I went and test drove the 350z and the RX8 today and I was impressed with the Z. After I test drove the RX8, I believe I like the 8 better. I don't know much on the rotary engine. So that's making me a little worried. Are there any major problems with it? I don't want to spend a lot of money and the car spend most of the time in the shop. I learned my lesson when I bought Ford's 6.0 Powerstroke. Any information is appreciated.

 

It's too new to know for sure, only time will tell really.

 

go get the 350z

 

RX8Bliss are you serious about the Z?

 

I don't think it is too early to tell. The rotary has been around for over 30 years and Mazda has built millions of them. I doubt there will be serious problems with this engine - even though Mazda has redesigned intake/exhaust porting - I believe the underlying engine is substantially similar to previous versions. Perhaps others can comment. Based on the comments I have seen on this board the main issues stem from engine control systems that are still being tweaked by Mazda through "reflashes". I have seen little in the way of major problems posted here.

 

There have been a number of engines replaced, that number is certainly up for debate. It seems to be enough engines to have a little concern but not enough to say it's unreliable. I don't see any reason to not buy the car based on reliability, but just be aware that when you buy any new model car there are more chances of problems than with something that is proven.

Also, just because Mazda has made a lot of rotaries before means little, and a lot of those rotaries have had some serious issues for whatever reason. But what you said is kind of like saying there have been a lot of reliable cylinder engines in the past so all cylinder engines will be reliable. It's a new design and application and there are a lot of things that can go wrong as a result, which is why I say only time will tell.

 

You seem to be swayed/convinced VERY easily!

Of COURSE you will get a biased answer here! :p
Just do a search for the following concerns:
- engine
- oil consumption
- gas consumption
- A/C

This should tell you almost all you need to know.

Maybe in the future we will be giving you a welcoming party?!

 

No I'm not swayed or convinced easily. It's just hard to tell if someone is being serious or not in a post. I just want to do my homework before I decide on the 8.

 

I was very serious. long term reliability? if you drive anything to 100, 200, 300k miles; if you drive her well and maintain her, she'll run just fine. you neglect her, you'll get trouble regardless of the make/brand/model.
if you're looking for a trouble free car that doesn't give you too many headaches, the 350z would be a better choice than the 8. if checking the engine oil and warming up the car is too much of a hassle to you and if you're unsure of the reliability, go with the proven engine of the 350z.
Like Ike said, this is a new engine, no one knows how it will perform, maybe excellent, maybe not. The FC/FD guys will tell you that as long as you keep it n/a and take care of it, it will last 200k+miles, and they are right. but if the upkeep is too much for you, why not get the 350z which will perform similarly without the same maintenance? (provided you dont boost it.) they're both terrific cars in the end.
i personally dont really take much consideration to the long term reliability of either cars, since they are sport oriented, not family oriented. most people i know wouldn't keep a coupe or 2 seater longer than 5 years or so, upon which point they'll either heavily mod the car, or simply trade it in for something new/practical. This is same for the rx8, as it is for the the FD, 300z, 350z, s2k, itr, si, etc etc. Even from a financial standpoint, its smart to trade cars every few years to keep the asset from depreciating too much. but hey, that's just me. I considered all these things and decided that I'll by the 8, because its practical for the next few years, it'll maintain some of its fiscal value, is appealing to the eye and all my other senses, performs (sometimes outperforms) to the exact specification that my favorite type of driving demands (canyons! twisties! mountains! tracks!), requires the same amount of maintenance since I check most things on my car every weekend anyway, and I probably wont have to deal with the problems that might arise out of long term ownership since I'll probably sell it in 4 years - its a sport coupe, and i dont want to be the old dude who drives sport cars everyday. Not that i'm old right now, i'm still mid 20s. when i hit 40's, 50's you'll never catch me in a boy-racer car, i plan to be chilling in a pimping luxo sedan, with my sporty weekend driver tucked safely in my garage next to my ducatti.
so i'm going to give you the same advice i'm going to give to everyone else who posts for a recommendation - get the other car. If the 8 grabbed your attention it was probably because it appealed to you in some way, and if (whatever reason that was) is not enough and you fear that owning a rotary will put serious strain on your day to day life, by all means go get the other car.
But I guarentee you that should you pick the 8, you will not be disappointed, and you will find that the 8, like all other cars, might have its own quirks and problems, but is an excellent car overall. And should you pick the 350z over the 8, you'll find that the fairlady herself is one finely engineered machine and will please you in her own special ways. You'll find that it too has some drawbacks, but those will mean little to you if you truely appreciate the car.

Pick the car that you want, not what everyone else wants.

 

It's not financially better to change cars every few years. If you sell a car after 3-4 years, you got hit by the worst of the depreciation and are selling when maintenance and repairs should not be so expensive yet. Of course it depends on how reliable the car is and how many miles you drive in a year, etc. My main point is that the worst of the depreciation is in the first few years of car ownership.

 

RX8Bliss thanks for clearing up what you meant in your earlier post.

I like the 8 and I just wanted to see what all was required of it maintenance wise. I really don't think it will be bad at all. I usually don't keep my cars for more than 5 years. So far from what I've read, it sounds like I should do fine with the car. I liked how the 8 handled compared to the Z. I liked the interior better and how the car rode. It looks like I'll be searching for the best price I can get.

Everyone thanks for the help.