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Just drove an RX-8 and 350Z back to back...

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    Just drove an RX-8 and 350Z back to back...

    I just got through driving an RX-8 and a 350Z back to back and thought I would put my general feelings down about each one. First the RX-8:

    1. Nice! Cheaper than the 350Z I looked at by a couple of grand and better equipped. Good plastics and ergonomics all around. This car had almost as much stuff on it as our Honda (why no frickin automatic A/C Mazda?). Pretty quiet until you jam on it, the engine gets noticeable around 6k RPM. Power doesn't kick in until around 4500 and it buzzes under 3500.

    2. Drives great, handles like a dream, steering and brake feel just like the ones in my Pro.

    3. Low on power. It does not have as much gusto as the 350Z did, you have to keep it in the powerband or it goes Honda on you.

    4. Uncomfortable, if you are around 6' and sit like me in one with a sunroof, your head will hit the roof all day long. Very annoying.

    Then the 350Z:

    1. Cheap cheap cheap.... All the interior bits felt dirt cheap compared to the RX-8's. But it was much roomier. They also didn't pay very good attention to the ergonomics, I think they tried to make everything look cool first, and functional second.

    2. Drives great, but nowhere near as good as the RX-8. Felt a lot more like a normal RWD vehicle with oversteer tendencies while the Mazda was very neutral.

    3. Gobs of power, lots of torque and it always felt like it was in the powerband.

    4. Much roomier than the RX-8, but then no sunroof either so that would be a couple of inches extra.

    In conclusion, I think if I were about to buy a new sports car (maybe I am, not sure) I would probably pick up an RX-8 but I would be kind of pissed because I would have to give up on all the goodies to sit in it comfortably. Mazda needs to offer a variant of this with the grand touring package and NO SUNROOF!!!!!!!
    2002 Silver ES 5-Speed
    1983 F-150 351W

    #2
    My head hit the roof too. It sucks because I really like the car and would have liked to pick up a used one in 3-4 years.
    02 Protege ES

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      #3
      I sent a letter to Mazda after I drove it asking that they make a Grand Touring package available without the sunroof for us average sized North Americans. Otherwise I am going to wait a few months and see how they last reliability wise and everything and then go pick one up (I hope) when they go on S-Plan, or at least when the dealers start dealing on them (those things have like $2,000 in standard markups without dealer pack!).

      I think I will probably just buy one with the Sport Package so I can get the HID headlights and DSC. I liked it a lot more than any other car I have driven lately, it handles a LOT better than the AWD and FWD cars I have been looking at (duh, I know). And you can't do a great burnout without RWD.
      2002 Silver ES 5-Speed
      1983 F-150 351W

      Comment


        #4
        so your mad that the 350 didnt have a sunroof and that the rx8 did?

        Comment


          #5
          I'm kind of mad that I can't get an RX-8 with factory leather without a sunroof if that is what you mean. I wish Mazda would offer that in the states, because we are tall, and its not that difficult to just leave a sunroof out and not put it in.
          2002 Silver ES 5-Speed
          1983 F-150 351W

          Comment


            #6
            How much does the leather and sunroof package cost? You could always get katskins leather installed and it might not even cost you that much more.
            02 Protege ES

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              #7
              Grand Touring is $3900. But includes a lot more than just the leather. Upgraded audio, dimming mirror, all kinds of good stuff. Sucks you can't get all the good stuff and still fit inside.
              2002 Silver ES 5-Speed
              1983 F-150 351W

              Comment


                #8
                well for a dimming mirror and leather seats its not worth it to me... i'll just get the katskins for like 1200 at he most... and then i could care less for the dimming mirror... and the upgraded audio... if the leather only costs me 1200 thats 2700 left over that I could put towards a system... and since I already have that I could put it towards a fiberglass trunk so that would keep the weight down

                Comment


                  #9
                  I don't think you've ever seen one. If you had you would know that if you put a system in an RX-8 it is going to look ghetto with the way they integrated the stereo into the interior. And there is a lot more in Grand Touring than just leather and what I listed. Why don't you look at the website before you start spouting off?
                  2002 Silver ES 5-Speed
                  1983 F-150 351W

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I would have thought the auto-dimming mirror is a bunch of nonsense I could live without myself, but my dad has it on his WRX, it's really useful.
                    2006 Mazda 3 hatchback manual

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by charles
                      I would have thought the auto-dimming mirror is a bunch of nonsense I could live without myself, but my dad has it on his WRX, it's really useful.
                      i agree, i have super sensitive eyes, so night driving sux, the glare of headlights suck, so autodimming would be cool.
                      .....HELLO MY NAME IS BEN...



                      186.08whp
                      225.94wtq
                      torque monster!!!!
                      dyno graph 8-10-and 12psi
                      http://www.msprotege.com/members/THE...no%20graph.jpg
                      http://videos.streetfire.net/player....0-C19CA06AF01E dyno vid

                      blahblahblahblahblahblah

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                        #12
                        I guess the RX-8 was made for guys like me. I'm only 5'8 and i'm pretty much done growing. So score for me . But you also got to remember, people in Japan are on average not as tall as people here so maybe thats why you guys have trouble fitting in there. nonetheless, its still an awesome car. only needs more torque then it'd be perfect.
                        '96 LX baby
                        Next car: Miata. And after that...Rotary...
                        Mazdas Rule The Automobile World
                        "It Just Feels Right"
                        <IMG src="http://bingweb.binghamton.edu/~bsong1/CARS/104-0401_IMG.bmp">

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                          #13
                          alot of mazdas new interiors are stiffer then before in previous years, is that what you are talkin bout with the uncomfortableness? the Cloth Mazda 6's are like that too...you get used to it. I love the soft plush seats in the old proteges and in the p5s/es proteges. But the 3/6/rx8is have stiffer interior...but holds up and lasts long too. gotta give a little i guess to get a better car!
                          Maroon 1995 Probe SE
                          Beige 1994 Protege DX
                          Silver 2001 Protege ES

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                            #14
                            My friend has an '04 rx8, he's about 6'1" and I've never heard him complain. He has petty damn long arms and legs, so I guess the seat tilted back helps.
                            Dan
                            dreesemonkey

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by funkdaddysmack
                              My friend has an '04 rx8, he's about 6'1" and I've never heard him complain. He has petty damn long arms and legs, so I guess the seat tilted back helps.
                              I test drove one and I'm 6'5"... didn't have any head room problems.

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