Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Most popular vehicles
Popular New Cars
- New Acura MDX
- New Acura RDX
- New Audi Q5
- New BMW 3 Series
- New BMW X3
- New Buick Enclave
- New Cadillac Escalade
- New Chevrolet Equinox
- New Chrysler 300
- New Dodge Challenger
- New Ford Edge
- New Ford Escape
- New Ford Expedition
- New Ford Explorer
- New Ford F-150
- New Ford Focus
- New Ford Mustang
- New Honda Accord
- New Honda Civic
- New Honda CR-V
- New Honda Fit
- New Honda Odyssey
- New Honda Pilot
- New Hyundai Elantra
- New Hyundai Santa Fe
- New Hyundai Sonata
- New Hyundai Tucson
- New Jeep Compass
- New Jeep Grand Cherokee
- New Jeep Wrangler
- New Mazda 3
- New Mazda 6
- New Mazda CX-5
- New Nissan Altima
- New Nissan Maxima
- New Nissan Rogue
- New Porsche Cayenne
- New Ram 1500
- New Subaru Crosstrek
- New Subaru Forester
- New Subaru Impreza
- New Subaru Outback
- New Tesla Model S
- New Tesla Model X
- New Toyota 4Runner
- New Toyota Camry
- New Toyota Corolla
- New Toyota Highlander
- New Toyota Prius
- New Toyota RAV4
- New Toyota Sienna
- New Toyota Tacoma
- New Volkswagen Jetta
- New Volvo XC60
- New Volvo XC90
Popular Used Sedans
- Used BMW 5 Series
- Used Chevrolet Impala
- Used Chevrolet Malibu
- Used Chrysler 200
- Used Dodge Charger
- Used Ford Fusion
- Used Ford Taurus
- Used Honda Accord
- Used Honda Civic
- Used Hyundai Elantra
- Used Hyundai Sonata
- Used Tesla Model S
- Used Toyota Camry
- Used Toyota Corolla
- Used Volkswagen Jetta
Popular Used SUVs
- Used Acura MDX
- Used Acura RDX
- Used Ford Edge
- Used Ford Explorer
- Used Honda CR-V
- Used Honda Pilot
- Used Hyundai Santa Fe
- Used Jeep Compass
- Used Lincoln Navigator
- Used Mazda CX-5
- Used Nissan Rogue
- Used Subaru Crosstrek
- Used Subaru Forester
- Used Tesla Model X
- Used Volvo XC90
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I know, completely different thinking, but it'll be awhile before hydrogen engines can be used in performance car applications
think a rotary-powered Insight or something ;-)
I don't want to put words in graphicguys mouth but I can tell you the problem that I've got with that whole flooding story:
Three very unlikely scenarios (bought car under invoice, car stalled out by itself after idling 15 secs completely flooding the motor requiring the replacement of plugs, AND dealer very reluctant to fix car under warranty but will fix it "just this one time") ALL happened to one guy???? Each of those scenarios in and of themselves sounds slightly suspicious; all three events happening to a single person stretches my credulity a little thin.
I don't think any of us (well, most of us) have a problem with reality-based criticism of the car in question; but I DO have a problem without outright provarication in a effort to put a car in a bad light.
Is there any truth to what he said? Has anyone heard anything similar?
Thanks.
On the plus side, the Protege5 drives much better than I expected, it is a scream for such a cheap car.
This is my first post. Bought an RX8 yesterday, and I live in Winnipeg, Canada.
The RX8 will be my year round car (even though we have snow from November until March in Winnipeg).
Even though it snows in Winnipeg, the streets are usually fairly dry after they've been plowed (usually within 24hrs of snowfall) ...
I have a few questions for fellow Canucks and Northern US residence.
#1 - This is my first real wheel drive vehicle. It snowed today for the first time, and the car was all over the road. I ordered 4 Blizzak Winter Tires (225/40R18).
The normal tire size is 225/45R18 ... will the Snow tires alone be enough to permit me to drive throughout winter? Should I add weight to the trunk for added real wheel traction? If so, how much weight? Should I have ordered 17" tires instead?
#2 You cannot install a block heater in an RX8. How do you think the car will start on those really cold -20C days (about -4 F)?
Actually, the 50/50 weight distribution is pretty good for snow handling, but feel free to put more mass in the trunk if you feel the rears slipping too much under acceleration. The good thing is that the rotary doesn't put out gobs of torque, so it should be relatively easy to control slipping of the drive wheels.
The RX8 comes with 225/45R18 Wheels.
Unfortunately - all 225/45/R18 snow tires are sold out across North America.
The dealership suggested I get 225/40R18 snow tires instead (and said it would fit) ...
Tirerack.com told me that if I get 40 instead of 45, I might as well keep the summer tires on, because the handling will be so terrible ...
I'm not a tire guru! All I want is a set of winter tire in the proper size that will permit me to drive throughout the winter!
Any suggestions or opinions???
That way, you can keep your snow tires mounted and switch back and forth between your summer tires and snow tires without going through the hassle (and cost) of continuous remounts/rebalancing.
HOWEVER, I really fail to see tirerack's point of view that a slightly shorter sidewall has anything to do with snow traction. Yes, it will make the ride a tad (almost imperceptible amount) harsher on dry roads, but I can see absolutely no reason why it would make snow tires as bad in the snow as slightly taller summer tires. Am I missing something here??
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
However, you could improve winter handling a bit more by going to a narrower tire of similar outside circumference. If you can't find any others in stock, having your current winter tires is better than having none.
if you are swayed by one report here of a stalling issue that may or may not exist, then good riddance to ya.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
OK - Spoke to TireRack again today - and they found me a set of 225/45R18 Blizzak winter tires ... so I cancelled my order for the 40's
I will be keeping my original rims and just changing the tires.
That being said, anyone else living in an area where snow is the norm in winter? If so, are you planning on driving your RX8?
Also, if anyone else has had experience with light cars rear wheel drive - high HP in Winter, and can offer any advice, it would be great!
Apperently the Nissan 350Z is horrible even with winter tires ...
BigMike - I have to agree with qbrozen - did ya even bother to test drive it?...jeeze....
One other point, can any knowledgable person explain to me why this relatively light vehicle with moderate hp gets gas mileage between 15-20 mpg. My friend, mentioned below, again, said that is just a characteristic of the rotary engine design, and the RX-7s didn't do any better; but I wonder why, after a 6 year hiatus for development, the engineers couldn't have done better. For comparison, I previously owned a 96 Aurora and that big car with a big 8 got 21 local and 27 mpg highway. My wife's 2000 Eldorado does even better. She gets 21-23 local, and we got almost 30 mpg [honest, including in and around mileage] on a 2K mile round trip to the Shell Houston Open last summer, and that Northstar 8 took regular. Curiously, my 300M with a 6 doesn't even come close to those numbers [20 local, 25 highway], so it surprises me that a small sports car isn't doing between 25-35 mpg. Just a comment and question.
gbrozen--You need to read the other threads on this site. One report?--there have been a number of them popping on the various threads, and several cars required tow jobs. I also spoke with a retired older guy I occasionally play r-ball with, who used to sell Mazdas, and who just got a Mazda 6, which he loves, and as soon as I mentioned this RX-8 stalling issue, he piped up that the rotary engines are known for this problem, and the RX-7s which he used to sell had it as well as some other sporty Mazda car the Como [sp] which I never heard of. But he was definitive that you have to learn to live with its ideosyncracies. And he emphasized that it used to be an absolute no,no to touch the accelerator while starting the RX-7. Now I never owned or drove any other rotary, but he seemed to know what he was talking about, and any FUD issues aside, a number of other people on this board have already experienced the problem without any reported solution.
Sorry for the long post.
Ah, wait.... found one more from dawurst posted on the problems board about 2 weeks ago. One post and then silence afterwards. Yup, yet another reliable source...
People keep bringing up the problems of the RX7 as you just have and, like you said yourself, that was 6 years ago (actually more like 8 years) and a completely different engine design.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
I've been an RX8 owner for about 3 months (mine was a "pre-order"). I've been following the development much longer than that. I belong to the local rotary group. I also follow just about every on-line forum regarding rotaries.
THERE ARE NO MASSIVE STALLING ISSUES WITH THE RX8.
As most have pointed out before, there were a couple of people in this forum that mentioned it. We don't know whether they were truly owners of the cars, or what has been the most likely case, a couple of people who "flit" into forums, state something as fact (usually incorrectly) and then flit out, never to be heard from again.
As with most things on the net, questioning someones motivation to post how "horrid" the RX8 is, is probably a good idea....maybe they have a competing car, maybe some jelousy regarding what has been reported to be a "bell weather" design by the press...some can't even stand it that the vast majority of us owners are delighted with our cars.
Common sense should prevail that there is a lot of disinformation being spread about the RX8. Some want the car, but want can't stand the idea they can't get one "at invoice". They believe that by stating this or that dealer has 100s of them in stock, will force their dealer to sell on the cheap. Some can't stand it that RX8 owners bought one after comparing it to their particular "favorite". Who knows the motivation?
Regarding MPG, while it does start out pretty dismal, after the engine loosens up a bit, MPG does slowly improve. I'm getting dead on what the MSRP says I should after 3 months of driving it.
Regarding touching the accelerator before starting, any recent fuel injected engine, regardless of make, shouldn't be "primed" by touching the accelerator before starting.
The RENESIS is a much different rotary when compared to the older ones you mentioned (like in the Cosmos or old RX7s).
Truth is, there are a lot of "old wives tales" about the RX8 that just don't hold water when you dig a little to find the true facts.
It sounds like you really enjoyed your test drive of the car. In short, it is an amazing car. For the price, it's hard to find anything with it's blend of performance, high quality, comfort and features, let alone the visceral feel the car exudes.
Buy what you want. It sounds like you are a Chrysler fan. I personally like the Xfire. I've read all the "bad things" about those, too. Think about what you know about the car...that it's built on what is essentially a proven Mercedes platform. If you like that platform, then I wouldn't give a 2nd thought to what I read in on-line forums. Funny, I just read a C&D article comparing the Xfire to the Mercedes counter part. They came to the conclusion that the Xfire is a Mercedes (down to the thinly disguised interior) in all but the name and it cost $10K+ less than the Mercedes.
I will say that the guys on the Crossfire Forum who have identified mechanical problems [tranny, A/C] seem to be getting almost instantaneous responses from DC [which I assure you is highly unusual] except on the visibility of the radio readouts, where they are basically getting blown off. Mazda seems to have solved the oil light/oil pan problem and is apparently working on the A/C, so maybe they can sort it all out. I thought their offer on the hp thing was really good customer relations work. 10 hp wouldn't have meant much to me one way or the other. The RX-8 still has 30 more hp than the MB engine they downgraded to and dropped in the X-fire. But throwing in free services and some bucks was a gesture indicating that they want this car to succeed. I suspect that it will.
As far as quirks, I haven't experienced any thus far. I've checked the oil regularly and have yet to see any change in level. The gas mileage of course is not great. I have been getting 16.5 mpg over the first 700 miles. I am looking for that to improve a little as the engine settles in. Gas mileage is low priority. All I can say is it is a lot of fun to drive. I too have the automatic, and having driven a 6-speed for a day before deciding on the auto, I am satisfied with the power.
The 6-speed I drove did have a check engine light on which I showed the dealer when I returned the car. No such problem with this one as of yet.
Enjoy your ride.
I realize that these vehicles have been in production for a short time, the manufacturer's tag on my door jamb says 7/03. Where these problems more evident in the earliest cars?
The check engine light issue concerns me since my other vehicle is a 93 Ford Probe GT and I have replaced the oxygen sensors 3 or 4 times over the last 7 years to correct this problem. That car has Mazda parts, coincidence?
The RX8 was on the market a while in Japan before being introduced to the North American market. So, any first year "bugaboos" (if any) have been addressed.
MPG starts off poor. As the engine breaks-in it gets better. There's been some wide-spread speculation that the Engine Control Unit (ECU) has a "trigger" that is set off at a predeterined mileage that keeps the engine from operating at peak power and efficiency until it is thoroughly broken in. Without the ECU "maps" from Mazda (which they aren't very likely to provide to Joe Public) it's hard to verify this, though. I know I'm getting much better MPG and power after 2K miles on the odo than I did the first 1,000 miles I drove it. Idling the car for any legnth of time is going to produce poor MPG, also. The owners manual states nothing about idling before shutdown. I would say if any stalling issues have occured, it was because of people using poor gas or somehow modifying the engine. Some would say "vapor lock" can cause stalling, but I haven't seen any sort of vapor lock issues in cars for 2 decades due to fuel injection advances.
The "check engine light" (CEL) has been reported on a few of the cars (including mine). The most common cause of this is running the car very low on gas and/or not tightening the gas cap. If neither of those conditions apply, there was a "port campaign" to reprogram the ECUs on early North American 8s (as noted by a "port campaign" sticker under the hood. The reason for reprogrammed ECUs on the early American RX8 deliveries was the fact that Mazda was concerned that the catalytic converters which gather moren than 100K miles may or may not pass the stringent Califonia emmissions. They don't know for a fact if they would fail, either. To be on the safe side, they reprogrammed the ECUs to guarantee the usefullness of the CATs past 100K miles. This, in turn, caused the HP claims to be restated (didn't affect the performance figures by the trade rags since the test cars had the reprogrammed ECUs). The reprogrammed ECUs caused the EVAP units to give off the wrong emmissions readings and the CEL to come on (that's what happened to mine). The solution was to put new EVAP units in the cars. If your VIN was affected, there's a TSB your dealer should have on how to fix.
The "low oil level" lights came on in a few cars due to the oil level sensors giving off the wrong readings during very spirited driving. After checking, those that experienced the problem didn't find the oil level to be low. Mazda has a TSB out about this. The solution is to put "baffles" into the oil pan that corrects the problem.
A/C works fine. It does cycle on and off on occasion (like when running at high RPMs). It is never unconfortable and always cold. The compressor will cycle on and off giving the impression, on very rare occasions, that it is momentarily blowing cool air (as opposed to "cold air"). It's usually only for a few seconds until the A/C compressor kicks on, again. There are various explanations for this. My dealer tech (a very good one) says U.S. models have all the hardware for "automatic climate control" that is available in RX8s in other parts of the world. But, U.S. models don't have the electronics for such a system like auto fan speed and auto vent control. This is what he says causes the compressor cycling. The A/C gets the interior to a certain temp (as controlled by the temp knob) and then cuts in and out to maintain that temp....kind of a "semi-automatic" HVAC system.
Again, very few cars are affected by any of this. If you don't notice a problem, then you have no worries. Throughout the world, Mazda has close to 50,000 RX8s on the road. A very small number have any sort of problem.
If the someone does flood the RX8 (and again, any car), another way to clear it up is to crank the car while depressing the accelerator all the way to the floor and then lifting off the accelerator.
and BigMike, if you test drove it and that didn't sway you, then nothing any of us here can say will change your mind. Nobody here has had an RX8 for a decade and can tell you what it's like owning it for years. But, there is no guarantee that an established model will last forever either. I agree with GGuy - drive/buy what makes you happy!! because that's all that matters....
I have a 99 300M and a 99 LHS. Oh and the RX8. Yes, I still have all three, don't ask why. I like the LHS over the 300M. LHS handles and rides better, especially steering. And its faster in the 1/4 mile. However, I love the RX8. I haven't experienced the stalling problem some are talking about and I have done the 'pull it out to the driveway to wash it' several times without issue. However I do let it idle for a few minutes now.....just in case.
Gas mileage in the RX8 isn't that far off either the 300M or the LHS, both of which get about 21, the RX8 gets about 18.5 if I drive all three about the same way - tough to do with the RX8...its just too much fun. I should point out that the 300M/LHS only weights about 300 pounds or so more than the RX8.
As for why the rotary uses more gas, well you have to fully understand the engine design to understand the reason for that. I accept the mileage...knew it before I got the car so don't worry about it.
If you ask me to buy the RX8 again....I would without a second's thought.
kewl...I can find no reasonable reason for anyone's claim that the RX8 stalls. Even in the dedicated RX8 forums (where most of the RX8 bretheren reside) have there been any reports of stalling. That's what leads me to believe a couple of people who may or may not own the RX8 and reported stalling, are really just some folks trying to "stir the pot". Who knows what their reasons are.
I've started my RX8 and shut it down within seconds in all types of weather and temps on numerous occasions. There is absolutely no reason for the car to stall unless someone is using poor gas, has a clogged gas filter or has somehow modifed their engine in some way. There's only been a couple of "tuner" companies that have done any 8 modifying and even they haven't reported any stalling issues.
I like the 300M/LHS. For what they offer (big v6, great handling car for its size, plenty of luxo features) and the discounts given, you can buy one of those for about the same price as an uplevel Accord or Camry. In my estimation, the LH cars are way better looking than either of those, too.
I believe it's hard for some people to understand the fact that something as small as a 1.3L rotary won't get 40 MPG. As we know, size isn't the culprit. We've been conditioned over the years thinking that the smaller the engine, the better the MPG. When a 1.3L engine puts out 210-240HP, and something that's as different as the rotary is when compared to a piston engine, all that power has to come from somewhere. Still, a car that is capable of getting high teens/to low 20s MPG and still break 6 sec in 0-60 runs is pretty amazing.
As all of us RX8 owners already know, short of an exotic car, there's nothing on the road today that gets the attention an RX8 does. I can't park mine or stop for gas or just get flagged while stopped at a red light without someone making overwhelmingly positive comments.
My favorite is going to the mall or the grocery store and coming back out to my 8 and seeing nose prints all over the windows from people who have stared into it.
And, as we all know, the RX8 is truly a joy to drive. It makes mundane errand running an event.
With the colors changing and the weather promising to be sunny, crisp and clear, I'm planning just to take a drive tomorrow on the country backroads in my 8 to my old college town. I'll probably stop and have lunch and turn right around and drive back for no better reason that to enjoy the RX8.
By the way,thanks for all your response to my more technical queries. Your help and knowledge is greatly appreciated. This is a great forum and once I found this the discussions helped me in my quest to purchase my car.
Someone said it some time ago, it is like driving a "rock star". What fun. To anyone still contemplating a purchase, simply put,... awesome!
The car ran fine after starting and running for about 20 seconds and the next start, sometime later in the morning, was just fine... Can't say I really put much into the interesting start this morning, I've had the DC cars do strange things on start-up every now and then to. The 3.5 engines in the 300M/LHS can sometimes make the most god awful lifter [like] noise you have every heard when you first start the engine and the gas smell is really strong. I'm not sure that the noise isn't really an injector. It clears up after about 10 seconds, but you would think the engine is coming apart for those 10 seconds. You can just imagine what I was thinking the first time that happened.
I would agree that it appears that some people are trying like hell to make something out of nothing. They act like the RX8 is the only car in the world that has issues. But then again I would expect them to do that given how jealous they have to be when the realize what they 'are' driving around in compared to the RX8 they could be driving around in. And in that vein I understand their plight. So maybe we should just be polite, shake our heads and smile as they tell us their stories. I know I do.
Still, I was a bit skeptical, so I started to follow everything I could find out about it before it arrived, knowing that I would be in the market when it hit our shores.
Originally, I was in the market for a 350Z/G35 Coupe. I had driven them several times. While great cars, I couldn't get over the one time I had seen and sat in the RX8 at the auto show. Before I plunked down $30K large for any car, I wanted to drive the RX8 first. I pre-ordered the RX8 with a refundable security deposit thinking I would not like it as much as the Z/G.
When my dealer got the first ones in, he invited me for a test drive in one of their demos. The rest, as they say, is history. While the 350Z may be marginally faster, the RX8, taken as a whole, was the much better car, IMHO. I even found the interior, materials and build quality to be better in the RX8 than in the Infiniti.
Then Mazda announced they would buy my car back due to the HP snafu. I redrove the Z/G yet again, thinking I might change my mind and get another vehicle. Even with the discounts I could have negotiated for the Z/G, I found I liked the RX8 even more than the first time I did the comparison. I was more than happy to take the free maintenance and $500 offer from Mazda for my troubles and keep my 8.
So, given the opportunity to take a 2 month RX8 test drive with no financial penalty still didn't dampen my enthusiasm for my car. It's that good.
This isn't an idictment of the 350Z/G35. As mentioned, they are fine cars. I just couldn't duplicate the thrill of driving the RX8 when compared to them. Given how good the Z/G cars are, that's high praise for the RX8.
Mazda was supposedly rewarding customers $500 and 4 year free maintenance for keeping their car after the HP error. Now, less than two months later, they are giving a $500 cash rebate to any potential buyer. I'm glad I decided against that deal. Rebates are sure signs that a car isn't selling up to par. This goes along with the large amount of RX-8s sitting on dealership lots (which I saw when returning mine). What are your thoughts on the rebate Mazda is giving out so soon?
dude that's gonna rock! I don't really give a damn why they start the rebates so early, but if Mazda's willing to give some corporate-level discount on top of whatever the dealer's willing to deal at, great!!!!!
btw, Z's around here are going for a few hundred bucks over invoice, so dealers are already discounting on their own to move inventory.
I had to have the car towed to the dealer after it would not start. The day before ( a Saturday) I backed the car out of the garage to clean it and pulled it back in. The next day it would not start.
The dealer said the engine was flooded and stated the car had to be run for ten minutes minimum after a cold start. Also, they'd fix it under warranty this time , but not again.
This sounded screwy to me so I called Mazda. They told me it should be run for three to five minutes after a cold start, and asked me if I'd received a brochure on rotary engine tips from the dealer. Of course, I had not.
I work about eighty mile from where I bought the car, and called a dealer in that city. They told me the engine simply had to warm up before shutting it down. That might be a minute in warm weather and somewhat longer in colder weather.
It's a pain to worry about every time I drive, but am getting used to it. But it shouldn't have to be.
Another issue that was frustrating was snow tires. The manual calls for them and to be installed by a Mazda dealer. But the dealers were saying they were getting no info from Mazda.
I called Mazda again and they faxed me a list of acceptable snow tires (the same ones that I had already found on the Tire Rack web site.) I faxed that to the dealer and ordered a set.
However, other than those two issues, I have not had any AC problems (although it was not in the 90's here in September), and have not had any check engine or low oil lights going on.
The car has gotten lots of second looks and favorable comments on the appearance.
My gas mileage has been 20.5-21.5 since I bought it, but it is almost entirely Interstate highway driving.
My only other question ( if there is any one out there still reading this rambling piece) is a "clunk" that occurs under the front end when first moving the car. It happens once, after either backing up or moving forward about two car lengths. It sounds and feels like I just drove over a pot hole. Two dealers took a look and both say nothing is loose. One said it might be the disc brakes slipping as the axle first started moving. Said Mazda's brakes were like that. There is no problem breaking, but sometime the car drifts a bit too much to the right if a bump in the road is encountered. Anyone have an idea?
See previous messages #1179-1181
Rebate or not, my opinion is that the RX8 has a more stylish shape than either the Infiniti G35 or Nissan Z. My feeling is this, if the manufacturer is offering a rebate because sales have not been good, that means that my vehicle remains a bit rarer. I'd rather pass one RX8 twice a week than pass 3 G35's each day. So, if popularity is evidenced by lack of rebates, and that is what you want, then go for it.
Park an RX8 next to a G35 and see which one attracts more attention. Back to my original statement,the G35 coupe is a nice car, very appealing. But, I would not trade my 8 for one.
Again, just let the market decide.
I'm not sure what rebate your discussing, but I got a $500 rebate when I bought my RX8 on 25 Sep 03. So, I know they were offering rebates even then....it's not a all of a sudden we need to offer rebates to sell the car.
If you want to know what the rebate was originally for and what I assume it is still for, it was for "college graduate" rebate. I graduated a while back, but thank goodness my wife is finishing her degree during the timeframe I wanted to buy an RX8! Had to put her first on the loan because of the rebate...oh well, a small price to pay for a $500 discount.
Almost 2K miles on my new ride and I'm still loving it!! Even the "Z" riders stare me down...had one intentionally park beside me a few weeks back. Admit the Z's are sharp on the outside, but I have better interior, lighter car...oh, and I have a BACKSEAT!
G35 vs RX8 styling....purely subjective, but while I like the G, the styling just didn't "grab me" like the RX8's did. Have to agree with "mkoll", I wouldn't trade my RX8 for a G/Z (even when I had the opportunity to do so). To each his/her own. The G's interior really turned me off and the 350Z's is even worse.
The "clunk" is indeed normal and is, in fact, the ABS calibrating itself.
docsrx...your dealer's service people are morons. Find another dealer to work with you. The drifting could be anything...crown in the road, out of balance tires/wheels, etc. To my knowledge, there is no such thing as a rotary "tips and tricks" sheet. You treat it just like you would any other car. Just read the owner's manual and follow what it says. You wouldn't happen to be from Iowa, would you?
cheez...if you're going to be upstaged, at least you were upstaged by one of the hottest cars around....a Lambo.
Just to let everyone know - the RX8 starts no problem in the extreme cold.
We just had a wicked cold snap this week ... it was -20C (or -4 F for Americans) ... and the car started no problem after being outside for 10hrs ...
I'll have an update on the Winter tires when they arrive next Friday ... until then, all I can say is the original Bridgestone Potenza's SUCK in snow or ice ...
I've added front and rear rotary accents, aluminum strakes on the sides, and now clear corner blinker lights... Every little step makes the car that much nicer! The corners are affordable and easy to install. Took about 10 mins for each light.
Other than a college grad program, there is no current incentives on the 8.