I had my final test drive this weekend. My first test drive was a few weeks ago and that had semi-convinced me: I loved the engine and the styling and the performance was good, but I didn't like the gearshift and I wasn't sure about the handling - felt a little soft but I hadn't really been able to test it out at all.

The car I tested was a high power red. Even under the extremely overcast, rainy conditions I still thought the red looked good. I'm sure it looks better in sunlight but I will probably have to wait until about March to find that out. There was a silver car as well which looked really good in that (lack of) light.

The car I drove had red/black interior and I have to say I'm glad I didn't order it - there's nothing wrong with it and it isn't actually "tacky" I just prefer something a little more restful on the eye in the interior. Besides, you can see that red bonnet and wheel arches from the driver's seat which is enough for me.

Now for the driving. I had far less trouble with the gearshift this time. Maybe the old test car had been abused a little but this definitely felt better, and I also seemed to have no problems with the clutch either. It may just be that I knew what to expect. Generally all the pedals felt good - light but precise and the brakes seemed to be servoed just the right amount.

The engine seemed quieter than I remember it last time, but this may be because we had the fan on to demist the windows, the rain was clattering against the windscreen and there was more road noise from water on the road (buying a new sports car in the middle of Winter - who's great idea was that?).

The performance seemed similar to the previous test car - perhaps a tiny bit less torque lower down and a suggestion of a kick above 7000 rpm that wasn't there before, but this may well all be in my imagination.

The test route at least had a few corners in it this time, although obviously it wasn't ideal conditions. The first thing I can say is that the suspension is NOT too soft. It feels like it's going to be when you're driving slowly. There is some compliancy there (a good thing) and you naturally think that as you speed up it's going to start moving around more but it just doesn't. At higher speeds the car feels really well planted on the road. Maybe if you were on a smooth racetrack you could benefit from a firmer setup but for road driving, especially UK roads, the suspension is just about perfect.

I would need much more familiarity with the car before I could say anything meaningful about it's roadholding and handling abilities - I'm sure all the reports praising it in the motoring press are true. What I did notice though was the wonderfully quick turn in to corners - even sharper than my 4 wheel steer Prelude. The benefits of rear whel drive, I guess.

So, in case you hadn't guessed, I am definitely going ahead and buying this car. Frankly, I feel hugely relieved. If it hadn't lived up to my expectations then I really couldn't have justified the outlay and I would have had to say no (although I don't know what else I would have got) and all the trials and tribulations (well sort of) of the last 6 months would have been in vain. But the car's brilliant, so no problem.

It should arrive at the dealers next weekend and I'll probably pick it up the weekend after. I can't wait :D.

You are a very wise man.....;)

I can second that. The car is staggeringly rewarding to drive, improving every time you get into it. The gearchange does feel odd at first but you soon see its way of thinking. Ride, handling and roadholding are totally predictable, will flatter an average driver and reward an enthusiast. I took it today onto the bumpiest country lane I know, which would almost throw my old Audi A4 Quattro off the road, and it just dug in, fought back and asked for more. Because the steering is so direct I do notice it can twitch about on the motorway, but I'll learn to deal with that, its better than woolly steering any day.
Cant speak for reliability yet but if its a drivers car you want then you have made the right choice.

JH

I couldn't beleive how quickly I felt at home and how natural it felt to drive. After almost 5 years I know my MX3 so well I hate driving anything else, but in minutes I was completely comfortable. The RX8 is the perfect sucessor to the MX3 V6, small high reving engine, great handling, 4 seets, (but only 2 doors), almost the same external dimentions.

The differences are of course twice as much silky smooth power, a fantastic engine note abive 6000rpm, suddently less bumps in the road, but completely firm in the corners. All this and effortless way which the RX8 drives fool you in to thinking you are doing a moderare pace, when the digital speedo says 20-30mph more than you expected (bye bye licence).

The car also oozes style both inside and out, I'd love to spend all day driving with one infront and one behind so I could admire it at the same time as driving it.

The only things I could fault it for were; the cabin seemed slighly smaller than the MX3 due to the high central tunnel and a driving position slighly closer to the dash. But I soon got used to that and it feels reassuringly snug. The other thing was that the stalks are of the european configuration instead of the traditional British and Japaneses of indicators on the right as on the MX3 (so you can steer and indicate with your right hand, and change gear with the left). But again I drive plenty of other things so it doesn't take long to get used to it.

So despite ordering the car on the strength of a picture on a website, I don't think I could have made a better chioce if I'd had chance to drive everything else under the sun.

Cheers
---Dave

HURRAH FOR CHRIS W!

Cheers
Oilman

Interesting comment from druck about the stalk configuration. The Aussie models have the regular Japanese orientation - i.e. indicators on the right stalk, wipers and washers on the left. We were told our model was the same as that for the UK.

I might be able to get mine swapped around at some point then.

Cheers
---Dave

Good comments both from ChrisW and Druck. Got my 1st drive tomorrow. Can't wait.

Cheers


thepenn:D :D

hmm - weird about the stalk thing. Certainly it didn't bother me up until now, and I think its the same way round as my '99 mindeo ST24 which is a good thing. On the MX-5, I was always turning the wipers on instead of indicating. Then when I went back to the Mondeo, the same happened again.

I guess its horses for courses....