dean2900

I am relatively new to the board so cut me some slack if this topic has been done to death

I was curious what other cars you guys test drove and what you traded in for your 8?

I traded in my S2000 which I loved but have a wife expecting and there is no airbug cutoff in the S2000. It is not that I was planning on taking my son in the car but situations arise. I needed a more practical daily driver that was stil a sports car.

I looked at the following cars:

Infiniti G35 -- This was not bad car but it felt heavy to me. It never felt right around the curves. The styling on the outside was hit or miss. There were certain angles that it looked good and others that it didnt. The engine was responsive and had good low-end torque but it didnt feel like a rocket. I had the fear I would never be comfortable going fast around curves.

BMW 330CI -- I liked the interior on this car but as you started adding features, it started getting up in the 40k + range which felt like too much. The car didn't have very good acceleration but handled better than I would have expected. In the end, it just was not sporty enough for my likings.

Mitsu EVO VIII -- Ugly Ugly Ugly. This car has acceleration but I couldn't find myself to like it. The interior seemed cheap to me. It's just a freaking Lancer people! Hey, i know taste is subjective but I just don't thing the Evo fits the 30 something crowd.

WRX -- I never test drove this car and the STI was too much money. I marked this on my list as a car to test drive but when I got to the lot, I just said no way. Again, this is a matter of personal taste.

RSX -- I have a friend that has a Type S and I mulled over it but never really was interested in the car. It has decent performance and handling but since I still had an integra (and s2000), it just felt like the wrong car even though Honda/Acura makes fantastic cars.

I chose the 8 because it felt light, handled curves well, had a great stereo, and the interor was nice (red/black seats especially). The suicide doors were a bonus as well. I did feel (and still do) that the car is underpowered but I believe this to be mainly to the EPA2 standards knowing the car had been detuned. I also figured as much interest as there is with the RX-7s that people would quickly get some mods to retune to the car to the way it was meant to be. I am not looking for FI but rather just to have the car around 250hp (maybe 220whp) and I still believe that to be the case. So far the only part of the car that dissapoints me is there is no real kick between 6 - 9k RPMs. However, it does have the most smooth and even displacement of any engine I have seen so it is a mixed blessing. Of course I love the styling of the car!

This was actually a easy decision because of the limited number cars out there to meet my needs, the 8 was head and shoulders above the rest.

Dean

Rob Tomlin

So far I have test driven the Mitsu EVO, and the 350z. I don't like the looks of the G35.

I did a write up on my test drive of the above cars in the general auto section.

I was going to try and test drive an STi, but I saw one on the road yesterday, and, like you, will simply take a pass.

I saw an EVO on the road today. I will never consider that a "good looking" car, but it has grown on me some. But it isn't close to the RX-8 in the looks department.

Ironically, I probably will be test driving an S2000, although I would prefer to have backseats.

8inVegas

I've riven just about any car, i drove the mercedes SL, 350Z, G35, STI, EVO, and none of these cars had an overall package. Mercedes wants too much, midlife crisis all the way. And fast corners that i take, the maniac that i am, the car almost seemed as if it would flip. The 350z is a car that everyone has, it's one car that i could see myself in, but then i was like, i'm not gay. G35, STI and EVO, by the time i got to test drive them, the salesman pissed me off so much, that when we test drove the car, he was scared shitless, i'm doin 130 on the freeway, the guy was like, slow down, with sweat coming from his face.

Overall, there is no car that comes close to us. Everything from styling, engineering, and bang for the buck.

RX-Hachi

Traded an e36 BMW M3. Other cars tested and in possible contention were:

E46 BMW M3 – Was very very close to buying, but have had one BMW or another since ’88 and wanted something different with more sports car like styling. The M3 also felt a little heavy compared to the e36 M3, but the power was intoxicating.

BMW X5 & X3 – Wife wanted me get something more practical. No sale, I’ll let her trade in her 540 for one of these.

Porsche Cayenne – Well, if you’re gonna look at SUVs, why not a Cayenne. But I found it to be an overpriced VW, not a true Porsche. Drove like a fast SUV, not a sports car.

S2000 – Just for the heck of it, but a two seater was out of the question. (I liked it a lot.)

In the end it was M3 or RX-8. What pulled me to the RX-8 was my old 3rd gen. RX-7, I missed that car since the day I sold it and never really recovered. Until now!

Rxdriftingaction

So far i did test S2000. WRX STI. Evo Rs. Civil si. Rsx type s. Rx-7. Corvette Z06.
and Srt-4. i am waiting for the new mustang.. guys. ha ha when it been dealer there let's check it out. mustang mustang !! ha ha ..

Tigerfootball

I never really test drove any other cars besides the RX-8. I traded a 2000 Dodge Dakota R/T in for my baby. best trade i've made to date.

nosubstitutec4s

take a look at this thread: https://www.rx8club.com/lounge-4/what-other-cars-were-you-considering-37160/

its a list of pretty much every car you would ever consider in this price range

Rob Tomlin

And to think, I am selling my Silver 3rd gen. RX-7 in order to get an RX-8!

I know I will miss her, but all good things must come to an end!

The RX-8's practicality will win out overall. I'm glad its around to help soften the blow!

Urchin

Did not test drive any other car, I have been stuck on rotaries since 1973. Kept my 1988 RX7 convertible for nice days. Was not worth trading in, would not have gotten much.

RX-Hachi

You are right about that. In my case, it was actually kind of a love hate relationship with the 7. I bought the car new, loved it to death, but it was quite unreliable and had many quality issues. After my first child came along, I had to replace it with the M3. Great car, the M3, but a part of me always missed the good things about the RX-7. I have two kids now, but with the RX-8, I feel like I can have my cake and eat it too!

Rob Tomlin

Well said!

I also have two kids. The oldest is 5, the youngest is almost 3. I had the FD two years before our first child arrived. There was definitely some pressure to get rid of the FD when my wife became pregnant, but I held firm, got a cheap "daily driver" and everything was ok.

The problem now is that my 5 year old just started kindergarten this week. My wife also works, and I just don't always know ahead of time whether I will have to pick her up from school. If I have the 7, there is no way that will work.

Add to this the fact that I don't drive the 7 enough because of other reasons having to do with reliability (it simply does not like traffic or hot summer days) and it becomes more and more difficult to justify keeping it.

But man, what a car! I still consider it my dream car. An incredible performer, with looks to match. Like I said, I will miss her dearly. I will never forget her.

shelleys_man_06

I had to trade in my baby, a 2001 Celica GT-S, which my girlfriend and I were absolutely in love with. She loved it more than me, but I've always wanted to be unique and different, so I reluctantly (I seriously mean that, because I would never trade my GT-S for the world) accepted my new car. It felt kind of weird the first couple of days I had it. In fact, I had some regrets from the get-go. Well, it's been almost one year since then, and I'm absolutely in love with the RX-8! :D

I test drove a 350Z and a 2003 Mustang Cobra, but they didn't offer the uniqueness I wanted. The RX-8 was actually a car that was on the bottom of my most wanted list. I was so naive at the age of 19.

dean2900

I didn't consider the 350z because I needed more than 2 seats. However, I dd test drive one last year. It drives almost identical to the G35.

I just think for 35 grand, they could paint the door handles!!!

Abracadabra

We wanted a distinctive looking, driving car that we could afford to buy and maintain. We had a limited budget, not to exceed 35k. My wife said it had to have 4 doors for client use...she liked a used Jaguar. We read Consumer's guide and realized most reliable cars are Asian. Didn't even know about the 8 up til then. Didn't want a 4 door Lexus, Toyota, Nissan, etc. We thought they all look the same and boring. Checked out the Infinity G35...the back seat is a disgrace...interior finishing poor...salesman was a pain. Nixed the Z as well..no back seat..way to stiff for daily use. PT Cruiser didn't cut it nor did the Crossfire just for a final look at U.S. One in the same quality wise. A 4x4 was not even an option. Even checked out a Scion. Drove by a Mazda dealership by chance, checked out the 8...we both agreed that it filled all criteria and more! We shopped out the price to about 6 other dealers..came back to City Palce Mazda in West Palm Beach..had our match in inventory...done deal. They treated us great...small personal dealership. Have never been happier...this car is way underpriced.

AutoBahnRX8

Before buying mine, I test drove (in order):

Honda S2000 (not as much fun as a modified Miata, but I'm probably biased)
Infinity G35 (I don't know, just didn't like the looks)
Nissan 350Z (kinda ugly but interesting, good torque, but didn't like the handling)
Audi TT (as soon as I sat in it I knew it wasn't the one besides the fact that it looks like a
VW Beetle with Downs Syndrome)

Then the RX-8 I had my mind set that it was the nicest looking car, but driving it was incredible. I drove the GT with all the bells and whistles and a Sport and ended up liking the cloth set-up much better (I dislike moon-roofs anyway). All around just loved the car especially the handling. Power wasn't as dissappointing as I thought and the CanZoomer Stage I and Borla did wonders (for me anyway). Looking forward to Judge Ito's "Bone Stock" mod as well as Richard Pauls Axial Flow Super Charger. I feel this car will be with me for a LONG time.

eddyjo

Tried

EVO 8 - Hard ride, very cheap interior. Not a car for everyday commuting.
350z - Needed 4 (seats though) & not keen on the looks.

Then tried the RX8 and my mind was made up.

arattle

I looked at a few cars, initially RX-8 wasn't even on my list. This being my first rotary, I heard nothing but bad things about their reliability (I suppose people remember the RX-7 - and they only remember the bad things about it). So, I looked at a few cars in the 30k range....

Audi A4 3.0 Quattro - the car I wanted all along. But when I finally drove a fully loaded gently used 02 model, it accelerated like ***, felt like it weighed 40 tons, and the interior wasn't even all that nice. I immediately discounted it, despite lusting after the A4 for years.

BMW 330 Ci - only because my roommate insisted I give it a shot, and he was right. The handling is superb, you feel one with the road 100% of the time. The interior was not exceptionally nice, but it looked great on the outside. Too bad it cost $30k+ for a base model (albeit nicely equipped). I can't afford this yet.

Nissan 350z - incredible power, great sounding engine, and an interior that's not as bad as people make it sound. The car looks good overall, but the lack of a back seat made this one impractical for me. The trunk is a complete joke, too. Impossible to see out of, the blind spots seem to be all around the car, even up front. Door sills come up to my eye level, and I'm average height (5'9"). Pass.

RX-8. Wow. The second I sat down in this baby back in March when my girlfriend was buying her Mazda3, I knew that I wanted this car. I'd just bought an 02 Nissan Altima last June, and was in no position to trade it in, but the 8 stuck in my mind and I started thinking about possible ways to buy it. The car handled incredibly well, the interior feels like it was custom-built for me, the performance is much better than anything else I've ever driven before, and the looks are so unique! So, once I figured that my credit would allow me a 2nd car loan, my insurance wouldn't go up too high, and I can afford the car, it was a done deal. Gave the Altima to my mom to drive and pay off the rest of the loan (she's happy with it), and picked up the 8 on July 4th. Been smiling ever since. What a combination of luxury (GT package), performance, and pure FUN! My first MT, and I'm not going back for many many years.

-arattle

DreRX8

I test drove the G35 Coupe, BMW 325Ci, BMW 330Ci, Nissan 350Z, and looked at the GTO; but my mind was already made up on the RX8-it made the most sense to me. I was going to trade in my 1999 Millenia S but I decided to keep it a little while longer.

RussellP

I was actually in the market for a used BMW. For the same price as an RX8 I woulda had to settle for a four year old 328i. Then when I heard about the 8 and test drove it I decided it looked better, handled better, was faster, was as practical and was brand new.

Rob Tomlin

If having back seats is a requirement, the list of contenders shrinks by quite a bit. To me, the S2000 and 350z are the closest competitors in terms of cars that I might want as much as the RX-8. But they don't have back seats.

The EVO doesn't look very nice, and the interior is horrible looking. I don't like the bland looks of the G35, or the STi.

Not much left after that.

BasenjiGuy

Sold '94 BMW 325is. IMHO, the E36 series, '92 - '98, is one of the all time greatest cars ever made. Practical, smooth, quiet, very entertaining to drive, and, great gas mileage. I seriously considered looking for a low mileage, garage kept 328is or M3 instead of buying a new car. The E36 3-series is that good. And, that straight six sounds better than anything, except a V12. The E46's (current 3-Series) are very pretty inside and out, have more power, but are softer and more isolated feeling than the E36's. And, $40k for a 330ci is out of my budget... Hence the RX-8. I almost got an IS300, it's a nice 3-Series clone.... But, I got a Base 8 for around $26k out the door. Too good of a bargain to pass up.

monzter

Traded in a 7 month old 2003 HD SuperCharged truck (4000 miles) for my 8. Got tired of getting 8mpg on the truck..especially after gas prices went up.

Test drove:

350Z: I'm a huge Z fan (have owned several before), but needed the backseat for the 2 kids (ages 3 and 11 mos).
EVO: Love everything about the car except for the looks. Figured I would get tired of the looks after a few months.
STI: See EVO.
04 Cobra: Insanely fast, but it has a few "issues" that had me concerned and it waste's as much gas as the truck I traded in.
Lightning: Love the truck, but again the gas issue killed it for me.
RSX Type-S: Something a little "feminine" about that car for me.
G35 Coupe: Nice car, but more than I was willing to spend. Probably would have bought it if it were offered at the same price as my 6sp base model.

Never thought I'd like the 8 as much as I do. Every day is a joy to drive it. And it fills a void that I've always had ever since the 3rd gens came out. I bought my Z32 TT about 6 months before the RX-7 Came out and always wanted to own one. The 8 may not be as fast the as last 7, but it will be someday

DOMINION

"What other cars did you test drive & trade in?"

One RX-8 and that was it.

DynamicDookie

iTrader: (3)

tested:
g35, too many on the road and the backseat only works for kids

evo 8: way fast, but with the crappiest interior I've seen in a long time. the speed of the car is inversely proportional to the nastiness of the cabin.

sti: yikes the wing....

rx8: had my eye on the eight since i saw the evolv concept. maybe not be the fastest, but it has the most character inside and out. 9000 redline didn't hurt either