Mazda RX8 - anything else like it?

Oh dear, here goes the RX8 thing again :p

Yes its a great looking car, yes it handles superbly. Yet these are about the only two big plus points. I had one for a year and the engine was knackered by the time it hit 60k miles. Mazda didn't want to know despite me having a full 12 month Mazda warranty. Oh, and the fuel economy is truly horrific! I used to get 17mpg no matter how I drove it!

Just don't even think about it in my opinion!
 
Also, to answer the OP's question

Mazda RX8 - anything else like it?

911 GT3
Koenigsegg Agera

oh, and the Mig 29 Fulcrum, purely for fuel consumption.
 
Go to petrol station, lift unleaded pump, insert nozzle into drain, pull lever to dispense fuel, await three figures, replace pump, go pay up.

Sounds about right ;)
 
maccapacca said:
Out of 461 RX8s for sale in the UK there are three over 100k, the first five have dud engines and the majority seem to sell them when nearing 60k
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Playing devils advocate here, but most of them having <100k miles sounds about right due to their age and the average mileage of the typical person who would have bought an RX8 from new.
 
Chap at work had one, loved it, avidly checked the oil level etc having researched it prior to buying , avoided short trips etc etc etc

The engine grenaded after about 3 months of ownership @ 65k miles.....

He now has a Mini Cooper S which he finds "fantastically enonomical" by comparison.

I've driven a few RX8's and tbh don't see what all the fuss is about, they seem to have a lot of minus points without being particularly outstanding in any of the plus points as such.
 
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I drove 2 RX8's, I loved how they drove, fantastic handling and feedback. I even loved the engine! To own though, the issues would no doubt be always at the back of my mind.

Great value for money though. You would struggle to find cars twice to the price of a similar age to offer such a combo of performance/practicality.
 
NathWraith said:
I drove 2 RX8's, I loved how they drove, fantastic handling and feedback. I even loved the engine! To own though, the issues would no doubt be always at the back of my mind.

Great value for money though. You would struggle to find cars twice to the price of a similar age to offer such a combo of performance/practicality.
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Hmm, I wonder if I tried a few duff ones? - as I say I really found them underwhelming.

Superb value for money on the one hand, but that ticking timebomb image (rightly or wrongly) would put me off if I did like them, which I don't.

Hmm, not making much sense there.... :o
 
I enjoy mine immensely and 31,000 miles in there have been few problems. I flooded it once in the early days when I moved it a few feet in the garage and switched off straight away but that was my fault (was in a hurry and late for a flight!). Very comfortable, fun to drive and has a decent sized boot making it practical to use too in comparison with the 350z.

Regular servicing is a must though, as are oil topups (I do that every 3-4 weeks)
 
I have had 2, first one i sold because i lost my job, then got another and a few months later wrote it off.

Engine failing wouldnt have bothered me there a doddle to rebuild compared to a piston engine.
There great to drive if you know how to drive properly, if you just like putting your foot to the floor there very slow.
For me the RX7 is still the far better car, but losses two usuable seats. I wouldnt have another RX8, the way fuel costs are going. I didnt enjoy the £160 a week mine cost me on average just in fuel (only 2 tanks).

There a few common fail items such as the coils, but i replaced mine on my second car with the Black Halo Racing coils and they provided a much stronger spark and were much better quality, future plans for mine were to turbo charge it as well, the looks of the car really are crying out for 300+bhp.
 
Cheers for the comments guys.

I think I've ruled out this car purely due to the amount of short trips I make.

I can see it now; I'll be pretty much redlining it in nearly every trip in order to rapidly warm it up. Surely continuously redlining a cold engine can't do it much good.

Beautiful looking car though. But realistically I don't think it's going to work for me :(.

Looking at the Honda Civic Type R now. Not a patch looks wise to the RX8 though (IMO).
 
NathWraith said:
Great value for money though. You would struggle to find cars twice to the price of a similar age to offer such a combo of performance/practicality.
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There are lots of cars that offer as much or more performance and practicality, but they won't be sleek looking RWD coupe-ish cars.
 
In short, great car, pants engine. Has anyone developed a cheap engine swap option? I'm guessing that something like a mini 1.6 turbo unit might be an interesting combo?
 
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