the RX-8 itch

[nlau1 0]

Hey guys,

 

Has anybody had any experience of the Mazda RX-8? This car just won't leave me alone! Just been looking at them on Autotrader and £4k will get a decent 50k mile 231bhp version with FSH and the come fully loaded too! I understand that some of you may not like the lack of torque from the Rotary engine but I'm a big fan of high revving N/A engines (previous car was EP3 Type-R).

 

I was really tempted a few years ago when they were going for about £9k (and subsequently everytime I've been on the lookout for a new car) but was always put off by the potential running costs. But now at under £4k it seems like an awesome bargain!

 

The itch is getting stronger and its going to have to scratched at some point!!

[domwells27 0]

Think they can be a pain to live with. Not supposed to drive them short distances, always got to be warmed up fully etc. Can be hassle if you've parked somewhere you shouldn't and have to quickly move it. Very easy to flood from the sounds of it too.

 

Lovely interiors though and I personally love the [strike:3h14mr73]wankel[/strike:3h14mr73] rotary engines

 

EDIT: This forum censors w a nkel!?

[one_eyed_willy 0]

i borrowed my dads last year, its the smaller engined one though. 2 years old i think it is.

250 mile round trip to celtic manor. Really wished id taken the rado, was comfy enough but drank an immense amount of fuel and was not exciting to drive whatsoever.

also use's loads of oil.

he's happy enough but would never want one myself.

[VR6 Lee 0]

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE

 

I had a 55 reg graphite grey 231 bhp rx8 and it was the worst car I have ever had!!

 

Running costs were awful, was only getting 12mpg on sme trips plus high tax bracket and the rotary engine needed a rebuild at 70k

 

AVOID

 

MY OLD CAR

[SIMONG 0]

yeah there a nice lookin car and all and failry quick if revved the ass off.

 

but running the thing is a lot of effort and money. your ment to put oil in them every time you fill up as it has self lubricating tips and uses plenty of oil. and im told (by one of my mates who looked into buying one) that if you wont new brakes your lookin about 1k for all 4 corners.

 

the whole front seat belt, back door mounted thing is a bit weird as well.

[VR6 Lee 0]

yeah thats the thing i missed, it drinks oil more than petrol!!1

 

Was filling up at least twice a week on petrol which was bad but on the flip side it gave me a opportunity to chat the babe who worked at Shell in Wilmslow

[nlau1 0]

Well I guess they're cheap for a reason then!!

[VR6 Lee 0]

Well I guess they're cheap for a reason then!!

 

Yep!!!

 

 

+ a nice tax bracket

 

Your Results

Mazda RX-8 (03 on)

(231ps) 4d

Rates effective from 1 April 2010

 

Date of Registration 6 Months 12 Months Band CO2 (g/km)

1 Aug 2003 – 23 Mar 2006 £134.75 £245.00 K 284

23 Mar 2006 – 30 Sep 2007 £239.25 £435.00 M 284

[Andy665 0]

I wrote all the European training material for the RX8 and spent time at the factory in Japan and drove it extensively for about three - four months.

 

Oil consumption - should be no more than 1/2 litre every 800-1000 miles - the Renesis engine is designed to use oil, its pumped into the combustion chamber as a fine mist to aid lubrication of the rotor tips

 

Engine rebuild at 70k - like every engine its dependant on how its been treated, if treated properly then there is no reason why it should not last at least as long as a conventional piston engine - there are after all only three moving parts, the crank and the two rotors

 

Handling - I found it to be quite twitchy but most of the cars I drove were final development cars so were still subject to final tweaks - the last onbes I drove at Silverstone for the UK launch seemed ok

 

Fuel consumption - I had to keep a log of fuel consumption - just dug it out and over the 9625km I drove I averaged 21.3mpg - this includes cicuit work and also both 192PS and 231PS versions, there were no real differences in mpg between the two versions. I drove them very hard and the worst I ever saw was 15mpg after a prolonged track session.

 

During the launch only final prototypes were used, they had all been effectively hand built but all 12 cars came through 4 weeks of being used and abused by over 1,000 European sales execs trying to kill them without a single failure on any of them - they were all scrapped at the end of the launch event.

 

The main irritant I found were the hard plastic backs to the front seats when leather was specified - they looked very tatty very quickly, I believe later cars ditched these seat backs.

 

Reason they are so cheap - almost certainly because of the horror stories / myths that surround certain cars - people get frightened and the demand plummets.

 

I would buy one but would look for a complete service history and I would never buy a car that I couldn't see being started from cold

[nlau1 0]

Interesting perspective Andy, and sounds like a decent job you have!

[wy906 0]

Interesting perspective Andy, and sounds like a decent job you have!

 

+1

 

Cool job Andy!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

£4K, is that all they go for?? :shock:

 

One blasted past me at lunchtime during my stroll to Tescos and they're still a decent looking car 8)

 

The Rotary is a nice engine to muck about with. Capable of a lot of power in the right hands - http://www.dtafast.co.uk/news/latest_news.shtml#Mazda

[james28 0]

as vr6 lee said avoid at all costs

[Andy665 0]

Thats like saying avoid G60's because the G-Lader will definitely expire, avoid a VR because the chains will definitely break.

 

Would any manufacturer in this day age really release a product that was guaranteed to fail. I'm sure there are some horror stories about RX8 ownership but show me a car that doesn't.

 

Biggest problem with the RX8 was not the engine but the people who bought them - I know that Mazda sold more RX8's to existing BMW and Audi owners than anyone else - generally people who are not used to having to check oil levels, simple, regular checks and all would be ok

[undulattice 0]

I suppose people can only go on their experiences or those of people they know. Both people I know who have had them would never have one again. One due to general running costs and the other because, despite spending a lot of money trying to sort it out, it never ran correctly and was always down on power on the RR. I personally can't stand the look of them, although I've been round a track in one and was impressed with the grip and neutral handling.

[Majik 0]

I hope i can balance things out a little, they are generally decent cars but take a little time to get used to (starting/power delivery etc) i've come across one that had 180000 and the engine was still going strong but most other things starting to fail, the power steering plays up but this is due to connectors and sometimes can be sorted out by cleaning the connectors.

The parts are bloody expensive on these the clutch itself came in at about 350 just for the part fitting aint too bad, the rear light always tends to mist up and become a fish tank and when the CD player stops working you have to replace the whole centre console. Visibility is rubbish but it still looks impressive!

The reason why they are falling in price is because they are at the age where things will start needing replacing.

[mimjed 0]

my mate has one and he cant get rid of his for love nor money.

 

its a fun car to throw about but power delivery is very strange. his munches through petrol like nothing and im in a sodding g60.

 

dont really feel fast when youre inside but if you watch the speedo they do shift well.

 

for me id go with a well sorted 200sx for around the same money, now thats a smile machine.

[james28 0]

Thats like saying avoid G60's because the G-Lader will definitely expire, avoid a VR because the chains will definitely break.

 

Would any manufacturer in this day age really release a product that was guaranteed to fail. I'm sure there are some horror stories about RX8 ownership but show me a car that doesn't.

 

Biggest problem with the RX8 was not the engine but the people who bought them - I know that Mazda sold more RX8's to existing BMW and Audi owners than anyone else - generally people who are not used to having to check oil levels, simple, regular checks and all would be ok

 

Thats 1 thing on a totally sorted car

The rotary tips fail the fuel consumption is bad the depreciation is bad the tax is bad the oil consumption is bad the engines fail

new starter motor coli packs costing around a grand from dealer If the car's not got upto full operating temperature it can flood the engine and takes about 15mins to start it faulty catalyst cause fires do i need to go on ???? but you take your chance with every car and one one person likes someone somewhere is bound to hate it .

[VR6 Lee 0]

AVOID AVOID AVOID :ignore: :ignore: :ignore:

:epicfail: :epicfail:

[andy 0]

I have a soft spot for them too. A friends of mine is selling a 32k mile one for 5k. Bit put off by the horror stories though and I am a previous RX-7 owner!

[Toad 0]

new starter motor coli packs costing around a grand from dealer

 

:confused4: What?

 

Depreciation isn't going to be as much of an issue on second hand cars.

 

I think people forget that cars are consumables, you've got to accept that they will cost you money one way or another, if you can afford to run one, get one.