1993 Mazda RX7 1.3 rotary twin turbo

Summary:

Best car ever

Faults:

My engine lost compression. Had to replace engine, but this is normal for this vehicle. Replaced it with a JDM engine and boy does it go! Other than that, nothing has gone wrong with the car.

General Comments:

Buy one if you can find one. Make sure you can find a competent mechanic for the car first. Once you drive one of these beasts, your hooked for life!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th June, 2006

3rd May 2007, 16:29

I am the owner of a 1993 R1. I have owned six Corvettes (1966-1971), several of which were 427s and 454s. Quite simply, this is the most fun, best looking, fastest sports car I have ever owned. I think you can expect to replace an original engine and mine has been replaced with a number of high performance goodies. I have owned the "R" for 11 years and have thought about selling it and building an AC Cobra replica. When decision time came, I could not stand to part with my little beast. In my opinion, there is no other vehicle one could buy at three times the price of a good RX7 that would begin to compare for sheer fun and exhilaration.

1993 Mazda RX7 Touring Wankel/Rotary

Summary:

Got exactly what I thought I was going to get

Faults:

The A/C unit had a problem about four years back. It just stopped putting out cold air. The dealer replaced the compressor and within two days, the freon was gone. I was not able to have it fixed again right away and it probably helped cause some more problems. Bottom line, the dealer worked with Mazda and replaced a couple of hoses (expensive) and the evaporator for an additional $100. Effectively got a new system for not too much money.

The Bose radio and CD player stopped performing well and it could be for lack of use. Replaced unit with Panasonic and kept Bose speaker system. Works great.

The auto antenna had broken the plastic lead and will have to be replaced. Wish there was some way to retrieve the part of the plastic tail that is still in the antenna tube. Mazda sells the mast separately.

The rear lifts do not help raise the trunk anymore. They will hold it up fine, but you have to lift. Purchased the new hydraulic lifts, but have not yet installed.

Change oil religiously based on time, not miles as I don't drive it everyday. Use Mobile One synthetic and it seems to work great.

Mileage is about 18 mpg overall now that we live in NC (less traffic) but it was around 15 mpg when we lived in Baton Rouge.

Car has always been garaged and only driven in rain about five times. Paint and interior have held up extremely well. No signs of aging.

General Comments:

Car is comfortable on interstates as long as they are smooth. Suspension is hard which contributes to the great handling.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th March, 2006

26th Apr 2006, 13:52

I'm glad you like your RX. I work for Mazda and it's one of the best looking best handling cars we ever made.

On the synthetic oil though, I would be cautious. We don't recommend synthetics because the engine uses a small amount of oil in the combustion process. Here is a link to a FAQ about it from Mazdatrix. http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/synthetc.htm

Drive it like you stole it!

21st Apr 2010, 15:21

4 miles, wow. You got this straight from the maintenance department brand new didn't you. That's how many miles my RX-8 had when I got it. :) I wouldn't ever use synthetic oils though...

1993 Mazda RX7 Touring 13B REW

Summary:

Not For The Average, Everyday Driver

Faults:

Stock Turbos needed to be replaced, vacuum hoses needed to be replaced, Limited Slip Differential needed to be replaced, Lower Sway Bar Links needed to be replaced, Stock Radiator needed to be replaced, Stock Air Separation Tank needed to be replaced, Stock Pre-Catalytic Converter needed to be replaced, and interior plastic cracked in various places.

General Comments:

I replaced all those stock parts with better, stronger parts. Knowing what I was getting myself into before I even considered picking up one of these wonderful cars was the difference.

A lot of times, when people are taken aback by the up-keep costs and cannot handle the monetary commitment involved, they simply give up. The problem with doing that is that it perpetuates the problems the already has and the car gets sold to a younger, less experienced consumer/driver who does not fix the problems. The new owner ends up beating the car down to the ground, thus giving this awesome performance-minded machine a bad image.

In closing, I don't think the major problem with the 93-95 Mazda RX7's is their lack of reliability in parts or mechanical failures. I think the biggest problem is the perception going into the purchase of the vehicle. It is not an average, everyday car, and should be treated as such. These cars get run down to the ground, not because of a lack of reliability. Rather, it is because of a lack in understanding and know-how.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th August, 2004

15th Sep 2004, 12:04

Wonderfully written.

17th Dec 2004, 23:25

I owned my FD for 10 years, and met with many other FD owners during that time, so I know a thing or two about the car. It's an incredible sports car. But it's quite fragile. The engine/turbos are built to run at high temperatures and everything cooks under the hood including all those fragile vacuum/pressure hoses that FD owners affectionately call the 'rats nest'. The engine itself will normally need to be replaced at least every 100k miles. It's a complicated car, not easy to maintain by anyone's definition. So I agree with the other comments, you need to know what you are bargaining for when you fall in love with this car. Be sure to own an extra car, time and money. And then you will have a blast in your baby Ferrari.

11th Feb 2005, 13:18

I disagree with the Dec 7th comment. These cars need to be driven hard. I bought an `89 GXL from a girl that drove too conservatively for years, and the engine blew two months after I started driving it. If a rotary is driven too cautiously (too low in the rpm band or not enough throttle) there will be a carbon build up in the engine. This will continue to build up over time. When the carbon breaks free it can get wedged between the apex seal and the housing and break the seal. This was the definition given to me by the mechanic.

21st Jul 2005, 06:27

Wu... I planed to buy a used FD, but now I have to give up after reading the comments here. It looks too complicatedly to maintain the car.

21st Jan 2010, 12:20

I too was thinking about buying one of these.

From what I've been reading, they seem to perform extremely well performance wise, but on the other hand, they are are high maintenance cars and not recommended for someone who wants a trouble free, low maintenance, everyday driven car (correct me if I'm wrong).

Instead I'll probably end up going for a Silvia or 180sx.