The good thing about the Z4 is that it's so hard to tell if the car is brand new, or 12 years old ;) Also it's one of the very last BMWs I really like and that is because it's one of the last BMW that has all the key ingredients of a real BMW. Athmospheric 6 in line engine, read wheel drive, an interior like a jet fighter and even flush door handles. The Z4 isn't just the car I would pick out of this lot (with actually very very strong contenders), it's the only BMW since the 00s I would pick in any way. ;)
+Tom Y yes, but for a person from Romania for example (like myself),you get them cheap in the UK,and that's that. only problem is that the wheel is on the right side
I'm assuming you're meaning shipping it back to Romania in which case there will be extra costs there, make no mistake. otherwise you're just being thick and seem to think that because you're Romanian insurance doesn't apply to you in other countries?
henry park Doesn't make a difference. The cheapest 3.0i i can find in Australia... www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/BMW-Z4-2003/OAG-AD-2613624/?Cr=6 (bit over 10.000 pounds including stamp duty. yeah. fuck you and your impudently cheap cars, england!
+ALIENdrifter66 not particularly. From what I understand, it may be due to the oil used. But a bit of research now said it's dependent on how you treat it, which makes sense.
+lvcsslacker there is a way to solve engine issues (apex seals) you just need to put 2 liters of 2 takt oil every time you top fuel tank, but after 80 k miles it's allready to late and so much oil in gasoline is not god for catalyctic converter. some owners even use mineral oil 15w40, when engine is taking much of it becouse mineral oil burns better then synthetic oil and there is no carbonisation on the engine.
+lvcsslacker My 87 RX7 went over 250k miles without a rebuild or any problems at all really, heck I wasn't even overly meticulous about the oil, though generally stayed on top of changing it regularly.
Here in Finland prices (Euros converted to British Pound Sterling) start around: Z4 3.0i £17.000 (82.000 miles) Boxter S £21.000 (89.000 miles) RX-8 £8.700 (87.000 miles)
Had a 2004 rx8. Loved the way it drove. Engine went at 34k. Seals. I think it might have been I let the oil dip too low once. But not sure. Mazda replaced it free. Traded it in 2013 for 7500 usd.
I would go with the BMW, is gold-digger magnet, sturdy buildt and one of the best engines out there even if it was abused it will last forever and BMW maintenance is not as expensive as Porsche
CSmithyPx Even with that, you get a rebuilt engine at that point and it's still very cheap. An RX-8 over here in North America is actually quite economic compared, so in my perspective they don't use that much fuel. It's a great deal regardless.
enigmaPL I guess so for economic over there but I get 26MPG and costing an arm and a leg in fuel. Also I always thought rotary cost so much money to maintain. Because I would have got a RX8 over my mx5 otherwise :P
Expect to rebuild whole engine on 50kkm. Expect 15l/100km and no torque. Mileage worse than on any BMW M3. Also wanted RX8 very badly, but there's a reason they are so cheap.
If there is a loss of compression from not looking after the engine properly then itll cost 3 grand for an engine rebuild - Since no one tests them you are taking a massive gamble + it's more like a 4.0 litre petrol engine
Haha ...well as an owner of an RX 231( which had engine rebuilt by a specialist, Coil upgrade, and a streetport) and now a Z4. I can tell you one thing... Well as I am picking up my Z4 in 2 days it's in relation to the RX8.. I have had 2 now...first failed, super low compression and oil seal failure( probably due to bad owners) and second is now suffering coolant seal failure, only 27k after a £3500 engine job) and I'm like a complete anorak in terms of rotary care... I'd say... It's an unreal car..the sound..and looks( I dont feel the same to look at the Z4) but it really is one where you never trully feel at "ease".. It's fuel was completely terrible...don't let anyone fool you...if you drive like a real human...then you get 17 tops. So what I'm saying is...the saving on this rx8 is offset by the cost of a new engine or in my case... Taking the whole thing out..to do the seals(no easy HG job here)..time=money. Once you have your engine done...you still won't be safe from the wanker...erm I mean Wankle failing on you. I'm not hating on it... Just be sure that you can live with pain lol... I am sad to have to get another motor as it won't live up to the RX8 in looks or sound...but will give me some solice my wallet won't be removed from me at mach 10 or leave me getting the bus or driving my old as he'll Jeep 4.0 which kills 4 trees per minute..and leaves us facing extinction quicker.
For all you saying 'no chance these cars cost anywhere near £5,000... I've just went online and instantly found a Boxster S for £5,295, a Z4 for £5,475 and a LOADS of RX-8s for around £2400 mark. ( and thats with a 5 minute search on Autotrader ).
Good lad I’m on my second one started with 987.1 2.7 and had to go for the 987.2 3.4 .... it’s a hoot my advice is try to get the 987 gen 2 it’s brilliant has to be 3.4 push the boat out you won’t be disappointed
"I would pick the RX-8 I enjoyed it more than the others, especially the constant fuel stops, refilling the oil and that one time I flooded the engine and needed a tow" BMW all day long. Just my opinion though. unless its a NEWer Boxster
Boxster is a good buy if it’s had the IMS fix. You need to be braver to get into the RX8. Z4s have aged very well. You could also be looking at NC Miatas, and if you stretch the budget a high mileage S2000. It’s all risk management, try to pay less for he more riskier choices so you have some buffer for repairs. Or even better go a little bit further and get into a ND Miata or 86. Depreciation is hitting modern cars stronger then ever!
No mention of two major engine issues: RX8 - you'll need that spare £K3.5 for fuel ( a friend got 16 MPG when new) and the replacement Wankel engine when that one goes pop (as so many do - there's a reason they're that price) Boxster - IMS bearing issue and RMS - the former is well documented and with JP quoting a figure of £K10 to replace the engine which is often totalled by IMS - again there's a reason they're that price. If you're going to do a professional review and recommend purchases, at least mention the most well reported issues so that people can do the research and make their choice accordingly. A bit disappointing this. Still - he recommended the RX8 because at least you can buy three in total for the price of the others and dispose as appropriate. They are three great cars - but those two at least have a well known engine history.
+Labrinos Kalliakoudas the facelift version got even more power, and TBH is a better all rounder than the Z4M, as it has nicer ride, and a slightly less frenetic driving experience.
The problem when it comes to the Honda S2000 is that it held it's value better than the three cars that were profiled. They wouldn't have been able to find a comparable S2000 at the prices for which the BMW, the Porsche and the Mazda could be obtained at that time. As of now (2018), S2000s have already bottomed out in terms of used prices and are actually appreciating in value.
The RX8 was always my favorite car, just something about the hidden rear two doors and the insane rev range. Sadly from all i've heard about it, I dont think i could afford one.... but who knows!
And the rest. I haven't seen any for less than £7000, and they weren't in great shape. At that point you're knocking on the door of Lotus Elise prices, and I know what I'd rather have.
they dont say anything for the taxes though....for example the 2.7 boxter s in greece is way of the budget of a mid citizen.....even in the 1.3 rx-8 you have to pay like 350 euros per year......have in mind the running costs like fuel, tires and things which in these cars are very expensive......
OK thanks. With the Boxster the first things you would want to replace is the clutch, IMS bearing, oil separator, water pump, and serpentine belt. (if they haven't been replaced before)
You can drive a Boxster everyday, it has room in the front and back for luggage because it's mid engined, this also means great handling But he said nothing much can go wrong before 100,000 miles, not quite right there...
IIproductionsII you've picked up an outlier then. I just looked then and the cheapest Boxster from 2000-2005 I could find was 19k and that had 200,000 km's on it! After that, they immediately jump to 26k+
listen up people, don't get an RX8...the engine will cause you nothing but headaches. You get what you pay for so save for something with a 6 cylinder engine...like the 3.0 Z4. I sold my rx8 for a Z4 and it was the best thing I ever did
Z4 actually came in 2.2i engine as well the 2.0 was introduced in 2005 models, if you want a sports car it has to be the 3.0 as it gets similar mpg to the 2.2 and 2.5 anyway, my choice would be the 2.0 as the economy is actually decent enough to live with on a daily basis without breaking the bank and is still a fun car to drive
A Choice between an engine known for the slight chance of exploding due to seals, One known for making ticking sounds and one known for being hard to service and needing frequent rebuilding and guzzling gas AND oil. I'll take the one with VANOS issues.
It can get over 100k km's if you premix without need of rebuild, and by rebuild i mean changing apex seals, and it would be great to change other seals to. What kills this engines is lack of knowladge, and lack of maintance this engines are actually very simple beasts they don't have as many moving parts as conventional engine so less things that could go wrong, all cars need to get some work done from time to time, you need to change your timing belt, gaskets, tensioners etc etc. My current 13b has over 170k km's done and for over 2 years now it has been used strictliy for track use with no problems, and keep in mind this car is pushing around 450bhp for quite some time now.
You still cannot deny that your engine needs more frequent care. That and finding an independent mechanic that works on Rotaries is a nightmare. Meanwhile, a Straight six is rather simple and a lot of shops can fix most of the issues that may arise. The Rotaries are very smooth engines that make decent power when boosted but, servicing isn't exactly easy especially since most independent shops don't know how to actually service Rotaries...
I don't know, here where I live i have plenty of shops servicing rotaries i can name 3 in 20km radious. It doesn't need actually that much servicing even through i run her only at track. As i said changing apex seals is similar to how often you need to change timing chains etc. Actually here where i live servicing any german car is a neightmare I had an 911 before my FD3S and it was pretty terrible to get any parts for her, and lots of them had to be imported from germany, not to mention i had to get the gearbox rebuild which costed 1/3 of car price!
島マット I just noticed that you have a Japanese Username... Do you happen to live in Japan? If yes, that would explain quite a bit. Seriously, Here in the Philippines there are a lot of Euro car specialists and around 1 or 2 Shops that can work on a Rotary... That's for the whole country. Pretty sure that in America, there's a lot more shops that work on Euros than Rotaries too. If there were a lot of Rotary familiar mechanics, they wouldn't have LS Swapped nearly the majority of RX7s there.
Yeah, those poor low end sports cars have a lot to endure ;-) Imho, the S2000 is the winner because of its awesome driving qualities and epic engine. Best 4 cyclinder ever! Ok, I've had 5 Honda's before so I might be a fan of the brand. Then again, also owned a Mazda and a BMW..
I've heard from many people that the engine in the Mazda, (depending on how hard its been driven of course ) has barely 70,000 miles in it before problems start happening. Expensive to fix problems.
The solution is to have a compression test done on any prospective RX 8. Mazda also has a gigantic extended warranty on the engine because of the apex seal issue. I've had mine for 4 years, including track use, and it's a great car for the money.
closer to 100k miles in most cases, and if you are within the 8 year warranty you can get the rebuild done for free, not that it is too expensive otherwise. Some garages will rebuild it for as little as $1100 USD minus parts. the apex seals are the problem about 90% of the time.
A great bit of media for the ignorant! You buy either the Porsche or BMW at £5,000 or less and you'll most likely regret it. Buy the Mazda for £1,500 and you're totally fucked. The RX-8 engine starts shitting itself around 80,000 miles. Some before and some much later. It depends on who owned it before hand - these cars have to be looked after in a very specific way (feeding it oil, NEVER make short trips where the engine cannot get up to temp - and considering most idiots these days can't do a minor service on their own cars I don't expect the clueless middle class twit that first bought it to do more than fill up the washer reservoir). And you can bet your ass no dealer on this planet will tell you the truth, even if they knew it. That said, I'm a keen a DIYer and once I have enough money I'm buying one for around £2,000 with the knowledge it's engine is buggered, with the intent purpose of rebuilding the engine myself with a kit of eBay for around £1,000.
You are spot on, all engines will eventually fail on the Mazda's that's why you should only buy a rebuild or budget to rebuild yourself. Search mine on ebay, its a silver 231 up for £2995 right now and its great! If are looking to rebuild then you needn't spend more than. £500 , if you want a quality one already rebuilt then give me a shout!
This is true... I'm on my second and final lol... The first was probably badly cared for... The newest.. I had a engine rebuild done by a specialist...along with a streetport..uprated apex seals...BHR coils(the best)...and it has now failing coolant seals..life's a bitch sometimes lol
My RX8 and Z4 provide plenty of fun for cheaper than my mates Fiesta, can't fault either. Z4 3.0 has been bullet proof and provides decent mpg, rx8 2 years on has been faultless but no fuel economy lol. For the price though who can complain? Buy with a fresh rebuild with warranty like I did for peace of mind and your laughing!
the flavabomb U see I'm a keen DIYer that would want to do ALL the work myself. I could be wrong but getting a fairly newish one for £2,000 with high miles but fully loaded, is a smart move. I've only heard great things about this car, except its engine life-span and it's fuel economy. But going into with my eyes open, I hope to come off best. After all the repairs/maintenance I'll have spent almost £4,000 but then I'll have a beautiful looking car, solid all around with a beautifully designed interior, great sound system, lightening fast and great through corners. I'd never sell it, just use it on sunny weekends for fun. I'd love to hear from somebody that has done what I plan to. Perhaps I'm not seeing something that could throw a spanner in the works??? That said, I think I'm a dying breed. I'm 25 and none of my friends work on their own cars. No body is interested in how stuff works any more....or is that only my friends?
An RX8 for 1500 pounds and 70k miles... And you're 'saving' 3500 pounds, the only thing they forgot to tell you that the apex seals are almost certainly going to break 5k - 10k miles after you buy it, at which point you're looking at a complete revision/rebuild of the engine. This will probably set you back AT LEAST 2000 pounds if you can't do it yourself.
You must check the compression when buying an RX8. If previous owner didnt knew wtf is a rotary engine and how to use it, the engine may be dead in 50k miles. If it was used properly, as a rotary engine, those cars can do 150k+ miles between engine rebuilds. Rotary engine rebuild is easy, but the rebuild kit costs ~1500$ + work.
2nd hand sports car? Audi TT or Porsche Cayman. Brand new, they're both ridiculously expensive to the middle class income. But they suffer an increwdible amount of depreciation. You can get a 2008 Porsche 911 for around 25k with a clean title, or an 2008-2012 Audi TT for about 18k or a Porsche Cayman for the same amount. More than the 5k budget in the video obviously, but those two are great sports cars and you can get them as a second owner for only 1/3rd the cost.
pretty hard to find those prices here in Germany. in those versions BMW and Porsche start around € 9k and the RX-8 starts around € 4k. However, I would probably pick the BMW because of all the extra costs coming with the Mazda.
yhh mate forgot about the apex seals on the rx8 and the engine housing cracking due to extreme temp diffence. and theres also coolant that gets in the engine then its bang!
2/3 wrong. Housings don't crack like piston blocks, no impact to cause a crack. They may where with poor lubrication past point of saving but one housing is cheaper than a whole block. Coolant has never been a issue, and has never needed modification to cool well.
Prices up now. A nice 3.0 litre Z4 on 2004 plate is £6-7k. Looked at one on the weekend from a dealer with mayonnaise! Look out for head gasket failure lads.
The RX 8 has a very short engine life. 50,000 miles is often the end, and it drinks petrol. Also, the cc comparison to a piston engine is falacious as the two systems can not be effectively measured the same way.
Exactly. RX8 is the worst choice out of ANY used car. There had been plently of them in my city ... and now ... I didn't see one in past 2 or 3 years. Stunning car but only for first owner, then it's ready for claws of crasher. I would personally picked the Boxster over Z4. Z4 is really good with mainstream reliability (unlike faulty Z3) but Porsche is just bulletproof except humidity in front headlamps of early models.
The second mechanical issue is peculiar to U.S. model RX-8s. There have been far more engine failures in U.S. RX-8s than there are in Canada or Europe. Some U.S. owners have had to replace engines at 60,000 or 70,000 miles. But in other countries, the same engines run at least twice that long. The problem, unfortunately is one of politics and bureaucracy: In what is basically a well meaning effort to maximize fuel economy; bureaucrats in the U.S. government have passed a Federal law that all new vehicles sold in the U.S. must use motor oil designated as "energy conserving." This type of oil is specially engineered to create less friction than ordinary oil. The oil is effectively thinner; which creates an improvement in fuel economy (according to published figures I've seen) of something less than one mile per gallon. But there is a trade off for that tiny economy improvement; in that energy conserving oils are only available in very low viscosities (typically 5W-30). Those light oil viscosities cannot handle the unusually high oil temperatures created by the RX-8's rotary engine; and the result is the engine wear is greatly increased, compared to the 20W-50 oil which is normally used in RX-8s in other countries.JoZZaTOnI
Yup, yup, everyone sell the RX-8s. The more bad reputation it has the better for the people who actually know about them. Cheaper used cars and parts, also more unique on the road. So keep spreading the word!
Domas64 I didn't know that "vanishing from the streets" is caused by people buying them second hand. Almost none are running but classifieds are full of them. Everyone is getting rid of RX-8 before engine fail.
that was the model i had. the 3.0i SE. it had about 10k of extras on it. owned it four years, without a single problem. The economy is also very good, for the engine size. i recommend getting the hardtop used on ebay; they're expansive, look amazing - but they dont depreciate. So you'll get your money back on it. i actually made several hundred profit on mine, and i had the hardtop for about three years.
that was the model i had. the 3.0i SE. it had about 10k of extras on it. owned it four years, without a single problem. The economy is also very good, for the engine size. i recommend getting the hardtop used on ebay; they're expansive, look amazing - but they dont depreciate. So you'll get your money back on it. i actually made several hundred profit on mine, and i had the hardtop for about three years.
He picks the Mazda, but... it's not a drop top convertible. It's a toss up between the Porsche and Z4 for me. Though I think the Z4 would be longer lasting or a little better build quality.
The RX-8 is cheap because: 1.3L engine Considered a 4-door car rather than a quad coupe(2+2 coupe) Plus nobody wants to buy a car with poor gas mileage But who gives a fuck, I'm an enthusiast and because of its unique rotary engine I don't mind refilling it every 10 minutes xD
Had one. Immaculate red with a immaculate red and black leather interior. First the lack of a 36,000 mile service, cost the dealer (not me) new ignition packs and plugs. Also a CAT as the oil had fouled it. Then 4 months later the clutch went at 36,200 miles, then the gears box at 36,400. Then 1 day after the new box, it failed the MOT. 4,000 miles after I bought it for £5,500, I sold it for £2000. Less than 20mpg and constant worry as to keep it running to reach temperature. What a crap car.
TIGERWOODSBOYFRIEND Maybe, but transmision failure isn't something RX-8s are known for. They're known for needing apex seals replaced which require engine rebuild, as well as cooling system that is inadequate, especially first-series - including the engine temperature sensor is woefully inadequate. If you love your rotaries though, that's a small price to pay! The Boxster does have its share of potential problems too - like the IMS, which if an issue in your car will likely cost you a new engine. But these are performance cars - gotta pay to play!
I have my rx8 with 114k miles and it's an awesome car. You just need to be a car lover and mindful of your car needs and it will love you for it. No cars is absolutely perfect, there are just better owners that care. (Stock engine with no rebuilt as pf yet) maintenance costs are not that bad. I crushed a 2015 Lexus is250 sport just the other day and the owner wanted to know if my car was for sale. No F-ing way. Rotary all the way!!!
I didn't realize how badly the values on the RX8 has plummeted. I always browse for cars under $6000 with a manual transmission just to see what's on the market. I was shocked to see RX8s for under $5000. Maybe my next car.
İf those car has been sold at 5k pound in turkey, people would be lined up and killed each other to buy one. I would buy and drive until it breaks down. I wouldnt care the cost of repair and maintenance. I would leave it to the junkyard and buy new one. except mazda rx8, porcshe and bmw z4 with 2000-2003 and about 70k mileage with fine condition, are well over 15k pound.
The Boxster looks like such an awesome value until you look into all the problems they constantly have, and the $$$ to get it fixed. Within a short time you'll have spent enough to have just bought a newer one instead
austin price haha Foreals tho! My 2001 Boxster S maintenance has costed me $3K in one year of ownership xD Lol & I bought my car for $7K btw lol #PorscheLife😎💸👌🏽
Everyone bangs on about fuel (which is reasonable) but the insurance of the other options are ridiculous. Any other rival to an RX8 will be over a £1000 for a younger guy whereas the rx8 for me at 22 is £647 fully comp, that and the cars bargain buying price does make it start to make sense. Sort of.
Porsche Boxster 2002 2.7 ,just picked a mint condition model up for 5 grand in Scotland,FUCK The haters ,love this car.Onwards and Upwards ,Porsche all the way!!
Mazda...."3.5K left think what you can do with that?" ..... pay your road tax. Plato there is a reason why they are cheap. Nobody wants them. Mazda's own MX5 is about the best affordable sports car there is. Pity an old man like me would look an even bigger tit in one than I actually am.
