Okay, well i have my heart set on buying an 8 but my parents aren't as enthusiastic. They want me to get a Honda accord. Now before you jump to conclusions I am paying for a portion of the car. Okay, so they don't mind if i get a V6 but they are convinced that the 8 is an unwise decision and that the maintenance cost along with the "unique" engine will cause me to run into problems and headaches. I live in Ohio so i was wondering if there was anyway to persuade my parents to let me buy an 8. Any help would be much appreciated!


Thanks for the help but I think my time is up, they have decided on the accord and basically said that it was final, but seriously, thanks for the help!

read thread : the little things

100k powertrain warranty!

Will do, thanks!

hmm the way i see it is, if you dont have 100 % in the decision process, then the rx8 is most likely not for you. and my reason is, if something happens to the car, your parents will quickly blame mazda for anything that happens. even if the user didnt keep up with maintence, they will still blame mazda.


so what does your parents feel about you driving a s2k?

Let them test-drive it.

Problem solved :lol:

(I've never heard of anyone not loving the car after driving it).

Consumer Reports gave the 2009 Accord an 88 and the RX-8 and 86. Both are given their Recommendation.

Other than the fact that the 8 needs a little more TLC and is less fuel efficient (it is, after all, a sports car), it's a zillion times more fun to drive. I just drove my sister's 08 Accord yesterday and while it's nice, it's what I would call unremarkable.

The insurance on the 8 is probably a little more. You may want to contact your insurance company to see if the difference is a deal breaker. (I doubt it)

PM me and I can send you a PDF of of the reports so you can print them and show them to the parents.

I own both an Rx8 and a Honda Accord. (And I'm a teenager's parent). BigMike is 100% correct. The Accord is much, much easier to drive, cheaper on gas and insurance, and a no-brainer to maintain compared to the RX8.

hmm the way i see it is, if you dont have 100 % in the decision process, then the rx8 is most likely not for you. and my reason is, if something happens to the car, your parents will quickly blame mazda for anything that happens. even if the user didnt keep up with maintence, they will still blame mazda.


so what does your parents feel about you driving a s2k?

Lol i mentioned it over dinner and my parents were like "What! that thing looks like a pile of ****" so thats not gonna happen

Consumer Reports gave the 2009 Accord an 88 and the RX-8 and 86. Both are given their Recommendation.

Other than the fact that the 8 needs a little more TLC and is less fuel efficient (it is, after all, a sports car), it's a zillion times more fun to drive. I just drove my sister's 08 Accord yesterday and while it's nice, it's what I would call unremarkable.

The insurance on the 8 is probably a little more. You may want to contact your insurance company to see if the difference is a deal breaker. (I doubt it)

PM me and I can send you a PDF of of the reports so you can print them and show them to the parents.

Ive driven an '07 accord and well it was uneventful....you press the gas and it barley purrs...ive pm'ed you

I own both an Rx8 and a Honda Accord. (And I'm a teenager's parent). BigMike is 100% correct. The Accord is much, much easier to drive, cheaper on gas and insurance, and a no-brainer to maintain compared to the RX8.

Would you consider getting your teenager an 8 if he was paying for a good portion?

Go with the honda its a great starter car.

Would you consider getting your teenager an 8 if he was paying for a good portion?


That would not be a deciding factor for me as a parent.
(PS - Insurance in CA is a lot cheaper for teens with a B Average or above...you may be able to work that angle.)

The biggest concern that I bet your parents are having with this decision is the notion that you or one of your friends will end up crashing the RX8 and not making it to age 18 because it is such a hot car and it's sooo tempting to push it on the streets. I'm sure for the parentals it is more of a safety issue than a financial issue, bottom line.

That would not be a deciding factor for me as a parent.
(PS - Insurance in CA is a lot cheaper for teens with a B Average or above...you may be able to work that angle.)

The biggest concern that I bet your parents are having with this decision is the notion that you or one of your friends will end up crashing the RX8 and not making it to age 18 because it is such a hot car and it's sooo tempting to push it on the streets. I'm sure for the parentals it is more of a safety issue than a financial issue, bottom line.

I could see that....as well as the insurance discount for good grades, didnt know about that, thats a plus....but the safety issues thats probably the deal breaker

Just let them you can afford the maintenance then...
Don't lie to them about the maintenance cost, they can probably find out with one call to Mazda service.
Most parents won't buy "I'll do the maintenance myself, or this guy from RX8Club is gonna help me with maintenance."
Just let them know you can financially afford the service at MAZDA DEALERSHIP.
For example, my 30,000 mile service was quoted $749 that includes swapping of all oils, spark plugs, decarb... etc.
Every 20,000 miles new tires should run you anywhere from $500 (dirt cheap tires) to about $1000.
So if you can afford them, then let them know the facts, and you should be on your way to a RX-8.

Honda Accord isn't so bad either, as long as it's not riced out.
They have a great manual gearbox (4 cyl or V6), not in the rx-8's league, but as good as mid-sized cars go.
Great handling for FWD mid-sized cars, one of the best as matter of fact.
Great on gas mileage, which should be important for a student without a full time job.
Don't let the stereotypes fool ya, an Accord would be an awesome first car.
And who can say no to a car that can last at least 200K miles when properly cared for?

Lol i mentioned it over dinner and my parents were like "What! that thing looks like a pile of ****" so thats not gonna happen







wow your parents dont have good taste in cars.this is a pile of Xhit?


i know ppl have opinions, but wow.

wow your parents dont have good taste in cars.this is a pile of Xhit?


i know ppl have opinions, but wow.

What can I say, they aren't big fans of it, i mean i don't think that have bad taste in cars, my mom drives a GL-450 and my dad drives an E-350 they look cool but i was thinking the same thing, i think it looks sweet but w.e.

my ex says my RX 8 is a piece of shit. I say, fuck him!!!!!!!!

^lol

just tell them im getting an rx8 idc what u say
im 17
i bought my 8 recently

so just tell them ill pay for insurance thats what i do
just get ready to pay like 250 to 300

goodluck i love my rx8

(btw i saved up for 2 years)

Here's another idea... something of a compromise. Have you considered a Honda S2000? Sure, it's not an RX-8, but it's about as close as you'll get and your parents may be less reluctant since it IS a Honda. :)

They are also quite fun to drive. The only issue is that it's a 2 seater.

Are you limited to just the accord as far as cars go?

Here's another idea... something of a compromise. Have you considered a Honda S2000? Sure, it's not an RX-8, but it's about as close as you'll get and your parents may be less reluctant since it IS a Honda. :)

They are also quite fun to drive. The only issue is that it's a 2 seater.


Achievement unlocked! Thread reading failure. :mdrmed:


Sounds more like your parents aren't too sure about your maturity level in terms of being able to keep your foot off the pedal. You should talk to them about the safety features (such as DSC, curtain airbags, etc) and crash test ratings the RX8 gets.


If anything.. get a cheap Honda, used even, prove to them you know how to drive in a safe manner, and then a year or two down the line, swap it for an RX8.

Achievement unlocked! Thread reading failure. :mdrmed:

:lol:

Well for the past year I've been driving a honda accord ('95) and a honda odyssey ('02)....so i'm pretty sure they think i wont go crazy but my parents are set in their ways, they have owned car from only 2 companies: honda and mercedes. so its more of they dont think the RX-8 is a good car and that the accord is wonderful

Ah.. well, not sure what to tell you, my parents were fairly open with me, making sure to let me know if anything goes wrong, I would be taking responsibility of it.. I also argued for 4 months before finally getting my RX8 soo... might just take time ;) (granted, I was already 18, almost 19)

Well in that case....i hopefully by the end of the summer they will be convinced

The Accord would be cheaper, more reliable, and safer. It's a great all-around car that will rarely leave you stranded.

Your parents have two concerns: 1) You'll get something too fast you can't handle and will crash it, either killing yourself or someone else. 2) You'll get something you can't afford and won't be able to maintain properly and they'll end up footing the bill every 3 months.

Not a lot you can do about their first concern, but if you can show them how you can afford the routine maintenance and repairs, along with additional insurance costs, you should be in decent shape. Ultimately, though, if they're footing the bill for a large portion of it, they WILL have a say in what you drive.

Perhaps you could compromise by getting a Civic Si or an RSX - both reliable, fairly inexpensive sports cars with more traditional engines.

How old are you? I would suggest a compromise between the 8 and the accord imo. Get a mazda 6 or some other sporty sedan / coupe. The 8 isn't bad if you're willing to let it be a big part of your life.

If the concern of your car is more point A to point B, doing it reliably and not busting your wallet..get the accord or a sportier compromise.

If you are fascinated by the 8s unique engine, styling and really love the car and the thrill of how it drives..get the rx-8. Just be prepared to do lots of learning and reading, proper maintenance and realize that all cars are money pits..let alone the rx8.

Well my parents have decided against getting my an 8 so i guess i am getting an accord unless i can manage to get 28k which isnt happening. But thanks for the advice and help!

no big surprise there on their decision to put you in an Accord instead of an 8. My first car was a VW bug!!!! Now the 8 will be something you can work towards. :)

no big surprise there on their decision to put you in an Accord instead of an 8. My first car was a VW bug!!!! Now the 8 will be something you can work towards. :)

I guess so, but hopefully i will be able to get an 8 once i can get enough cash :)