Hi everybody,

I just stumbled upon this forum while @ work and have been reading through the posts for the last 2 hours (instead of getting any work done) ... I am about to buy a new car and the RX8 is at the top of my list ...

I currently drive a 2003 Passat, which is a wonderful car, but I try to drive it like a race car and it really isn't. Whenever I turn corners at high speed I can feel the car leaning really heavily and the tires squealing as they try desperately to grip the car ... For the longest time my dream car has been the BMW M3 but 1) It is way out of my price range 2) The RX8's look is just so sleek compared to the somewhat pudgier looking M3 ...

Anyway, onward to my questions I guess even though I'd love to drive a sportier car, and the RX8 is definitely unique - what are the downsides to a rotary engine besides the lower gas mileage? I know I have to put in a quart of oil every 2000 miles to support the engine ... but what about long term reliability? In my research I knew the RX7's engine had quite a few problems that were supposedly solved with the RENESIS ... or so that's what the dealer tells me, but I prefer to hear what actual owners think. After test driving the car yesterday and also reading through these threads, I am very aware of all the pros of owning an RX8, but if you guys could give me a candid list of the cons I would -REALLY- appreciate it.

I've test driven a Scion tC and a Toyota Celica as well, but they don't really compare (of course they are also much cheaper ... ) I can't seem to make up my mind about the RX8, and could really use some help. I am a city driver so if I do buy it it will be automatic. Thanks for any help you guys can give me!

 

The RX7 didn't really have too many problems. At least not the first and second generations.

The third generation was twin turbo, and had a very small cooling unit on it. Along with tuners adding extra boost, this resulted in a bad reputation for the car.

No one can tell you how long the RX8 engine will last, but there are many rotarys build with older technology that went far beyond 200,000 miles.

Given that the engine has so few moving parts, as long as you take care of it, I think it will last a long time.

 

If you must buy the RX8 in a Automatic WAIT for the five speed AUTO that is going to replace the four speed Auto which sucks , i feel sorry for the poor chaps that bought the auto four speed as this is the wrong auto for this car , when the new five speed automatic comes out within the next six months the guys who have the four speed will loose out big time in resale and performance .

So be patient and wait for the five speed . :D
cheers
michael

 

id say ....... the low end torque (which is non-existant) but other than that and gas milage its F'n great

 

Mmmm that's a good point ... my Passat right now is a 5 speed auto ... although to be honest I didn't notice that much of a difference when test driving the RX8 ...

How do you guys know what is coming up, or is it just speculation? And I definitely do too much eating / talking on the phone / tieing my shoes (you name it, but I'm a safe driver, no accidents!) in the car to have a manual, unfortunately. Not to mention the Los Angeles traffic would drive me crazy, with all that stop and go. :/

 

I commute in L.A. all the time with a manual transmission. It isn't that bad, and the performance loss with the automatic on the RX-8 is definitely substantial. It also makes it less fun to drive in my opinion.

 

I too talk on the phone, shuffle through paperwork (or stuff) or eat while driving. It's bad habits. But I noticed that I don't do much of those anymore when I'm driving my six speed 8, which I've had now for over two weeks. I can only attribute it to the fact that I know I'm driving AND I have to shift when the time comes. So if I do have to talk on the phone I make sure I wear a hands free earpiece before I even start the engine. And the shuffling of stuff...I try not to do that anymore. If I have to I pull over. I haven't tried eating yet while driving my 8. That's b/c I haven't had to take a long trip that required me to eat while driving. But I'll probably not do it just for the fact that I'm driving a stick.

BTW, my previous car was an Infiniti QX4 (all automatics, no manual).

In addition, I think that six speed RX-8's will have higher resale value because of the fact that it is a manual.

Oh, and to answer your question about the downsides of owning an 8? It seems you already know what they are. But what's more important that you didn't ask (Because you probably already know what the answers are) is what are the upsides? And the answer is everything else that's not a downside. And those are the way the car handles and accelerates four seats to make it practical, great looking car (it turns heads), value etc...oh and I'm sure it drives better than a Passat.

Take care!

Mogi
Charley Survivor

 

I wouldn't even bother with the auto. Find another car, what motor do you have in the Passat? I had a 1.8t VW GTI. Seriously, consider modding the Passat instead of buying the auto RX-8. A set of springs/shocks and decent tires and that car will handle much better. Throw some sway bars into the mix too for good measure. If the car's a 1.8t get a chip. Those things will make you happy I bet.

 

The only other problem I can think of is the heat of the engine. The rotary runs hot IMO.

 

Mine doesn't! The temp guage never goes past the 1/2 way point.

As stated above, you've mentioned the downsides, everything else is an upside. This month I will hit my one year anniversity and I still love this car. I still go to my garage to admire it, I still look at it when I approach it in the parking lot, I still keep it in showroom condition. This car was the best purchase I have ever made in 42 years of living. Go for it!

 

I don't mean the temp guage runs high, the rotary just puts out alot of heat. For example, when I run the A/C on a hot day, and park the car, the fan runs after it is shut off. They just run hotter than other cars I have owned.

No big deal.

 

I find shifting (right now I have a Nissan 240SX) is much more occupying, it really helps me to focus on driving. This is the most valuable thing. Whenever I drive an automatic my brain turns off and although I have had no accidents, just try driving to work and remembering where you have been....
Anyway as you can tell I don't own an RX-8, haven't driven an auto RX-8, just test drove one (6 speed) definately believe auto is not the way to go unless you can only drive automatic.. in which case I would say to anyone spend the time to learn... it is most rewarding

 

I used to get heat coming from the center channel (cup holders), but after getting the heat shield (wrap), now I have no more problems with it!!

 

where do you get the heat shield? link?

 

I should have been more accurate in my wording, I had the cup holder "insulation pad" installed. I will paste the detail below and also the reference thread.

=========================================
FRONT CUP HOLDER / CENTER CONSOLE BECOMES HOT
Applicable Models
Model Starting S/N Ending S/N
2004 RX8 00000000 40113124

Some customers may complain of the front cupholder area of the center console becoming hot after extended driving, causing cold drinks to warm. Due to the heat from the exhaust system (catalyst), the center console (cup holder area) becomes hot. This is due to insufficient insulation between the floor panel N cup holder. A insulation pad is available to reduce the heat transfer to the center console. 1. Remove the upper panel, hole cover (cigar lighter) and storage box from the vehicle. (See WSM 9-17-8) 2. Remove the six screws from the upper panel and remove the rear onsole. (See WSM 9-17-8,9) 3. Attach the heat insulater pad to the bottom of the front cup holder in the rear console removed at the above step NOTE: Be sure to attach the heat insulator pad so that the bottom of the cup holder is wrapped. 4. Re-install the parts reverse order of removal. Parts information: F151-55-161 Heat insulator pad
=================================
Reference Thread:
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ght=cup+holder

 

These might be called a down side

-Driving the long way around too your destination... just becuse its more fun.:D
-Trying your hardest to find the twisty roads :D
-I'm driving 50% more and not going anywhere in particular:D

One thing that you have to be a bit more aware of , don't push it until its warmed up!

 

Judging by the vin range, only very old RX-8's need apply. Even then I've read many of those who get it installed don't see noticable changes, not to mention their car needs to be ripped apart for the install.

 

How long does it take to warm up anyway? And is this really for engine preservation so i can keep the rx8 running until 200,000 miles? Or is it something more urgent?

 

The engine is made up of more than one type of metal, which means they expand at different rates. When you warm up the car, they will then be ready for a beating. If you push it too hard (I try to stay under 4k rpms until warmed up) too early, you will basically hurt the engine - though not immediately.

The way you usually tell when the engine is warmed up, is to wait for the temp guage to hit normal range, then wait an additional 5 minutes. This is because the coolant heats up much faster than the engine.

 

Gotcha. Thanks. I'll try to remember that.

 

We have a 2000 Passat and the RX8. I just drove the Passat for 600 miles this weekend and then got back into the RX8. There is no comparison with the handling. The RX8 is simply fantastic and the Passat is merely good for what it is, a family car.

Both cars have been decently reliable, but the RX8 has been to the dealer for repairs, many more times than the 5 year old Passat. However, we have an early model and most of the bugs seem to be taken care of.

Both are good for long drives, quiet and comfortable. The RX8 is much faster, handles way better, looks cooler, and is relatively practical for a sports car. The Passat get excellent gas mileage, has a lot more room, more features, and is just more versatile.

I like both cars and wouldn't get rid of either. They are both enjoyable in their own way.

 

The oil consumption is not that bad after break-in. I don't have to put a quart every 2K miles.

 

Well ... thanks for all the comments guys ...

I've been reading through stories such as this one where people waited 16 years to achieve driving happiness ... and I don't want to wait that long!

A bit more background - I'm 18 years old, but I graduated college pretty early so I've been working full time for 2 years, living with my parents, with nowhere to put money (after I bought my Passat, which is now paid off) except my bank account and the stock market (I'm pretty frugal) ... If I liquidated everything (which I wouldn't) I would have enough to buy an RX8 outright ...

The reason I bought the Passat is pretty stupid - I bought the car when I was 17 and because I was not a legal age to own anything, my parents picked out the car. My mother is -insanely- overprotective about things like safety ... and because I had almost no say in the matter (she let me pick between 1.8 liter turbo passat and volvo ... that choice was easy) I got the Passat. Now though, I'm torn between staying frugal and practical, which is to drive the Passat into the ground, wait a few more years to save up & invest money ... or screw it all and buy the RX8. I guess I made a huge mistake in test driving it, cuz now I can't wait to own it!

Not to mention, right now Mazda is giving great deals and incentives on both buying AND leasing, and I really don't want to miss out! It's easy to know what the "practical" thing to do is, but I don't want to wait 16 years to find happiness!

 

Another question I have is regarding insurance:

What kind of insurance rates do you guys pay on the RX8? As in... what category is it in? The salesperson at the dealer went on a lot about how he pays the same insurance as a Camry because it is counted as a 4 door sedan rather than a 2 door coupe ... I was thinking it was a load of bull* and thought it would be worth it to ask some unbiased opinions!

 

depends on your insurance company, and what state you're in.

my insurance company sees it as a 4 door car with a 1.3L engine, so my insurance rate is LOWER than my old 1988 ford mustang convertable 4 banger that only has 89 hp.

To give you an idea, I pay the exact same for full coverage on my brand new 2004 RX-8 as I do for liability only on my old mustang.

Go figure.