Mazda Rx8 opinions

omb0wyn5ehpij9

As above, just looking for opinions from owners of RX8's?
How reliable are they? I have heard some bad stories!
Any opinions good or bad welcome

Cheers

Henry Ford III

There's a huge thread on these somewhere already Bryn.

Eoin

Henry Ford III wrote: »

There's a huge thread on these somewhere already Bryn.

Yep, here are a couple of handy threads. I think the problem is that "RX8" is too short a search string for the boards.ie search engine (I searched for "rotary" instead)

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055854945
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055598480

unkel

Henry Ford III wrote: »

There's a huge thread on these somewhere already Bryn.

+1

Here's one of the biggest recent threads

omb0wyn5ehpij9

eoin wrote: »

Yep, here are a couple of handy threads. I think the problem is that "RX8" is too short a search string for the boards.ie search engine (I searched for "rotary" instead)

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055854945
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055598480

Cheers Eoin

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Thanks for the links lads, after a bit more reading it put the final nail in the coffin about not getting one.....just too much hassle!!!

Matt Simis

eoin wrote: »

Yep, here are a couple of handy threads. I think the problem is that "RX8" is too short a search string for the boards.ie search engine (I searched for "rotary" instead)

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055854945
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055598480

You can search for 3 letter strings on forums by putting an asterisk on the end, eg:
rx8*

Will find "rx8" and any character afterwords in the same block, including 1 blank space. On the car itself, owners I talked to tended to miss the torque of other performance cars.

bugs

I had spent a long long time looking for the right rx8 for the right price. But after having a chat with eddie doyle out in bray, i realised that the only way to buy one second hand is either with a new engine or rebuilt engine.

His opinion (based on the increasing failures hes seeing on rx8s) is that eventually they'll go the way of the rx7, where people will not be buying them second hand unless theres proof of a rebuild.

Theres a possibility that engine life may be vastly extended by using specific oil and adhering to very regular oil changes but virtually no one will have been doing this.

I think its a great car but its definitely not one you purchase without doing a massive amount of homework.

MetzgerMeister

bugs wrote: »

Theres a possibility that engine life may be vastly extended by using specific oil and adhering to very regular oil changes but virtually no one will have been doing this.

You'll find that anyone who owns an RX8 and who is interested in it, knows about it etc. will be doing everything in their power to keep it going without needing a rebuild.

I am one of those people and there's a few other owners on here too who would be doing exactly the same.

Ferris

Theres an '06 231 with 35k in Merlin Auctions at the mo. That would be a brave buy!

Atomic Pineapple

The Rx8 is nothing like or is not heading anywhere like the Rx7, many many Rx8's are still motoring on original engines with high mileage.

MetzgerMeister

draffodx - would it be an idea to merge all RX8 threads for future reference? Similar to what was done in the rock & metal forum with a Metallica thread.

Atomic Pineapple

einheisserschre wrote: »

draffodx - would it be an idea to merge all RX8 threads for future reference? Similar to what was done in the rock & metal forum with a Metallica thread.

Ask -Chris- or Alanstrainor or Anan1 or eoin or kbannon or Onkle.

My powers, they do not work here

Jimmy Bottlehead

bugs wrote: »

I had spent a long long time looking for the right rx8 for the right price. But after having a chat with eddie doyle out in bray, i realised that the only way to buy one second hand is either with a new engine or rebuilt engine.

His opinion (based on the increasing failures hes seeing on rx8s) is that eventually they'll go the way of the rx7, where people will not be buying them second hand unless theres proof of a rebuild.

Theres a possibility that engine life may be vastly extended by using specific oil and adhering to very regular oil changes but virtually no one will have been doing this.

I think its a great car but its definitely not one you purchase without doing a massive amount of homework.

Problem seems to be people who just buy the car without thinking, and don't bother reading the manual. It's not a 'normal' car, and it needs more care than usual.

If buying I would imagine that an enthusiastic owner (like einheisserschre) is a must - you don't want someone who didn't bother checking oil, who flooded the car consistantly, or who didn't bother going back when service updates and recalls and checks were done by Mazda.

bugs

einheisserschre wrote: »

You'll find that anyone who owns an RX8 and who is interested in it, knows about it etc. will be doing everything in their power to keep it going without needing a rebuild.

I am one of those people and there's a few other owners on here too who would be doing exactly the same.

You will find that probably 90% of rx8 owners haven't a clue as to whats under the bonnet, or any other aspect of the car. Over a period of months/years i saw enough private owners that hadn't a notion of the maintenance on the car, just that it was "serviced".
Those that do know the ins and outs of it (as you do) are certainly in the minority.

Its a hugely popular car with your average housewife and moderately wealthy hairdresser wannabe, and i can admit that despite not being a housewife or a hairdresser.

The Rx8 is nothing like or is not heading anywhere like the Rx7, many many Rx8's are still motoring on original engines with high mileage.

Many many well maintained rx8's are finding their way to eddie doyle and joe duffy mazda for engine work. Eddie doyle himself thought that mazda had cracked it with the rx8 for reliability. But now hes starting to see an increase of cars with 40k+ on the clock coming in with low compression.

I own one, i absolutely love it, but i wouldn't touch a second hand one without at least a very healthly looking compression test result and a previous owner that knows what hes talking about.

Eoin

einheisserschre wrote: »

draffodx - would it be an idea to merge all RX8 threads for future reference? Similar to what was done in the rock & metal forum with a Metallica thread.

I'll have a look at those two threads and see if it makes sense to merge them. Sometimes it doesn't, because it can screw up the flow of the two conversations.

MetzgerMeister

bugs wrote: »

You will find that probably 90% of rx8 owners haven't a clue as to whats under the bonnet, or any other aspect of the car. Over a period of months/years i saw enough private owners that hadn't a notion of the maintenance on the car, just that it was "serviced".
Those that do know the ins and outs of it (as you do) are certainly in the minority..

Hence why I said owners who know the car and how it works

bugs wrote: »

Many many well maintained rx8's are finding their way to eddie doyle and joe duffy mazda for engine work. Eddie doyle himself thought that mazda had cracked it with the rx8 for reliability. But now hes starting to see an increase of cars with 40k+ on the clock coming in with low compression..

One of the causes of low compression could be lack of lubrication i.e. oil or even the wrong oil used. The correct oil is 5W30. A few owners I spoken to have used the likes of 5W40 only to have low compression after a while.

I've had my 8 for 3 years and I've always used 5W30 as have the owners before me. I know this because I have all service receipts for the car.

Atomic Pineapple

bugs wrote: »

I own one, i absolutely love it, but i wouldn't touch a second hand one without at least a very healthly looking compression test result and a previous owner that knows what hes talking about.

I agree with you there but a well maintained and properly looked after Rx8 will be fine to go 100k miles + whereas an Rx7 no matter how well minded was guaranteed to need a rebuild after about 40k - 60k miles

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I post on all the Rx-8 threads about my poor experience. I however posted about how great they were when I had one. I think the crux of the matter is that they are not that fast for the amount of fuel they use. They are unreliable ( yes I own a socket set, knew all about the car etc etc...) and they have a frustrating lack of torque unless you like the engine screaming near the red line all the time. On the plus side they are pretty rare, look good still I think, have a lot of good options and a great stereo and really sweet handling.

stevenmu

The Rx7 was an early evolution of the engine, and ran under very high boost. The engine has been slightly improved for the '8 and runs NA, so with proper care the engine should last much much longer.

the key to getting a good one as mentioned is to look for one that has been cared for, has had the oil kept topped up and changed regularly enough (Eddie Doyle recommended 6000k to me). Also worth pointing out is that the oil should be bog standard mineral oil, synth and semi synth don't burn as cleanly and tend to leave residue.

They do require a little extra TLC, they burn oil as part of the engine cycle (mine uses about 1l per 1500miles), so this needs to be ept topped up but you get used to how it uses it and when to check. You also need to let it run for about 3 minutes every time you start it up, shutting it down straight away runs the risk of flooding the engine. That's about it really, and neither of these really strike me as a big problem.

I love mine, it puts a big smile on my face every time I get into it and I've had it nearly 8 months at this point. The worst thing about them is they drink petrol, so not a car to get if you're doing big miles, but on the plus side hey use about the same whether you drive it hard or soft, so you might as well drive it hard. A bit of spirited driving is good for the engine too, they love a good rev. There's an audible beep when you get over 8.5k rpm, and in the US Mazda gave out a little card with each one saying "A beep a day helps keep me happy" or something along those lines

A fantastic car in the corners too, they stick to the road like glue, even pushing it in the wet, and when/if you do break traction they behave incredibly well.

The 231ps models are very well specced too, a fantastic stereo with in-dash cd changer, auto-climate, heated leather electric seat, the drivers seat is a lovely place to spend some time.

The engine really is the start of the show though, it is lacking in low end torque definitely, but once the revs are up a bit there's plenty of power and really picks up speed quickly. It's incredibly smooth too, with a fantastic sound.

I really don't think they should be overlooked because of some of their negatives, any really nice car needs to be checked out properly before you by it, and taken care of properly afterwards. This may need a little more of both than an avensis or an octavia, but IMHO it's well well worth it.

Jimmy Bottlehead

Paige Rotten Pail wrote: »

I post on all the Rx-8 threads about my poor experience. I however posted about how great they were when I had one. I think the crux of the matter is that they are not that fast for the amount of fuel they use. They are unreliable ( yes I own a socket set, knew all about the car etc etc...) and they have a frustrating lack of torque unless you like the engine screaming near the red line all the time. On the plus side they are pretty rare, look good still I think, have a lot of good options and a great stereo and really sweet handling.

Can I ask what problems you experienced?

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Flooding x 9 (followed all the instructions about short trips)
Lower cross beam bent on speedbump.
Spark plug problem.
Starter motor replaced twice.
Savage depreciation, impossible to sell.
Uses too much fuel, no range.
Not very fast

conacur

Paige Rotten Pail wrote: »

On the plus side they are pretty rare

I would have said the same but I notice an unusual amount of them are creeping onto the Irish roads these days.

Jimmy Bottlehead

What year was it? I'm looking towards a 2006/2007 next year, from what's written they seem to have ironed most of the bugs out of them by those years....?

triggermortis

I have an 07 that I've had for two and a half years now and its never given me a problem.
I knew about the fuel consumption and most of the other peculiarities of this car before I bought it and it has done me well.
I would steer clear of the early ones and the 192 versions

galwaytt

...mad idea, maybe: but has anyone ever done an engine transplant into an RX-8?

I'm thinking it'd be a ripe candidate for one of the MPS IL4 engines.........

unkel

galwaytt wrote: »

...mad idea, maybe: but has anyone ever done an engine transplant into an RX-8?

What!??? That turbo 4 pot is nothing to write home about.

The only reason I'd ever buy as ugly a car as an RX-8 would be for the rotary engine! As for engine transplants, maybe stick an RX-8 (much more reliable / less wearing and less oil consuming) engine into the beautiful body of an RX-7?

Now that was the prettiest car ever to come from Japan imho

galwaytt

unkel wrote: »

What!??? That turbo 4 pot is nothing to write home about.

The only reason I'd ever buy as ugly a car as an RX-8 would be for the rotary engine! As for engine transplants, maybe stick an RX-8 (much more reliable / less wearing and less oil consuming) engine into the beautiful body of an RX-7?

Now that was the prettiest car ever to come from Japan imho

...MPS owner's would deign to disagree, methinks..........as for me the RX-7 may be pretty, but meahwhile, back on earth, I need 4 seats. The clap-handy doors are a + for me on that, as well.

....so if I do a conversion, will you buy the rotary lump off me ?

unkel

You sure you want to be the Irish successor (in spirit) to the lad who fitted all those sh1te 90 BHP Nissan 2.8l tractor engines to formerly grand cars?

I thought not

Ferris

galwaytt wrote: »

...mad idea, maybe: but has anyone ever done an engine transplant into an RX-8?

I'm thinking it'd be a ripe candidate for one of the MPS IL4 engines.........

:eek:

Jimmy Bottlehead

On a side note to this, I got told by AXA (my current insurer) a few days ago I'd need 5 years NCB and be at least 27 for them to consider insuring me on an RX8 (24 years old, on my first named policy).

123.ie quoted me 1600e or so a month ago, while 25 Plus quoted me 2300e (both in a years time when i'm 25 with one years NCB), but 25 Plus said when i rang that they'd not even consider insuring that car. Odd eh?