€10k Mazda Rx-8 v Celica v Hyundai Coupe

Rodgeb

I have about 10k to spend on a used car (2004- 2007) and would like to hear your guys advice.

I'll be test driving RX8's, Celica's and maybe Hyundai Coupe's over the next few weeks and it would be great to know what to look out for...

I love the look of the RX8 however am put off about the reports regarding the reliabity of the car. Are these really something to be wary of?
The last few years I've been driving an old banger of an almera but it seems to go forever...

I mainly drive while commuting to work, anywhere between 30 - 60 mins city driving and from dublin to cork maybe every three weeks.

Fuel economy is not a very big factor as I am fortunate enough to have a fuel card through work.

The Toyota Celica seems to get great reviews and may be a more reliable alternative??

Ive also noticed loads of Hyundai Coupe's on the road. Are they any good? From what I understand they arent as much fun as the rx8 or celica however they seem to be much cheaper.

Is there any other similar model to the above ye think I should check out?

Rodgeb

Rodgeb wrote: »

Fuel economy is not a very big factor as I am fortunate enough to have a fuel card through work.

Would kill for that!

FearDark

Other people may have more insightful or helpful comments to make but mine is this, a Hyundai Coupé is a girls car, and is always going to be a girls car, and those new shape Celicas arent far off either. Man up and get an RX-8 if petrol isnt a factor.

Barr

All nice cars to be fair , very different qualities.

If you can afford the running costs the RX8 would be top of my list .Its the only "true" sports car.

racso1975

If your lookin for that type of car dont box yourself in with just those 3. Test drive as many cars as you can. Regarding the hyundai they depreciate like a b!tch. Not mad about celica and as you said lots of reports the rx is high maintenance and imo fairly dated

Barr

racso1975 wrote: »

If your lookin for that type of car dont box yourself in with just those 3. Test drive as many cars as you can. Regarding the hyundai they depreciate like a b!tch. Not mad about celica and as you said lots of reports the rx is high maintenance and imo fairly dated

I reckon the RX8 is the least dated of the three , hard to believe the Celica came out in 99 and is still a very fresh looking design (especially in white)

CarMuppet

RX-8. The end.




.......enjoy

um7y1h83ge06nx

I'd be definitely going for the RX-8 too!

jaffa20

Rx-8. No doubt in my mind. Celica second. Hyundai coupe never.

Graham_B18C

I'm another for the Mazda!

Vertakill

Erm, all of these cars, stock, aren't exactly the most 'manly' cars you will come across.
The most girly I would say is the Coupe.

Regardless, the highest bhp RX8 p1sses all over the other 2 (and I used to own/love a VVTLi Celica).

Treehouse72

I recently seriously considered an RX8, but in the end very sadly decided against it after doing a tonne of research. What turned me off in the end was:

> Repairing and maintaining them should get more expensive with each passing year as they are being phased out.
> Yeah, reliability...I think this is much less an issue with later RX8's (2006-), but I just don't know if I could handle worrying every time I turned the key whether it would start. Owners will tell you that's 1/1000 drivers with that experience, which is fair enough. But still, that tiny uncertainty I think would bug my personality. You might be different though and have a better tolerance than me.
> It is not really a great car for lots of short city journeys (lots of stop-start) which would be my main use of it. Too much engine being switched on and off.
> Worried about re-sale value v. other cars I could get. I think there is a chance these cars will degrade badly (in all the hidden nooks and crannies) as years go by. Seen a couple of videos suggesting this might be the case. Also, I wonder how much market there will be for an RX8 with any serious mileage on it...at the moment most used ones on the market have no more than 40k miles. Many have far less. What happens when I put 30k of my own on top - will people really want a 70k RX8?
> When I mentioned the RX8 to my dad's mechanic recently (and he's a master craftsman, a man who lives and breaths cars) he kinda made a curled up, disapproving face and mumbled something about spending a fortune on maintenance. This reaction from this guy gave me serious pause.
> I am not a petrolhead, although I love cars, and I think this car is better suited to someone who at very least knows the difference between a gasket and a piston (or should that be rotar?). For guys like that the car would be a dream I reckon.
> I would have liked a post-2006 model as I think that edition fixed a lot of problems from the 2003/4 cars, but after 2005 was just out of my budget.
> Thought there was a possibility I would look like a flash tosser in it - the kind of guy you look at and just hate. Don't really want my car to be that big a statement about me.
> Colour. This might sound silly, but I don't like the 2 most common colours of Irish RX8's: red and silver. I think the silver looks kinds cheap and tinny, and the red just too flash and cheesy. The light blue is nice and I'd have that colour, but for me the Nordic Green, Grey and Dark Blue are by a mile the best colours and show off the car the best. Sadly, these 3 colours are not that common at all. Black is kinda boring. No, couldn't have a red, silver or black one.
> Tax, insurance, petrol, oil. Meh, this stuff isn't that important to me, but the slightly higher than normal pricing on these is a wee bit of the consideration.

I should say that in all my time researching the RX8 I fell more in love with it every day. Watched loads of videos, read the forums, asked advice...and I could still look at and listen to it all day. And you hardly ever see one in Dublin, making it stand out a bit. God, just thinking about it is making me want to go off and look at some pics of it. Bah, maybe I am just trying to talk myself out of it......if anyone wants to put me straight on any of this stuff I think my arm could still be twisted!

MetzgerMeister

I don't know much about the Hyundai or the Celica but I can give you advice on the RX8 as I've owned one for the past 2.5 years.

There's a lot of myths going around about the rotary engine needing to be rebuilt/replaced etc. This is not entirely true. There was a german car company in the 70's called NSU. They built cars with single rotor and twin rotor engines. They didn't test them properly and just put them on the market. The lack of testing led to these engines blowing up.

Mazda have put a LOT of money, time, effort into making the 13B Renesis engine found in the RX8. If you finally do decide to get this, the following points will be of benefit to you:

> Forget about the 192bhp model and go for the 231. If you get the 192 you'll be wishing you didn't. You could also do what I did and get a 250 Jap import. You'll also be wishing you went for the RX8 if you get the Celica or coupe. Remember, the highest powered Celica you can get is the VVTLi 190 bhp. The lowest you can get in the RX8 is the 192 4 port. The 231 and 250 are both 6 port engines.

> Try and go for a late 2005-2007 model. The 2003, 2004 and early 2005's all had crappy starter motors which didn't spin the engine fast enough and led to flooding. I've a 2004 and replaced the starter and it was perfect. Doing this is also an option. Also, a 10K rev zone looks a lot better!

> It's a heavy car on petrol so you're lucky to have the fuel card. Also it does use a bit of oil but not as much as people would have you believe. As long as you keep an eye on it it'll be fine.

> Parts (spark plugs, ignition coils etc.) can be bought from the US from a number of RX8 stores at a fraction of the price of main dealers here e.g. a set of spark plugs from Mazda here would cost €280. From the US, $80 for the exact same plugs.

> As with any car, you should let the engine get to normal operating temperature before revving the nuts off it. Best thing about the rotary engine is that revving it is good for it as it can help clean the carbon build up from the rotors and rotor housings. Also, the noise is addictive!

> There's a LOT of owners clubs out there if you're ever stuck. Servicing is a very expensive thing to get done at a dealer's. Don't let the fact that it's a rotary put you off doing this yourself. It's still an engine with all the usual stuff and is in fact a very easy car to service once you know what you're doing.

Any other questions, just ask!

MetzgerMeister

Treehouse72 wrote: »

I recently seriously considered an RX8, but in the end very sadly decided against it after doing a tonne of research. What turned me off in the end was:

> Repairing and maintaining them should get more expensive with each passing year as they are being phased out.

Not exactly. The fact that they aren't being sold in Ireland due to the new tax system means that RX8s currently registered here have had their resale value left relatively intact.

> Yeah, reliability...I think this is much less an issue with later RX8's (2006-), but I just don't know if I could handle worrying every time I turned the key whether it would start. Owners will tell you that's 1/1000 drivers with that experience, which is fair enough. But still, that tiny uncertainty I think would bug my personality. You might be different though and have a better tolerance than me.

This is due to the starter motor in 2003, 2004 and early 2005 models. If the car has the upgraded starter, there's nothing to worry about as long as the oil is looked after.

> It is not really a great car for lots of short city journeys (lots of stop-start) which would be my main use of it. Too much engine being switched on and off.

Again, if the upgraded starter is installed, it's not a problem as long as the engine gets a good roasting every now and then to keep the carbon down.

> Worried about re-sale value v. other cars I could get. I think there is a chance these cars will degrade badly (in all the hidden nooks and crannies) as years go by. Seen a couple of videos suggesting this might be the case. Also, I wonder how much market there will be for an RX8 with any serious mileage on it...at the moment most used ones on the market have no more than 40k miles. Many have far less. What happens when I put 30k of my own on top - will people really want a 70k RX8?

Answer, yes. If they want one, they'll have to go for one that's already registered like I said.

> When I mentioned the RX8 to my dad's mechanic recently (and he's a master craftsman, a man who lives and breaths cars) he kinda made a curled up, disapproving face and mumbled something about spending a fortune on maintenance. This reaction from this guy gave me serious pause.

To get the car serviced at a dealers, this is true but as I said in a previous post, maintenance parts can be bought from the US at a fraction of the cost and DIYing is a good thing to get into with any car.

> I am not a petrolhead, although I love cars, and I think this car is better suited to someone who at very least knows the difference between a gasket and a piston (or should that be rotar?). For guys like that the car would be a dream I reckon.

Gasket and a piston?! Gaskets are in every engine. A normal engine would have pistons moving up and down. The RX8 has 2 rotors which spin around.

> I would have liked a post-2006 model as I think that edition fixed a lot of problems from the 2003/4 cars, but after 2005 was just out of my budget.

You have a good point here. However the main problem was the starter motor. Also, the 2003/4/5 models have the oil breather pipe linked into the air filter pipe. 2006 onwards have it routed to the maintenance port on the rear rotor housing.

> Thought there was a possibility I would look like a flash tosser in it - the kind of guy you look at and just hate. Don't really want my car to be that big a statement about me.

So you'd buy a car based on what you think other people would think of you and not because you want the car yourself???

> Colour. This might sound silly, but I don't like the 2 most common colours of Irish RX8's: red and silver. I think the silver looks kinds cheap and tinny, and the red just too flash and cheesy. The light blue is nice and I'd have that colour, but for me the Nordic Green, Grey and Dark Blue are by a mile the best colours and show off the car the best. Sadly, these 3 colours are not that common at all. Black is kinda boring. No, couldn't have a red, silver or black one.

The red and black models are usually the higher 231bhp models and the silver is 192bhp. The Nordic green is actually a limited edition "Nemesis" model with cream leather interior.

> Tax, insurance, petrol, oil. Meh, this stuff isn't that important to me, but the slightly higher than normal pricing on these is a wee bit of the consideration.

If you want a performance car, you're gonna have to pay performance car prices for all these

Bodhan

Hyundai is a sort of a girls car, nice and all but not that great to drive.
Celica has a boring interior and a little girly too, not bad to drive though.
RX8 is a mans car, great fun to drive, rev the nuts off it and feel the performance come through the handling. Yes it's a bit hard on fuel and you need to keep an eye on the oil, but I bet you'll be the only one living on your street that owns one.

RX8 is the winner from those three cars.

ShadowHearth

Listen, what batman says lol.

I would go for rx8 aswell. Specially if you got a fuel card. So the worst thing is sorted.

It's lovely car, but you will have to look after it. Make sure you worm it up. Change oil every 3k miles.

There's alot of rumors about rx8, but alot of people forget that it's an rwd performance car. Such cars do need more attention then your average corolla.

Thought if you don't care much about power or individuality then go for celica, it will be easier to look after.

Oh yeah rx8 is 4 door!!! ))

Mr.David

jaffa20 wrote: »

Rx-8. No doubt in my mind. Celica second. Hyundai coupe never.

+1

R8 all the way its the only one I'd be interested in at all.

Nevermind_

RX8 by a country mile, had one for about a year and loved it

mondeo

Rx8, a blind man on a rocking horse could see that...

Tea 1000

RX8 by far. Celica if you don't want to worry about the Rotary maintenance, Hyundai Coupe - no. Take it off your list. On a direct comparison with the Celica the Coupe looses every battle.
Add a 350Z to the mix also. Or maybe a 330Ci.

pert

Celica all the way.

Sure the RX-8 is a great going and looking car, but I've worked on them and know some boy who owns one.

They're not worth the hassle.

-Corkie-

Mazda Mazda Mazda..;)

Rodgeb

OP here.

Thanks all, great advice and tbh exactly what I hoped to hear:D

I think I was feeling the same as Treehouse72 where the heart was saying RX8 but was a bit nervous about it, however I feel more at ease now and if I get anything else I think I'll regret it!

Im going to start test driving a few now over the next few weeks, see what I can get by shopping around a bit.

If anyone has any further tips on what to look out for that would be great!

thirtythirty

Rodgeb wrote: »

OP here.

Thanks all, great advice and tbh exactly what I hoped to hear:D

I think I was feeling the same as Treehouse72 where the heart was saying RX8 but was a bit nervous about it, however I feel more at ease now and if I get anything else I think I'll regret it!

Im going to start test driving a few now over the next few weeks, see what I can get by shopping around a bit.

If anyone has any further tips on what to look out for that would be great!

It's worth asking what type of oil is in it, and asking them to show you a bottle of it.
If it's non-synthetic, you're golden, but if it's been chewing away on synthetic oil for the last 30,000 miles, there may be more wear in the engine than usual - they don't like fake oil!

MetzgerMeister

spottyelephant wrote: »

It's worth asking what type of oil is in it, and asking them to show you a bottle of it.
If it's non-synthetic, you're golden, but if it's been chewing away on synthetic oil for the last 30,000 miles, there may be more wear in the engine than usual - they don't like fake oil!

5W-30 is the one it should be using. Any owner who really does look after their car will have a bottle of it stored somewhere in the car.

Matt Simis

spottyelephant wrote: »

It's worth asking what type of oil is in it, and asking them to show you a bottle of it.
If it's non-synthetic, you're golden, but if it's been chewing away on synthetic oil for the last 30,000 miles, there may be more wear in the engine than usual - they don't like fake oil!

That doesnt sound right, the rest of the world moved on from that mentality years ago.
http://www.rotaryinsider.com/faq-tac40/rx8-synthetic-oil-gap46.htm

But then again, I do see a lot of owners saying otherwise.

muckwarrior

RX8! I have mine a good few months now and still look forward to driving it every single time.

If you're worried about reliability just make sure it has the newer starter and get the engine compression tested if you want to be extra safe. Do your homework and you'll be grand.

ABEasy

Yeah the Mazda is a cut above the rest performance wise, would love one but couldn't live with the petrol bill

If you are looking at a celica make sure you go for the VVTLI, lovely car to drive and looks great

And i'd throw the 350z into the mix aswell, funds permitting

tiocimarla

A hyundai coupe is classified as a hairdressers porsche 911 its for straight women or gay men lol steer clear,,,,RX8 all the way mate, im no mechanic but my girlfriend is a hairdresser and all her friends have 1.

Also I may add the possibility of it being knocked around by a previous hairdresser whilst try to navigate those dreaded parrellel parking spots etc. are higher than any other car lol.

Anan1

tiocimarla wrote: »

A hyundai coupe is classified as a hairdressers porsche 911 its for straight women or gay men lol steer clear,,,,RX8 all the way mate, im no mechanic but my girlfriend is a hairdresser and all her friends have 1.

Also I may add the possibility of it being knocked around by a previous hairdresser whilst try to navigate those dreaded parrellel parking spots etc. are higher than any other car lol.

@OP - You need to ask yourself what you want the car for. If it's for impressing people like the poster above, then the RX8 is better. If you drive very fast then the RX8 is better. If neither of the above applies then the Hyundai Coupé will do all you want while leaving you with a lot of spare cash to enjoy life's other pleasures. Remember, this car is for you.:)

bugs

Further stress the need to get a compression test on any RX8 you are intending on purchasing. It can highlight any current or future engine problems that a test drive probably won't.

That said, picked one up a few weeks ago after searching for a very long time for the right one. At the current market price they're fantastic, you end up with a proper looking sportscar with excellent interior and a silky smooth engine.