Smiling in Seattle - Proud new owner
07-16-2003, 12:20 AM
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Smiling in Seattle - Proud new owner
I have been following the board for a long time -- I never posted before because I never had anything to say -- until now. (I thank you all for the scads of valuable information you have been posting all along, though.) So, now I have something to say -- because I actually own an RX-8! It seems so surreal that I just took possession of my RX-8 2 days ago! We got lucky on the West coast having ours come in first. I know I am one of the first owners in the USA -- it is a strange and wonderful feeling.
So, the following are my impressions of the car (keeping in mind that I've only put about 130 miles on it so far.)
Exterior: It is a stunning car. As many people have said, it's even more beautiful in person. Mine is titanium gray with the black/chaparal interior -- a striking combination. I am very, very happy with my choice. Incidentally there was a black one at the dealer as well, waiting for another pre-order fellow to pick it up. It looked great as well, of course, but the black does not show off the lines as well as the titanium. But I am biased.
The drive: So much controversy and criticism over the acceleration (or lack thereof.) Well, you know what -- I can see what the critics are saying. It does lack initial punch. But yes, it does pick up a lot -- A LOT -- in higher revs. It was hard for me to imagine this before I drove it, but now it makes perfect sense. It's killing me, but I'm trying to be a good boy and not rev too high until I've put 600 miles on it. So it's difficult to get a sense for how it drives exactly, because I know eventually I will be revving it much higher than 4.5 RPM's! For an example of how the car picks up in higher RPM's, though, I'm cruising along at 60mph in 5th gear, and stomp on the gas pedal to test the response, and the car flies to 75 before you know what happened. Excellent! The brakes are very, very responsive. The car handles excellently -- as you all expect. And the turning radius is superb. I've heard some people say on the board that they aren't impressed with the specs for the turning radius -- I don't know what those people expect. Try driving my old Mitsubishi 3000GT. Another note about acceleration -- the RX-8 maybe doesn't seem to accelerate exceptionally quickly -- I mean it doesn't FEEL fast -- and yet you shift through the gears so quickly, and watch the speedometer jump so fast that you realize that you ARE accelerating quickly. It's faster than it feels. It's that smooth, linear acceleration.
The interior -- design-wise it is perfection. Stunning!! I would have liked another inch or even half-inch of headroom, though. I am 6'2" and I just barely fit. But it's okay. It's a snug interior -- in a snug, cozy kind of way. Great job with the aluminum accents. And the gauges look AWESOME. You can't get a sense of how cool they look by the photographs. Just wait until you see them in person! The digital speedometer does not bother me like I was afraid it would. It's actually quite nice, embedded in the tachometer like that. I don't really miss having an analog speedometer. Nice, straightforward climate controls. Easy to use. Not like these darn automated systems that many cars come with now that do not work very well. The Bose stereo sounds great. I don't think people should have any complaints. For a stock system it is damn good. I was a bit worried. But I am very pleased.
Overall impression: i am thrilled. The RX-8 is f'in awesome!. And yes, it is a head-turner. I already had some kid -- probably around 21 years old -- practically swerving off the road he was gawking so much at my car. The RX-8 seems perfect for me and my situation. I love to drive, love to drive fast -- within reason -- no racing. I'm not looking to beat every kid off the line. I am 33 years old, I hope to have children soon. This car is perfect for those two situations -- the practicality of having room for kids, but still having the sheer unpracticality of driving excitement and fun. Incidentally the backseats are plenty roomy, and easy to get in and out of. Although, as someone on the board stated, it is quite difficult to get your feet in! That is the only real drawback. But there is no real need to move the front seat up when climbing in the back. The freestyle door operates marvelously. I don't know why more cars do not employ these.
My wife described the car as 'sexy', and she's right. And I'd only hold that adjective to cars like the Viper and the Ferrari Modena. Yet the RX-8 fits, too. You'll see!
Okay, this is way lengthy enough. Let me know if you have any specific questions -- keeping in mind that I am not a technical guy. I don't know a lot about cars -- I just love to drive them.
So, the following are my impressions of the car (keeping in mind that I've only put about 130 miles on it so far.)
Exterior: It is a stunning car. As many people have said, it's even more beautiful in person. Mine is titanium gray with the black/chaparal interior -- a striking combination. I am very, very happy with my choice. Incidentally there was a black one at the dealer as well, waiting for another pre-order fellow to pick it up. It looked great as well, of course, but the black does not show off the lines as well as the titanium. But I am biased.
The drive: So much controversy and criticism over the acceleration (or lack thereof.) Well, you know what -- I can see what the critics are saying. It does lack initial punch. But yes, it does pick up a lot -- A LOT -- in higher revs. It was hard for me to imagine this before I drove it, but now it makes perfect sense. It's killing me, but I'm trying to be a good boy and not rev too high until I've put 600 miles on it. So it's difficult to get a sense for how it drives exactly, because I know eventually I will be revving it much higher than 4.5 RPM's! For an example of how the car picks up in higher RPM's, though, I'm cruising along at 60mph in 5th gear, and stomp on the gas pedal to test the response, and the car flies to 75 before you know what happened. Excellent! The brakes are very, very responsive. The car handles excellently -- as you all expect. And the turning radius is superb. I've heard some people say on the board that they aren't impressed with the specs for the turning radius -- I don't know what those people expect. Try driving my old Mitsubishi 3000GT. Another note about acceleration -- the RX-8 maybe doesn't seem to accelerate exceptionally quickly -- I mean it doesn't FEEL fast -- and yet you shift through the gears so quickly, and watch the speedometer jump so fast that you realize that you ARE accelerating quickly. It's faster than it feels. It's that smooth, linear acceleration.
The interior -- design-wise it is perfection. Stunning!! I would have liked another inch or even half-inch of headroom, though. I am 6'2" and I just barely fit. But it's okay. It's a snug interior -- in a snug, cozy kind of way. Great job with the aluminum accents. And the gauges look AWESOME. You can't get a sense of how cool they look by the photographs. Just wait until you see them in person! The digital speedometer does not bother me like I was afraid it would. It's actually quite nice, embedded in the tachometer like that. I don't really miss having an analog speedometer. Nice, straightforward climate controls. Easy to use. Not like these darn automated systems that many cars come with now that do not work very well. The Bose stereo sounds great. I don't think people should have any complaints. For a stock system it is damn good. I was a bit worried. But I am very pleased.
Overall impression: i am thrilled. The RX-8 is f'in awesome!. And yes, it is a head-turner. I already had some kid -- probably around 21 years old -- practically swerving off the road he was gawking so much at my car. The RX-8 seems perfect for me and my situation. I love to drive, love to drive fast -- within reason -- no racing. I'm not looking to beat every kid off the line. I am 33 years old, I hope to have children soon. This car is perfect for those two situations -- the practicality of having room for kids, but still having the sheer unpracticality of driving excitement and fun. Incidentally the backseats are plenty roomy, and easy to get in and out of. Although, as someone on the board stated, it is quite difficult to get your feet in! That is the only real drawback. But there is no real need to move the front seat up when climbing in the back. The freestyle door operates marvelously. I don't know why more cars do not employ these.
My wife described the car as 'sexy', and she's right. And I'd only hold that adjective to cars like the Viper and the Ferrari Modena. Yet the RX-8 fits, too. You'll see!
Okay, this is way lengthy enough. Let me know if you have any specific questions -- keeping in mind that I am not a technical guy. I don't know a lot about cars -- I just love to drive them.
07-16-2003, 12:42 AM
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thanks dunny1,my only question is the headroom you have.im the same size as you,6.2 .do you have the moonroof and how much do you have,1in less than a inch.my car is sitting in tacoma and should be back on a boat to me in alaska soon.im just hoping i fit.
07-16-2003, 08:34 AM
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akrx8 I sat in one last night without a moon roof. It had cloth seats. I'm 6'4" and 195lbs and I had about 2.5 - 3 inches to spare from the roof. The car was kind of tight but not as tight as the 93 R1 I had. I would question whether I'd be able to comfortably fit with a moon roof.
The thing that annoyed me was how small the cushion of the seat seemed.
RotaryStalker
The thing that annoyed me was how small the cushion of the seat seemed.
RotaryStalker
07-16-2003, 09:02 AM
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if you wouldn't mind, dunny1, please compare and contrast the RX-8 against your old 3000GT...was your GT a base, SL, or VR-4? how does it handle, accerlate, feel, look compared to the GT? i own a GT and yea, i'm pretty much sick of it...too heavy, no fun to drive...
07-16-2003, 12:39 PM
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Some answers to your questions...
akrx8 -- I did get the moonroof, perhaps foolishly since I would have had more headroom without it. But the leather package is just so dang cool. Like so many of you I wish Mazda had offered more flexibility when ordering packages. I would have skipped the moonroof. But again, I DO fit. So if you're 6'2" I wouldn't worry about it. The seats are pretty comfortable, and the headrest comes up high enough, you can rest your head against it while you drive. I was concerned about that since it's not adjustable, but it's no problem.
Supercharger -- Hey now, I know I live in Seattle but really, we've hardly seen any rain in two months! It's nothing but warm sunshine here. I don't anticipate really being able to find out how the car handles in the rain for another couple of months, and that's fine with me! I've never driven real wheel drive so it will be interesting to find that out.
BRx8 -- Compared to the 3000GT, let's see... First of all I had a 95 base model, 220 hp. Obviously the RX8 handles much better, it's lighter, nimbler, more responsive. Acceleration -- it's hard to say. It seems about even. I haven't tried to really push the 8 yet, though, because I'm trying to be gentle until I get 600 miles on it. I do miss the low throaty growl of the 3000GT's engine, though. That's about all I miss, though. I did enjoy the GT and I wasn't really sick of it, but I was ready for an upgrade. I mean, the 8 just has so many amenities that the 95 GT just didn't have. And the GT was looking dated in style. I like shifting in the 8 better... it's smoother, not as notchy, the gears feel closer together, I like the short compact stick shift. In terms of looks naturally the Mazda looks nicer on the exterior -- but the interior is where there is just no comparison at all. I think the RX8 would blow most cars away in that department -- it is that cool.
Oh, and by the way, one more note about the rotary engine -- you can easily tell by sound when to shift. You don't really need the tach to let you know that. But the tach is so conveniently located that I do find myself watching it frequently as I drive.
akrx8 -- I did get the moonroof, perhaps foolishly since I would have had more headroom without it. But the leather package is just so dang cool. Like so many of you I wish Mazda had offered more flexibility when ordering packages. I would have skipped the moonroof. But again, I DO fit. So if you're 6'2" I wouldn't worry about it. The seats are pretty comfortable, and the headrest comes up high enough, you can rest your head against it while you drive. I was concerned about that since it's not adjustable, but it's no problem.
Supercharger -- Hey now, I know I live in Seattle but really, we've hardly seen any rain in two months! It's nothing but warm sunshine here. I don't anticipate really being able to find out how the car handles in the rain for another couple of months, and that's fine with me! I've never driven real wheel drive so it will be interesting to find that out.
BRx8 -- Compared to the 3000GT, let's see... First of all I had a 95 base model, 220 hp. Obviously the RX8 handles much better, it's lighter, nimbler, more responsive. Acceleration -- it's hard to say. It seems about even. I haven't tried to really push the 8 yet, though, because I'm trying to be gentle until I get 600 miles on it. I do miss the low throaty growl of the 3000GT's engine, though. That's about all I miss, though. I did enjoy the GT and I wasn't really sick of it, but I was ready for an upgrade. I mean, the 8 just has so many amenities that the 95 GT just didn't have. And the GT was looking dated in style. I like shifting in the 8 better... it's smoother, not as notchy, the gears feel closer together, I like the short compact stick shift. In terms of looks naturally the Mazda looks nicer on the exterior -- but the interior is where there is just no comparison at all. I think the RX8 would blow most cars away in that department -- it is that cool.
Oh, and by the way, one more note about the rotary engine -- you can easily tell by sound when to shift. You don't really need the tach to let you know that. But the tach is so conveniently located that I do find myself watching it frequently as I drive.
07-16-2003, 04:55 PM
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Dunny1 -- You wrote exactly what I would've said. I, too, am driving a Titanium GT with black/chap interior around, as of yesterday. (What part of Seattle are you driving around? I work downtown.)
The only thing I'd add is how smooth the transmission is... Even when downshifting. While driving from the port to the dealer, I pulled 5th gear down, aiming for 6th -- but I was a bit off and hit 4th by mistake. The car didn't do the normal "engine brake" action, but instead revved right up to 5k and kept going.
Now that I'm used to the position of 6th, I haven't done it since. But the clutch and gearshift seem so ... natural.
-ss
The only thing I'd add is how smooth the transmission is... Even when downshifting. While driving from the port to the dealer, I pulled 5th gear down, aiming for 6th -- but I was a bit off and hit 4th by mistake. The car didn't do the normal "engine brake" action, but instead revved right up to 5k and kept going.
Now that I'm used to the position of 6th, I haven't done it since. But the clutch and gearshift seem so ... natural.
-ss
07-16-2003, 05:33 PM
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Shoe -- Yes, you are right about that smooth transmission. That's funny because I had exactly the same experience as you trying to upshift from 5th gear to 6th but accidentally landing in 4th. The car did not seem 'offended' at all, not like you'd expect. I finally found 6th and I suspect that will be one of the few times I ever use it!
I actually live on the Eastside. I'm tooling around Redmond and Sammamish mostly. But I got the car at University Mazda in Seattle. Where'd you get yours? I tried the Kirkland dealer at first and they said they didn't know anything about the preorder program! But U Mazda had their act together. They did a good job.
Man, that titanium/chaparral combination is killer. Good choice!
I actually live on the Eastside. I'm tooling around Redmond and Sammamish mostly. But I got the car at University Mazda in Seattle. Where'd you get yours? I tried the Kirkland dealer at first and they said they didn't know anything about the preorder program! But U Mazda had their act together. They did a good job.
Man, that titanium/chaparral combination is killer. Good choice!
07-16-2003, 11:47 PM
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Dunny1 -
AHA! That was you! I saw a Titanium RX-8 on SR202 headed West the other day. I scared the crap outta my wife when I screamed, "There it is, that's my car" (I have a Titanium on the way).
Unfortunately, I did order from the Kirkland dealer, and I'm still waiting. Excuse is that the car is sitting on Tacoma waiting for options to be installed. I ordered most of the exterior options available. What options did you order? Just wondering if the dealer is full of crap...
AHA! That was you! I saw a Titanium RX-8 on SR202 headed West the other day. I scared the crap outta my wife when I screamed, "There it is, that's my car" (I have a Titanium on the way).
Unfortunately, I did order from the Kirkland dealer, and I'm still waiting. Excuse is that the car is sitting on Tacoma waiting for options to be installed. I ordered most of the exterior options available. What options did you order? Just wondering if the dealer is full of crap...
07-17-2003, 12:45 AM
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Originally posted by BRx8
if you wouldn't mind, dunny1, please compare and contrast the RX-8 against your old 3000GT...was your GT a base, SL, or VR-4? how does it handle, accerlate, feel, look compared to the GT? i own a GT and yea, i'm pretty much sick of it...too heavy, no fun to drive...
if you wouldn't mind, dunny1, please compare and contrast the RX-8 against your old 3000GT...was your GT a base, SL, or VR-4? how does it handle, accerlate, feel, look compared to the GT? i own a GT and yea, i'm pretty much sick of it...too heavy, no fun to drive...
07-17-2003, 12:54 AM
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Originally posted by BRx8
if you wouldn't mind, dunny1, please compare and contrast the RX-8 against your old 3000GT...was your GT a base, SL, or VR-4? how does it handle, accerlate, feel, look compared to the GT? i own a GT and yea, i'm pretty much sick of it...too heavy, no fun to drive...
if you wouldn't mind, dunny1, please compare and contrast the RX-8 against your old 3000GT...was your GT a base, SL, or VR-4? how does it handle, accerlate, feel, look compared to the GT? i own a GT and yea, i'm pretty much sick of it...too heavy, no fun to drive...
07-17-2003, 12:02 PM
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Originally posted by dunny1.
Where'd you get yours? I tried the Kirkland dealer at first and they said they didn't know anything about the preorder program!
Where'd you get yours? I tried the Kirkland dealer at first and they said they didn't know anything about the preorder program!
-ss
07-17-2003, 05:11 PM
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vix8 -- Yep, that was me on 202! That's cool that you saw me!
I guess the Kirkland dealer figured out the preorder program after all. Regarding options -- that was one thing about University Mazda, they didn't seem too up on the options/accessories. They did get me the rotary package I wanted -- that $139 package is well worth it! It is a small fluourish but it adds a lot. But the other things I want like a spoiler, fuel cap, etc. -- those things had to be ordered and won't be in for a few weeks. So I have to go back and get them installed once they arrive. Kind of a bummer, but not too bad. So that WOULD explain why your car hasn't arrived in Kirkland -- maybe mine arrived so fast because it wasn't waiting for any options.
More on the 3000GT -- in an earlier reply I said I guessed acceleration was pretty even between the GT and the RX8, but now after having the 8 another day I think I'm going to have to take it back -- I think the 8 is faster! I'm starting to wonder what all the criticism is about regarding acceleration. I also read elsewhere on this board that the break-in period calls for rpm's to be kept under 7K, not 5K like I thought. So I think tonight I may be pushing things harder still. You do have to push the 8 a little bit, can't be afraid to give it some gas and high rpm's, but I think that's the way most of us like to drive anyways...
I guess the Kirkland dealer figured out the preorder program after all. Regarding options -- that was one thing about University Mazda, they didn't seem too up on the options/accessories. They did get me the rotary package I wanted -- that $139 package is well worth it! It is a small fluourish but it adds a lot. But the other things I want like a spoiler, fuel cap, etc. -- those things had to be ordered and won't be in for a few weeks. So I have to go back and get them installed once they arrive. Kind of a bummer, but not too bad. So that WOULD explain why your car hasn't arrived in Kirkland -- maybe mine arrived so fast because it wasn't waiting for any options.
More on the 3000GT -- in an earlier reply I said I guessed acceleration was pretty even between the GT and the RX8, but now after having the 8 another day I think I'm going to have to take it back -- I think the 8 is faster! I'm starting to wonder what all the criticism is about regarding acceleration. I also read elsewhere on this board that the break-in period calls for rpm's to be kept under 7K, not 5K like I thought. So I think tonight I may be pushing things harder still. You do have to push the 8 a little bit, can't be afraid to give it some gas and high rpm's, but I think that's the way most of us like to drive anyways...
07-17-2003, 09:01 PM
#18
Originally posted by dunny1
More on the 3000GT -- in an earlier reply I said I guessed acceleration was pretty even between the GT and the RX8, but now after having the 8 another day I think I'm going to have to take it back -- I think the 8 is faster!
More on the 3000GT -- in an earlier reply I said I guessed acceleration was pretty even between the GT and the RX8, but now after having the 8 another day I think I'm going to have to take it back -- I think the 8 is faster!
one downside is that from what everyone is saying, fuel economy is probably worse than our V6...sad that i already spend about $40 a week...
07-17-2003, 11:37 PM
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Originally posted by Boozehound
You said you haven't driven RWD before, but isn't the 3000GT RWD, or am I nuts?
You said you haven't driven RWD before, but isn't the 3000GT RWD, or am I nuts?
07-18-2003, 01:05 PM
#22
Originally posted by Boozehound
You said you haven't driven RWD before, but isn't the 3000GT RWD, or am I nuts?
You said you haven't driven RWD before, but isn't the 3000GT RWD, or am I nuts?
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