is flooding still a real issue people are having? I have had mine for about a year, new motor for about 6 months and never flooded it. My wife has backed it out of the garage 3-5 times already since we just moved up here to salt lake city in >20 degree weather and turned it right off.. starts up fine every time .

btw dont get an automatic, I made that mistake

 

thats bullshit you dont have to change the oil every 2 fillups

 

its not any more maintenance then a regular car, if anything its less.. Its just different maintanence. You dont have to worry about timing belts or any of that crap, mostly just redline it once a day and check your oil (id say every 2 weeks at most) but in reality mine is good for once a month

 

Hey HOSS it's CHECK the oil every 2 fillups ont CHANGE did u not read the owners manual yet?

 

Drive the rx8, the 350 or 370z, the s2k, and all other cars that you are considering. whichever you feel "fits" you the most is the one to have. I and every1 on here LOVE our rx8's. we did not get them for any single reason. we got them because every time we walk out to our cars we look at it and still can't believe we own such an amazing car that is so good at so many things.

Figure out which one you like the most, then read up on the maint. and so on to see if you will mind keeping up with it.

oh 1 last thing. Im not sure i would get an 04 with only 20k miles, if your gonna go that low in miles get a newer one... you want one that has been driven somewhat consistently and 20k miles sounds like it sat around for a long time.

 

yeah dont' buy a car because other ppl like it if u like it then get it whether it b a civic or a lambo....of course if i could afford a lambo i wold prob have that over the 8

huh actually if icould afford teh lambo i'd prob have the 8, a lambo, ferrari, zr1 vette..oh sorry got distracted

anyway buy what u love

 

^ lol, mr A.D.D.

 

Thanks all!!

I had another question.

What about an RX8 that is a 5SPD Automatic. I know everyone hates the Automatic, but would a 5SPD Auto be ok?

 

DUDE im 17 and i have this car just got it for X-mas and this car is awesome so just get it. Ive wanted this car since i was 14 and right now feels like a dream. The car handels like a race car and drives like one. So if u cant take it go get a Kia. J/P dont go off and get a kia.... but yea once u get in this car your not coming out.

 

This is my first car Btw and its auto since im unexperianced dont want to F up my transmistion on a 17k car right.... Even tho its auto u can always switch it to manual since the automatic rx8 lets u change to the 4 speed manual, so u can have a bit of control. I have pedals on my stearing wheel to switch gears its so fun. But if i had the chance i would go back in time and get the manual since ur not losing horsepower and it looks hella fun. Btw if u have any questions about a 04 Rx8 auto just ask me... The only problems ive had so far is condensation in my left rear light and some problems with the AC and radio panels, but my BTB warrenty covered all that.

 

wtf lmao..


But on topic.. I got the 8 when I was 19, first car owned, didn't have any problems and if I did, this forum would be my #1 resort.

btw, go for the AT if you want an AT, don't let people here feed you on the MT vs AT crap. It never gets old.

 

You could go for an AT, it's all personal preference. When I got my car 8 about nine months ago, (still 16) I told my dad to get me a manual car because I always felt by driving a manual car that meant you'd be more away while driving. So me n my dad went looking around for cars, and I did my research and came across the rx8. I drove both, the automatic and my dad drove the stick shift because I did not know how. The auto just felt like it lacked insane power compared to how my dad was driving the manual. So we bought the manual one and I learned the same night.

If you get an rx8, you'd definitely want a manual.

 

the earlier models were 4sp auto, later ones were 6sp auto; there was never a 5sp auto. in japan (and maybe some other markets) they had a 5sp manual model w/ the 4-port motor, but never here

why are you nervous about the stick shift? this is a relatively friendly car to drive, especially for a mod-friendly sports car. i'd highly recommend you get the 6sp. you'll probably thank us later. on the other hand, the auto cars are usually cheaper. the revised cars w/ the 6sp also have the 6-port motors w/ more power, so if you absolutely want the auto make sure you pick up an 06+ car. i don't hate the auto. if i were filthy rich i'd probably pick up an extra auto car just for those days when i feel super lazy. i've driven the auto, it's not bad or anything

btw, now's a really great time to buy. the prices are good so make sure you look around a lot to get yourself a good deal. good luck!

 

i had the 4spd auto and i traded it for a 6spd and ther horsepower makes a huge difference, the auto is extremly slow i had to get the manual

 

Hey was looking for the low balling 2004 RX8 with 20k miles

prob worth in range of up to $13k if he looks hard enough


im 18 I got my 8 when i was 16. No problems

 

i run this car 8 hour days and its perfect

 

This is a great car for an inexperienced driver. Brakes are great, handles well, not so much power that you'd wrap yourself around a telephone pole either.

Good safety features, highest rollover rating of any japense car etc.

I learned to drive manual on mine and I'm still on my origional tranny/clutch @ 70,000 miles.

 

I think everyone is apprehensive when first driving/buying a stick shift. Especially if they're just diving in and purchasing a car with no major MT experience.

OP - learning stick isn't so hard, it's really all about how you're taught. If you do decide to go with it, ask the dealership to point you in the direction of an open parking lot so you can practice for a while before making the drive home. The trick is to ignore all the pedals but the clutch - the car WILL get going without using any throttle, just very slowly. In learning to start this way, you learn what the clutch does and it makes the rest of the learning very easy. After you're good with that, you can add throttle and be on your way.

I really think you miss out on a lot of what this car is all about by going automatic. My big problem with the "automanual" transmissions is that they always seem to shift very slowly, kind of whenever they get around to it. With an MT you get true full control along with lots of techniques to learn (I loved learning heel-toe downshifting). I know it seems daunting and like a lot of work for daily drives, but trust me, you'll be driving within a couple hours, confident in a couple more, and you won't even notice you're shifting within less than a month.

 

Risky business is right...do your due diligence of driving other cars so you can say that you did, but in the end BUY the RX8. You will not be sorry.

I bought an RX8 back in 2004 and loved it...drove it for four years before selling it and moving on to something else.

I always knew it handled good, but didn't know how good until I started shopping to replace it. You would assume that a $35k vehicle in this class (with all the features it has) would have to cut alot of corners to get to that price point...that's not the case at all.

Here is what I tested...350z, s2k, g35, sky and crossfire. None of them could touch the RX8's handling and responsiveness. They simply were not as fun to drive...period. Sure they may have a bit more torque off the line, but so what...you're not drag racing. Get that thing into it's power band, keep it there and other rides will have a hard time keeping up.

I was really bummed until I finally found one that felt similar...and that was a 2007 BMW Z4M Coupe. Yes, you heard it here folks...the RX8 handles in a very similar fashion to a $60k BMW...and you got it for half the price.

Stop agonizing over what to buy! Get the RX8 because it is a great car!

 

Really the z4? I can't believe it? I have tested the same cars and I concur (not the z4 tho). Nice write up.

 

It may not be identical in handling...as there are some differences due to power delivery and hydraulic steering vs electric...but the general feel and response to driver input is right there.

Let's put it this way...if you hopped out of your RX8 and into my M Coupe you would feel VERY comfortable with it. You would get the same ear to ear grin on your face that you have now with your 8...and you can't say that with the other cars I mentioned.

Mazda did ALOT right with the 8...not sure that most 8 owners truly realize that. I know I didn't.

 

^ KEVO, interesting that you bought a z4 m coupe because thats exactly what i would get. i love the rx8 and it whoops everything in its price range, but if i were to trade it in for anything (reasonable) it would have to be a z4m, i might accept a conv. but i would MUCH rather have the coupe, its way harder and stiffer.

you have good taste my friend.

 

I owned both the 8 and the ///M for about a month...the wife and I hit a few of the local twisties and it was a real blast! I should have kept the 8 so we could sport around together on the weekends, but just didn't have the room in the garage. Bummer.

You are right on...if you are looking to go vertical at some point the ///M is a great direction to go in...especially given your experience with the 8.

The Porsche Boxster or Cayman S are good routes to go too, but they are a bit too refined (if there is such a thing)....too many electric gadgets to control the driving experience. The ///M on the other hand is a much more bruital animal. Imagine your 8 with 330bhp and 270ftlbs of torque. WOW!

 

With all due respect to BMW, can a strut-type front suspension ever really handle like a front double wishbone suspension?

 

In areas of basic performance you are correct...a double wishbone configuration is a better suspension design...allowing more dynamic camber and more precise manufacturer dial-in. When you look at the way BMW has tuned it's strut design, its hard to find any real problems with it...it is not a liability to the handling performance at all. It would be nice to see the front suspension design on par with its rear multilink design though.

Edit: The suspension design, geometry and components are not the same, but having owned and driven both on the edge I can say that the end result in terms of handling characteristics is very similar.