Looking to buy Mazda RX8 - opinions?

Looking to buy Mazda RX8 - opinions?

Author
Discussion

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Thursday 2nd August 2012
quotequote all
Things that would put me off the Celica (if I were looking at RX-8s) - it's front wheel drive, lack of rear seat accommodation, I've got the 190ps engine in my Elise, and it's a coarse and unmusical thing with a very on/off delivery round the valve timing switchover and a good chunk less torque than the RX-8. In something as light as an Elise, that doesn't really matter, but the Celica isn't that much lighter than the RX-8.

nottyash

4,670 posts

194 months

Thursday 2nd August 2012
quotequote all
I got my Dad one a couple of yers ago. It lasted 6 months.
it had 30000 miles on in red and was a 53 plate. It was immaculate, and drove great.
Then the problems started, niggly starting problems mainly. He had new coil packs and a few other items which appeared to cure it.
Then it would intermitently have an engine warning light for no reason.Something to do with fuel I think?
Evntually it had trouble starting once warm, the upgraded starter never helped, so after all that he cut his losses and moved on.
They manage about 21mpg no matter how they are driven, and its a myth about oil usage. Its really not bad at all.
I wouldnt buy one, as said before, they are cheap for a reason. Shame really.

SMcP114

2,916 posts

191 months

Friday 3rd August 2012
quotequote all
This has been covered so many times and always ends the same way.

On this forum you will get hearsay, and on the RX-8 owner's site you will get bias. Everywhere else you'll get people telling you how they bought one new, ran it for 3 years and never had one bit of bother, buy one.

However these cars are approaching 10 years old now. Time isn't good to them. A small number of these cars advertised will be looked after, owned by an enthusiast. The majority of them will be owned by hairdressers and the general public, with no idea and more importantly, no care to meet the requirements of looking after an aging rotary.

I've owned one. Never again. I could bring you to 10 people local to me who would share this view, even one Mazda mechanic who admits they're scrap after 60k.

Oil consumption is not a myth. These cars use oil, Mazda themselves will tell you that. Not really a big deal in my eyes, but keep in mind that this is not something the general public will be as clued into as an enthusiast.

Fuel consumption, high teens at best, regardless of how it's driven.

Warm starting issues, due to the coilpacks and plugs not being replaced often enough. If it doesn't have them on the test drive, give it a week or so.

Rust. It's not commonly known that they rust into the ground. Slam panel, sills etc.

Accident damage. All the panels are numbered so it shouldn't be hard to spot if it's been hit. Although chances are its straight, as it won't go long enough to get involved in an accident.

And finally, Apex seals. Commonly known as rotor tips, when these go (which they will, between 60 - 70,000), make sure you've £3000 spare for a rebuild.

The problems with these cars are not hearsay. The problem on these forums is that people will strive to prove their masculinity, claiming that problems are for women and girlymen, and can be sorted with a socket set and a spare afternoon. This is not the case.

I wouldn't advise anyone to buy one, they're cheap for a reason. You literally couldn't give one away. I can buy 2005 cars for under £1000 and wouldn't touch one. Which is a shame, because they are a great handling car and great fun. You can get them at silly angles and they'll always come back, a real laugh to drive.

I have a friend building an SR20 RX-8, just sorting out wiring issues at the minute before it's on the road. Hopefully the extra weight won't sacrifice the great handling.

RAClNG SNAKE

3,606 posts

231 months

Friday 3rd August 2012
quotequote all
OP, it is fairly easy to spot who bought a good one and who bought a bad one. wink



otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Friday 3rd August 2012
quotequote all
RAClNG SNAKE said:

Gregor Marshall

Original Poster:

951 posts

227 months

Friday 3rd August 2012
quotequote all
I doreally appreciate all the feedback, good and bad, exactly why I wanted to post on PH - I trust you guys!!
Out of interest, what is deemed to be the best model/year?
I wasn't really looking for anything in particular other than a 231 model that was about a '55 plate but am happy to be guided on this.

TinyCappo

2,106 posts

152 months

Friday 3rd August 2012
quotequote all
Gregor, drop me a PM with the ones you have your eye on. I had one for about a year and did over 25k.

Before I took the plunge of ownership I must have looked at about 25-30 RX8s before I found a good one there are just so many little things you need to be cautious of which are even more important now the ones your looking at buying are about 5-7years old.

for example. RX8's all came with a 12 year corrosion warranty but this is only kept if a £15 check is carried out at a dealership each year.

The best ones to keep your eyes out for are ones which have had a warranted rebuild. For about 4-5k you can pick up one with a fresh rebuild which can have a 2 year 25k warranty. People like Haywards Rotary's warranty even includes drift drag and track use!

Oh the Oil consumption these engines use oil its part of the design however for the usage i was doing the father inlaws VAG diesel used more oil and on a track day with plenty of heavy overrun (where you will use it more) the RX8s oil consumption is no worse than a 350Z.

Edited by TinyCappo on Friday 3rd August 13:33

Lione1 Richie

173 posts

182 months

Tuesday 7th August 2012
quotequote all
Go for a pre 06 to get the cheaper rate of tax. From what I remember there were no major "upgrades" throughout it's lifetime until the R3 was released.

There were a lot of recalls but by now all cars should have had them, something to check with the seller. If they don't know then the chances are they don't care. If they don't care then the chances are they *may* not have cared for the car in the manner that it needs to be - so perhaps be wary.

For what it's worth I had a 192 and a 231. Both great drivers cars. The only issue I had were a rusting boot lid on the 192 (repaired FOC under the body warranty) and a flat battery after a two week holiday on the PZ (parked too close to the planes taking off at the airport and they set of the alarm 1 million times a day wink)

Saying that, they are specialists cars and I never owned any high milers so I can't in good conscious comment on their longevity. They need looking after and bit of knowledge to keep in tip top condition. However, oil use for me (including use on track) was not huge (less than my old mans Audi for example). I did town driving 5 days a week with Motorway and spirited driving and track days at the weekend. MPG in town was around 16-18mpg. Motorway was around 23-25mpg. Servicing was cheaper than I expected and I always found Mazda dealerships good to deal with.

I loved the way the car flowed between corners, the brakes were a stand out feature on the car for me as well as beeping the engine at the red line, if you have a dose of petrol in your veins it will make you smile.

Those are my experiences, I'm sure you'll have people tell you they got 10 mpg everywhere and that they had to use a liter of oil every 100 miles. That may be true but that was not my experience.

I hope that helps a little.

jellison

12,803 posts

276 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
Drop an RX7 lump in it (thought it was odd when they cam out without the Turbo), or if you have the time one of these http://www.rx7club.com/build-threads-294/4-rotor-f...wink

GT Kodiak

2,907 posts

178 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
A guy in the business of modifying RX's stated that it's better to modify the RX8 engine to accept a Turbo than to put an FD/FC Turbo'd unit into one. An american company will sell you a Turbo'd RX8 engine in a crate. 350bhp+ I think.

Alternately theres some chaps in Australia who have managed to Shoehorn a V8 into theirs.

Both found with a simple google search.

Art0ir

9,401 posts

169 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
SMcP114 said:
This has been covered so many times and always ends the same way.

On this forum you will get hearsay, and on the RX-8 owner's site you will get bias. Everywhere else you'll get people telling you how they bought one new, ran it for 3 years and never had one bit of bother, buy one.

However these cars are approaching 10 years old now. Time isn't good to them. A small number of these cars advertised will be looked after, owned by an enthusiast. The majority of them will be owned by hairdressers and the general public, with no idea and more importantly, no care to meet the requirements of looking after an aging rotary.

I've owned one. Never again. I could bring you to 10 people local to me who would share this view, even one Mazda mechanic who admits they're scrap after 60k.

Oil consumption is not a myth. These cars use oil, Mazda themselves will tell you that. Not really a big deal in my eyes, but keep in mind that this is not something the general public will be as clued into as an enthusiast.

Fuel consumption, high teens at best, regardless of how it's driven.

Warm starting issues, due to the coilpacks and plugs not being replaced often enough. If it doesn't have them on the test drive, give it a week or so.

Rust. It's not commonly known that they rust into the ground. Slam panel, sills etc.

Accident damage. All the panels are numbered so it shouldn't be hard to spot if it's been hit. Although chances are its straight, as it won't go long enough to get involved in an accident.

And finally, Apex seals. Commonly known as rotor tips, when these go (which they will, between 60 - 70,000), make sure you've £3000 spare for a rebuild.

The problems with these cars are not hearsay. The problem on these forums is that people will strive to prove their masculinity, claiming that problems are for women and girlymen, and can be sorted with a socket set and a spare afternoon. This is not the case.

I wouldn't advise anyone to buy one, they're cheap for a reason. You literally couldn't give one away. I can buy 2005 cars for under £1000 and wouldn't touch one. Which is a shame, because they are a great handling car and great fun. You can get them at silly angles and they'll always come back, a real laugh to drive.

I have a friend building an SR20 RX-8, just sorting out wiring issues at the minute before it's on the road. Hopefully the extra weight won't sacrifice the great handling.
I'll never forget the look on your face when our taxi driver said he was getting one for the girlfriend.

hygt2

419 posts

178 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
Owned a 54-reg 231 RX8 up to 82k over 4 years. Most has been said above but the most important is to buy on condition and not year/mileage.

Damping and ride quite soft compare to peer group so great grip and easy on-limit handling in wet. A bit of roll-in over-steer in dry and dynamically very similar to the new GT86 but much softer riding.

Engine is designed to use cheaper oil and not fully synthetic; I used 5W30 Castrol Magnetic in mine. A lot of what people take as permanent fixtures in the engine are in fact service items, like spark plugs, coil packs, etc. I had all fluids (gearbox, diff, etc.) done every 18k and coil & plugs every 27k. Compression checked every 27k and compression still good at 81k.

Check a/c works. Check condenser and oil cooler are in good condition as they sits behind the fog light with no grill / protection against stone chips, tree branches, etc. from the road. Check pipework for a/c as mine leaked due to rusty joints. It is common for auxiliary, nuts and bolts to be rusty and seized.

Brake discs and suspension overhaul are very expensive from Mazda dealer. I go direct with Mintex on discs and US for springs, dampers, bushes, etc. as they are cheaper.

Alloy wheel easy to buckle - I buckled 2 wheels in my ownership, first noticed from the wheel not balancing easily / properly.

OMP (Oil Metering Pump) is designed to inject engine oil at rotor tips/seals in correlation with engine speed so it will burn a lot of oil with sustained high revs. (i.e. kept 6k-9k continuously on track and spirited driving and easily done with the 6-speed box). I used to pit every 20 min. or so to check and top up to max. level on oil and all fluids on track days and every half a day on spirited drive days. Ignoring as the engine cover has to come off to check/top-up.

A tiny of scuttle shake from the chassis (lack of rigidity) over very bumpy/demanding roads compared to the 6MPS I am owning now. Steering feel is not great unless the rear geo is spot on.

Averaged 22mpg - down to 12mpg on track, through 17-18 mpg for central London stop-start work commute and up to 28mpg for country road / motorway cruising.

Ultimately, you want to buy the car from a knowledgeable enthusiast who are are OCD on giving TLC to their RX8.

Bottom line - I really, really love mine as I find the damping, handling and braking to be much better than its peer group, including the 350Z I tried at the time. Handed back as a company car and changed to a S-Class but that's another story.

Edited by hygt2 on Wednesday 8th August 13:38

jellison

12,803 posts

276 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
I hearyou have to rag the ball of them to get them to go (NO Torque), whcih can be fun, but pretty tedious after a while.

http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/290543247504?var=lv... this lot are surely joking!!!!

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
jellison said:
That is just awe inspiring - I was gutted when I got to the end and found that I've got to wait a bit longer while he finishes it!

jellison

12,803 posts

276 months

Wednesday 8th August 2012
quotequote all
otolith said:
jellison said:
That is just awe inspiring - I was gutted when I got to the end and found that I've got to wait a bit longer while he finishes it!
Indeed - I have reminder set each day to get the latest - the kid is and engineering GOD.

christofmccracke

881 posts

199 months

Thursday 9th August 2012
quotequote all
I personally would buy an rx8 and fit a diffrent engine.

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Thursday 9th August 2012
quotequote all
christofmccracke said:
I personally would buy an rx8 and fit a diffrent engine.
Why not just buy a car with an engine you like?

Stuartvw540

4 posts

139 months

Thursday 9th August 2012
quotequote all
We just bought a 2005 ( 54 ), immaculate in blue, 49500 miles, it's awesome, we paid £2,250, worth looking country wide and travelling for the right one, I say do it, can't see any regrets my self.

jellison

12,803 posts

276 months

Thursday 9th August 2012
quotequote all
Gregor - I'm just gonna get my T5 remapped when I have some spare cash! 260 >295bhp and 258 to 303lbft, (fast towing wink).

Edited by jellison on Friday 10th August 09:55

hygt2

419 posts

178 months

Friday 10th August 2012
quotequote all
Stuartvw540 said:
We just bought a 2005 ( 54 ), immaculate in blue, 49500 miles, it's awesome, we paid £2,250, worth looking country wide and travelling for the right one, I say do it, can't see any regrets my self.
Perfect - the right car in the right condition does exist !