Hey guys I posted my Stilo on a for sale site to swaps for another stilo but a 2.4 as I want faster and they might want slower, thought I'd give it ago and someone's emailed me asking if I'd swap my stilo with there Mazda RX8 5dr 1.4 2004
And to be honest I liked these cars as a kid and a 5 door would be more helpful for family but I like the fact it looks like a 3 door...

My stilo is a 2002 1.6lt.
Part service history up to 55k+ miles.
It now has 60k on the clock.
2 owners from new.
2 keys.
Fully original bar batter.
Faulty cluster.
3dr silver
No mods
Steels made to look like alloys
Front wheel drive
MOT till sep 22
£224 road tax (around)

Now for the Mazda RX8
It's a 1.4LT
Built in sat nav,
Heated front seats,
3 owners from new
Service history to 20k+
2 keys
Bosh audio upgrade
5 door yellow
spoiler
Genuine Mazda alloys
4 new tiers 6 months ago
New clutch a year ago
Timing belt and water pump replaced a few weeks ago
New front breaks a few weeks ago
Rear wheel drive
£500 road tax (that's steep but affordable)
All repairs have receipts
MOT sep 02

Honestly guys help as I don't know what to do as I love my fiat but my dream car as a kid? It's a tough one for me :/ so just seeing what you guys thinks best idea, also insurance on Mazda is £50 more then my stilo a month witch isn't bad,

Also the Mazda does 19.9mpg
But my stilo only seems to do 24.7mpg (off computer)

I told him I'll get back to him about it Monday so plenty of time to compare and ask around,

I'd still stop on the forums as I'll be getting another fiat one day if I decide to swap!

First off, forget all the horror stories about early RX7's the Effini engine in the RX8 is a robust and reliable lump. The electrics are crap.
If you're only getting 24mpg from a 1.6 Stilo I'd guess you're probably a little heavy footed. Heavy feet in a rear wheel drive car with almost twice the power is a disaster waiting to happen. If you go for the RX8 get some advanced driving tuition before even thinking "watch this".

The RX8 is a 2.8 in the UK that's why the tax is so high. The insurance will be as well. The Stilo is group ten for me and the RX8 group eighteen. Ask the Meerkats before you make a move and ensure you have breakdown cover included.

judging by my friends experience - walk away.

His RX8 had hot starting problems and it didn't matter how he drove it he only ever got 17MPG.

Fantastic to drive but the lottery of whether you'd get home after a trip out would put me off.

Liquid Knight said:

First off, forget all the horror stories about early RX7's the Effini engine in the RX8 is a robust and reliable lump.

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Sure they are, that's why I know of a lock-up in Newcastle where the guy has 12 RX-8's with blown motors, I know 4 people that have pulled the motors and dropped other motors in, I know of a Saab powered one, a BMW 2.5 powered one and two Ford 2.5 V6 powered ones.


OP, Don't do it, it will ruin your life.


The UK RX-8 is a 1.3 iirc for emissions and reliability and its still really high
and un-reliable.


if you want something more fun to drive, stay away from a Rotary (and I personally love the idea of the Rotary engine) I really hate to say this but if you want a fun coupe, Audi TT, BMW Z4, Nissan 350z, Nissan Skyline, Toyota Supra, BMW 3series coupe, Subaru Impreza, Fiat Coupe Turbo, Lancia Delta, just to name a few much more reliable cars lol


Hell, if you love your stilo but want something quicker, JTD is a good jump or get yourself an Arbarth.

Thanks guys!

But just the look of the Mazda! And the power! I'm drooling more then a fat kid over cake!

But rear wheel drive surly if I took a corner to fast it'd skid?

And have to admit I would rather have a stilo JTD or the 2.4 ones,

But from what you guys have said the Mazda sounds like a ticking time bomb

Also I am abit heavy footed but also when I took my car to the garage they said the fule injector will probably need replacing one day as it makes an annoying noise when not putting foot down

mariocinq said:

Sure they are, that's why I know of a lock-up in Newcastle where the guy has 12 RX-8's with blown motors, I know 4 people that have pulled the motors and dropped other motors in, I know of a Saab powered one, a BMW 2.5 powered one and two Ford 2.5 V6 powered ones.


Fiat Coupe Turbo

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The problem with the RX8 isn't and has never been the engine. The reason so many have failed is due to the prices bottoming out and people buying the car who can either not afford or be arsed to drive and service them properly. There have been cases were people have diligently taken their RX8's to local garages for regular servicing and cars have literally been parked up for a couple of hours and handed back with a bill for work that hadn't been done and parts that were never used.

Rotary engines are simple to rebuild. I've owned an RX3 with a 13B turbo, two 12A RX7's, three N/A (13B) second generation RX7's and two turbo gen II RX7's. Helped to build an RX8 (231) powered Se7en replica and helped rebuild 22B turbo engines used in a drag racing RX3. All my cars were driven properly and maintained correctly and I only ever had trouble with one of the 12A's (it had the wrong carb' jetting).

There are three RX8's I know of with over 300,000 miles on the clocks. On owned from new by an Mazda service mechanic and the other two both owned by people who know and understand the importance of maintenance.

On the topic of transplants the RX8 front engine rear wheel drive platform and cavernous engine bay support a lot of options from 2.3 SAAB turbo's on Vauxhall Omega gearboxes to V8's. The platforms weighs roughly the same as a BMW 3 series compact so "da like drifta's innit" brigade like them because they are cheap, look good and can hang with the best of them.

Personally I would avoid the Fiat Coupe Turbo like the plague. Especially the 20V as they have nearly all ended up in scrap yards for the exact same reason as the RX8. They depreciated to the point they could be found on most housing estates for a few hundred quid where they were neglected. Cam' belts or other parts failed and all of a sudden that £300-£600 car needed £2,000 of work and ended in a scrap yard or eBay as a "project".
The ones which survived this ordeal are out there with the ones that were looked after properly and demanding the same sort of premium prices (£2,000-£7,000). It's pot luck if you get a good one or not as service records can, have and will be doctored to make the car look like it has been looked after when they have not.

This is a crying shame as the Fiat Coupe is one of the best cars Fiat has ever made but while I was looking for one I ended up with my Alfa GTV for less money, better history and if anything the car handles and performs better than my old N/A 16V Coupe ever did.

The RX8 is a really good car and if it has been looked after and driven properly reliable. If it hasn't it will be no more or less a gamble than a Stilo Abarth, Bravo HGT, Coupe or other higher performance Fiat that has been sold to pondlife.

You do need to drive a rotary powered car differently and maintain them properly as they do use oil, but that's the nature of the beast. For the sake of a weekly check (all drivers should do anyway) and a top up you shouldn't have any trouble if the car hasn't been neglected already.

The RX8 is sounding more and more sexy by the second! But they sound like a car that's just one big gamble unless brought new or been drove probably and it's sounding just way to powerful for me and being a rear wheel drive I've never driven one so don't really want to put my life on the line sure I'd pick it up but when both ends of my streets are nationals I really don't want to be learning to drive it probably at 60mph and there's no local car parks to play around in :/

Any reviews on fiat schumacher as there 2.4

It's always your head vs your heart with these things.

That's why I have an X1/9 sat on my driveway after six months of bodge repairs to the engine and clutch bodged rust repairs could be the straw that breaks that camels back. That's why I turned down £2,000 for my £350 Panda.

Go through the paperwork with a fine tooth comb, talk to the guy to see if he know what he is on about (if he only goes on about how the car drives and handles walk away as that's a warning about maintenance), If there's a bottle of oil in the boot that's a good thing and take the car out, drive carefully and slowly with the windows open listening out for anything that sounds off and if the car feels anything other than silky smooth don't walk run!

I can understand where you are coming from as the Stilo is a bit mundane but let your head take charge of this one (at last a bit) and buy a better RX8 when you are less excited about it.

im with Liquid NIght.


Been a Mazda fan most of my driving life, and as said the problem with the RX8 isn't the engine, its the maintenance. I forget the oil schedule but its low thousands, so obviously anyone who doesn't appreciate what they are driving aint going to service it correctly, which is why there are so many out there not on the roads!
Personally, Id have one, BUT only if the history is proven, it drove unbelievably well, and I had an inspection done on them rotors.


They are a beautiful car, the interior alone is to die for and them doors!


I say got for it but be extremely cautious and do not expect it to be cheap to run. High quality car requires high quality maintenance requires high quality MONEY! haha good luck dude!

The question I have to ask, is this on swapz?? If so, why is the guy willing to swap an RX8 for a 1.6 02 stilo??? Not dissing your stilo but the RX8 in good condition is still a 2-3k car where as your stilo is tops, what 1500??

Also I have done a few swapz on that sight and only twice has the car been as described.

Becareful, it's like all cars, if cared for any car is reliable but if neglected, rotary cars normally are as most people don't realise they need lots of oil, they can just be a money pit, I have looked at an RX7 and an 8 in the past but never found a good one i could afford.

Honestly mate, I love my JTD and I hope I keep it for a long time as it's actually rather quick and stupidly cheap to run, I don't drive like a granny and I am still beating 45mpg everyday and 60+ on a run. At the end of the day it's your choice but be sure to collect all the info you can first and make sure you don't get stuck with a car that lands you with a 1k repair bill after a few months.

He said the reason for getting rid of the car is because it was for his son but it's too steep for him to afford to run and insurance so he's after a smaller but still nippy car so I sent him a message about my stilo as he lives local we decided to meet up so I drove to his as he was only 4 streets away and discuss it in person and view the cars are self and I was impressed by his beautiful car and couldn't see no faults started 1st time no problem no lights on dash and he was liking my stilo 1.6 and he said he'll give me till Monday to decide if I want to swap or not,

But to be honest the running costs on the Mazda are stupid for me I mean it's like all my wages gone just to have a sexy car? I still don't know :/ my stilo is cheep to run and runs like a dream but that Mazda is just my childhood dream :/

yeah as said, be very wary. OK, it may have looked ok and drove ok but how does it run when it is hot? Does it start when hot? Just be careful. Expensive to run or not, I find his reasons for swapping a little too generic.


Go back Monday, have another drive, check the engine temp before doing so - you need to know everything runs ok when it is up to working temp. Test drive it with suspicion, im not 100% on this mate, though it is true there are people out there who will do this sort of deal, but they are few and far between. Don't swap yourself into a money pit....

I've decided not to swap as it's just to pricy for me to run, maybe if I was loaded I'd of had it but my Stilo is perfect for my needs atm and cheep (ish) to run maybe in the future I might consider it, but for now I'm sticking to my stilo

Also called up my insurance company to get a quote and I got quoted £7065.something if I just wanted to swapmy car carrying i from my current 4 month no clams so after 8 months it'd be classed as a 1 year no clames but that's just taking the utter p*ss id get cheeper if I swaped insurance but I want my 1 years no clam more then another car

Ask him if he wants a GTV.

Personally, I think you have made the right move, when I was younger, I used to swap car alot and I always changed policies mid term so it took me 8yrs to get my first years no claims, makes such a difference now as it means I can afford to have two cars now that I have 2yrs, 3in April, if it your dream car then the right one will come along at the right time when your life is ready for it.

Sorry but here's a little thread hijack but it is on topic-ish.

I bought my second 13B turbo because it was £200 cheap and had a seized engine. The car had developed a misfire and the owner took it to a garage to get it looked at. While it was there the engine seized and had to be towed home. The owner wasn't charged but was understandably gutted.

I was thinking I could rebuild the engine and sell the car on for a quick profit but as soon as I opened the bonnet I noticed the standard spark plugs has been removed. They were knackered and no doubt the cause of the misfire. The replacement plugs didn't look right so I put the car in 2nd, took the handbrake off and pushed it back a few feet. The engine turned and locked again. I took the spark plugs out that were 5mm too long, fitted the correct ones; the car started first turn of the key and was absolutely faultless.

I drove the car back to the chap I had bought it from that morning and as well as getting my £200 back I charged him £30 for the spark plugs.

Lesson here, if you can't do the work yourself make sure the people you trust it to know their arse from their elbows.

wow dude that's very honest and decent of you!

Moral of the story, always buy a car from this guy ^^^^^