I have always dreamed of buying an RX-8, love everything about it, and then when I got seroius I began reading reviews about the car. Sending the car into the shop for anything and everything.

For you experts out there, I will be working 5 minutes from my house, and am unsure if this is a logical car. If I do what is required (checking oil, warming engine) will the car be fine. I have read so many negative reviews I am just hoping those are the people who are stupid and want to bitch about something, and all the follow-up posts are snowballers. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hoping to be a new RX8 owner.

 

5 minutes is not too short of a distance for a daily commute in an RX-8. She will want to be taken out for longer rides though more often or you can get some carbon accumulation problems that can develop into flooding probs and shorter engine life. The cars are such a wonderful drive though that you might end up finding a more scenic drive to work just so you can spend more than 5 minutes enjoying the trip. The automatic equipped cars have been having much more engine problems then the manual trans cars but the sticks are so much more fun with the extra horsepower that who would want an auto anyway.

 

yeah an Rx-8 drover drove my car and I got to drive his, our cars perform identically, so if you want a more comfortable modern version of the legend that is an S4 Turbo II Rx-7 the car is full of fun and enjoyment. (It has more torque too)

I love the car, but yeah as long as you get the revs up pretty hgihe before shifting every now and then, that should clear out any carbon buildup. Also warm it for 30 seconds ot a minute befor edriving and cool off for 15 to 30 seconds after driving and you will extend engine life. Allow cooling to take place for several minutes after hard driving. Check the oil once a week and keep it filled and get the matenance that Mazda recomends for you at specific tiem intervals. Use 93 octane and it'll be VERY reliable. (less than 1% of Rx-8s have had problems which is very fgood for a new car, most cars have a 3 to 5% problem ratio after release)

 

I have owned my RX 8 for 2 1/2 years now with about 34,000 miles on it...automatic GT. It starts every time and it's been very reliable. Here and there I get some hesitation from the engine......mainly before it's fully warmed up. I have had all the usual flashes from the beginning but nothing that really has been a major problem. You have to be a car buff to enjoy this car and understand and deal with it's little quirks....engine having to be warmed up, more frequent oil checking and filling etc. Oh, I have squealing brakes which they tried to fix twice already with no luck......my only problem right now. It's a blast to drive and the car is beautiful and the interior is the best I have ever seen. I would recommend the car only if you are really into it and don't mind the quirks. I get a ton of compliments and looks from strangers all the time so it's an attention getter. My mileage has now averaged about 17.5 mpg. It was 12 mpg when I first got it. It was about a couple months till I started seeing the increase in MPG I think. If you are in an area where it has cold winters with snow....get winter tires...a 100% difference....handles great with the winter tires on it. Hope this helps you in your decisons...p.s.. I am a 40 year old female driver...I love cars!!!!

 

Rotary engines aren't exactly renowned for their reliability, but the Renesis engine is far more reliable than the Wankels. The exhaust and intake ports are located on the side-housings rather than the actual rotor-housing, so the apex-seals now rotate over a constant smooth surface; also, there is no complex bisequential twin-turbo system like the 13BTT's. Of course any engine is bound to become unreliable if abused, but if driven correctly and properly maintained there's no reason why a Renesis shouldn't last as long as a Honda 4 (as pre-mentioned, allowing the car to warm up before engaging in any driving adds to the longevity and "smoothness" of your rotary). I know quite a few RX-8 owners that drive their car daily and have yet to hear a complaint from any of them.

 

Hey cruzdreamer, when was the last brake noise fix done. I too have been waiting for some type of fix from Mazda for a continuous squeal noise from front pads during light braking and they tell me they have one now. Latest updated pads and shim kit TSB was released in April of this year. Have not had a chance to see if they work but you might bring it up to your dealer. Link below is to the TSB.

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...01-06-1568.pdf