Welcome to another round of What Could Possibly Go Wrong, my weekly deep dive into an aging used car that goes against the grain in some way. Whether it have a complicated engine, aging technology or reputation for falling to bits, these cars area all interesting alternatives to a used SUV.
The £1,500 used car scene is often awash with sensible cars with bulletproof engines but will often be run-of-the-mill choices. This week’s pick, the Mazda RX-8, can be found for as little as £1,500, but should you take the plunge? Read on to find out more.
Once popular rotary sports car now makes for a bargain
Then the penny drops. That stylish body is a hotbed for rust, the small engine is neither frugal nor reliable, and it’s cheap because the internet is awash with horror stories of catastrophic mechanical problems. The Mazda RX-8 is a cool car, but one that’s often best viewed from a distance.
It featured a 1.3-litre rotary engine that worked overtime to deliver up to 232hp. This, combined with a price tag of £20,000 new, placed it right against the likes of the Alfa Romeo Brera and Audi TT. It was against these softer sports coupes that the RX-8 excelled as a driver’s pick.
Parts supply is reasonably solid for the RX-8, and I was quickly able to lock down a rotor housing (£1,041.60), fresh apex seals (£349.99), and – concerningly – plenty of engine rebuild kits; the cheapest I found was £1,072.91.
It’s worth noting that running costs will be high too. That busy, rev-happy engine consumes a fair amount of oil and petrol. You’ll be looking at regular oil top-ups and 20 mpg at best with daily use.
There is at least a rich RX-8 enthusiast community to tap into – with a bank of specialist knowledge to answer questions and offer useful advice.
The combination of reliability concerns and less prestige than rivals has resulted in very affordable used prices. Tired examples are as little as £1,500, but these will be ticking time bombs as far as the engine is concerned. Its key rivals, the Alfa Romeo Brera and Audi TT, can be equally cheap for tired examples, but these will be far more reliable.
Mazda discontinued UK sales of the RX-8 in 2010 and now only offers the more conventional, but excellent, MX-5 as a sports car. Mazda has, however – despite the reliability woes – persisted with the rotary engine. The current Mazda MX-30 R-EV utilises a rotary generator partnered to a plug-in hybrid system to reasonable success.
To find out more, read our full Mazda RX-8 review
Pros
- Interesting, zippy engine
- It’s a four-door coupe
- Very affordable used prices
Cons
- So much rust
- Expect to rebuild the engine at some point
Looking to buy a used Mazda RX-8? Here’s the lowdown on what to look for:
Engine. This is a big one, the apex seals on the rotary engine wear with age leading to weak compression and rough idling. Spot either and you’ll be looking at a costly engine rebuild.
Oil. You’ll need a lot of it. All RX-8s will use oil during use and you could be looking at a 500ml top up every 2,500 miles. Only use mineral oil too, synthetic stuff will not help with the engine internals.
Rust. Most RX-8s will have bubbling to the arches, rust on the sills as well as the rear subframe and mounts. Generously slathered underseal can’t make up for thin paint and water-trapping rubber.
Steering. Make sure the steering feels nicely weighted. If not, the electronic power steering might require repair or replacement.
Clutch. It doesn’t like stop-start traffic and can wear quicker than expected. Some clutch slipping will be required for smooth gear changes at low speeds, and a new quality clutch is expensive. A cheaper unit will only last 20,000 miles.
Should you buy a Mazda RX-8?
No. Not unless you’re shopping right at the top of the market or prepared for eye-watering maintenance bills. There’s something undeniably cool about the Mazda RX-8 but finding a sorted example is increasingly tough. Rotary engines are mechanically fascinating but require such a degree of specialist care that it’s simply not worth it for most people.
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