Mazda Rx-8 What to look for when buying ??

The_Abyss said:
So you got rid of yours after 6 months too. There's a theme building here of the impact of the actual ownership experience.
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Hardly - I replaced it with a vehicle that does barely any more mpg. Mine never skipped a beat, and used about 0.5l of oil per 1000 miles. It wasn't replaced because of cost of ownership.
 
MikeHiow said:
Other than that, my experience was approximately 14MPG hooning it. The owner claimed he achieved 21MPG over several tanks on his normal commute with the odd hoon.
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This is the issue people have with them, for a cheaply made smallish coupe with not exactly too much power that is absolutely atrocious. And like Fox points out is as bad as things like AMG mercs and Porsche 4x4's with 2.5* as much power under the bonnet and significantly heavier bodies to lug around.
 
Jez said:
This is the issue people have with them, for a cheaply made smallish coupe with not exactly too much power that is absolutely atrocious. And like Fox points out is as bad as things like AMG mercs and Porsche 4x4's with 2.5* as much power under the bonnet and significantly heavier bodies to lug around.
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Why is that important? This is probably that largest contributing factor to their low price.

There simply isn't anything else comparable for the money, unless you start looking at stuff much older. Take the 350Z for example - it was out around the same time, probably the RX8s closest competition, cost around the same money and at the moment is about twice as much as an RX8. The 350z is hardly frugal, either.

You have to drive it pretty hard to achieve 14MPG, mind - I'm talking about a whole tank just hooning. The 21MPG figure isn't too bad - comparable to what my ST did over here tbh.
 
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MikeHiow said:
Why is that important? This is probably that largest contributing factor to their low price.

There simply isn't anything else comparable for the money, unless you start looking at stuff much older. Take the 350Z for example - it was out around the same time, probably the RX8s closest competition, cost around the same money and at the moment is about twice as much as an RX8.

You have to drive it pretty hard to achieve 14MPG, mind - I'm talking about a whole tank just hooning. The 21MPG figure isn't too bad - comparable to what my ST did over here tbh.
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I wont claim to know much about any of these japanese cars, but am i not correct in saying that the 350z is a better built, rather more powerful, better looking (subjective) overall better car? With better fuel consumption and a "normal" torquey V6 engine which does not display any of the quirks of the rotary?

I would say that the 350z is more expensive used for very good reason.
 
Jez said:
I wont claim to know much about any of these japanese cars, but am i not correct in saying that the 350z is a better built, rather more powerful, better looking (subjective) overall better car? With better fuel consumption and a "normal" torquey V6 engine which does not display any of the quirks of the rotary?

I would say that the 350z is more expensive used for very good reason.
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I've actually owned both. I wouldn't say the Z is better built, but is definitely a much better car to own, mostly due to the engine.

The buzzy engine and lack of torque in the RX8 got annoying after a while, but it did have pretty awesome handling.
 
Wonder what mpg i get around my crappy little island

My island speed limit is 35mph, so most my driving would no more then around 40 to 45mph
 
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The engine is completely subjective - for me, it's half of what makes the RX8 so special.

A revvy engine is appealing to some, and a torquey engine to others.

Also, FWIW, Parkers claim a combined figure of 24MPG for a 350Z. It's hardly massively more economical.
 
MikeHiow said:
Why is that important? This is probably that largest contributing factor to their low price.

There simply isn't anything else comparable for the money, unless you start looking at stuff much older. Take the 350Z for example - it was out around the same time, probably the RX8s closest competition, cost around the same money and at the moment is about twice as much as an RX8. The 350z is hardly frugal, either.

You have to drive it pretty hard to achieve 14MPG, mind - I'm talking about a whole tank just hooning. The 21MPG figure isn't too bad - comparable to what my ST did over here tbh.
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21mpg in Mondeo ST?

If so it was broke :D have 28 to 29 mpg out of mine.
 
Focus ST.

Also, 21MPG out of an ST220 doesn't mean it is broke, 29MPG out of yours means it is being wasted. (FWIW, I also achieved approximately 21MPG out of my 2.5 V6 Mondeo).
 
MikeHiow said:
The engine is completely subjective - for me, it's half of what makes the RX8 so special.

A revvy engine is appealing to some, and a torquey engine to others.

Also, FWIW, Parkers claim a combined figure of 24MPG for a 350Z. It's hardly massively more economical.
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It is, depending on where you drive it. With my RX8 I got 20-23mpg whether I floored it everywhere or drove it nicely on a motorway. In the Z it'll do 33mpg at 70mph cruise.
 
In this thread: People judging peoples driving without knowing anything about the usage profile.

Judge mine, HarryPainful - 19.6mpg from a 335i.
 
Ok now i heard all the downsides of buying & owning an RX-8 :(

Crazy high fuel consumption
Maybe high oil consumption
Coils may need replacing at a cost of about £250
Engine easy to flood and then very hard to start afterwards
Engine may need a rebuild after 60k miles
Looses value very quickly
Clutches can cost mega £££ and don't seem to last long
The Auto leveling Headlight units can packup from getting water in them and cost £1500 to replace..



What are the good sides ?? :p
 
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The flooding issue isn't really that much of an issue - you need to be aware of it, if you want to move it around on the drive when it's cold, but that's about it.

The engine will last well over 60k if looked after correctly. There are plenty on PH approaching 100k.

They've pretty much bottomed out on price - it's not likely they'll lose much more at any sort of pace, unless you buy a much newer one (like an R3 or something).

HarryPainful said:
Just because I don't drive like a chav and you obviously do.
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I do not "drive like a chav". I like a hoon as much as the next person though, I'd have thought most on here are the same - that is why most of us own performance cars.

My location does not help my fuel consumption figures, mind. There aren't really any long, uninterrupted A roads and there are no motorways.
 
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