Hey guys, I am new to the forum, I currently own a 03 Nissan 350Z touring and Im looking to upgrade to a newer car, especially with rear seats (I don't need them but just in case, "lack of space").
I personally never tought I would think of getting a Mazda RX-8, but from all the cars I seen in the price range I'm looking for, the RX-8 has the looks, space and hopefully power I need. I still need to test drive one, probably do it tomorrow!!
Im looking to buy a used one but with very low mileage, I found many of them in the 15k to 25k miles for under $21K. (2005)

How reliable is the RX-8? How about gas mileage?
also, when I go see one tomorrow, is there anything in particular I should look into before buying one if I decide to? does the car have any long term problems or any mechanical problems that Mazda didnt realize till it was in the market.

Most Z's have transmission problems and the window streaking. Also the tire feathering issue. I still haven't gotten any of them yet but before I do so, Im already prepare to move on and I want to see what you guys think?

 

ask if all the recalls were performed. mpg is about 18/21. I find the 8 very reliable if taken care of properly i.e. redlining once a day, check the oil about once a week and coolant.

When test driving it, try to take a fast turn. The handling on this car is much better IMO than the Z - and yes, I've driven one (my cousin has one, let me drive it 'fast'). I believe that will win your heart over, plus the symphony of a Rotary winding at 9000+ rpms.

 

Back seats RULE.

 

You will miss the Power and mpg of the Z.

But you will love the handling, looks, sound, feel, comfort, style...basically everything else about the RX-8. The fun to drive ratio is much better with the Mazda.

I might be a bit biased though.

 

If you do any kind of playing with your car or taking it to the track you will appreciate the adjustable camber and caster at all 4 corners from the factory that is lacking on the Z.

Its doesn't have the 'grunt' of the Z from the big tq numbers the Z puts up on that VQ engine but it also doesn't have the girth either. Keep in mind that it is what it is. Its a (relatively) lightweight, nimble car that is known in the tracking community as a momentum car because you aren't going to blow by everyone on the straights with its drag strip power but you can hold more speed than most through the corners so they will never catch you.

Its also very comfortable, smooth and quiet as a daily driver. And it loves to be revved up. Its a lot of fun.

 

I know that when you get a sports car, having back seats is NOT a priority... performance, handling, etc are the important factors IMHO... it's a sports car after all.

All that being said:

I owned two 2+2 (Stealth and RX-8) and I can say it's mighty practical to have those two back seats! You can throw a backpack in there with all your stuff when doing a long run... pick up unexpected passengers when needed... keep that extra fragile stuff you don't want in the trunk close to you...

And for those who don't use the 8 as their daily driver (I work from home) you get a whole new range of excuses to go for a drive... "What do you mean honey, our friends are taking a cab to get there? Call'em back, I'll go pick'em up!"

 

Definitely do some searches on the site here...there are a few threads doing some comparisons between the 8 & Z. The 8 (in my experience) is WAY roomier up front. Obviously, the back seats give you more room as well. It doesn't have the low end torque that the Z has, but it's plenty enough power for me.

You'll probably get a little worse gas mileage, but you can't really expect great mileage from a sports car, anyways.

Go for a test drive and see how you like it!

 

Mhm, you'd only be cleaning the plugs by revving. Gotta keep that carbon away

 

I know that back seats are not a priority in a sport car, but like you said, it is more practical to have back seats in case of emergency. But overall, I dont really need them, it is just more practical since Im changing cars a bit.

 

Yeah you'll miss the TQ but in every other aspect its alot better! the 9k redline is personally my favorite part of it. Just know about keeping the oil topped off and redlineing and make sure that it's warm b4 you shut it off and it's a very reliable car and it's a blash to drive at any speed! Good luck man come over to the RPM side!

 

Easier to drive and live with on a day to day basis, but the Z has it beat in power hands down.

 

It seems to be a very comfortable ride, and especially I love to rev very high which its something the VQ lacks. The 07 Z has changed a bit still stays under 9k

 

what i love about the rx-8 over the z:
back seats (can't imagine how many times 2 seats were just not enough)
much more luxurious interior
imo better looks and body shape
much more usable trunk (couldn't even fit much shopping in the z)

what you have to get used to:
the 8 is a fast car, but there's very little torque, if you're used to the z, so u'll just have to drive it differently, but the good thing is that the 8 is a much lighter car.
i got worse mileage on the stock 8 (yes, it drinks) than on my "mine's" tuned z.

 

Worse gas mileage??? OH NO!!
Im going to test drive one tomorrow and go from there, I almost purchased a 07 VW GTI with the GSD paddle shiftting but it lack way too much power so does the 06 Civic SI which I test drove today. I rather stay with RWD vehicles overall.

 

If you want some unbiased opinions, check out some of the reviews between the RX-8 and 350Z, giving the pros and cons of each:

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=101039
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...azda_rx_8.html

Also, Top Gear reviewed the RX-8. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRiPSlx8PxA

The RX-8 has never lost a comparison test with a 350Z. Not saying that it's a faster car, but it is 1000x easier to live with.

 

Oh, and be sure to take it up to redline (9,000 RPMs) tomorrow when you test drive it. People that are unfamiliar with the rotary engine tend to shift around 6,000 rpm, in which the rotary is barely producing any noticable power at all. Around 7 - 9k, though, it really shines.

 

go test drive one, you'll notice there's something about it that you like but you don't know what it is. You'll mind will argue "it has less power" and still you'll wonder what it is that you like about it. Then you'll realize why we all bought ours, something about it that i have no idea what it is.

 

Yea I have heard, but not experienced, the new iteration lost a bit down low in favor of a bit higher revving and higher peak numbers on the top end.

I almost forgot to mention you should search for and read a thread called "The little things". I believe its a sticky.

And as far as gas mileage goes I believe it was Road and Track that did the long term comparison between the 8 and your Z's sister car the G35 and the 8 was within .5 MPG overall after a full year of driving.

A couple of things I have noticed since I got the car...my gas mileage is basically the same ....always.....no matter how hard I drive ( sans full out track driving). I can put my foot in it away from lights and signs constantly, and run up in the high 70's to 80s and pass in the 90 MPH range on the highway and still get the same numbers as when I went for a day trip today and set a cruise at ~75-80 and ran an entire tank down. When i filled up yesterday I had put ~290 miles on the tank and put in just over 15 gallons which worked out to right around 19-19.5MPH. I get that every time.

 

If your one of those people that comes back complaining about certain aspects of the car after 2 months, (rough idle, bad mpg, no torque, etc) then buy a Honda Accord.

If your one of those people who love taking tight turns, running through the mountain twisties on a nice saturday, and has a great appreciation for over all aesthetic sexyness, the get an RX8 for sure!!!!!

 

The car is pretty reliable for the most part. Try to get a late model 05 or better, otherwise make sure the car has all recall work.

The engine will seem weak based on the Z but it is fun once you get use to it.

Gas mileage is the weak part. I do almost 100% city driving and average 12mpg. A good portion of RX's get really poor mpg and if you get one Mazda will do absolutely nothing to address this issue. Before you buy see if you can test drive the car for a day and check the mpg. On the Highway I have gotten up to 20mpg but average 18mpg on the Highway. If you drive hard this car will inhale gas.

 

Don't worry about gas I've got 12 b4 but that was a very snowy shitty day usually around 17.5 to 18.5 mostly city and 23 on city which isn't bad it's not too bad compared to the rest I think the Z is like 21/26 if i recall correctly so you're not losing too much if you do beat on it you most likely will be getting aroud 16 or 17 but normal is 18 to 19 but I take the 16 or 17 just becuase I love the 9k redline too tooo much. lol

 

i get 14 city. go me

 

Drive it ,you'll like it. That's all you have to do is take one for a test drive and find out how much more responsive it is than your Z. I checked mpg today and got 17.33. I like to run down the Highway in hi RPM's. The car is so alive above 5000.
Have fun and be sure to try some tight turns and long freeway ramps. You will be in awe.

 

Never tought the RX-8 would win in it's class against competitors such as the Z and S2K. I mean, it is the slowest one in it's class but like they said in both articles (I read the whole article of Edmunds and a bit of motor trend) it is the best one for the price. Funny they say the Z is like a muscle car in it's class.

I watched the top gear video before I purchased the Z and was very surprise that Jeremy always prefered the RX-8 over the Z. Anyways, he always hated the Z.

 

Funny you mentioned that, I'm a car enthusiast, reason I buy these type of cars is because of the same reason you do. I'm not expecting to get from the car the benefits of a luxury car, if so I'll buy a G35 if I just wanted the back seats. But I do like to see what each car has to offer, every car is different and there is something about every sport car that attracts us. I try to get that from each car I own. I was never a big fan of the Z, neither the RX-8 or many other sport cars in the market, but now, I grown a love for driving that is very different than just lots HP/TQ.

Only thing that really bothers me, I am originally from the Tri-state area but now I am living in Florida for the past year. I am not planning to stay here for long (should be going back any time between the end of the year and next year) but there are no turns in Florida so driving really sucks. All the roads are straight so having lots of TQ is fun. But believe me, I do take turns here like a Champ when I have the chance