Hi all from the cold snow covered tundra known as Massachusetts.
I've been lurking the forums for a little bit, looking to get some general info on the 8...and i figured why lurk when i can just ask how people get along with theirs?

I'm looking into possibly picking up an 07 rx8 6spd.

Other car's i've tested are 2010 Hyunadi genesis coupe 3.8(really liked the low end power and over all fit and finish), Mazda Speed3(like the tunability and cargo space).

I love the over all look and interior finish of the 8's. I've test driven a few now and enjoy the high shift point/sound of the rotatory. I did have a couple questions about living with them.

• How are they in the winter(obviously rwd isn't ideal in the snow) is flooding in colder temps a problem?
• Are there alot of tuning options for the 8? Not looking to add a turbo, mostly na mod(reflash, intake, exhaust, ignition coil etc.) So far i've only seen reflashes from Cobb was wondering if there is anyone out their that provides larger gains.
• How does the 8 do for a daily driver (gas isn't a concern)
• General maintenance: I realize the 8 drinks oil a bit more than other cars, but over all is it a fairly headache free care(not alot of problems)?

Thanks! I look forward to possibly owning and reving a 8 shortly!

 

First off, welcome to the club!
2007 is a great year, as all (at least most) of the bugs that affected the earlier engines were taken care of.
Read this thread to get the answers to most of your questions! And make sure that you read the "stickies" in each sub-forum!

I love the 8 as a daily driver. I only drive in summer, but that's just my preference. Lots of folks drive in winter, and as long as they have winter tires, they have no problems.

Welcome again!
RX8Soldier

 

Yeah, what Soldier said.

 

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=202454

https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/congratulations-you-got-8-a-202548/

https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/rx-8-faq-please-read-before-posting-959/

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...&highlight=FAQ

Those are also good reads...............at least the first couple of posts in each!


And.............mine is a daily driver and even though 5 years down the road, I smile every single time I get in it!

 

rx8 burns oil by design not because rubbish cylinder rings.
you wont say a two stroke engine burning oil is not normal, would you?

 

Amen to Soldier and Mazurfer's replies.

My 8 is my daily driver. Makes my commute a lot more fun than when i had an Accord.

With a good set of snow tires (real ones, not all seasons) they're supposed to be pretty good in the snow. In Massachusetts I think you need those. Down here in Virginia I just went with all-seasons. Have not driven it too much in the snow, but I did get a good dose Wednesday. All I can say is that I made it home in good shape, on a night when a lot of people took 5 to 10 hours to get home. Never came close sliding off the road. I was happy to have DSC and ABS.

Not much power to be gained other than turbo. This is the most powerful car I've owned, so personally I'm happy with 232 HP. I'm old enough to remember when 200 HP was a big deal. The classic sports cars of my youth had maybe 100 HP.

At about 40,000 miles I have not had any maintenance problems. Regular oil changes, new tires when the originals wore out...that's pretty much it.

Hope you find a good one...these cars are a blast to drive.

Ken

 

I drive my 05 all year around, here in Alberta Canada we get a TON of snow and it gets as cold as -40. I havent had a single problem yet. I have dedicated snow tires ( not all seasons!) and once you get used to the rwd, which I had to do because this was my first, its a very predicatble car to handle, which is why its so fun to drive.
There are a lot of earlier models that people have put a ton of miles on the original engine, it all depends on how you take care of it,checking your oil every other fill up and topping up as needed, letting the car warm up to tempurature before shutting off I dont think the mainatnence is really all that worse than any other car.
A couple words of advice. These cars, like all mazdas, are prone to early rust. I have spoken directly to mazda about this regarding my 05 and they said they are well aware. If you do a search on this site for rust you will see a lot of people have rust developping in the rear wheel wells, trunk by the spoiler, and a few other places.
Also get ready to be putting gas in it ALL the time. The tank is about 55 Litres, and i get 300 KMS per tank if im lucky.
all in all its an amazing car to drive with a very disctinctive feel and sound, and I always get compliments driving it around.

I personally wouldnt trust a Hyundai just yet, even though they have gotten alot better. And the mazdaspeed 3 may have more power than our 8's but its 270 HP in a Front wheel drive..completley useless in my opinion.


I just noticed you said Gas isnt a concern..oops!

 

My 8 has been my daily commuter car for nearly seven years now. I sometimes joke that I work just to have an excuse to drive it every day. You won't be using it to bring home an air conditioner from Kmart, but for most daily chores it's just fine. It's very, very comfortable and won't beat you up over bumps. And it handles so well that it gives you this sense of confidence that makes it very relaxing to drive.

The RWD probably isn't the best choice for snow, but like others said, with the right tires it'll get you home without too much drama. And the car's predictability and balance come in handy in snow if you DO slide at all.

The later models are generally reliable, as are the earlier ones IF all the TSBs and recalls have been done. My 2004 was quite an adventure for the first few years, with all the flashes, odd little problems and so on.

The only real complaint I've had is having to fill it up so often. I wish it had a bigger gas tank, as I'm usually looking for a gas station after 220-240 miles (I try to fill it up after getting below 1/4 tank).

Mine's totally stock, but one of the things I actually LIKE is that it seems Mazda pretty much got it right and didn't leave much room for improvements. Bad for people who like to tinker, but good for people like me

 

i love my 8. its a great everyday car, and a great weekend car. the thing is so much fun to drive. 8 drivers love thier car i think. most of us wudnt trade um.

 

Good luck with the search. Anyway, keep us updated whichever car you choose (we hope it's an rx8).

 

*CROSSING FINGERS* lol