i'm debating on buying an rx8, ive been doin my research plus ive looked throughout this board and i know that everyone here loves their rx8 and ive seen alot of beautiful cars on this board, but the thing is, is this car a good buy? it doesnt have astronomical horspower nor does it have alot of torque, but i like the fact that it revs to 9 grand and alot of other attributes that the car has such as handling, styling, comfortability the list is endless, but when i pull up at a stoplight or even have a spirited drive, is this the car to do it in?

:eyetwitch :uhh: search???
testdrive would be give a better answer

Damnit, I typed up a reply and closed it by accident.

RX-8 will beat all commuter cars off the line, or if not immediately off the line it will most likely get to 60 km/hr faster.
It may not beat all performance sedans / "sporty" cars as many of these feature large V6's or turbo 4's and have a lot more torque than the 8. However, keep in mind you are in a much lighter vehicle than most of these and as such once you're in the powerband (north of 4000 RPM) you can easily hold your own.

Once you get into the twisties you will be able to fend off virtually all performance sedans / sporty coupes, and your only challengers will be other real sportscars.

Keep in mind the 8 features a very good suspension and limited-slip differential stock, which is a good step up from the stock systems on other cars which must be upgraded to match this.

You also end up with one of the nicest interiors in this price range, beating many cars which cost double the price (assuming you don't have any rattles); and the car looks exotic and different.

Really the only weakness with the entire car is the off-the-line performance, and if that's what you're after in a car, you should really look into something else. But if you're after something that can really perform around corners, looks fabulous, and has the only remaining production rotary engine, go for the 8.

Buy i cheap one (get a good deal on one) then Super charge that HOE! . . . problem solved

thankyou for the info mike that helps alot

anyone can mash a throttle and watch their car take off... the 8 blows the compeition out of the water on everything that takes place after that.

i'm debating on buying an rx8, ive been doin my research plus ive looked throughout this board and i know that everyone here loves their rx8 and ive seen alot of beautiful cars on this board, but the thing is, is this car a good buy? it doesnt have astronomical horspower nor does it have alot of torque, but i like the fact that it revs to 9 grand and alot of other attributes that the car has such as handling, styling, comfortability the list is endless, but when i pull up at a stoplight or even have a spirited drive, is this the car to do it in?

By simply reading this forum you're well ahead of the game. You've obviously driven one and it sounds like you like it....just do it.

you've done some reading on it , now test drive one . The only way to know .....

IMHO, the test drive was nice, but I don't think you'll understand this car until you buy it -- that's the paradox. While 0 - 60 times aren't the fastest, 20 - 80 times are something to behold. (You have to try to keep this car under 80. It's just so comfortable, and quiet, at that speed.)

I always feel that I'm "lurking" in traffic. I'm ready to prey on others' lane positions. As long as I can stay in a gear that keeps the revs up, the car is fast enough to demand any place, in any lane, at will. And it looks good doing it. Most passed drivers just defer, and respect the performance.

So stoplight, maybe not (even though...); but spirited drive -- definitely.

…is this car a good buy? It doesnt have astronomical horspower, nor does it have a lot of torque, but I like the fact that it revs to 9 grand and a lot of other attributes the car has, like its handling, styling and comfortability. The list is endless, but when I pull up to a stoplight or even have a spirited drive, is this the car to do it in?
Pulling up to a stoplight to race the guy next to you? Wrong car.
Pulling up to a stoplight to catch the attention of the drivers around you? Yup.
Spirited drives? Hard to do better.
Is it a good buy? A genuine sports car that can do 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, has a buttery-smooth rotary engine that redlines at 9K, RWD, near mid-engine, 50/50 balance, can seat four adults, and looks like it cost… 40 or $50,000? Yes, it's a good buy.

Pulling up to a stoplight to race the guy next to you? Wrong car.
Pulling up to a stoplight to catch the attention of the drivers around you? Yup.
Spirited drives? Hard to do better.
Is it a good buy? A genuine sports car that can do 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, has a buttery-smooth rotary engine that redlines at 9K, RWD, near mid-engine, 50/50 balance, can seat four adults, and looks like it cost… 40 or $50,000? Yes, it's a good buy. +1 :)

And with all the mentions about unreliability and such... its simple, if you take care of the car, the car will take care of you. I assume when someone considers this car as their final decision, then odds are they wont let it turn into a beater and neglect the reasons this car is so special. This car is meant to be driven & when you take it out on a spirited drive, it will leave your mouth hanging. Just keep it pristine, take care of it, and its a beautiful machine.

I'm here in Ottawa visiting family ... I go out to get away from everyone for a while (I'm a bit anti-social), hop in the 8, and zip around town. Absolutely a blast! Definitely all the power you really need, fast enough, high rev'ing. I just couldn't ask for a better car. I mean, yeah a bit more HP but really, who cares? I won't race anyone, I couldn't care less who is faster ... my car looks hot and it drives so sweet. I walk backwards after getting out just to keep my eyes on its beauty. There is no other car imo that gets my heart beating like this 8. Parents wonder ... where did he go again? Just out driving for the sheer fun of it.

very good responses guys your helping me out alot!

ahh.. therss no moving parts compared to a piston engine.

ahh.. therss no moving parts compared to a piston engine. Imagine, for a moment, that the rotary was developed first, before the piston engine. Then, when the piston engine came out, people would point and laugh and say "sure, it works—but why have an engine with over a thousand moving parts when you can do the same thing with just… three?!" :)

I've drive the 8 and I LOVE it, the interior, the handling, the cargo space, the grocery compartment in the trunk, the rear swing doors, the electronic steering, the brakes, the rotary sound, the shifter, the start-up sound of the gauges, the seats, the insurance cost.
Only thing is gas mileage.
Don't be fooled by people who say it's slow. Once you hit 4,000 RPM the car becomes a beast.

You asked if this car was good to buy? well most of us here on this forum love our 8. so yes, it is a good buy. And for speed, it is not a straight line car, but i still have fun every day flooring it to 9k rpm in a straight line.

yeah.. coming to a club forum to ask if it's a good car is a bit different, but at least he's getting some responses as to why we love it.

No crashing on anyone here, but just a perspective...

I like how sometimes people ask questions and get meaningful answers because of the moods people are in & then the same question could be asked (before or after) and you get your fair share of "search" and ass-hole comments. I mean I'm guilty of it sometimes, just an observation... but good to see this guy getting some good answers.

yea i was takin aback by how i only got one"search" comment, thank you guys so much, im still considering the 8, but also on the horizon is the evo 8, has anyone else come across this comparison before?

SEARCH!!

j/k j/k :lol:

You know you get power with the EVO 8, but nothing compares to the smoothness of the rotary. As many times as it's been said, its really what you intend on using it more for. If you want speed (and a cheap looking interior, imo), then the EVO! If you want random people stopping you and gaulking at your car, a ultra smooth tranny & clutch, handling beyond your imagination, a 9K redline, and decent speed/acceleration when you keep the revs high... I think you can tell where I lean.

Honestly, just decide what you want the car for, or make yourself a list of pros and cons of each and your decision will be made.

And also, no EVO can ever pick up girls the way a clean 8 can!

Go with the zoom.. zoom. I did and love it! 0-60 has room to improve. turbo/sc it and your right back on top.

yea i hate the evos interior and love the rx8 and i havent even been in one yet

^ the new Evo seems to be a big step forward as a daily driver, and the interior is a big improvement. Two great but two very different cars though, a turbo 4 is nothing like a rotary, AWD is nothing like RWD, but whatever rocks your boat. When you're talking "when I pull up at a stoplight" - sounds like you're an Evo type of guy, not that there's anything wrong with that. Otherwise, for a "spirited drive" the 8's as fun as anything IMO.

ahh.. therss no moving parts compared to a piston engine.

......:uhh: .....and the point is?.....

Ostensibly there's less that can go wrong with a rotary, but we all know that's just something we tell ourselves.

i read this thread....and maybe I can chime in. I do NOT own an RX8.

I have owned TWO separate RX7s. a 1979 and a 1987 Turbo II. i loved both those cars.

I have been in the car market recently and test drove an RX8 twice. each time I had a smile on my face after the test drive, and found myself thinking "wow this is a neat car".

I also kept saying "for a car that didn't seem all THAT fast, I was suprised at how FUN it was".

I really really want to get one. I'm only being held off b/c I kind of need a car that holds more than 4 people. I'm torn between getting a car like an Acura TL for practical reasons, vs fulfilling my desire to get what I really want, which is a sports car - and the RX8 is at the top of my list, along with the S2000.

the RX8 feels VERY nice inside. for the amount of money they cost - they feel like a nicer car. the interior in the 8 is nicer than most cars in the same price point. it feels very classy and well done.

the overall feel of the RX8 is great. when i climbed into it on my last test drive, I felt like I was getting into the cockpit of a figher plane or a spaceship or something.... when you get into an Acura TL you feel like you are getting into a large four door sedan..it looks nice ...but it's large and kind of spacious. the RX8 feels like it's sculpted around you... not confining like an S200...the s2k is VERY cramped and UNCOMFORTABLE... wherease the RX8 feels roomy enough so that you are not cramped (i am 5'9"...if you are 6'+ maybe you would feel different.) but the RX8 feels like it was built around you for one purpose, do be fun to drive. it does not feel too small as if you are cramped. you have ample room for you legs/feet, hips, etc. (the s2k felt really tight around my hips/legs/feet - amost too cramped to where it was unpleasant)

the RX8 motor is awesome. yeah it lacks torque...but it revs and revs. rev it up to 9k...shift, keep going..it' sjust fun. and it sounds cool.

like everyone here has said - if you are buying an RX8 so you can drag people light to light - this is the WRONG CAR. I mean WRONG in a BIG way. if you try to launch off the line, there is a good chance a new accord V6 with is 260+ hp V6 is going to roast you. lesser / non sporty cars will get you. heck, my 1999 Volvo T5 with 130k+ miles will roast you... in a drag from low speed the RX8 is pretty weak.

where the Rx8 shines is when you are moving at speed on a twisty road. if you keep the motor spinning at high rpm, it pulls nicely. the RX8 will never shove you back in teh seat the way an EVO or STi will when their turbo comes online... but the RX8 gives you a really need feel/driving experience.

if you are into cars, and you test drive enough of them - you will find that there are some cars that are just plain fun to drive - regardless of how fast or slow they are. you could probably find some blazingly fast V8 monster that is NO fun to drive. take a big fat Chryslter 300, or an OLD C4 vette... lots of power, probably would easily outrun an 8 in a straight line, but in terms of "fun" they wouldn't be much fun at all.

test drive something like a mini cooper, a Miata, the RX8 - you'll find that you have a LOT of fun in them, even though they arne't that fast. I used to have a Miata - one of the MOST FUN cars I ever had. I did eventually get tired of it and wanted something faster - but for the time I owned it, it was a BLAST. there are very few cars that cost as LITTLE as a miata and give you as much fun. I have test driven boxsters too - a base model boxster with not much over 200hp is a really nice car. sounds GREAT as the revs climb, handles great - but they are NOT super fast. not slow either...kinda like an 8.

if you test drive an RX8 you will find yourself thinking "this is FUN".

if your idea of a great time in your car is to get on a section of twisty road and zig zag all over - and have a great time bombing through circular freeway onramps...the RX8 is for you.

if you spend 99% of your time in stop and go traffic - maybe you'd be better off with an Acura TL or some other "comfy" car iwth a nice stereo, plush seats, etc.

i found the RX8 to be a very comfortable car that would work very nicely as a daily driver and still be a very capable canyon carver/ track day toy. very few cars can do both.

it's just not a dragster - and so many people and car magazines are hung up on 0-60 and 1/4 mile times that they base a cars value entirely on that.

if you look at the recent comaro CAr and Driver did they compared the 8 to the TT, the Z, and a mustang... i think those were the cars... the 8 won. they basically said it was underpowered but tons of fun for a great value.