I love the look of sporty cars, but i don't want to drive with a manual tranmission. The mazda rx8 caught my eye and i have seen a few with automatic transmissions. I have heard a lot of things about the rx8 that worry me, like that its high maitenence, it eats up oil and gas quickly and some stuff about the rotary engine that sounds like a pain. I was wondering if these things are true only to the manual, or if they apply to the automatic aswell(or if they are even true at all).
I appreciate any information i can get on the car! thanx
2007-01-07 18:17:06 · 7 answers · asked by Angie 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Mazda
This is also my first car ever, so im looking for something reliable. For the most part ill be driving to school and home and around town, not any long distances. Let me kno if you have any suggestions!
2007-01-07 18:41:26 · update #1
Theirs really nothing wrong with the car...rotary engines tend to be high maintenence, but it really only applies to rotary motors that have a lot of miles on them. With a brand new rotary powered car you really shouldnt have any big rotary related issues till you get into the 6 digit mileage, even then you could probably go to 200k on the original motor with no problems since its non turbo. the issues do apply to both manual and auto however. and i agree....if you want a sports car you really should buy a manual; however, the automatic RX-8 does come with paddle shifters on the steering wheel and an almost identical motor so it would still be a blast to drive. The automatic has almost 40hp less however. As for oil and gas, itll eat up gas for sure since it only gets 18 mpg, but it wont eat up oil. people like to say that but i have an 88 RX-7 with 118k miles and it doesnt it up oil at all, people will tell you to check your oil at every other gas fill, and while this is a good practice and you should follow just for the heck of it....you really wouldnt need to on a brand new RX-8. i dont with my RX-7 and my oil level is always perfect, probably losses a 1/4 of a quart every month or two, which really isnt bad at all. i say go for it if you have the money...but if youre gonna put a ton of miles on the car, i would choose a different, one, but if youre only going to be driving around your city with the occasional long distance trip, id say go for it!!! although i would prefer a manual myself....
2007-01-07 20:42:57 · answer #1 · answered by FCdrifter 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
This is a true sports car. It rides stiff, it turns on a dime and breaks on a dime. There is nothing wrong with the automatic version except that it is lower powered than the manual version and the base model's wheels don't look as nice. The RX8 requires higher than normal maintenance which means every oil change appointment should be kept and done at the dealer (- for the sole purpose of any software updates or last minute service bulletins that can be taken care of while your car is there, which is a constant occurrence). Of course many owners don't do this for various reasons. If it were any other Mazda it really wouldn't matter too much where you got your oil change but the RX8 is a little funky. The rotary is just different with respect to it's oil consumption, fuel and operating issues, which are not really issues if you check your fluid levels regularly.
But if you are looking for something RELIABLE, there are a lot more reliable cars (meaning you can slack on your scheduled maintenance every now and then and jump in the car and drive 300 miles with no worries) than the RX8. Buy this car if you are a rotary enthusiast, plan to lease it for no more than 24 months, are really religious about keeping your cars in tip top shape or you must drive a hot looking ride at any cost. In short, it is not a practical car.
2007-01-10 14:38:00 · answer #2 · answered by MrCead 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If this is your first car I would not recommend.
I gave a few thumbs up to the answers here, and I will tell you this.
It is not good on gas. Premium is a MUST, not recommended as Beno said. Oil must be checked every two tanks of fuel or even more, depending on how you drive it. It uses special oil, it cant be found at most gas stations, you have to get it at an auto place and carry it with you!
You cannot start it and move it right away when cold, and shut it off (I mean really cold, like winter). It can flood and not start again for a few hours, or until someone comes to clear it out for you.
Tires are very expensive, the ones it comes with are only rated to last for 40000km at best.
Automatics have 212hp, the manual has 238+ for 2006. More power in the manual.
There was 1 recall for the 2006. I cant speak for 2005. And I hear lots of not so nice things about 2004.
Long and short, I love this thing... but I am into my cars and I am religious with maintenance.. if you are a start stop and forget about it kind of gal, she is not for you...
Make sure you make an informed decision. Its an expensive precision machine that needs alot of respect (and you will be rewarded with lots of ZOOM).
2007-01-10 15:06:37 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I bought an 06 RX8 Manual, last june, I have never driven stick before but this car with its 9000 rpm redline is very forgiving. I took 2 in car lessons for stick and went and picked up my car and drove it no problems. It does consume some engine oil I think every 1500 km you need to check your oil levels, The recalls were for the 04s to 05s as long as recalls are done you should have no problems, if you decide to buy used, if you buy brand new there is no problems. It does eat up a lot of gas and it's recommended that you use premium fuel. If you have any questions I posted a forum where you can find a lot of answers about this car. Also I suggest getting the stick GT version not auto as it is more fun driving this car stick.
2007-01-09 04:19:46 · answer #4 · answered by Beno 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If this is your first car I would not recommend an RX-8, not that there is anything wrong with an RX-8. Its just that it does have a rotary engine which is a beatiful thing. And you dont have to worry about maintenence because Mazda makes a really good machine but when something does go wrong its kinda hard to find someone to work on it cept the dealership, or a rotary enthusiast. Can get kinda pricey. But if you are not worried about price I say go for it. They are very beautiful cars. Totally agree with FCdrifter. I used to have a '91RX-7 had to sell it cause started having kids but that was the best car I ever owned.
2007-01-09 00:34:20 · answer #5 · answered by willy g 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
dont get this car. they have been recalled like crazy. also they are gonna discontinue it from what i heard. i dont think its worth paying $30k+ for a sports car if its not in a manual transmission because the ride will just be the same as other cars. if you like it and you have the money go ahead but i would stay away from that car.
2007-01-07 18:25:38 · answer #6 · answered by wtfitsnguyen 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
2004-05 auto are 4speed.
2016-05-23 08:25:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋