[rogerxp]

Was trying the dealer network due to a) peace of mind and b) what I presumed was more margin for me to lean on (to offset the premium). Trying to sell the 350 privately which will enable me to go anywhere for the right car.

[q_jonblaze]

had a facelift 330ci with SSG (super shit gearbox).......thing died on me and with no warranty, they wanted nearly £9000 to repair....sold the car at a loss just to get away from that nightmare.

however when the car was working properly.....ooooooowwww, it was magic!!!

[Neil McRae]

Well if you get a car with the right mileage you can put a tesco or other warranty on it...

I've got a tesco warranty on my 5 series (06) for 400quid and just used it on a 1200 quid fix. If you can find a car <60K for the right price out of the dealership network from a reputable sales place then its 400quid for the warranty.

[RCUK]

i went from a 335d to a 2004 E46 330d touring with a DMS map.

The map gives approx 265bhp according to DMS and i really have no issue with this as it is lightning quick - about 6 secs to 60 we reckon having timed it.

Have 105k on the clock and the auto box.. and the thing pulls like a train.

Such a good car im at a loss trying to find a reason to get rid, this one migt just be the one!!

Was bought with 92k on the clock and warranty direct did me a full warranty after a bit of banter for £250 a yr paid monthly for their top warrenty. Whether its worth the paper its written on is yet to be seen.

[rogerxp]

Seems to be a lot of love in the room for the E46. It really is my first choice of temporary vehicle but they seem to be really holding their value about £2k over my 'deemed' budget. Ordinarily I'd blast the budget but want to buy wisely so I don't lose much, if anything, over the planned 6 month ownership.

I'm about to jump into a deal which I'll reveal soon. Was going to collect tomorrow but just got another I'm looking into last minute which might just sway me.

[dxb335d]

RCUK was your 335d standard?

[TMP]

Loved my E46 dash, esp how it is was angled slightly towards the driver

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by TMP

Loved my E46 dash, esp how it is was angled slightly towards the driver

So did the E36. They now look soooo OLD skool those dashes. Ancient.

[RCUK]

Yep .. my 335d coupe was standard and when i tested the mapped E46 against the standard 335d there was very little in it for me.

THe power delivery was different, but speedwise i was surprised how close they were. The guy who swapped his 330d for my 335d also drove both and found similar.

[AndyN]

You could do a lot worse than an RX8 (230ps of course)!

I had one for a couple of years and absolutely loved the thing.

Of course the fuel bills were terrifying though so if saving some cash is a factor, that's the sting in the tail.

However getting a decent, 3 year old example for under 9k is easily done.

It gave me more of a smile and a thrill, flinging it around corners than my 335i does. Totally different beasts but there was just something about wailing around at 9,000 rpm.

[SiKkBaSs]

Originally Posted by E92Fan

Quick enough - limited to 155mph and a shade under 7 secs to 60mph

On par with mine.

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by RCUK

Yep .. my 335d coupe was standard and when i tested the mapped E46 against the standard 335d there was very little in it for me.

THe power delivery was different, but speedwise i was surprised how close they were. The guy who swapped his 330d for my 335d also drove both and found similar.

Id be suprised if its anywhere near?

I have Mag article of a DMS mapped 330d E46. 0-60 was 6.0.. so close to a stock 335d (5.7-5.8) but to 100mph, the 330d with DMS map did 16secs. Standard 335d does in 13 secs.

Any pics of your new steed mate? any exterior mods?

[RCUK]

Its a touring .. no mods!! Esp with 105k on the clock - no point in my book.

Performance wise we never did a side by side run - more a perception thing then anything else as to how the cars drove. Sounds weird but i think i prefer the E46 - mainly as you dont expect the performance from it, as opposed to the coupe which you expect the performance. Lots of fun to be had with unsuspecting cars mind in a touring.


Actually i do have a mod - Becker head unit with the inbuilt sat nav and bluetooth - seriously good bit of kit!!

Next mod... 318d badge for the back

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by RCUK

Performance wise we never did a side by side run - more a perception thing then anything else as to how the cars drove. Sounds weird but i think i prefer the E46 - mainly as you dont expect the performance from it, as opposed to the coupe which you expect the performance. Lots of fun to be had with unsuspecting cars mind in a touring.



Next mod... 318d badge for the back

Thats all it is. The old skool shove of a laggy boosty single turbo unit!

Do the 318 badge and post up pics

[rogerxp]

Originally Posted by AndyN

You could do a lot worse than an RX8 (230ps of course)!

I had one for a couple of years and absolutely loved the thing.

Of course the fuel bills were terrifying though so if saving some cash is a factor, that's the sting in the tail.

However getting a decent, 3 year old example for under 9k is easily done.

It gave me more of a smile and a thrill, flinging it around corners than my 335i does. Totally different beasts but there was just something about wailing around at 9,000 rpm.

Yes, it's looking like an RX8. It's the only thing I can get from a dealer that a) still the current shape b) got some poke and c) falls into budget. All the other options are hovering around the £10/12k mark including E46 330i, 350Z, S2000 (post 04), Brera, decent Golf, VXR, S3, 3.2 TT, Z4, 130i; you can see I,ve done a fair bit of window shopping recently! Being forced down the dealer trade-in route due to no private interest.

It'll be similar I expect to my old S2000 which was a hoot. A bit gutted to be shifting on the 350Z but needs must for a few months. Nice to have a bit of a change I suppose and it's only for a little while.

A mate of mine had one and has also loved it but he shocked me yesterday when he mentioned he only got around 17mpg from it. I'm fairly used to naff mpg but was hoping it would be a be better than that. Still, it's a crap time to be selling a soft-top and I've been offered a pretty strong price for it, so makes sense to get rid now (I think the new 370Z Roadster is available from January, earlier than I thought, and that'll kick crap out of my cars value). Zoom Zoom!

[AndyN]

Yep, the MPG is terrible. You earn bragging rights if you can get 300 miles to a full tank, 200 - 260 is more like it.

Is a very similar driving experience to the S2000. I drove them back to back in comparison once, whilst I think you can definitely eke more performance from the S2000, the RX8 was just so easy to drive enthusiastically and not feel like you're in danger of spreading yourself across the scenery.

I used to drive mine "progressively" and the smiles per gallon were worth the fuel bills.... He says after 40k miles in one!

If you're looking for a comprehensive buying guide then check out the RX8 owners club forum. Non members can still access most of the guides, how-tos and useful info.

Most Mazda dealers offer discounts on parts, servicing etc for members too I believe if you do end up getting one.

http://www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk/forum/

Good luck!

[rogerxp]

Thanks for the info Andy; much appreciated. I think the mpg will quickly wear me down but hopefully a coupe will be easier the shift than a rag-top. Especially one from a dealer, all serviced & stamped, and under warranty. I knew they drunk oil but such excessive fuel useage seems ridiculous.

Damn, my head is spinning again now, just when I thought I'd made up my mind. Need to rethink and make sure this dealer car will protect me price-wise if I need to shift it on. I'm awaiting an indy offer on one which might make more sense as it's a chunk cheaper but obviously without the peace of mind.

What would you go for from the following...

A) 04, 40k on the clock, 3 previous owners, from a dealer all serviced and warrantied
B) 04, 50k on the clock, 1 previous owner, from an indy all serviced but no warranty

B is £1k cheaper. Not finished haggling yet so may be less of a difference.

Would a 4 owner dealer sourced car under Mazda warranty be more or less attractive than a 2 owner car sourced privately to a prospective buyer? An impossible question I guess. The only other difference between them, apart from colour, is that the dealer car has a sunroof. Both have leather, sat nav & BOSE, etc.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by rogerxp

Thanks for the info Andy; much appreciated. I think the mpg will quickly wear me down but hopefully a coupe will be easier the shift than a rag-top. Especially one from a dealer, all serviced & stamped, and under warranty. I knew they drunk oil but such excessive fuel useage seems ridiculous.

Damn, my head is spinning again now, just when I thought I'd made up my mind. Need to rethink and make sure this dealer car will protect me price-wise if I need to shift it on. I'm awaiting an indy offer on one which might make more sense as it's a chunk cheaper but obviously without the peace of mind.

What would you go for from the following...

A) 04, 40k on the clock, 3 previous owners, from a dealer all serviced and warrantied
B) 04, 50k on the clock, 1 previous owner, from an indy all serviced but no warranty

B is £1k cheaper. Not finished haggling yet so may be less of a difference.

Would a 4 owner dealer sourced car under Mazda warranty be more or less attractive than a 2 owner car sourced privately to a prospective buyer? An impossible question I guess. The only other difference between them, apart from colour, is that the dealer car has a sunroof. Both have leather, sat nav & BOSE, etc.

The fuel economy is awful on these things (and thats coming from someone who only gets 27mpg). I looked at one as a company car when they came out but the emissions knocked that on the head straight away.

They are also a bit fussy, especially with regard to the oil issue (they guzzle it like petrol). On that basis I reckon a 1 owner car, which has been well looked after will be more desireable than one thats been through multiple owners. It's apparently really easy to be caught out unless you always carry spare oil with you. I'd feel this is more likely to have happened on a multi owner car.


On the mileage front, the old RX7 rotary engines required a re-build around 60k miles. I don't think this is the case with the new one, but I seem to remember reading something that suggested there was still a fair amount of work that would be needed at that point (new tips to the rotors I think?)

[willhollin]

What about a 130i?

[rogerxp]

I'd happily have a 130i but I'd like leather and sat nav and this pushed the prices up. The cheapest one on AUC (without nav) is £13,500. Cheapest on Autotrader is still £11k.

Still not 100% happy with the RX8 but it's a means to an end really. Saves cash and enables me to shift the soft-top as winter sets in. Might only be a short lived relationship but I suppose it's another name to add to my signature!!!

Originally Posted by NFS

...but I seem to remember reading something that suggested there was still a fair amount of work that would be needed at that point (new tips to the rotors I think?)

This is one reason for me still considering the dealer car. If I can get the figures closer together then the 3 owners might not be too much of an issue when compared to a well prepped, serviced & warrantied car.

[chrisbin]

As has been pointed out again and again....fuel is the big issue....but....how many miles do/will you do?? Work out the difference in cash between an 18mpg RX8 and a 30mpg "somethig else"...Can't see them losing a further significant chunk less on account of their drinking habit...

[rogerxp]

The fuel issue doesnt bother me as I'm only getting 19mpg now and do pretty low miles (only put 2,300 miles on the 350 in 6 months as the 330d gets used at weekends). I just want to buy sensibly so that I can get out of it whenever without being too hurt financially.