fd0

iTrader: (8)

Hi folks. I'm curious to find out if the RX-7 3rd Gen can handle the wear of driving everyday to and from work? It will be a round trip of 75 miles a day. Please post real world exerpiences of people who have done this and share your experience with me and the rest of this community.

Also, if commuting is feasible wtih this car, what should I do to keep it going for a long time. BTW, I average 18,000 miles a year.

Thanks!!!!!

jimlab

So in other words, you have no idea what kind of gas mileage an FD gets, do you.

oneflytrini

iTrader: (1)

Buy a Civic for a commuter car, keep the FD for the weekends. Jimlab is right, it WILL kill you on gas

ALI

INJEN 7

wow you average 18,000 miles a year.....thats so freaken much...will as a daily driver..not agood idea...their be some over heating problems that will eventually arise and toast your engine..

Gamezilla

I daily drive my 7. Granted, it already has all the reliability mods such as Koyo rad and fan switch. No higher than normal temps. No reliability issues. Only complaint is, as stated above, horrible gas mileage. I really dont have a stock 7 to compare to though, as mine has pfc and is tuned to run a little rich.

fd0

iTrader: (8)

I have a Hyundai as a daily driver. Must mention that the Elantra GT is an awesome daily driver. Great gas mileage (33+...that's what is says on my computer) and awesome room (hatchback) BUT I need to sell my Hyundai to get an FD. I can afford both cars but I know I won't be able to make a real dent into my debts. The joys of wanting an FD right now......

fd0

iTrader: (8)

I'm thinking 20 MPG for the FD is decent for me to drive as a daily car. Is that an accurate guess what the FD gets for MPG? Most of the driving is freeway driving.

MakoRacing[S13]

About 15mpg city 25mpg freeway for a stock fd

fd3s_rx7

iTrader: (13)

you can do anything to an FD if you have money....
(commuter, racing, track it, etc..)

fd0

iTrader: (8)

I guess that's true but not in my case. I can do the routine stuff like changing and adding fluids, spark plugs, wires and hoses but buying new pieces like engines and turbos would be too expensive for me annually. Maybe every 3 years or so but not every year. What do you think?

TracyRX7

I daily drive my FD now and go into the office about 4 days per week down 32 miles of hell each way knowing as I-580 in the Bay Area, CA. It doesn't like sitting idle stuck in traffic very well on 90+ days (of which you luckily don't have too many up there) so I end up driving home on the back roads a lot of the time.

I've been splitting time between the FD and a Toyota Camry and I've decided to dump the Camry as I feel the FD is reliable *enough* (as much so as any other car treated properly, its just a bit more complicated to treat the FD properly) and I have a lot more fun driving up through the mountains so that 45 mins to an hour each way isn't just 'lost time' to me, its a fun drive.

I average about 18.6 mpg with the mods listed in my signature.

jimlab

You wish...

JaNusSolSumnus

I'm currently daily with my RX but I'm hoping to change that in the next year or so, m FD needs some garage lovin'!

Gas milage is a pain, I only live 16 miles or so from work though so it isnt too bad for me.

~Kris

Fatman0203

In short, no, ive learned the hard way.

diablone

iTrader: (2)

You want to enjoy an FD by driving it up and down the freeway day in and day out? Stick with the Hyundai.

fd0

iTrader: (8)

I want to enjoy an FD only on weekends for pleasure but it's more sensible to keep only one car to pay off other debts. Can't have both or I'll be hurting in the pockets...

I figure just being in the FD day in and day out is still a joy even though most of it is freeway driving. I test drove one a couple days ago and it's awesome!!!! I can see why you guys love rotaries and the turbo!

N/A was fun on the Integra Type-R but turbo is just as fun with a rotary engine!!!!

skunks

if your gettign about 13mpg (which is not that bad for a modded fd, actually some of us stock guys are gettign that amount...) and it cost you about 2.50 per gallon of gas like it does here in Hawaii, you will pay about 3.5k per year alone just for gas. now add in the cost of a possible new engine, towing, the cost of labor to put that bad boy in and to actually get it to run and your looking at damn near most of your paycheck. its not impossible but do you really wanna pay that much? i guess it all depends on how much your paycheck is. or if your a professional without a wife a kid, then sure, its easy to afford. hell id buy a vette if i were you haha but then again if your just out of college and your working part time/minimum wage, you had better start saving up! personnaly im in the second catagory but I love driving and a FD will give you what you want at a much cheaper rate (compared to vettes, porsches, BMW's, or any other car 40K and up.)

if it was a decision between a fc and fd and you just want a daily driver, id go for the fc. they cost a fraction of the price and if it dies on you, just chuck it and buy a new one. hell buy 2 or 3 fc's right in the beginning so you got extra cars line up for when your current daily beater dies on you! they are also fun cars and you can actually have fun with them without worrying too much. the downside being less performance and less looks. then again, if you want to pull in the chicks... buy/rent a Ferrari or sup the hell out of a civic! !

skunks

oi, n/a was fun on the Integra Type-R??? you should really try a LS1/V8 variant! 300rwhp, 300ft/lbs of torque n/a, quite a bit more on a shot of nitrous or gasp... boost

fd0

iTrader: (8)

I was looking into a C5 as well....maybe later!

fd0

iTrader: (8)

I was thinking of the C5 but right now a used one is too much for me right now. I still like the looks of the C5 and also the performance (all those wins at Le Mans). Maybe I will get a C5 later when I'm done paying off the Rex.....

dclin

iTrader: (4)

Go buy one and report back in one year, and tell us how well you've managed to pay off your debts.

Nathan Kwok

My experience has actually been that my FD will develop problems at about the same frequency whether I drive it every day or drive it once a month. This summer I have been driving it about 350 miles a week and it makes a pretty nice commuter car believe it or not. A/C is ice cold, stereo sounds good, I even use the cruise control. The main downside is the ride is going to be rougher than just about any other car and the lowness makes it tricky in certain spots. Mileage wise I've averaged 20mpg in mostly freeway driving, so mileage isn't great but its not terrible either. With all that said, I wouldn't count on it to be your only car. Not so much because it breaks down, I've never had the car flat out break down, but its the kind of car where you're going to need to take it into the shop at least once a year ( to fix a leak or investigate a suspension clunk or any other myriad of nagging if not catastrophic problems that can pop up). On top of that, the shop you should be taking it to isn't going to give you a rental car.

RE Suzuki

I had miata as daily driver but i've sold it. Just because I needed some fun going to work and when I'm on my FD I'm always enjoying the drive...

riptor

i just bought my fd...and i love the hell out of it...!!! gas..i average..about 20.22...depends on how much i get on it..^_^.. lol..either way as was stated...tad bit bummpy on the rough roads..but if u can deal with that and the gas...**** go for it..lol

4Fun

iTrader: (8)

Thats what I was thinking. LOL
I mean most of us use the FD as a toy, not as a daily beater. Like most toys you must pay to play.