RE: PH Fleet Intro: Mazda RX-8

[tomoleeds]

you paid too much for the Rx8, a 2004 is worth arond £1800-£2000 for a mint condition,low mileage,full mot car, I have been offered 2005 cars with 35k for £2000, no one wants them,you have to put oil in evey time you put petrol in and thats every couple of days,I had a 2003 grey,230 bhp,a few years ago, there quick,nice to drive,coomfy seats,one of best standard stereos i have had, but they do about 15mpg around town,plus the oil cost, there is usually 400 or more on ebay

[tombstone]

I've seen more knackered RX's thanks to de-cats and 'internet forum tuning' than anything else! Genuine bits are some of the best out there. Right grade of oil important too. I recently changed the gearbox on a 231ps with 197,000 miles on the clock. Only one engine rebuild in it's life, 2nd clutch and driven like it's been stolen most of the time. Gearbox lost 2nd gear, so hence the replacement box. ARB links snap like chocolate bars, so Blue Print/aftermarket best, they can handle badly on certain tyres, but generally a great car! Good choice!

[otolith]

tomoleeds said:

you have to put oil in evey time you put petrol in and thats every couple of days

Mine used to go through about a litre every 2000 miles.

There's about 1.5l between min and max on the dipstick.

So it actually needed oil every 3000 miles.

If you needed to put oil in every fill, either you were getting the best fuel economy in the history of the RX-8 or yours was going through 1.5 litres of oil every few hundred miles.

Or you are massively exaggerating.

[otolith]

tombstone said:

ARB links snap like chocolate bars, so Blue Print/aftermarket best

They do - but they break at an engineered failure point. I always worried about what that was intended to protect, and what would go instead if you used an aftermarket one without that failure point.

[e21Mark]

Richiefly said:

Poor fuel consumption (ok, you may not care so much for a track slag but certainly for putting up with it daily it's not good)

Prone to engine flooding (a couple of starts, stops, short maneouvres - around the drive, out of the garage say, and it's flooded - you can't start it and have to leave it for some time)

High oil consumption - an earlier post mentioned 500ml in every 1,000 miles - that is significant IMHO!! I've only ever had one car that beat that, it was GTi-16 Cororlla and one of it's piston rings was lunching the bore!)

All traits levied at e30 M3's a few years back.

RX7 & 8 do take a bit more looking after than your average car but the way they drive and the performance make the added effort worthwhile in the most part. Personally, I like to look after any car I plan to take on track and checking the oil regularly is a good habit to get in to.

[mikey P 500]

Disagree with the above post on values, the values of rx8s at this age should depend on condition not age. I would rather pay £3k to 4k or £5k for a good one, as this is still very cheap for a performance car (compression test, recepits for new coil packs, leads, plus, oil changes recent geo set up etc would all be on my list) than take chances on a cheaper example, as it’s not just the rebuild cost of £3k, it’s another £1k nearly for the new catalytic converter, coilpacks, leads, plugs, starter motor etc, that are normally required to go with the rebuild. Not to mention no one has put any decent amount of miles on a rebuilt car yet, and unlike a piston car; rebuilds are normally just rotor tips and seals not any machining of the main engine which often still carries the extra wear and tear.
That said 2005 is the best year to buy; uprated started motor and ecu software upgrades over early cars but still £260 a year rather than £460 of later cars.
Love everything about mine apart from the MPG, don’t care about oil use which is less than 10 litres or £40 a year. But the mpg of less than 25mpg does hurt as a daily driver.

[canucklehead]

I've owned an RX-8 231 for the last 3 1/2 years, but owing to recent relocation to Canada, it's currently up for sale with a dealer back in England *sniff* I'm gonna miss it *sniff*

Safe to say, I've loved the car. Enormous fun to drive, quick enough for my purposes on the road, very cleverly engineered and packaged, and fundamentally reliable.

I had it maintained via a main dealer with 20 years' experience of Mazda's wankel engines and no problems at all other than a coil going at 36k miles. That was expensive, since I chose to replace the full set of 4. As for the horror stories about engine failure, well the dealer says they will do 200k miles if looked after. You just need to make sure the thing has oil in it. Not difficult to do really. Otherwise, it's only got 3 rotating parts, so no valves to fail, no tensioners or belts or chains to adjust (ok, yes, the ancillaries have that stuff, but so does a Toyota Corolla). Like anything, look after it and it will last a long time. Ignore it and abuse it, and it wont live as long.

I'd like to buy another out here, but they hold their value better out here and so replacing like for like will cost be an extra $6000, so we shall have to see.....

[deadbeat]

I think it speaks volumes that the people on here who have actually OWNED RX8's praise them, and the criticisms come from people who never have! As the post above says, an early one with a good engine (£45 rotary hot compression test from a specialist can tell you this) is worth about £3k at the moment. But bear in mind, a FULL engine rebuild on the RX8's engine is £3k from a specialist with a two year warranty that often includes track days. Try getting a turbo four or six cylinder rebuilt for anything approaching this! My car is currently going strong at 81K, no rebuilds. Honestly, if you're not prepared to check the oil, you can't call yourself a car enthusiast...

[jetpilot]

I am on my 5th rotary and only had one let me down. I have never owned an 8 but was seriously tempted but decided to have another 7.

You can buy an Rx8 with 24 month unlimited warranty from a specialist for £4.5 ish, imho, thats a pretty good deal!

Look after them and they will look after you and just love the way that engine revs so quick

[225meg]

£2,500 for a headache!!!I had the displeasure of owning an RX-8 231BHP model for about three years. Mine was an 04 plate and was 3 months old when i bought it, at the time it was the price which appealed to me because i could not afford at the time an S2000 and wanted rear wheel drive. The came along the problems, wouldnt start when the engine was hot, this wa sorted with a software update for the ignition system, a recall for the rear wheel arches, which were bogged by the dealer (I could of done this myself and a better job!!), engine oil feed pipes expired at 20,000 miles, this was done under warranty but shortly after that all 04 onwards cars were recalled because engines were popping. The oil consumption was terrible it used about 1 litre per thousand miles, i knew the wankel used a bit of oil so checked frequently but i did not think it would use that much, they are crap on fuel - town i would get 12 MPG and on the motorway no more than 30 and that was being careful!!! It used to go to mazda for a service whilst it was in its warranty period, each of the three times that i went my bottom was smacked very hard, I remember once buying a set of spark plugs as they had not been replaced, so i thought that i would do it, the plugs are not like convential plugs - you have two leading and two trailing plugs because of the engine, they were £175.00!!! still couldnt feel any difference not even on tick over.
So the RX8 was well cared for, lots of money spent on it, it was mint then at 30,000 miles the wife was on her way home, 4th gear, 30MPH, then the engine management light came on and then it went bang!!!! dumping all its compression and left my wife in a cloud of smoke. By now the RX8 was 2 months out of manufacturers warranty, i told mazda, my local dealer and mazda uk and they stuck two fingers firmly up at me stating that a new engine was 5K plus vat plus fitting.
So all in all it ran great when there were no problems, the dealers are crap and make sure if you buy one of these do your homework!!!
Sorry PHers, rant over.

[petrolveins]

Ah I chickened out of the RX-8 and got the 330i. Might get a RX-8 PZ sometime though, couldn't afford one now though.

If your using these on track I'm sure I heard the fuel tank is rather simple, and I can't remember the correct term but the fuel sloshes about and can starve the fuel pump when it dips to below half a tank. Can anyone confirm this?

[anonymous-user]

deadbeat said:

I think it speaks volumes that the people on here who have actually OWNED RX8's praise them, and the criticisms come from people who never have! As the post above says, an early one with a good engine (£45 rotary hot compression test from a specialist can tell you this) is worth about £3k at the moment. But bear in mind, a FULL engine rebuild on the RX8's engine is £3k from a specialist with a two year warranty that often includes track days. Try getting a turbo four or six cylinder rebuilt for anything approaching this! My car is currently going strong at 81K, no rebuilds. Honestly, if you're not prepared to check the oil, you can't call yourself a car enthusiast...

Not everyone. I think you should read 225meg's post. I do like the RX8 but think it isn't 'special' enough to warrant the up keep, etc (IMO of course)

[deadbeat]

I did read that post, and that couple certainly bought a dog! But you get this with all cars. 12mpg in town is a sign of serious problems. It's also necessary to separate the RX8 itself from the dealers who sell and service them, who are frequently incompetent and ill informed compared to specialists. As well as being seriously expensive!
BTW doing 30 mph in 4th gear is NOT GOOD for a rotary engine!

Edited by deadbeat on Wednesday 1st February 19:48

[velocgee]

owned a RX8 for over 5yrs. sold it for a give-away price....

in my experience:

burnt little oil except after hard driving (ie track day - when it would happily gulp a nr-litre of oil), which ties in with what Dales says about the OMP;
reliable;
fantastic (benign) handling;
fantastic brakes (OE disks, hawk pads)
attrocious MPG (for power) - generally no better than 17.5-19mpg and sometimes 14.5 under urban driving conditions. best was only 25mpg (motorway cruising in 6th gear only)

if think it remains an underrated (Clarkson doesn't count) machine. i regret selling mine.......

Edited by velocgee on Wednesday 1st February 20:12

[velocgee]

petrolveins said:

If your using these on track I'm sure I heard the fuel tank is rather simple, and I can't remember the correct term but the fuel sloshes about and can starve the fuel pump when it dips to below half a tank. Can anyone confirm this?

Fuel starvation? had that in the Rex whilst hurtling through blanchimont....but that was on 1/4 tank. never any issues on 1/2 tank

[Ozone]

I miss my RX8, the handling was superb, the oil useage was no worse than my WRX or 330Ci. The OH has been on about getting another one so i guess in a few months i'll scouring the owners club to find a well looked after example.
It may become a toss up between getting a new GT86/BRZ or an RX8 and some warranty

I'll be following this PH fleet car with interest.

[LotusAlfaV6bloke]

I sold my RX7 FD to get something with 4 doors and (proper) back seats last year.

I decided in the end between the RX8 and BMW 330i, as both are RWD, similar power outputs, and layout, and so on.

One year on and bad times, as the engine has now blown, all the suspension went in the bin at 80k, and if its electrical it doesn't work anymore, and it drinks oil like a bh.

Should have got the RX8 instead...

My car is over-hyped german junk. The 330i - avoid! My rotary never let me down (but was thirsty).

Avoid pub bores and fan-boy german car idiots. Buy Jap, and buy rotary!

[redgriff500]

tomoleeds said:

you paid too much for the Rx8, a 2004 is worth arond £1800-£2000 for a mint condition,low mileage,full mot car, I have been offered 2005 cars with 35k for £2000, no one wants them

Great get me one.

In the classifieds on here similar cars are up at £3500+

[johnpeat]

Fastdruid said:

Porsche 911? IMO far worse, although 'only' 5-10% of 996's and 968 boxsters affected

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/08/porsches-...

That's a fantastic website almost entirely written - and commented-on - by people with chips on their shoulder so large, they must lean in the wind...

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/02/why-did-m...

MB make a car brown because people on Twitter are Hipsters - or something like that - actually understanding what that person wrote would require counselling I suspect!!

[BigWithey]

STW2010 said:

I miss mine so much....

Miss both of mine.... 190 + 230PZ