Looking into buying an 8
I have narrowed the two cars that i'll be planning to purchase. It's either the 8 or a G35. Mostly likely the 8 cause after two test drives with the 8 i'm falling in love with the car.

I just want to let everyone know that this site has been so useful.
I was able to do all my research about the 8 and rotary engines here.

I have to say that search feature is the most useful tool on this site and the sticky

I was able to search for all the pros and cons of the 8

The layout of this forum is very friendly and very easy to follow

and from everything that was posted i was able to learn a lot about the car before i even went to the dealer.

I had no clue what a rotary was until i searched this forum

anyway long story short i'm planning to get a 2006 RX-8 GT think I'm going with a MT since i driven both the AT and MT. clearly there was a huge difference between the two
The person at the Mazda dealer expects the 2006 8's to arrvie sometime next week or during the first week of April (that's what i get for living on the East Coast)

I just have two quick questions

1. Besides the flooding and oil/ gas issues is there anything else about the 8 i should be concerned about
2. Is the Keyless entry w/ key card the only change for the 06 MT 8?

Thanks for all the help

Now it's just the wait and the hard decission of what color to get

 

Welcome to the site and congrats in advance for buying an '8.

1) Can you afford the modifications you will surely make?
2) I think that the 2006 auto is 6 speed with HP at 212. The 6MT is 232HP with the new rating so basically unchanged. Other than that it is just a colour here and there.

 

thanks DarkBrew

So far no mods in mind yet hopefully when i get more $$ there be some mods
maybea pair of clear corners

still have to figure out color for the 8 first

 

when you decide the color, it will be the right one.....

 

I was down to the same 2 cars. After my 3rd test drive of both cars, it was clear that the 8 was my choice. The car just felt sportier, and rode better. After my first 500 miles I have no second thoughts what so ever. I love the dash and console of the 8, the instrument panel of the G35 really turned me off. Also, the $10k I saved by buying the 8 also helped with the decision. Good luck!

 

There are very few changes on the new 06' MT model. You can save many thousands and get a 05'....its an opttion...

 

Ha ha! it always starts with clear corners, then strakes and just goes from there! I love the '8 but I already have a list of mods I want to do.

Edit: Silver is the best colour!

 

The 2006 MT's have the keyless entry system, some leather appointment and accent subtlties, and some color changes. They're also getting the new spark plugs for cold starting (and maybe flooding?). That's all I know of for now.

I know it sounds dumb, but that keyless entry thing is the coolest thing since sliced bread. I know it's not worth $8k (the cost of a 2005 right now), but man -- just too cool.

 

I read somewhere on an official mazda pdf file that the tranny in the 06 MT has been replace with a newer unit, I may have confused it for the AT, but I do remember seeing it under the MT column in that file. I can't find it to be able to quote it, but I may have it at home. I might be wrong but I think that given the rare but existant troubles with the MT in the 04 cars they might come up with a new tranny for it.

there are no oil issues, too many ppl are too used to taking their oil levels for granted, I'm sure that's a reason many cars die, because the owners never look at their dipstick. think of checking your oil not so much as a level check but more as a look into your engine's health.

and as far as gas issues, many ppl here run on 87 octane with no trouble.

Oh, and you should be concerned with the tires on it if you live anywhere where it rains a lot or it snows at all, the stock bridgestones are notoriously loud and are summer tires only with little grip in the rain (and none whatsoever in snow).

 

G35 was also one of my finalists. Everything about it was very good. I just didn't find anything about it that was wonderful. I really liked it, but I never really loved it. The 8 was just more inspiring, even with some of its warts (which, by the way, for me, weren't the usual ones). 12k miles later, I have zero regrets; when I see a G35, I think "Nice car, but I'm glad I bought the 8".

 

Thanks everyone for the comments
I decided to go with the 8 just because it's uniqe and there are just too many G35s on the road. But the G35 is a great car-- not my i guess.
I wanted to get an 05 model but the three at my dealer just didn't have teh package that i wanted. None of them had the GT package, 3 of them were AT, and the last 8 at the dealer was sitting on the lot since sept last year.
So if i really wanted some options on my 8 i've have to wait til the 06 models come
But thanks again for all the comments

Oh and i told my dealer to call me if they get any VR, WB, or white 8's with the GT package and some other options

 

There are lots of 8's at dealers. Just go to "MAZDA USA" and do search, I found 15. If you find one you like your dealer can get it at his dealership in no time. I have bought many this way. They trade with other dealers if they want the sale! Just tell them you are ready and make a deal....

 

I just bought a VR 8 GT on monday night for 6k off!!! and they also had a WB 8 GT there as well for the same price!!

 

Taking care of it is a joy.
I check the oil everday, regardless of how much driving I did. I like to keep it a little below the top line.
I also wash it and clean the interior every weekend, but I'm lame like that.
Other than that, I have had no worries; never flooded, not a big mpg problem (not that I would care) and the navigation system is on track.

This is by far, the best purchase I have ever made in my life, 2 months now (not long, I know) and I still love it.

 

I would concur about the concentration of G35's on the road, way to many.
I know a guy that owns one,(not very well) and he complains of the lack of room, and what he calls a "cheap looking" interior.

(Speaking way out of line here, but has anyone noticed the stickshift for the new mustang GT? It's a huge chrome ball!)

The dealer I went to only had 1 AT, he told me mazda doesn't make many of them.
The saddest part, is that of the other 8's that I have seen, (5) almost all (4) have been AT... doesn't anyone drive stick anymore?

 

Interesting. When I was shopping, I had to eschew one whole dealership, because all they had was autos.

I think you'll find on this forum, at least, that stick drivers are the vast majority. Indeed, sometimes the auto drivers feel like the stick drivers are ganging up on them.

 

I did a search on MAZDA USA and found three possible cars that i might be intrested in
1 VR GT black leather, 1 silver GT, and 1 WB GT. But they are all in Mazda dealers 50 min. to 1 hr 30min away from me. I just haven't quite decided on the color (either VR or WB) but both are not at any dealers close to me. Taking my car to service would be a half a day trip (not so bad if i'm driving an 8 but waiting 2+ hrs at the dealer while they work on my car is not fun.

And way to many Autos 8's with nothing, just the sports package at the three dealers closest to me

Doesn't Mazda know ppl don't want an AT 8

 

Again, what Old Rotor said. Go to your local dealer and see if they can make a trade with one of these more distant dealers for the car you want. It's definitely something that goes on.

 

Why would you have to get your service done at the dealer you bought it from?? I would think you could take it to any mazda dealer for service

 

I could bring to a Mazda Dealer closer to me, but i'm afriad the people there would be pissed at me for not buying the car at their dealer.
anyway i'm already planning this weekend to check out anther Mazda dealer about 45 min out, the closest Mazda dealer is 30 min away. Only GM car dealers near me and a Nissan/ Infinity dealer

but thanks anyway for the advice

 

I have bought 12 new Mazdas and have never had a problem getting it servised at other than where it was purchased. When you do the search at the Mazda site set it at 150miles and get more choices. Print it out and go to your closest dealer and show them the one you want. If you are really serious they will get it for you or you will go and buy it from the dealer who has the one you want! Your warranty is from Mazda and Mazda America wants to know if its not done correctly. You just have to decide exactly what you want first....go try them out and decide....

 

That's what i'm going to do this weekend. I found one matching everything i want in the car, but it's loctated in the upstate area. I'm in nJ hopefully my dealer can get me the car if not i'll just wait until the 06 models. NO big deal just a difference of 6K. But i would know for a fact that i be the first one (not counting the ppl working at the mazda delaer) driving the car if i wait for an 06.