New Daily Driver
 

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Pics are close ups from the PO, it's dark here and the car is covered in bugs anyway. It's a 2005 RX8, 22k on it, 6 speed, sport package, 6 CD, HID lights, also has Konis installed. It also included a second set of OEM wheels with new snows, a front bra, and a muffler delete pipe that they used for autocross. Bought it from the original owners, nice people who had karts for their two boys and a very nicely built Mazdaspeed Protege for autocross use.

I had driven one of these several years ago and didn't like it, in retrospect I think I just drove a lemon. I decided recently that I need something that can haul my three kids when necessary, manual gearbox, rear wheel drive, ok MPG, and Japanese for reliability. The RX8 is one of a very few cars that fit my criteria, and it's a blast to drive. Very nice balance, excellent steering and brakes, good ride quality when the Konis aren't set to full stiff (like they are now), and the rotary loves to rev. I'm very happy with my purchase.

looks nice. congrats. i was looking for a dd and researched the rx alittle. haven't made a move yet.
enjoy
Steve

Congrats on a great purchase. It looks in fine shape. It was a car I considered before buying my Boxster but chose the latter. I would think that it is a ton of fun to drive. I used to own a Miata. Mazda does make fun cars to drive. Cheers.:)

Now, that looks like fun. Does it have the huge Bose boomtube in the back seat?

I've been considering one of these myself.

That's a great colour!

Such a finely balanced car.

Cool!! I've never driven one but I understand they are a hoot.

I will be curious to see how long you keep it. We had an RX8 with the touring package and kept it about a year. Was an ok car, but having to keep the rpm's up gets old and the gas mileage sucked.

Vehicular induced attention deficit disorder.........you are patient 0

When you start it up press and hold the trac control button. You will see the trac off light come on, keep holding the button until you see the second yellow light in the dash come on. (about 8 seconds)Have fun. :D
Also if you replace the overly compliant bushings in the rear control arms with a stiffer bushing the car becomes very very crisp and responsive to corner out throttle. I am a senior Mazda tech and have been top school on that car. very very fun.

A lot of complaining at one time about the gas milage actual vs. estimated. I guess the high revs probably contritbute to that. You are like the PPOT car tester with all your different choices.

Driving the RX at low RPM's will cause low mileage. They need to be driven no lower than 3,500.prm. If you drive the car the way it was designed to be driven they do fairly well.

I hear that when they are driven at proper speeds that they can't be picked up by police radar. It's something the Mazda engineers designed into the shape.

Cool cars. Keep after the engine oil, they usually use more than most.

Much better handling than I expected. Enjoy.

Cool car! Looks like a great DD. What kind of real world fuel mileage do those get when driven properly?

Congrats and "Zoom Zoom!" ;)

Cool car. Lots of luck with it. Drive it in good health!

Thanks all. To answer a few of the questions I don't believe it has the Bose system, I would have considered another Boxster but I need the ability to haul three kids, and because they're a two stroke motor with an oil injector you should be concerned if you're NOT using oil.

Frankly I didn't buy it with the intention of selling, but you wouldn't make much money betting against me selling a car.:) Thus far I really like it, the rotary is a responsive and ultra smooth motor that makes it fun to blast through the gears. Great gearbox, steering, and brakes, it really is a proper sports car.

Rick, where is the best source for those bushings? It sounds like something worth considering. I've been doing a lot of reading on the RX8, any other tips that might not be common internet knowledge? As a Mazda tech, what are your thoughts regarding oil weight and synthetic vs dino oil?

I would expect that to be a hoot at the track.

I should mention I left Mazda about 3 years ago but I am still in the loop. Mazda has changed their ideas about oil in these cars, DO NOT USE SYNTHETIC. It is causing apex seals to fail. Mazda has bumped up the warranty on the engines because of originally recommending synthetic. I am not sure if it stayed with the original owners but knowing Mazda they will cover you. They are a good company. So far as the bushings go I haven't done any looking into the aftermarket world since I don't own one but I have installed a few sets of bushings and it does make all the difference in the world.

You mean this wasn't an April fools joke?

Nice find. They are pretty fun cars. Great color too.

We've been very happy with our Mazda 3, though the advanced development of rust in all the door jambs at 80K miles has us thinking this will be the last (newer) Mazda we'll own.
Though I doubt you'll have that problem under your ownership. ;)



BTW- How do you find the backseat room compared to the 996?

Mine came from NE and was a 4 seasons car (hence the included snow tires), it has a little bit of surface rust on the underbody seams and inside the wheel wells. I'm going to hit it with some white POR15 and it should be fine. I'm a big fan of the new Mazdas, my in-laws have a 2005 Mazda3, a 2009 Mazda6, and a 2011 Mazda3. All are driven by teenage girls ignorant to all things mechanical, and all have been flawless cars.

There's no comparison of backseats, with my seat adjusted normally (I'm 6'1") you can seat an adult guy behind me and he can actually access the seats via the suicide doors. Similar situation in the 996 is a little kid only. Like I said, practicality is one of the things that really sold me. Since you brought up the 996 though, I'll also say that the RX8 is a much more nimble car. I can see it being a lot more fun in an autocross than the 996 just because it seems so happy to change direction. I still love the 996, it's just a different sort of fun.

Wow, I had no idea. I had always assumed the back was just a +2 setup as in the 911s--great fro little kids and pets and nothing else.

Nope, you can actually fit an adult back there.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...z-SMoP-COb9uBA

what the over/under (in months) until he sells?

:)..

nice car!!

in at 4 months

I'm going long term 7 months.

BTW congrats on the latest DD. I look forward as always, to your comments about the car.

7 months, we got a gambler here! I'm trending towards normal with my drivers, I think I've had the Land Rover a solid 7-8 months now. Of course, I'll be selling it soon..... :)

Initial RX8 impressions are all favorable. It's a very fun, nimble car that's also reasonably comfortable. The steering and shifter are superb, and it has really good sport seats. It's nicely styled and seems overall well made. The rotary is different but in a good way. I'm a big fan of smooth rev happy motors, this definitely fits the bill. While it doesn't have V8 low end torque it's not totally gutless either, and it revs quickly enough that it doesn't feel slow around town.

Just a follow up after a month, I still really like the car. While there isn't an abundance of low-end torque the engine is so responsive and linear that it doesn't really matter, I don't find it to be lacking around town. Revving to 9k is addictive as well, and it is smoooooth. It's a very lightweight feeling (approx 3000 lb) and tossable car, it doesn't feel as large as it is and is very easy to rotate, I would describe the handling as balanced and playful. The shifter is fantastic, the best factory setup I've driven. I've hauled adults and kids in back without problems, it's proving to be very practical. The front seat, driving position, and relationship between controls is excellent as well. Good ride/handling balance, though the Konis make it a little on the brittle side on rough roads.

Overall I'm still damn happy with my purchase. Considering how cheap they are in the used market, I'm really surprised that they don't have more of a following. Except for so-so MPG it's a fantastic daily driver, and I struggle to think of anything else in this price range that delivers the same balance of fun and practical.

With a few up grades we'll have you moving :D

Pica Rx 8 6.85@ 196Mph New Record - YouTube

Idk Matt, how can you have so much fun in a "chick car".


;)

someone put me down for 11 months. :D

Bummed you sold the Discovery Matt. You had a nice one.

Up For Sale
 

I think Ray is the big winner at 7 months.:D

So after purchasing the S8 a week ago, I put my RX8 up for sale today. Typically I'm ready to sell my cars after a little bit, I get the itch and start shopping. The RX8 was very different, this is the rare car that I really don't want to sell, and if it seated five I wouldn't. I tend to compare everything to Porsches, just because I've had so many and they're just so damn good. The RX8 is the closest I've come to a Porsche in another make, because it has the same attribute of just being "right" in every way. Excellent steering and brakes, fantastic and short factory shifter, rev happy and responsive rotary, well placed controls, great seats, fun and tail-happy handling but also a great ride, and PRACTICAL. I have carried four adult men in this car with reasonable comfort, you can't do that in any other coupe.

So long story short, I really enjoyed this car. They're a real steal in the used market, I think one of the best deals going. For anyone looking for a new daily driver I would highly recommend it. A few parting pictures......

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Now for the S8 thread :cool:

Except that it looks hideous? ;)

How much are you asking / what's KBB private party?

Too bad i missed you buying it, I would have loved to partake in the pool. Does the A8 thread have a pool going yet? :)

GL on the sale and thanks for sharing your car adventures.

G

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/713701-just-bought-new-car-its-your-fault.html


Different strokes, I actually really like the RX8 bodystyle. The flared fenders also make it very easy to place, much like a 911.

I have it out there for $14,950 OBO, which is a bit over KBB. Book values are funny on these, I shopped for several months and never did find a nice one for at or under KBB pricing. As usual, take book prices with a grain of salt. I bought this car to drive, and paid to get exactly the car I wanted. Even at my asking price I'm losing money on it, but that's how it goes sometimes.

Anybody need a good daily driver? The wife wants it gone, she says we have too many cars. I tell her no such thing, but she's not buying it.:cool:

2005 Mazda RX8 - Only 26k, Immaculate, Xenons, Bluetooth

Seven months... not too bad. Looks like Brillo nailed it.

edit: should have read more of thread. Carry on, nothing to see here...