Early Musings - RX8 as main car but weekend/motorways mainly
Discussion
Going to go car-less for a while to save money (I also have a motorbike) and would have eventually liked to replace with the likes of a hot hatch or 350z. However, good examples for either are in £6000+ territory which is more than I want to spend. Have just sold my MX-5 - cracking car and would have kept it if it wasn't for rust. After vowing never to buy a Mazda again, I've reasoned that I won't be supporting the company much by buying an old RX-8 
I will buy another car when I start getting car withdrawal symptoms if the insurance industry gives me its blessing (ETA 3-9 months).
RX-8s seem to be in budget (c. £2000, will stretch for a good example) but I'm wondering:
- Realistically, can I pick up a mechanically sound example at this price?
- What are maintenance costs and reliability like? Particularly consumables - tyres, brakes and servicing.
- What are they like for heavy right foot motorway usage? Half of my driving is on motorways (around 4,000 miles per year). If I were to find a motorway with a 90mph limit all the way through, would economy be far below the 23mpg I'm expecting?
- What are they like in the city? (2,000 miles city driving)
- I'm sure they're good on proper roads, right? (2,000 miles of hooning)
- Any ideas what it might be like with 4 of us on a trip around Europe?
- At my age and place on the insurance ladder, I'd be happy with the 192hp version. Power of the MX-5, while sometimes left me wanting, was never a big enough issue for me to pay for more so I think the 192 will be just fine. Agree/disagree?
The reason I am going car-less for a while is that I don't need one to get to places. I want a car that will let me afford 2-3 track days a year and perhaps a driving trip around Europe.
With the budget I have, the RX-8 might just fit the bill perfectly.
Over to you.
I will buy another car when I start getting car withdrawal symptoms if the insurance industry gives me its blessing (ETA 3-9 months).
RX-8s seem to be in budget (c. £2000, will stretch for a good example) but I'm wondering:
- Realistically, can I pick up a mechanically sound example at this price?
- What are maintenance costs and reliability like? Particularly consumables - tyres, brakes and servicing.
- What are they like for heavy right foot motorway usage? Half of my driving is on motorways (around 4,000 miles per year). If I were to find a motorway with a 90mph limit all the way through, would economy be far below the 23mpg I'm expecting?
- What are they like in the city? (2,000 miles city driving)
- I'm sure they're good on proper roads, right? (2,000 miles of hooning)
- Any ideas what it might be like with 4 of us on a trip around Europe?
- At my age and place on the insurance ladder, I'd be happy with the 192hp version. Power of the MX-5, while sometimes left me wanting, was never a big enough issue for me to pay for more so I think the 192 will be just fine. Agree/disagree?
The reason I am going car-less for a while is that I don't need one to get to places. I want a car that will let me afford 2-3 track days a year and perhaps a driving trip around Europe.
With the budget I have, the RX-8 might just fit the bill perfectly.
Over to you.
Edited by .blue on Wednesday 9th October 11:38
pimpchez said:
If you can afford a engine rebuild at some point , i would just buy one at the cheap end aslong as it checks out that is.
Once its rebuilt you should get 60k+ miles or more .
i warned my mate to have the money for a rebuild set aside , he didnt listen and its bin sat there since april.
So I should really be budgeting £2k on top of the purchase price?! Once its rebuilt you should get 60k+ miles or more .
i warned my mate to have the money for a rebuild set aside , he didnt listen and its bin sat there since april.
Would a recent compression test not be good enough proof that the engine is a-ok?
I love Nissans and the 350z has been on my wall growing up (by wall I mean computer wallpaper) but just 2 seats is a big downer because it makes driving trips far less affordable.
How common is the rust issue? After having that on the MX-5 (it went from a few spots on the wheel arch to soft sills in 18 months of ownership), I don't want to go through the experience of poking and worrying about an expensive repair bill for a simple problem caused by the manufacturer's negligence.
How common is the rust issue? After having that on the MX-5 (it went from a few spots on the wheel arch to soft sills in 18 months of ownership), I don't want to go through the experience of poking and worrying about an expensive repair bill for a simple problem caused by the manufacturer's negligence.
Edited by .blue on Thursday 10th October 10:37
The itch still hasn't gone away. My view is that if I can get a car with the following, I should be OK cost wise for the next year at least:
- 1 year MOT
- FMSH according to RX8 schedule
- Satisfactory Compression Test
- Brakes and tyres well within wearing out limits
This one seems to tick all the boxes: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...
Would a sensible approach (walk away unless everything is as above) still be very likely to leave a big hole in my wallet or is it a smart risk to take (for a petrol head)?
- 1 year MOT
- FMSH according to RX8 schedule
- Satisfactory Compression Test
- Brakes and tyres well within wearing out limits
This one seems to tick all the boxes: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...
Would a sensible approach (walk away unless everything is as above) still be very likely to leave a big hole in my wallet or is it a smart risk to take (for a petrol head)?
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