Hey guys. This is my first post and I am new to this but I am looking to get an RX-8. There is Bill Jacobs BMW dealership in Illinois that has a 2004 Black RX-8 with red interior for $18500. Its got about 27000 miles on it and seems to be a good deal. I wanted to see what you guys think about it. Everything is standard pretty much ( no options like navi). Also, I live in Michigan so its a long drive to pick up the car. If i happen to have problems or need service, would I have to take it out to the dealership i bought it? Or is there somewhere else around my house I could take it to? It is at a BMW dealership so I don't know if I would take it to a BMW or Mazda dealer. Thanks!

 

a little high on the price but it's a dealership so it's not terrible. and if you get it you can take it to a local dealer to get warranty items taken care of.

 

Make sure you test drive it and like it. Price is good for a dealer.

 

Price is just ok if its completely stock. $16,500 wouldnt be out of the question imo.

 

If it has the black/red interior it must be leather, meaning it must be a GT. You say it has no Nav and I assume you would have noticed if it had any body kits (front air dam, aero kit, rear wing). Hence the car is pretty much stock. Check for audio extras like tape, minidisk, MP3 player or 6 CD changer. All were 2004 options. With only 27K miles that means it is still under Mazda bumper-to-bumper warranty for at least 5 months and maybe more (48 months and 50K miles). You have a drivetrain warranty for 60 months 60K miles.

$18,500 is reasonable but not a steal for a stock manual transmission in very good to excellent condition. Dealer trade in on such a car is about $16,000.

When you get the car check it's condition against the technical service bulletin (TSB) list at http://www.finishlineperformance.com...ins_index.html to see if there are any issues that should be fixed under warranty. You will then need to take it to a Mazda dealer to insure ALL the RECALLS (including 4206F) have been done and to have any necessary TSB's done under warranty.

Special issue: have the Mazda dealer check to see if the starter and battery have been upgraded under the "Engine cranks no start" service bulletin. If not request (plead) with them to do it. Also I would recommend you continue to heed the Quick Tips Book warning to avoid shtting the engine off cold to avoid flooding.

2004s are excellent cars (I have one) and an outstanding value, if the car is still under warranty so you can get any "known" issues addressed for free.

 

Thanks a lot guys. There is no body kit, navi, etc. Should i try to negotiate the price down, and if so, what would you say is fair to do so at? Also, I need to get winter tires. Would any winter tire that BMW supplies for their cars work with the RX8 if I purchased the tires with the car?

 

try to get them to $18K out the door (that's would include TT&L). that buffers in a profit for them and some savings for you to go get some tires. i wouldn't bother having them try to work some onto the 8.

 

I would say try to get the dealer to knock off $1000-$1,500 but even if you can't get it lower, $18,500 is still in the rasonable range.

You can't drive with the stock summer tires in any kind of snow. Check to see if the car already has All Season tires on it, which are OK in cold rain and light snow/ice. For winter tire info check out https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension-55/winter-wheel-tire-pics-installed-28442/ .

 

Thanks again guys!! I have two last questions that I wanted to know. They may be stupid questions so bare with me.

1) I hear a lot about flooding the engine. It scares me because I plan to get this car and do not want to do that. Can some one please explain to me what it means to "flood" the car and how to prevent/fix it?

2) I have no problem with the gas mileage but, out of curiousity, is there a way/any aftermarket product that will improve the gas mileage?

3) What would you say are the most imporant performance/cosmetic aftermarket purchases that should be first made for this car?

 

1. Make sure you never shut the engine down cold. If you are moving the car from one garage bay to another or take it for a real short drive, make sure you rev the engine a bit before shutting it down so the excess fuel is burned.

2. There is no performance mod that will change the gas mileage. None of those crappy ebay items or anything works. If you are buying the car, make sure you know you're going to be paying at the pumps.

3. The cosmetic mods people typically get are clear corners (for about $50-$60 or so you can get a mod that looks so much better than the amber lights). Also, the rotary accents (front & rear) make a noticable difference. Some go with fender strakes. As for performance mods... the two common ones are Intake & Exhaust (both of which won't give you much performance; maybe 2-5 HP here and there). FI is the only way to go if you want huge HP gains.

Hope this helps...

 

will flooding occur on an automatic as well or is this a problem strictly with manual transmission RX-8s?

 

You know, I'm not exactly sure. I have a manual & it happened to mine once (I'll never make this mistake again). I would imagine it could happen to an automatic because flooding is basically unburned fuel still sitting around. I could be wrong though...

It's really not hard to prevent though... It's actually kind of fun to rev it that one last time before shutting it down if you've only taken it out quickly...

 

it can happen in an AT and when you rev it, bring it to 3K-3.5K rpms and hold it there for about 10 seconds and then cut the engine. the engine will keep rotating and burn the excess fuel. also, do some searching as this info is out there. as for cosmetics, it's all personal preference. clear corners are pretty much agreed upon as an inexpensive first step. after that each person will have differences as to whether or not they like accents, spoilers, etc.

 

Alright thanks. I got the final price on the car today. I tried to get it down to $18000 out the door, but that didn't work. The final deal I was given was $18,100 sales price plus tax and other fees, totaling at 19,257.99. I plan to put $3,000 down and payments would be at about $390 a month for 48 months. What do you think?

I would go with a cheaper one I have seen online, but I strictly want the black with red interior, and my area doesn't have too many( I live in Livonia, Michigan and search within a 300 mile span)

 

I think you can do better. 400 off is not much.

 

Agreed. Unless they gave someone way to much for it on the trade-in, they should have more room to work with. They probably only gave someone 16.5K for it.

 

Sometimes you get lucky if you just walk. They might call you back in a few days with the price you want. If not... the search continues unless you give up and just go back and get it for whatever price.

 

I have 2 ( TWO ) last questions . . . .
1.
2.
3.

LOL, You crack me up.

anyways . . . .After way too many years working at dealerships, I can tell you with great confidence that this dealer has AT LEAST $2000 profit in this car. I believe a dealer should make a FAIR profit, like about $500 aint bad. Thus, If they are not willing to drop $1500 off the price ( or go out the door for asking price which would be about a $1800 drop here in Cali ) they are making too much.
However . . . . If it is THE CAR you want, then go for it.

 

2 things . . really 2

1. GET YOUR OWN FINANCING!!!!! I can not stress this enough!!!! And don't tell them till the last second in the finance office. They are making money on the backend as well. If they think they are making $2000 on the back end(financing), they do not mind losing $1000 of the front. ( asking price ) Negotiate using thier financing, and purchase using your financing. It does not sound like they are getting you too bad, but it is smart to use your own bank.

2. My '06 BRAND NEW was $19,999 + fees. Is it worth it to get a new one for a hair more?