I will let anyone drive my car - after they first drive it w/ me riding shotgun.

no

My wife used to complaint...but now everything is how it is supposed to be: I DRIVE.

I think she might bust me in a couple years. She wants a convertible, and I believe we are pre-sold to the new VW (Elise would be sweet, but I can't get my wife to drive a MUCH better vehicle....status quo has to be respected!! :D )

I gave the owner of the company that I work for a ride today. Did he get to drive it? NO. What if he somehow were to damage it? Not gonna give him the chance. ;)

Does my wife get to drive it? Yes. Are you kidding?!? :D

Uh oh RX8-TX. Didn't mean to contradict you. We were both typing at the same time...:D My wife gets to drive it only once in a while, knowing she dies if she messes up. :D :D :D

I've let all friends drive it, as long as I'm in the car. They need someone to tell them, "get the tach up there!" I want them to enjoy it as much as I do, and they all seem to.

While I was still on my first tank of gas, I let a coworker drive my 8 for 15 minutes through town. He said he hadn't driven stickshift in a while but knew how to...

He stalled the car 4 times on 3 miles. I don't plan on doing that again.

Yeah, I do, of course with people I know that are; knowledgeable about cars, know how to use a manual and are good friends or family. I take care of my car and make sure it's properly maintained but I don't obsess over a piece of metal, it's a tool to be used and I keep that perspective.

Wife, definitely, and the OCCATIONAL well-trusted friend, for short distances, with me riding shotgun only.

I let my brother drive it once to a specail party with his girl friend. Man, I stay up all knight waiting for them to come back. Once I got the key back I fell fast asleep with the key tightly in my hand.

It's a car. It's just a thing you know.

My girlfriend and I just got it. We offered to let a very close friend drive it around the block, but he declined, knowing that it's in the break-in stage, so he's most likely waiting for when I'll let him open her up full throttle. He feels guilty doing that if I haven't even done that yet, and he knows how hard I used to drive my other car after it got broken in.

Yes...it is just a material item...but it is also a very expensive investment. Sometimes accidents happen that is out of ones control...I'd rather be the one involved then to have someone else involved, my ride ruined, and have a latent resentment towards them for it. It also has to be a close friend too, that I know will respect it. Don't baby it, but don't abuse it either, it's a very fine line, but that fine line destinguishes opinions as to whether it's a crappy car like the trolls claim it is, or if it's a work of art, like most of us appreciate it as being.

Originally posted by Haze
It's a car. It's just a thing you know.

Missed the Hug commercial, did ya?

Ha!

...but I let lots of people drive mine. (Free love?!)


Here's a thought for those who voted "no"...

If I'm ever in a situation where I NEED someone to drive my 8, I feel a lot better knowing that I've already checked them out in it before they're cleared solo.

my own mama dont drive my car

The only car I have or have ever had that I worry about people driving is the FD. And that is only because it is too damn easy to break loose--every Mazda dealership saleperson I have spoken to remembers a wreck or two on test drives. Other than that, I feel the more people drive it, the better pub it'll get and the better chance of success long term for the car, and the better chance I will have of buying two new rotary cars (7 & 8) in about 6 or 7 years.

When we take are car racing we offer our car to anyone who wants to drive it. At least twenty other people have driven our car on an autocross course. No worries!

Vince

There are two things you dont let your friends drive knowingly thats your WIFE or your CAR , and guess which one comes first the --------------CAR of course.

michael

The wife drives on weekends when were together. I drive it on weekdays.

My father drove it, and Hymee from down under drove it.

Oh yeah, I let my salesperson drive it to the gas station for its first fill-up, and I let the owner of the dealership move it from the portable parking lot that the RX-8 arrived on, to inside their service department, and of course the service tech that prepared it for pick-up.

I was in the passenger seat for any occurance, although I did try the back seat once when my wife was driving.

I'll let close family member, friends, and coworkers dirve (as long as they know how to drive manual). How else will they realy truly experience the 8. Riding in the passengers seat give no or little indiction on what the 8 can do (can't even see the tach/seedo on the passengers seat). Also, they will understand and appriceate the car you own. This way, when I talk about the 8, they will understand my point of view and appreciate where I'm comming from. I trust them enough to put on a couple of miles on the odometer. I mean, its only a couple of miles they drive compared to the thousnads of miles, I'll be putting on it.
Who knows, it may even influence someone to purchase it.
Al

I have never let anybody drive my personal car unless I absolutely had too. My fiance doesnt drive stick so I dont have an issue there. Plenty of friends have asked, but simple fact is, I know every one of them has had multiple accidents, and I havent. So nope.

I don't mind my family and expecially the wife. Good friends may be depending on how well they can drive stick.

Other people? Absolutely not...but how do you prevent the stupid Mazda machanic not to drive your car if you want to get something looked at. My last visit to Mazda dealer to get the transmission noise looked and the idiot stalled the car twice:mad:

ive let my parents drive mine. my dad hates everything japanese, but he likes the 8.

well my dad can drive it cause he bought the car for me. but i dont think any of my friends would be able to drive it unless they go to the dealer...haha its too precious

I let my friends that i trust drive the car... my parents have driven it. Even after 16 years of not driving stick my mom didn't stall driving my car.

Only 5 sleeps now, but ours will be the family car (the other is a 4wd utility). That means 18 year-old daughter on provisional license, and 16-year daughter on learner's license.

Good things have always been built and designed for as many to enjoy as possible. Besides which, are there many safer cars out there?