nosubstitutec4s

im just trying to raise the number of posts so that we reach 100000. carry on.

Q121825

After 6 months and 15,000 miles, I'm still grinning ear-to-ear!

TicDoc5533

Blown 2 clutches in 7,000 miles. Am I the only one?

Mick8

Have you already replaced the tires as well?

'85GSL-SE

Personaly I would get an RX-8, but I am not crazed on the 4 door 4 seater style. To me it takes away from the RX style styling. but I must say I do like the 50/50 weight balance ratio. If these new quote "RX-7" come out with the 2 door 2 seater version of the RX-8 styling you better believe I would get one :-). just my thoughts. But I have test driven them and do like their comfort and ride. I wish my 78' and 85' RX-7's had that renesis engine :-)

But I am about originality.

Good car 8/10, due to 4 door 4 seater styling. more of a sports sedan than true sports car, styling speaking, not handling.

might be wrong post topic. but I am new, havn't had time to look around yet.

Thanks for the patience

Denzalo

I'm wanting an 8 more and more each day I torture myself from reading forums like these and reviews all over the web. I've been driving an '88 Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport for more than 9 years now. Now its all rusted with paint faded very badly! Engine still strong but tons wrong with it. The car before that was my first.. a '77 Ford station wagon (family car) with the huge 460 V8.

So you can see that I'm more than ready for something that I can be proud of. Usually I'm a very conservative person and if it weren't for the addictive charm of the RX-8, I would have bought a used Camry or similar. The conservative side of me still says that 30k total cost is way too much on a 35k a year income. Then I've come to the conclusion that if we were conservative on every choice we made, we'd be shorting ourselves of a fulfilling life. I know that I can have this thing paid off in 2-3yrs if I tried! But then I got other toys I want too, hehe.

Another thing that I've realized from reading this thread is that if I get the RX-8 I will want to get out more instead of being cooped up in the house. I need the motivation, and driving a rusty, noisy(holes in exhaust), and erratic idling/irregular acceleration (oxygen sensor is out) car doesn't help it much at all. :D

Butthead

91.2% very or somewhat satisfied? That says a lot.

red_rx8_red_int

If I had a 35k income, I would not buy the 8. Buy the cheapest car you can and spend on an education to earn a higher income. I am a very cheap person and bought the 8 on its value but I also make a 6 figure income and could purchase a porsche if I wanted. I'm not trying to brag, I'm trying to show how important an education is. I got my BS in my early 30s and my doctorate in my late 30's, it never too late to train for a new (and higher paying) career.

Denzalo

What field are you in? I'm happy where I'm at, dont have many expenses at all, that's how I can afford it. I don't really want to move to be big cities to make more money, I'd be moving away from family. We all have our priorities.

Preacher

Yup.......The only one who needs driving school

:D

TybeeRX-8

Well, I've had my 8 for almost a year now and really have nothing to complain about. All the updates have been done. It runs wonderfully smooth and drives like a dream. It's as practical as a sports car can be. All the goodies work, CD, Nav, etc. as promised and better than my wife's Benz. It looks cool even in stock form.
So, why am I questioning it now? I suppose it is a little ego thing like it isn't quite as powerful as promised, not quite as fast as it might be, burns a quart of oil every 1000 miles or so and gets, on average (with somewhat aggressive driving) about 15-16 mpg after 12k miles.
Look at it like this. A new G35 is a little bland in appearance, but goes like stink and handles nearly as well for most of us and doesn't cost too much more on the scale of things. Then there is the el cheapo WRX Sti that really goes like major stink and handles really well, also about the same price.
Now I'm not just a drag race type. I also have a Miata and know it's a little underpowered, but handles great. I autox the Miata (not well) and see others with Miatas of all ages, in CS, ES, FSP, etc., clean out other big guys. In the hands of really good drivers, a CS Miata can post better times than many, if not all competing BS cars. Look at the latest Sportscar if you don't believe it. But the RX-8 isn't generally doing much against S2000, 350Z, Z4, etc. There are a few, very few, good drivers struggling to keep the 8 competitive. But it's tough.
So, did I do the right thing getting the "8"? Why am I asking this question? Beats me. I really enjoy the car, but....

gusmahler

Cars are very subjective, of course. The RX8 is practical . . . for a sports car. But comapred to a G35 sedan, it's not. The RX8 is fast, but not as fast as other cars on the road. It gets bad gas mileage.

When getting the car, I had all those things going through my mind also. Then I realized how much I like the car. It looks super cool and handles great. I take a long look at my car every time I park it. Would I do that if it were a generic looking sedan? No.

As for performance, I don't autox, only drive on the street. On the street, most people drive slow, so the fact that an RX8 goes 0-60 in "only" 7.5 seconds from a street start is really irrelevant. The people that do drive faster than me are rare, but I don't even try to race them. Street racing is too dangerous.

To me, as shallow as it sounds, I got the car for its looks. It still looks great, so I still love it.

red_rx8_red_int

I agree. I mainly bought teh car on its looks and that it could seat 4 comfortably. The performance was secondary. Now that I've had it close to a year, I want to tune it so it is as fast as it looks. 7.5 is not true, 7.0 or 6.9 is more realistic. I would like to obtain sub 6 numbers, hopefully 5.5, then it will be as fast as it looks IMHO. Until then I still love this car.

Benthic

Just got mine yesterday (MT, Grand Touring). For what it is (a $30K sports car), it hits the mark. FUN to drive, handles amazaingly-very RESPONSIVE (did I mention fun to drive?). Most of the forum criticisms are based on 0-60 performance, but is this why one really buys a $30K car? Sure, a Lambo or a Ferrari or a NSX or a ____ can do better, but they're beyond the realm of most of us mere mortals in terms of price. I also test drove the 350Z, which has better acceleration, but handles like a sled in comparison. After my Dodge Stealth (Mistubishi 3000), this car is WAY more fun!

bureau13

Highly satisfied here, 13 mpg city and all. And I come from a '93 RX-7 (and an '87 Turbo II and '85 GSL before that) so its not like this is my first "real car."

jds

TybeeRX-8

I just looked at the Rotary News site and there is a poll re the RX-8. While many here don't seem too concerned with the power issue, the vast majority in the poll can't wait for a turbo. Isn't that really what most 8 owners want? Ok, street racing is illegal and dangerous but who doesn't like to leave the light a little faster than the Chevy Tahoe in the next lane. My personal philosophy is that "if the other guy is behind you, he's unlikely to cause you to be in an accident" (excludes rear-enders, of course). That doesn't mean I speed, of course...just leave quicker. I still think it's about ego. Maybe I don't show off my speed, but "you know I can outrun your (name of car)" and mine cost less, handles better and is more practical, etc. It reinforces our choice of car...we know more about cars than most... Just some "musing"....

ml2316

well, a neon can do better. to suggest a lamborghini or ferrari is anywhere near the next level of straightline performance above an rx8 is delusional. the rx8 is a pretty good value though.

Renesis2004

I really love my Winning Blue 6-Speed, but the RX-8 is even more impressive than I thought-

A couple of weeks ago, a medium sized city nearby had their annual street fair/ car show that draws about 700 cars. The majority are older muscle or collectible cars, but there are usually a small number of newer ones there if the car is noteworthy (usually a new 'Vette or some other sports car). I have an old car, but couldn't take it since it was in the shop (at my Mazda dealer, actually) having the front end rebuilt. To make a long story shorter, the tech at the dealer suggested that I take the 8 instead and felt it would get some looks.

I'd never have taken a new, totally stock car to a show, but decided to give it a shot. My best friend took his '91 RX-7 convert. and we paid our fee and parked next to each other. Omigod, the response was INCREDIBLE!

We could hardly keep up with the lookers and the questions over the 10 hours we were there. I spent all day answering questions about rotary engines, suspensions, and of course, the "suicide" doors! Some people RAN over to the car once they spotted it, and others came back a second or third time to show other friends/family (I'm not exaggerating). Mind you, this was in a 700+ vehicle show full of beautiful muscle cars, antiques, etc., and there were some really nice cars in the same row as mine (including some nice Camaros, Stangs, and Vettes). Get this--

Two cars down from mine was another brand new sports car... an '04 Mustang GT Anniversary Edition... open hood, etc. Most people, once they got into our row and spotted the 8, just walked right past the Mustang without a glance and went straight to the two RX Mazdas. i felt kind of bad for the guy, because very few people looked at his car (and it really was a nice one).

It was all really fun... especially when you consider that anyone could have gone to a Mazda dealer for a look or a test drive!

:D

Racer X-8

Sounds like you had a great day there, Renesis 2004. That's cool.

I just though I'd chime in on the why topic though. When I found out that Mazda was reviving the rotary with an RX, I would have bought a VW Bug clone if that was how it was gonna look. "A brand-new rotary? Are you $hitting me? YES! Where do I sign? And, oh by the way, when will it be here for me to take it home?" Ok, so maybe not quite that bad, but close to it. With all the other really nice stuff wrapped around this brand new rotary, it's just fantastic. And I'm staging myself for when I think an RX-7 replacement will be ready. That's when the '99 Infinity G20T will be history. That's my mindset. The future is looking bright.

fartman

oil consumption is my only beef. maybe the rx8 should have a oil guage similar to a gas guage.

Renesis2004

My 8 hasn't used much oil at all... about a quart (or a bit less) before its first oil change at 5000 miles. I'm at 7500 now and haven't had to add any yet since the oil was changed. I was expecting to use a bit more, so I'm pretty happy about it.

If yours is using much more than that, I'd have the dealer look into it. If nothing else, lodge a complaint with them AND with Mazda (see Mazda's web site) so your issue is on record now.

So far I've been really lucky. For the first few thousand miles I was a little concerned about gas mileage (averaging 15 around town), but now it's 18-19 consistently, and I get 23-24 on trips.

If there's anything I don't like about the car... the long-throw clutch is a little annoying. But the thing I hate most is that there is ALWAYS someone in my way when I want to stomp on the GO pedal!

martman4

My 8 has 5600 miles and I've never added a drop of oil. Regular oil changes at 3000 miles. Now I have to say I have a AT and don't push the car too hard(ha ha). But oil consumption is talked about alot here and I think it is related to hard acceleration and high revs. Just my opinion.

kindralove

My "8" is black and my daughter is convinced she is riding in the Batmobile. I can see where she gets it.

I got my "8" about 4 weeks ago and it had 60 miles......in has 2000 now. It's a fun car to drive and I've actually been invited to many "racing" events - which are not exactly legal.......hmmmmmm....did I do it??? OF COURSE I DID! I smoked 'em, too!! They got irritated because they got whipped by a 33 year old woman - but who cares.....it's all fun!

I voted highly satisfied because I truly am. I just can't "whip a bitch" very well because the traction is too good - but other than that - it's perfect.

My oil light went on the other day and it had plenty of oil in it, so I've got her in the shop right now getting the pan replaced.

kindralove

Thanks! If you're ever in Seattle (which is probably unlikely because you're in Nebraska) look me up. There are some really good tracks around here. Later.

Racer X-8

kindralove,
If you happen to see my brother in the car you see in my avatar, in a legal race, he also has 3 RX-7's (1 FC vert & 2 FD's.) that are street legal. He's in Seattle too. Would be interesting to hear how you do against one of them (on a track, of course). Those three are pretty much in stock configuration, as they are NOT where his pocket change goes to.

Welcome to the forum, btw...

Yours is black?