Well I think being on this forum you only hear about the people who complain about getting 12mpg...I mean if you're getting 20+ in the city, you wouldn't be all freaked out and post on here.

I haven't had any issues with my 8 so I may be on the opposite spectrum than you are. I get 15mpg (all city driving and there's A LOT of traffic where I am and usually drive during rush hour). So I don't think that's horrible for a car that is supposed to get 18 mpg in the city considering I live in a congested town.

 

Yeah, you are part of the other 74% who have no issues . I still think 15mpg is low, but not horrific.

I have never heard anybody in any other forum ever complain about such a drastic problem with advertised mileage of their car. And I lurk in a bunch of forums. There are a few here and there, but there are a LOT of RX-8 owners who are disappointed.

ditto with flooding.

And I haven't done a guesstimate, but I think I see more "blown engine" threads around here, too.

It just raises my hackles when people say that it is idiot owners faults for flooding their engines. The reliability is because people suck, because mazda created a perfect car.

or something like that.

That being said, I still gaze longingly every time I see an rx-8... and roll down the window to listen to the rotary engine.

 

...don't forget 'less torque than most econo-boxes' and 'on the highway, needs to be downshifted to make it up steep hills'

 

Give the RX-8 100HP more and its damn near a dream sports car.

 

I cringe when I read threads like these. I'm 20 hp away from the "dream" and I have never had less than 14 mpg (and that's beating the hell out of it).

I wonder if the disparity in gas mileage between different 8's is any different than any other car.

 

It is much worse.

I have never had a car that got such a wide range of mileage as the rx-8. And I can't think of any other forum where you see as many people complaining about getting 10mpg "no matter what".

 

+1!

 

I've had the RX-8 for 3 1/2 years and it has never let me down. Did flood once, due to repeated cold-start/moves in the span of a day, in and out of the garage. But I got it running in about 20 minutes by injecting some oil into the intake. So, my fault and still wasn't a big issue.

Mileage is poor, but it's public knowledge. Thought I'd have some fun before the oil ran out. My timing was off by a couple of years I think . After this car, I hope I can go electric for one of our vehicles (teslamotors.com). A new era is coming.

Other than recalls, it's been to the dealer 3 times.

Once for weak AC, which they did not fix. I found the fix in this forum.

Twice for pulling to the right, which they did not fix. I found this fix in this forum.

They managed to perform the recalls, but tended to bumble around there as well.

Grades:
RX-8------------------------B +
Mazda Dealer ----------- F
RX8club members--------A

 

Just wanted to quote that for truth. That's what I always say to the "it gets good gas milage right?" "Well, actually I get 15.6, but I figure I'll have my fun while the oil is still here.."

 

There's so much BS in this thread, someone needs to start talking the truth.

The truth is, most people fail the rx8 test for ownership. This can be stated in round-about ways, but it boils down to the truth: They can't own it because they fail. They fail. That wan't a comment to deride people, but a hard fact of life. Any time you want to enter a community of practice, the first test is being able to find the answers to your questions, and so on and so forth.

If you think about it, ownership is a method, a philosophy, and a test. And that test is a pass or fail.

If it makes the sensitive folks feel any better, many people fail to own many types of vehicles every single day--this is not unique to the rx8. We are all unique and have different stress points that will cause failure.

 

Could it not also be said that the RX-8 fails the people test?

Since you so poignantly pointed out that most people fail the RX-8 test, I maintain that the RX-8 has failed them, and not the other way around.

 

fanboy logic = the rx8 is never at fualt, its the peoples fault

 

I like the sound of that. It's a pretty good way to go.

Self-justification is what people are supposed to be very, very good at. It would sound odd, if someone purchased an expensive item, and then was not able to self-justify it later either to himself or his friends. Supposedly we have that ability in order to make us feel good.

Another way that self-justification can be used, it to excuse oneself for failure. "I failed to keep on on the marathon yesterday due to the water soaking up my boots and slowing me down". Some would address this as a failure of the boots, or a failure of the runner's technique, or even as a failure of the runner's decision to select that particular foot item among the many available on the market. Still others would say he shouldn't be a runner in the first place.

 

This is the stupidest argument I have ever heard.

Deciding that the RX-8's reliability is too questionable to continue ownership doesn't mean you have failed some test.

You bought a car, you are the trying to irrationally defend your purchase.

Car ownership isn't supposed to be some "who can stick it out the longest" contest

 

I can see it from both angles, yours and mine.

Who says what car ownership is supposed to be? Expectations run the gamut.

Rationality is out the window when we are talking about something that is somewhat irrational in the first place. To buy a sports car. There's plenty of want in such a decision, desire, lust... Is it that rational to have something for daily commuting when one that is $25,000 less will do the job just as well?

Calling me irrational could mean you don't fully understand the larger picture, or the deeper meaning yet. Fortunately I might have an example to help us get on the same mental wavelength.

To purchase an rx8, because your heart told you, you wanted it, it looked good to you. And then to get rid of it because it had not lived up to the more rational side of your mind. A parallel can be drawn to relationships, or marriage. The same trappings are there, with initial desire and then the unexpected problems. We could call them relationship failures, or we could call them rational decisions made.

I think you see where I am coming from now. We have a disagreement, but I fully respect the rational approach you take to cars. If I could make one point, it's that it is okay to be irrational with cars, especially sports cars. This is the realm between practical, desire, ideal, and reality.

Just as couples are in love and can't see the flaws, just as some would call it a business arrangement and have no qualms about ending the partnership, just as some would stick it out and pass the test. Ideally, relationships and cars shouldn't be that way, but we know that some are, and some can be that way.

 

I think you have taken your analogy way way too far and frankly I find it moderately disturbing.

You obviously feel very differently about your car than uhh.... I think is healthy.

Enjoy your rx-8

 

user24 makes sense to me , albit he coulda said it in a lot simpler ways.

i think if a person feel the need to constantly justify hes or her purchase either by bashing other alternatives or find other reasons to blame for its weaknesses (there is no such thing as a perfect car), it reflect insecurity and more likely than not, deep inside that person is questioning hes/her own purchase more than anyone.
usually someone who feels secure readily acknowledge the weaknesses while still enjoy the strong points of the purchase. I'm not pointing fingers at anyone or anything, just my idea of what causes fanboy logic

 

y did i click on this thread

 

In so many cases I've found that complaining or arguing about the RX8's various supposed issues to almost be as pointless as continuing to own the car if you have such serious issues with it.

I think it's safe to say the survey conducted here shows us two things. First, that the RX8 has a very loyal ownership base for some undocumented reason. Even the author pointed out how odd it was that so many people would buy another RX8 despite the high breakdown rate. 27%? That would mean over 1 in 4 owners have experienced a breakdown. This figure doesn't jive with other research showing Mazda to have one, if not the lowest amount of repair work shortly after the purchase of the car. Overall Mazda has rated as a highly dependable vehicle producer.

I think that the 27% should be taken with a grain of salt since we all know there are quirks with the rotary that can cause uneducated owners or owner neglect some problems.

I think what it boils down to is this is the price of being different. Piston engines are used in almost all personal vehicle applications for the very reason that THEY WORK. If they didn't work, we would have designed something else and used that instead. The market is driven by what lasts and produces. I'm sure if the rotary was avaliable in 3 different brands of cars with over 12 different models we would see some technology changes and maybe some improvments.

Still, an engine with over 40 years of engineering behind it is a rare thing.

I agree that we here in the US see performance equal to the fun of pushing the gas getting onto the highway and are less concerned with how well the car carries power into turns.

The RX8 is a fun car to drive in ALL circumstances. Not just when you mash the gas. Still, it's not for everyone.

The price of being different means having to put up with a niche market of support, parts, and service. I've driven my 2005 for 34,000 miles problem free. I always use premium gas, pre-mix, and change the oil every 3,000 miles using the best synthetic I can buy and demand 110% at all times.

I don't complain about gas milage because if I can't afford the gas I wouldn't have bought the car. My best friend's 500 WHP Mustang Cobra gets 150 miles to a 16 gallon tank...he doesn't complain about his milage only the fun he has at the track.

I hate to sound harsh, but the ability to make the car what you want it to be is out there. You want it to track better...upgrade the suspension. You want it to go faster...install a turbo. If you cannot afford these things then either be happy with what you have or sell the car and get something else.

This car has won numerous VERY good awards, been recognized as a top notch sports car and rightfully so. I don't need Top Gear, Car and Driver or Mazda to blow sunshine up my rear to make me feel good about the car...I just need to drive it to feel good about my decision.

I simply don't understand the logic of complaining about the car when you clearly have other options. Either love it or live with it...but either way I think this is one of the greatest cars to own under $40,000 and I'll stack my 8 up to anything, anytime, anywhere.

 

Good post Flashwing.

I criticize because I do like the car. There is no doubt that the rotary requires special care and feeding. Most of my criticism goes to Mazda for not embracing that fact and working WITH the customers to maximize their success with the vehicle. Instead there is layer of pretense about the nature of the car, which begins during the sale and then has to be perpetuated by the service department.

For those who find a resource such as RX8Club, their chances of a positive experience are greatly improved. Those who don't, end up getting stonewalled by service managers and departments who are either under-skilled in rotary mechanics or unwilling to put that skill to use. The blame falls again to Mazda and their bizzarre and ineffectual management of their dealer network and ultimately the customer experience.

I bought the RX-8 based in large part on the fantastic experience I had with the Miata. In retrospect I realize that the Miata was only in the shop once in its 14-year lifetime, for wear items. With reliability like that, who cares about the dealership?

 

hmmm. Valid in its way, but most RX-8 buyers don't realize they are entering a secret society. They are weak! THEY FAIL!


NO SOUP FOR YOU! :D

 

So what were the 29 vehicles chosen ahead of the 8? did they take all the exotics they test into account?

 

There's a name for that car.....oh yeah, Porsche.

 

I thought it was RX7

 

Do you think a stock 2006 Porsche 911 handles as well as the RX-8? It certainly has 100 more HP (and torque to boot...), but does it glide like the 8?