Before I picked up the 8 I really thought long and hard about, which car I wanted to get. I considered the following:

RX8 - Great Styling! Great Handling! Smooth & Quick!

MazdaSpeed 6 - Previously owned a 6 so needed a change! HEAVY!

Evo - Styling is just ugly! FAST! Amazing Handling!

STI - Styling got much worse with new grill this year! Fast! Good Handling!

350Z - Was my 2nd choice but after driving around a few days thinking about it noticed they are everywhere. I can't drive somewhere without passing one. I don't want a car that everyone has!

Well needless the say, the RX8 came out in front for the win!

After owning the 8 for almost 3 months I am very happy! The car is much quicker then I originally thought in my head and I definitely hold my own out there on the street. Then bring it to a Road Course and you dominate...except if your going against a Mini...heh. The gas mileage sucks but thats the price your going to pay to have a exoctic Rotary! I don't mind checking the oil and adding it...only thing I dislike is the fact you can't shut the car off when its not warmed up...but what you gonna do.

If i had to do it all over again...I would get the RX8 over and over again!

 

This reminds me of the reverse gear issues. Occasionally the shifter used to get stuck while putting it in reverse. even when the clutch was completely depressed.

 

Wow, so much for honda reliability...

http://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread.php?t=127026

Over 100 users having the same issues just in the first 24 hours the thread was posted. It was dated back in dec of 03 and if you look on the last page you will see them still complaining about the same exact thing today, and acura still will not do anything about it.

I would never get the RSX...

 

wow i guess the rsx's tranny is somethin to stay far away from....

yea for now he's leaning toward the rx8 due to the fact that he wants a car that's nimble and tossable, as well as comfy and practical. plus he adores the rx8's styling.... the z33 handles well, but u gotta man handle that thing to move it, compared to the rx8 that is. it is a very nimble for its size and weight, dont get me wrong.

another possiblity is that my friend might get a very cheap car to learn his basic from, such as not redlining a car when the engine's cold, and learning how to operate a manual tranny effectively, and learn about how engine speed vs. gearing work etc....also just general maintenance stuff.

so now we're thinkin of gettin a 96-97 miata for about 6g's, then at the end of summer or year sell that car and get the rx8 he really wants.....

thanks for all the inputs again.

 

I have a JDM Rx-8 and its never missed a beat, can't flood it if I try! Its build number is 234 so early production. You also have to remember that only in America can you buy a car before its been built.

 

Wow. In that case I don't mind adding a little oil now and then.

 

First of all, your friend sounds like a pretty smart shopper. You can get a fairly decent 99 Miata for around 7k. Plus it's a convertible, which would be awesome in SoCal. I am a reformed Miata owner. I moved up to the 8 pretty much for the power, but I also liked having a roof in chilly Colorado. Also I do a lot of autocrossing, and you can't beat the 8 for the money on an autocross course. There really is nothing that comes close aside from the STi/Evos that are in the same price range. Needless to say I love my 8. I get 20-22 Mpg in mixed driving--it's very consistent. The thing I don't like is that I get about 21 on long road trips, where I should get more like 25. All of my cars have gotten the EPA estimates within about half a gallon, except the highway mileage on this car. I don't think it is very efficient at 80mph. It would probably get closer to 25 at 65mph.

There's so many great choices for him. If he would like to get a new cheaper car, he might like a Honda Fit. Not as sexy as some of the others, but it's basically a FWD Miata. Drive the hell out of it and never get a ticket--plus it will be easy to mod. VWs are nice cars but very problem-prone. I drove a 350Z, and it's got a ton of power but no backseat, small trunk and rides like a buckboard. It's a little faster at the track and a little slower on the autocross course. They have some alignment issues as well. The MX-5 is a great car too, he might want to drive it and see what he likes better. They get 25-30mpg, which is a huge selling point now.

 

I have same as you & no flooding even after shuting off cold numerous times.

where in NZ are you rotorman ?

 

yea the miata will be a good entry level car that offers excellent handling capabilities. only thing is he doenst' really like convertibles.....i guess i'll take him around in my s2k a couple more times to change his mind

s2k is another auto-x dominator in rx8's price range btw.

i know miata's are one of the most reliable cars that Mazda has ever produced....but if maintained well, how reliable are they at 100,000-150,000 miles? we'll be lookin at miata's from 96-99 (under 6g's), is there any common problems we should look out for at those mileage?

my old accord sedan had 150,000, and i brought that car to hell and back and it just keeps running. my mkII mr2 turbo on the other hand with 150,000 and was a nightmare (though worth it :D)

 

forum.miata.net Is the best automotive forum in the world, bar none. Tons of information there.

It depends on what your friend wants to do. I'd say drive a 97 and a 99 and maybe an 01 to compare them. The 2001 is definitely the most comfortable and has the nicest seats and interior. You don't notice the difference until you start really looking at them closely.

The major problems with Miatas are the following: 2001-2003 had clutch problems. I had two replaced before Mazda fixed the issue. Just watch out for any hint of shudder. Otherwise figure $700 for a new clutch. You might be able to get Mazda to help pay for it if it crops up shortly after buying the car, but I don't know about this. Usually people had problems before 15k miles.

1999s had some problems with a #4 engine bearing. This was only a problem on some cars and was found by about 70k miles I believe. LOTS of info on this at miata.net.

1990s had an issue with the crank nose that can be fixed in about 3 hours while you do a timing belt.

One other great thing about the Miata if he's interested.. They are great cars to work on. Very simple, particularly the early models. He might want to look at a 1.6 liter, since many think those are the most fun of all. All Miatas are reliable and should run up beyond 200,000 with little trouble. Like any used car they will have issues, but I think they're even better than a civic in terms of reliability.

 

wow thanks for the info, very helpful and very concise

we got back from test driving an rx8 manual. i drove it with him in the passenger and the salesman in the back. basically my friend LOVED the 8, except it's a bit cramped inside, esp. the a-pillar. but i was takin winding on-ramps at mind-bending speeds, and he seemed to really like it

i didnt redline the car cuz it only has 47 miles on it, plus the traffic was pretty heavy around the dealership. however on the highway i had a chance to drop to 3rd gear and went from 4500 to 7000 rpm (i know i ended at the start of the power band), but my friend was already impressed with the acceleration

the salesman said rotaries dont require break-in...is that true? if it is can someone back it up with technical information of how that's possible? or do Mazda just break in every renesis before they see the market?

just gotta test drive a Z and make up our minds now....we might be able to skip the miata after all :D this test drive basically sold the 8 to my friend, and he wasn't even the one driving lol

 

lol, it needs to broken in just like any other engine.

8 > Z

 

My rx8 was a demo and had 500 miles on it when I picked it up (basically broken in.) Obviously people redlined the **** out of it while testing it, but I have no complaints. Im getting +20 mpg in city driving and she drinks a quart of oil around every 2.5k-3k miles.

 

When I first drove the 8 it seemed a little cramped to me too. After owning it for a short time I realized that came from having everything at my fingertips. It's not a car with a driver space in it. It's a driver with a car wrapped around it. And it didn't feel cramped after the first day or two.

 

Whenever I drive our RX-8, I'm always surprised at how much more room there is than in my S2000 (not even including the back seat).

 

more room than s2k? the driver seat? i have an ap1....and i think it's more spacious. more headroom anyways in the s2k. however the 8 is wider on the inside.

this is talkin about the front only.

 

I'm bored. So I'm going to write my experience of the RX-8 for the first time on this site since joining and you can tell your friend about it and I can sleep soundly knowing I made a difference!!

It's a fantastic car...
It's been really reliable. I've had no problems and there's no doubt that it will last me a lifetime.

It's also practical. 4 seats was something I needed and there's really nothing out there other than the G35 that I liked. But 2 problems with the G35... 1) they wouldn't move on the price 2) couldn't really fit anyone in the back without them hitting their head.

It's noticeable. With the streets full of 350Z and RSX, an RX-8 is kind of rare to see. Especially one with a Mazdaspeed kit.

It's cheap. Mazda was the only company that would bring down the price and with 0% finance rate. It was only a few thousand (cad) more than a RSX-S. You can't do that with a BMW or an Infiniti.

It's RWD. I'll leave the FWD to sedans and minivans.

It's a relatively good performer. Granted its a bit slow on acceleration, but you're driving the speed limit (most of the time anyway)! Road feel is excellent and cornering is fun. I'm averaging 19-20mpg. Not too shabby.

It's safe. Probably one of the best winter sports car I've driven. Its lack of torque makes it an ideal RWD winter car and is easily manageable and fun to drive in the snow. Of course you don't get snow in CA!

I'm very happy with this car. The attention I get is unbelievable and I just recommend this car to anyone who wants a blend of practicality and performance and fun. Alright! I've paid my dues to this forum! Good luck...

 

thanks slowlude

some things came up, and now i'm tryin my best to help my friend get his 8...it not he'll just have to get a miata for now, and get the 8 when he's ready...

 

i'm in Auckland Brettus.. Yeah ive accidently shut it off cold a few times
, no problems.

ive always found rotaries really reliable engines

 

It's win win with either the RX 8 or 350Z, just a matter of personal choice. As long as you don't own a GTO, Mustang, or Crossfire your cool.

 

Has everyone in here forgotten the RSX-s Pwns all?

It is the best car . . . . . . ever.

 

i'm guessing after 2 years, he probably already made his choice

 

I actually read through the 350z boards responses a bit...I swear, they are almost as bad as Mustang owners.. "STRAAIIIGGHHHTTT LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!"

 

wow talk about reviving a dead thread.

what happened was my friend ended up getting an mr2 turbo since his budget didn't allow him something more expensive, and the miata just didn't have enough oomph. yeah it was a poor choice as he had the crappiest luck with that car and almost everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong with that car. he did have a ton of fun in that car though...with bolt-ons he destroyed our friend's mazdaspeed 3. i was pleasantly surprised.

then he sold the mr2 and got an 06 STi, went stage 2 on that. now he has a Legacy GT, automatic . not sure if he'll ever come back to the rx8 i think he's grown into an old man as he likes driving comfortable cars with 2 pedals now lol