tune with the true capabilities of this vehicle. Confidence inspired driving, mile after sweet mile. No, you will never have the G-Force, at start, as some of the higher HP vechiles, but there are but a few that will even come close to catching you in the twisties, or for that matter anything in the 70-120 zone, except some of the exotics.
My 8 seems to attract attention, from all ages- there is something appealing about the lines, or maybe just because there is not a whole lot of 8's out there, either way I get lots of "meets approval" type nods. I know some day we will have to part, but for now, I'm having a ball with this car!!

 

Congrats!

Doesn't it feel good pulling it into the garage for the first time? Man I loved that. I would take extra trips to the garage just so I could stop and gauk at it.

 

Yeah, today I finally started taking corners a little faster and I likely LOTZ!

You know, yeah...maybe one day I'll have to move on but mile after mile I feel like I could really keep this car permanently. It looks good, has very good quality, handles great, and has 4 usable seats. What else would I want?

I know they will probably make something better with time...ha ha, maybe the next RX8, but what ever happens in the future it will have to be better ALL AROUND than my 8. Gosh she is pretty and fun!!!

Thanks and yes the first day I pulled it into the garage I was so happy!!! I still take trips to the garage just to make sure she is OK. I think when I hit the 600 mark it finally felt like it was MY CAR instead of me being traped in a dream...fighting off wakeing up.

I can't wait to take a trip in it...what a car!!!!