Mazda RX8 - Good car?
Discussion
Hi guys, I'm back again.
Still haven't managed to find myself a car. I did manage to test drive a Jaguar X-Type 2.0 Automatic Petrol and it was lovely but didn't seem fast at all.
My mate has just bought a Mazda RX8 for £1500 and he was loving it. I went for a drive with him and it was really fast and lovely inside.
He sold it a month later because he couldn't afford to run it as he was doing too many miles to work and back. He also said they're a nightmare to have because if you stall it you have to wait half an hour to get it started again. Is this true? I've also read something about having to give it 2000-3000 revs for 15 seconds when you start it?
Has anybody owned one of these? If so, can you clarify?
I am looking for a fast car that sounds good, preferably 25-35 MPG. Either a coupe or a saloon really. I know I said I was looking for a diesel a few weeks back but you guys said it wouldn't be worth it unless I do over 12,000 miles a year which I don't. I will be doing around 100 miles a week so I just want something to have some fun with.
Cheers guys.
Still haven't managed to find myself a car. I did manage to test drive a Jaguar X-Type 2.0 Automatic Petrol and it was lovely but didn't seem fast at all.
My mate has just bought a Mazda RX8 for £1500 and he was loving it. I went for a drive with him and it was really fast and lovely inside.
He sold it a month later because he couldn't afford to run it as he was doing too many miles to work and back. He also said they're a nightmare to have because if you stall it you have to wait half an hour to get it started again. Is this true? I've also read something about having to give it 2000-3000 revs for 15 seconds when you start it?
Has anybody owned one of these? If so, can you clarify?
I am looking for a fast car that sounds good, preferably 25-35 MPG. Either a coupe or a saloon really. I know I said I was looking for a diesel a few weeks back but you guys said it wouldn't be worth it unless I do over 12,000 miles a year which I don't. I will be doing around 100 miles a week so I just want something to have some fun with.
Cheers guys.
My house mate owned an RX8 and sold it a couple of years ago.
It was a terrible purchase for him as it bombed in value, cost a fortune to run in MPG, servicing and general running costs. I seem to remember it drank oil like no car I've ever seen.
The stalling part is new to me. It was never something I heard mentioned. He did leave it ticking over for a while before moving off though - something to do with the rotary engine?!
It was a terrible purchase for him as it bombed in value, cost a fortune to run in MPG, servicing and general running costs. I seem to remember it drank oil like no car I've ever seen.
The stalling part is new to me. It was never something I heard mentioned. He did leave it ticking over for a while before moving off though - something to do with the rotary engine?!
FrankAbagnale said:
My house mate owned an RX8 and sold it a couple of years ago.
It was a terrible purchase for him as it bombed in value, cost a fortune to run in MPG, servicing and general running costs. I seem to remember it drank oil like no car I've ever seen.
The stalling part is new to me. It was never something I heard mentioned. He did leave it ticking over for a while before moving off though - something to do with the rotary engine?!
Well my mate reckons every time he stalled it he had to wait a while before it got moving again, as opposed to just turning the key and starting like a normal car would. It was a terrible purchase for him as it bombed in value, cost a fortune to run in MPG, servicing and general running costs. I seem to remember it drank oil like no car I've ever seen.
The stalling part is new to me. It was never something I heard mentioned. He did leave it ticking over for a while before moving off though - something to do with the rotary engine?!
I don't mind the MPG because I don't drive around a lot, maybe 100 miles a week so I've worked it out that it will cost me around £30-40 in petrol per week which I don't mind.
I'm really drawn to this car but if I have to sit there for ages to get it started then I'd rather not bother!
Merkleman said:
Well my mate reckons every time he stalled it he had to wait a while before it got moving again, as opposed to just turning the key and starting like a normal car would.
I don't mind the MPG because I don't drive around a lot, maybe 100 miles a week so I've worked it out that it will cost me around £30-40 in petrol per week which I don't mind.
I'm really drawn to this car but if I have to sit there for ages to get it started then I'd rather not bother!
At sub £2000 now (incredible) I think it is a lot of car for the money, just make sure you can afford the running costs!I don't mind the MPG because I don't drive around a lot, maybe 100 miles a week so I've worked it out that it will cost me around £30-40 in petrol per week which I don't mind.
I'm really drawn to this car but if I have to sit there for ages to get it started then I'd rather not bother!
Merkleman said:
He also said they're a nightmare to have because if you stall it you have to wait half an hour to get it started again. Is this true?
No.If you start the engine, run it briefly and then turn it off again and leave it (like you might if you wanted to move another car off your driveway) there is a risk that it will flood. If it floods, it won't restart when you come back to it. It may start if you flatten the accelerator to the floor and try cranking it a couple of times. If it doesn't, you (or the AA man) will end up having to pull the fuel pump fuse and crank the engine to clear it (and you'll need jump leads if you aren't going to flatten the battery in the process, and you will need to have a care not to overheat the starter motor).
You can reduce the risk of it flooding in the first place by following the instructions in the manual for shutting off a cold engine - hold revs at 4000rpm for ten seconds, then, without letting the revs drop first, turn off the ignition.
The only situation which does sound like what you describe is that an engine with low compression won't restart from warm and has to be left to cool for a while. Typically happens at the petrol station, not when the car is stalled. It means that the engine is buggered and needs rebuilding.
I would recommend one to someone who really cares about handling, needs the proper rear seats, and knows what he is getting himself into with respect to fuel economy and potential borkage. They're at bargain prices. If I were going to buy another, I would get one with a knackered engine for peanuts and spend 2.5-3k getting the engine rebuilt.
The oil consumption is pretty irrelevant to the running costs. Mine used to need a litre chucking in every 1500 miles or so. I used to get five litres of Mazda approved stuff from the main dealer for about 30 quid. If you can live with 20mpg, an extra six quid every 1500 miles when you've spent £415 on petrol is not going to break the bank.
Edited by otolith on Monday 1st December 18:07
FrankAbagnale said:
At sub £2000 now (incredible) I think it is a lot of car for the money, just make sure you can afford the running costs!
Yeah I do love the car and it's easily affordable, I just don't know much about cars and I don't know a lot about this hot start problem, if it's something that goes wrong very easily then it seems like a big risk buying one. 
otolith said:
No.
If you start the engine, run it briefly and then turn it off again and leave it (like you might if you wanted to move another car off your driveway) there is a risk that it will flood. If it floods, it won't restart when you come back to it. It may start if you flatten the accelerator to the floor and try cranking it a couple of times. If it doesn't, you (or the AA man) will end up having to pull the fuel pump fuse and crank the engine to clear it (and you'll need jump leads if you aren't going to flatten the engine in the process, and you will need to have a care not to overheat the starter motor).
You can reduce the risk of it flooding in the first place by following the instructions in the manual for shutting off a cold engine - hold revs at 4000rpm for ten seconds, then, without letting the revs drop first, turn off the ignition.
The only situation which does sound like what you describe is that an engine with low compression won't restart from warm and has to be left to cool for a while. Typically happens at the petrol station, not when the car is stalled. It means that the engine is buggered and needs rebuilding.
I would recommend one to someone who really cares about handling, needs the proper rear seats, and knows what he is getting himself into with respect to fuel economy and potential borkage. They're at bargain prices. If I were going to buy another, I would get one with a knackered engine for peanuts and spend 2.5-3k getting the engine rebuilt.
The oil consumption is pretty irrelevant to the running costs. Mine used to need a litre chucking in every 1500 miles or so. I used to get five litres of Mazda approved stuff from the main dealer for about 30 quid. If you can live with 20mpg, an extra six quid every 1500 miles when you've spent £415 on petrol is not going to break the bank.
Thanks for the reply mate. If you start the engine, run it briefly and then turn it off again and leave it (like you might if you wanted to move another car off your driveway) there is a risk that it will flood. If it floods, it won't restart when you come back to it. It may start if you flatten the accelerator to the floor and try cranking it a couple of times. If it doesn't, you (or the AA man) will end up having to pull the fuel pump fuse and crank the engine to clear it (and you'll need jump leads if you aren't going to flatten the engine in the process, and you will need to have a care not to overheat the starter motor).
You can reduce the risk of it flooding in the first place by following the instructions in the manual for shutting off a cold engine - hold revs at 4000rpm for ten seconds, then, without letting the revs drop first, turn off the ignition.
The only situation which does sound like what you describe is that an engine with low compression won't restart from warm and has to be left to cool for a while. Typically happens at the petrol station, not when the car is stalled. It means that the engine is buggered and needs rebuilding.
I would recommend one to someone who really cares about handling, needs the proper rear seats, and knows what he is getting himself into with respect to fuel economy and potential borkage. They're at bargain prices. If I were going to buy another, I would get one with a knackered engine for peanuts and spend 2.5-3k getting the engine rebuilt.
The oil consumption is pretty irrelevant to the running costs. Mine used to need a litre chucking in every 1500 miles or so. I used to get five litres of Mazda approved stuff from the main dealer for about 30 quid. If you can live with 20mpg, an extra six quid every 1500 miles when you've spent £415 on petrol is not going to break the bank.
So there must have been a problem with his car then, to be honest I did think that but he said it was normal for those cars.
My budget is around £2500 so this car would be very ideal, fast, sounds good and looks nice inside. As I said I don't mind paying £40 a week on petrol because it will be a fun car to drive.
I just don't wanna have the risk of these little problems like the engine not restarting when I'm at the petrol station lol. I've seen this one on autotrader, what do you think? I know you said you'd rather spend 2.5-3k on an engine but I don't have that big a budget.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
That's the less powerful model - 190ps - vs 230. Five speed vs six speed. 7500rpm redline vs 9000rpm. Halogen lights vs HID. Maybe some other stuff I've forgotten, it's been a long time!
I don't think there is much if any difference in current prices for the low power and high power models, and when I accidentally got insurance quotes for the wrong model one year, no difference to insure (that may depend on the driver, though). I'd go for the high power car every time.
In terms of buying one that isn't broken, that's the key issue. They drive OK when the issues first start to show, you get a gradual loss of performance and warm starting issues. The obvious thing to do is to walk away from one that doesn't start perfectly from warm, and once you've found one that does, pay for a compression test.
I don't think there is much if any difference in current prices for the low power and high power models, and when I accidentally got insurance quotes for the wrong model one year, no difference to insure (that may depend on the driver, though). I'd go for the high power car every time.
In terms of buying one that isn't broken, that's the key issue. They drive OK when the issues first start to show, you get a gradual loss of performance and warm starting issues. The obvious thing to do is to walk away from one that doesn't start perfectly from warm, and once you've found one that does, pay for a compression test.
Merkleman said:
Thanks for the reply mate.
So there must have been a problem with his car then, to be honest I did think that but he said it was normal for those cars.
My budget is around £2500 so this car would be very ideal, fast, sounds good and looks nice inside. As I said I don't mind paying £40 a week on petrol because it will be a fun car to drive.
I just don't wanna have the risk of these little problems like the engine not restarting when I'm at the petrol station lol. I've seen this one on autotrader, what do you think? I know you said you'd rather spend 2.5-3k on an engine but I don't have that big a budget.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
I would avoid them like the plague at that age. You would have a heart like a lion taking one onSo there must have been a problem with his car then, to be honest I did think that but he said it was normal for those cars.
My budget is around £2500 so this car would be very ideal, fast, sounds good and looks nice inside. As I said I don't mind paying £40 a week on petrol because it will be a fun car to drive.
I just don't wanna have the risk of these little problems like the engine not restarting when I'm at the petrol station lol. I've seen this one on autotrader, what do you think? I know you said you'd rather spend 2.5-3k on an engine but I don't have that big a budget.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
Merkleman said:
Yeah I do love the car and it's easily affordable, I just don't know much about cars and I don't know a lot about this hot start problem, if it's something that goes wrong very easily then it seems like a big risk buying one.
No offense, but if you don't know much about cars then a rotary is most definitely not for you. They require meticulous maintenance that an average Joe simply won't bother with since they are used to dealing with a standard 4 cylinder unstressed motor. If you really want to own a rotary then you really need to do a vast amount of homework and know what you are getting yourself into.Having said that, once you are prepared for rotary ownership they can be a very rewarding car and not cost much more to run than your average car if you start out with one in good condition.
I bought an RX-8 over a year ago with an engine that was on its way out and had it rebuilt with a few toys put onto it for track use. I have had literally no problems with it but I have a relatively fresh engine and I am particularly anal about servicing and driving the car correctly to ensure it warms up properly before redlining it or shutting it off. I love this car as a practical street/track vehicle and I don't think you can do much better for the money, but I am also very aware that things can get expensive quickly if I don't keep tabs on the health of my engine on a regular basis.
Thanks guys, I think I'll steer clear of this until I have a bit more knowledge on cars then. It just seems like a lot of hassle and requires a lot of attention.
Is there anything similar to this car in a similar price range? I'm looking to spend around 2.5k on something fast, preferably 0-60 in less than 8 seconds and something decent looking.
Will an Audi TT be a good comparison or is it quite a different car?
Is there anything similar to this car in a similar price range? I'm looking to spend around 2.5k on something fast, preferably 0-60 in less than 8 seconds and something decent looking.
Will an Audi TT be a good comparison or is it quite a different car?
FreeLitres said:
O/T but you tested the wrong X-Type. The 2.0 petrol is sluggish and thirsty.
I don't know the back story, but it you like the X-Types you should try a 3.0 manual. Permanent AWD and 0-60 mph in 6.6 secs which holds up well to hot hatches, etc.
That's fast man. Well the back story is.. I wanted an economical saloon that was fast, but then a few guys told me petrol would be better as I don't do thst many miles. Since then, I've been in my mates RX8 and really liked it so I'd love something similar.. Loud engine and fast, epic. I don't know the back story, but it you like the X-Types you should try a 3.0 manual. Permanent AWD and 0-60 mph in 6.6 secs which holds up well to hot hatches, etc.
No offence, but the RX8 isn't a traditional car to be driven by people who just want to bung fuel in every day and use it to pop down the shops etc - you need to know how to run them to own one, so either do your homework - in the right places (RX8 forum) or think of something less maintenance, as judging by your posts you are clueless about them (and so was your friend. Stalling? Really? Was it his first car? 
)
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