Hankering for an RX8

jiltloop

Hi guys,

Just looking for a bit of advice, I am currently driving a 04 toyota corolla which has 72k miles and which was pretty much my first car that I learned to drive in. I think it's been a great car, cheap to run and hassle free but I really like the look of the mazda rx8.
I have seen one for €4490 which is a 04 with 70k miles and is the 1.7 model. I love the look of them and hear they're lovely to drive (and have a great bose sound system as I'm big into my music). So I'm basically wondering if you think there would be much of a difference in trade in value between the two cars.
I have seen my type of corolla sell with more mileage for more than this rx8 is listed for. Do you think I could get a swap with minimal cash thrown in on my end? What kind of cash adjustment would you think would be reasonable? And what possible pitfalls come with the rx8?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

eth0

Jst when they stop making them everyone wants a bloody RX-8.

jiltloop

Hadn't realised they stopped making them, I've wanted one ever since they came out though.

Tea 1000

Are you aware that they are a rotary engine? They're all a 1.3 litre twin-rotor engine, two power outputs, 189 and 231bhp. Many threads on them in here. How much do you know about them?

They'll want the guts of 2 grand off you, sell your own privately and buy straight is the way to go.

jiltloop

Yes I know they are a rotary engine and I know there are 2 different power outputs which have equivalent engine power to larger capacity standard engines and I have tested the waters insurance wise for both models and it's been reasonable enough.
I know also that there can be maintenance issues with this type of engine which I suppose is one of the areas of concern for me. The car I'm looking at has had the coils and plugs replaced recently but I've heard of the need for engine rebuilds due to the tips of the rotar wearing down.
Any ideas if this is an issue and if so how often would this need to be done and at what cost? Also how often should the plugs and coils be replaced.
Another issue I've heard conflicting reports on is that the car requires very frequent oil changes and requires a specific synthetic oil. Is this true? And if so how, again how often does this need to be done?
Thanks.

jiltloop

RoverJames wrote: »

They'll want the guts of 2 grand off you, sell your own privately and buy straight is the way to go.

Really? Even though the cars are pretty much of equal value? I know selling my own car privately would be the better option, my only concern is that it might take a while to sell and then the car I'm looking at could be gone already. Tis a bit of a dilemma!

Tea 1000

jiltloop wrote: »

Yes I know they are a rotary engine and I know there are 2 different power outputs which have equivalent engine power to larger capacity standard engines and I have tested the waters insurance wise for both models and it's been reasonable enough.
I know also that there can be maintenance issues with this type of engine which I suppose is one of the areas of concern for me. The car I'm looking at has had the coils and plugs replaced recently but I've heard of the need for engine rebuilds due to the tips of the rotar wearing down.
Any ideas if this is an issue and if so how often would this need to be done and at what cost? Also how often should the plugs and coils be replaced.
Another issue I've heard conflicting reports on is that the car requires very frequent oil changes and requires a specific synthetic oil. Is this true? And if so how, again how often does this need to be done?
Thanks.

Oil changes are actually at normal enough intervals, and nearly all modern cars require their own special synthetic oil, so nothing new there, but be sure to give it the oil it needs. You need to check the oil level around every second fill, and top it up accordingly. If it has been looked after, it shouldn't be overly thirsty for oil.
A compression test is important when buying. Rebuilds aren't required frequently, but can crop up on neglected examples, and you'd be talking a nice few bob. But if you buy right then you won't have to worry about that. Look up the threads on them, there's loads of info from owners.

jiltloop

Thanks for the reply. What exactly is a compression test? And how would I go about getting one done on a car I'm looking at in a garage?

eyescreamcone

Thought it was an Audi R8 you were hankering for haha

jiltloop

pankajkumar4u wrote: »

hello

Hello to you! Is this the internet equivalent of someone walking into the wrong room?

jiltloop

eyescreamcone wrote: »

Thought it was an Audi R8 you were hankering for haha

If I had the budget I would probably go for that instead!

Alanstrainor

jiltloop wrote: »

Hello to you! Is this the internet equivalent of someone walking into the wrong room?

/Sorry...had to be done!

muckwarrior

Rotaries require non synthetic oil, so while you do have to be careful with what you put in it it doesn't require expensive oil. Mazda recommends oil changes at 12000 mile intervals, but knowledgeable/enthusiast owners know that oil is an important factor in keeping the engine reliable and will change it more regularly than that.

Coming from a corolla, are you aware how much fuel they use? You're talking high twenties best case scenario, but it can drop well into the teens around town. Not trying to put you off btw, I have one almost 2.5 years now and I still love it but not sure I could afford it if I had to use it for a daily commute.

muckwarrior

jiltloop wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. What exactly is a compression test? And how would I go about getting one done on a car I'm looking at in a garage?

Roughly speaking, a compression test will tell you whether or not the rotor tips are worn and if the engine is likely to need a rebuild. It needs to be done with a special rotary tester so not many places can do it. A small handful of Mazda dealers will have one, but if you're near Dublin and want it done by someone who actually knows something about rotary engines then look up 'the real podge' on irishrotary.com.

jiltloop

jiltloop wrote: »

Really? Even though the cars are pretty much of equal value? I know selling my own car privately would be the better option, my only concern is that it might take a while to sell and then the car I'm looking at could be gone already. Tis a bit of a dilemma!

YOu see they will be offering some sort of warranty with the Mazda, they'll have cleaned it and presumably prepared it for sale, even if they cut corners they don't pass on that saving to you. If they take in your car as trade in they have to do all that to it too, even if its mint they'll presume to a degree that its not to cover any issues that may or may not pop up. Think of the time and cost, than rates, tax man's cut etc etc etc.

jiltloop

muckwarrior wrote: »

Rotaries require non synthetic oil, so while you do have to be careful with what you put in it it doesn't require expensive oil. Mazda recommends oil changes at 12000 mile intervals, but knowledgeable/enthusiast owners know that oil is an important factor in keeping the engine reliable and will change it more regularly than that.

Coming from a corolla, are you aware how much fuel they use? You're talking high twenties best case scenario, but it can drop well into the teens around town. Not trying to put you off btw, I have one almost 2.5 years now and I still love it but not sure I could afford it if I had to use it for a daily commute.

Yeah fuel consumption is a bit of a concern alright. Atm I'm getting about 40-44mpg but I'm lucky enough that my daily commute is all free flowing and I rarely get stuck in traffic, it's about 60% motorway.

I think I need to go for a test drive, if I fall in love I'll put wisdom aside and buy the damn thing!

jiltloop

RoverJames wrote: »

YOu see they will be offering some sort of warranty with the Mazda, they'll have cleaned it and presumably prepared it for sale, even if they cut corners they don't pass on that saving to you. If they take in your car as trade in they have to do all that to it too, even if its mint they'll presume to a degree that its not to cover any issues that may or may not pop up. Think of the time and cost, than rates, tax man's cut etc etc etc.

Yeah that makes sense when you put it that way!