I am new to the coup/car world as I have owned nothing but Land Rovers for the past 5 years. But it is time for me to move on and get away from the high maintanance rovers. I have chance to buy a Mazda RX-8 (auto, good condition) with 85,000 miles for $1000. I know very little about mazdas but I love the looks of this ride and love how it drives. But I guess I am wondering if these have alot of maintance? Also, is 85,000 miles alot for a mazda or does a mazda with 85K still have a lot of life left? I test drove the car and enjoyed it and the person selling it is the first owner who has maintianed it well. Just wondering if an 85K mazda RX-8 is going to need alot of work in the near future? Thanks guys.
-Mark

 

Ooooo!! That's a tough question, Mark. And did you mean $10,000?

Rotary's have their issues and if you are not prepared to do any work yourself, it could cost you some big bucks.
If the car was well maintained during it's 85K trip, it could be quite nice!! But, if abused, you might be in for the nightmare of your life... and I am aware of the reliability issues of the Land Rovers.I wouldn't touch one of those myself.
Has the car been Auto-crossed, dragged or Rallied? Was it a "weekend warrior" to the previous owner? Have you looked for a CarFAX report on it? I'd be very leery of this car if I were you. Before you buy it, be very thorough in your research.
May I suggest that you get on all the RX7-8 & Mazda forums you can find and read, read, read. Ask questions. The rotary engine is not for everybody and is an entity unto itself.

 

I'm with Virgin1. After owning 4 RX7s I have come to appreciate the Rotary a lot. Research the RX8 as much as you can before deciding on you purchase.

 

Two things to consider are:

The rotary engine has a quirk where you really don't want to shut it off without the engine coming up to temperature. In cold weather this can be especially bothersome, but in warm weather it can still be inconvenient depending on your driving patterns. For me, it is a little annoying since, if I want to wash it, I have to back it onto the driveway and let it run 5 or 10 minutes while it warms up (though I'll admit I just go ahead and wash it while it's running). However, pulling it back in the same rules apply. When I first got the car and didn't know any better I would just drive it out and shut it down right away. I went to start it one morning and the check engine light was on and it wouldn't start. That's when the dealership reinforced this quirk.

To some extent the second quirk is that it doesn't get the greatest gas milage. With todays prices it's something to consider, though if you've been driving a Range Rover I imagine you're used to not getting great milage.

Aside from these issues I have to admit that I really love this car. Driving it is a joy and despite reports from other people, it's beenpretty reliable. I've had a few little issues (half of which were introduced by their software updates to other issues).The dealer has been pretty good about fixing them and giving me free rentals so I can't complain too much. It's only come to that about three times in about 4 1/2 years of owning the car, though.