Mazda RX8

[Woody]

I'm thinking of buying one of these. My wife, as some of you may know, has been quite ill. She loves this car. It would be a great present for her after all she's been through. Does anybody out there have experience with this car or any advice. All comments welcome.

[Andavari]

I've only had the joy of driving it in video games, and it just doesn't impress me as much as the old expensive RX-7, however modded RX-8's are rather cool. The real appealing one is the factory tuned Mazdaspeed RX-8 (Google it), which is the performance version.

[Woody]

 

Oh yes I like it, but I'm sure I couldn't afford it. I'm interested in the standard 231bhp car. Seeing as I currently drive a Toyota Corolla it would be a big step up in power. Talking of cost, the standard car only returns 20mpg and petrol over here is ?5 a gallon ( $10 )

[DennisD]

Normally Woody, I would have said go for it. I drive a Mazda 6, with a 2 litre engine, and with the cost of petrol over here spiralling completely into the realms of fantasy, I really wish I had something more economical. And I love my car.

 

The RX8 is a cracking car, and I'm sure you and your wife would get immense pleasure out of it.

 

Although I couldn't afford it, I gave it a good once over when I was choosing my car, but petrol price now has to be a serious consideration when buying a motor.

 

That said, if you can afford the pump prices so your new motor wouldn't be standing at the door not being used as much as you'd like to be using it, go for it.

 

My wifes had a very bad last two years, and we both now have a "lifes too short" attitude, but that doesn't enable us to get out in the car as much as we'd like to. Ordinary folk are just simply being priced off the road.

 

This of course, just MHO, but good luck, hope everything's good for both of you.

[Woody]

Thanks so much for that reply Dennis, I agree with every word you've written. About being priced off the road is true, the price of petrol over here is ridiculous.

 

Our situation is slightly different and ties in with your life's too short etc. Mary had a large stroke and is lucky to be alive. 15 months on she's making good progress. She's always loved this car and, even though we are stretching ourselves to afford it, I just think "Sod it " We discussed the pump prices and she said it'd be ok as we only did a low mileage.

 

In the Toyota maybe. But just point me to a twisty road in the RX8 and we won't be able to afford food for a week.

 

Sorry to hear about your wife's problems. Hope they can be resolved.

[DennisD]

But just point me to a twisty road in the RX8 and we won't be able to afford food for a week.

 

Sorry to hear about your wife's problems. Hope they can be resolved.

 

Go for it mate. I usually stand under the Angel Of The North, and wave to Hazel when she comes up this way.

 

I can be there to watch you cruise past in the RX-8 if you like.

 

The other half? She got the all clear just last week, so maybe we should fill the tank instead of the freezer. Life is definitely too short.

[Anthony A]

Those cars are alright but I would rather have (will be my next car purchase) a Honda S2000. They are comparable in price over here.

[Woody]

Those cars are alright but I would rather have (will be my next car purchase) a Honda S2000. They are comparable in price over here.

Funny you should say that Anthony because the Honda S2000 has been my favourite car now for about 2 or 3 years. But this purchase will be for my wife, and she has always loved the RX 8 . I tried to talk her into the Honda without success. The RX 8 though is more than all right, I firmly believe that, for the price, it's one of the world's best cars.

 

Woody.

[Woody]

The other half? She got the all clear just last week, so maybe we should fill the tank instead of the freezer. Life is definitely too short.

Great news Dennis. Yes, I think you should fill the tank.

 

I think we'll go for the RX 8.

 

 

Woody.

[Andavari]

Ordinary folk are just simply being priced off the road.

Our fuel costs here are about 60% less than in the UK, and it's one of the main complaints and discussions on the news nowadays. People in the U.S. are at some point going to have to trade in those big gas guzzling SUV's, and cars with V8's for something smaller and more efficient. However even the 2.0 Liter and under cars available here in my views could be getting even better MPG, with the cost of fuel.

 

Who knows what will happen, although I surely doubt any substantial relief will ever come about and maybe the bicycle will make a rather big comeback! Although I must confess if I had to ride a bicycle to the doctors office which is way too far away, I'd have something else to thoroughly complain about.

[YoKenny]

I had to sell my '95 VW Golf because I could not afford the maintenance nor insurance costs so I purchased an Electric bike.

Its great but I don't use it if its wet or the least bit icy:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_...fromSearch=true

[Woody]

There have been demonstrations over fuel prices today, particularly diesel.

 

Link

[Anthony A]

I had to sell my '95 VW Golf because I could not afford the maintenance nor insurance costs so I purchased an Electric bike.

Its great but I don't use it if its wet or the least bit icy:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_...fromSearch=true

 

I can't imagine the insurance costs for a 95 VW Golf were too bad even in Ontario, Canada the land where insurance people should have their faces amputated.

[DennisD]

There have been demonstrations over fuel prices today, particularly diesel.

 

Link

 

Caught the news about 9 o'clock, and the fuel protests are spreading.

 

Link:

[Andavari]

Caught the news about 9 o'clock, and the fuel protests are spreading.

 

Link:

I'm thinking at some point the fuel costs may go well beyond protests if something isn't done, like maybe hanging OPEC and big oil companies by their family jewels on some flag polls.

[YoKenny]

I can't imagine the insurance costs for a 95 VW Golf were too bad even in Ontario, Canada the land where insurance people should have their faces amputated.

I like the commercial on TV where there are several insurance agents on a boat on vacation in a warm climate and the tour guide insists that they go swimming while in the background there are several large shark fins hovering about.

[YoKenny]

I'm thinking at some point the fuel costs may go well beyond protests if something isn't done, like maybe hanging OPEC and big oil companies by their family jewels on some flag polls.

How much profit did Exxon Oil have?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...01112658AAbYbwX

http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/ec...ion-profit.html

 

How much tax is on a liter of fuel?

[davey]

I'm thinking at some point the fuel costs may go well beyond protests if something isn't done, like maybe hanging OPEC and big oil companies by their family jewels on some flag polls.

That would be tit-for-tat justice.

Do unto others as they have done unto to you.Or something like that?

davey

[Anthony A]

I will play Devils advocate here and say that you are complaining about the wrong thing and the wrong people. Oil prices are set on the market. Oil companies don't set the prices. Its supply and demand and some speculation from huge hedge funds and a weak US dollar that is causing this. When Oil jumps $3 a barrel in a day do you think the oil companies set that price? WRONG. It is set on the futures exchange by buyers and sellers. I watch this everyday. You want oil to come down? Simply don't use as much of it. It's that simple. This creates demand destruction and supply goes up and prices come down.

 

Same with house prices which got out of control. Nobody sat around and set the prices. They are set by the market. Thats you and your neighbor and his mother or who ever. The sad truth is we are running out of cheap oil. As China and India and the developing countries of the world start to live an American life style they use more oil and increase demand at a time when supply is limited. Your seeing this in food prices as well.

 

Instead of complaining profit from it. If you think oil will further increase buy it. It's easily done for the average person now. USO is the ticker symbol for the US Oil Fund. You want to own oil and profit from the rise in prices buy it. It is an exchange traded fund that trades on the AMEX ( American Stock Exchange). It buys the futures contracts that determine the price of oil. You will track the price of oil up or down because you own the instruments that set the price of oil. Understand that when the price of oil drops this fund will get hammered.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=USO

[Anthony A]

I like the commercial on TV where there are several insurance agents on a boat on vacation in a warm climate and the tour guide insists that they go swimming while in the background there are several large shark fins hovering about.

 

 

There is another one where they are on a safari in Africa and the tour guide tells them to get out of the truck and "engage the cats and make plenty of sudden movements" because the cats like it. Of course the idiots get out of the truck and are getting in the cats faces and the truck drives away

[Andavari]

That would be tit-for-tat justice.

Do unto others as they have done unto to you.Or something like that?

davey

I've always liked this one:

Do unto others as they have done unto to you, but do it to them first!

[davey]

I've always liked this one:

Do unto others as they have done unto to you, but do it to them first!

Of course we are all just joking around here.

Anthony's post is very informative.

Remember Anthony if the supply increases the price comes down also.

I still remember the lines in 1973 and knowing whose privates were in whose hands.No, not the oil companies, the guy at the oil well and they have been squeezing ever since.Saddam and his Iranian counterparts.

Lets face it the demand is not going down for a long while.

I can't wait for the alternative energy geniuses to come up with a viable alternative but it's going to have to come from some unknown

method and tremendous technological advances as came from the US vs. Russian space race.

Yes,racing gets the old competitive juices flowing.Last one to Mars is a "rotten egg"!!!

I would invest in oil transport if I could but all us old farts are suffering from lopsided cash flow situations at the moment.

davey

[YoKenny]

Remember Anthony if the supply increases the price comes down also.

I watched a news article that got high billing next to the Obama vs Hillary campaign which was about the release of 2600 workers in my town that produce gas guzzling SUVs.

 

Also on the same documentary was an auction where a fellow tried to sell his $20,000 SUV and the highest bid was $2,400 so he left with the SUV and I guess he'll return home to park it in the driveway where he could make a sign for it Rust In Peace

[Anthony A]

I watched a news article that got high billing next to the Obama vs Hillary campaign which was about the release of 2600 workers in my town that produce gas guzzling SUVs.

 

Also on the same documentary was an auction where a fellow tried to sell his $20,000 SUV and the highest bid was $2,400 so he left with the SUV and I guess he'll return home to park it in the driveway where he could make a sign for it Rust In Peace

 

 

You are witnessing first hand whats called "Demand Destruction". This is exactly what higher prices are intended to do to demand. There is a saying in the investment world that the best thing for high prices is higher prices. It kills demand and ultimately brings prices down.

[Anthony A]

Of course we are all just joking around here.

 

Remember Anthony if the supply increases the price comes down also.

 

davey

That's the other end of the supply demand thing. Problem is that supply is simply running out. At least cheap easy to get at oil is. Look up the "peak oil theory" and read up on it. Many of these large oil fields are in decline. They need to find new supplies of oil. The problem is the new finds are hard to get at like deep in the ocean floor or in the Tar Sands here in Canada or in the frozen Arctic.

 

A huge factor is the big increase in demand from China and India and other developing countries. Something for you Americans to think about the next time you complain about cheap imports from China and their low Yuan. If they ever decide to let the yuan rise in value relative to the US dollar watch out! Suddenly oil and gas (which is priced in US dollars by the way) will become a lot cheaper to billions of Chinese and if you think they use a lot now watch their demand shoot straight up and take oil and gas along for a nasty ride. Their are so may factors at play right now it's scary.