Some impressions after 7 months with a 2010 RX-8 Sport (a series 2 US model).
06-07-2013, 01:31 PM
#1
Some impressions after 7 months with a 2010 RX-8 Sport (a series 2 US model).
Introduction:
I thought I would share some of the little things I have picked up on that don't get mentioned in most reviews. These are the sort of things that I typically discover after some time of ownership and then slowly get used to. I'm comparing to my experience of previously owned cars, in particular a 2008 Honda Civic Si (manual) which we still own and a 2007 BMW 335i sport (auto) which we sold after buying the RX8.
Peeves:
"Max AC" control on the hot/cold dial in the base model. I don't know what the layout is for those who have full climate control, but I really want a hot/cold dial, and then a seperate button for AC and re-circulate. I am quite capable of deciding for myself when to use those options and don't want the car to turn on the a/c and re-circulate for me when I turn the dial to cold! Most of the time, I just want air fed from outside without being heated. There is a slight resistance to the control before it goes into the "max ac" setting, so I have got used to gently turning it until I meet that, but it is often too much to think about. I am tempted to get behind the console and see if I can disconnect this "feature".
A single button to circulate through the ventilation options. Most cars have a dial, or a set of buttons for each option that can be operated quickly and by feel without taking eyes off the road. I've resorted to mentally counting the number of button presses and then checking the result on the display. Far from ideal.
While I am on the topic of ventilation, most cars combine the option to blow air onto the inside of the windshield and turn on the A/C for de-mist. Again, I want the control to do both independantly. Not avialable in the Mazda, our Civic, or many rental cars I have driven. Was in the BMW.
Rattles. Perhaps it was acceptable in 2004, but for a 2010 car after a mid-life refresh these should really have been fixed. I have taken care of my instrument pod rattle. I still have a loud rattle from something behind the drivers side air vent. On a different set of tires, that one goes away, but is replaced from a center console creak. (As an aside, the Civic is rattle free after 5 years, 70k and several track days. The BMW did have an occaisional buzz).
The small perforations in the sun visor. Why not make it solid? This means that when the sun is hitting the side of the car and you use the sun visor to block it, small pins of light shine through into the corner of my eye. Not an issue with the sun in front since the center part of the visor is solid.
Base cd player does not play mp3s. Maybe this was the norm in 2004. Not so much in 2010! Also the sound from the stock system is decidedly weak and very much early-to-mid 2000's base model econo-box class. At least we do have an aux input.
The clips are prone to falling off the sliding arm rest cover and fiddly to put back on. At least they were all in the car and I have not lost any yet.
Throttle pedal sensitivity. At low rpm, the throttle is over sensitive. Most of the power is produced with just a small amount of pedal travel. This makes the car feel "quick", but also makes it harder to drive smoothly and not very relaxing in traffic. You do get used to this with time and now it is only when I switch cars that this is noticable. Could be fixed via an ecu tune to re-map the throttle table. At higher rpm the throttle is much more linear and uses the full pedal travel reasonably well.
Driving position. This one I have got more used to over time, but I still would like the seat to go lower (particularly at the front edge), the wheel to adjust for reach, and less awkward postioning of the cup holders (they are too far behind the driver and still my elbow bumps into any drinks in there). A bulge in the door pocket to hold a drinks bottle would be a neat feature. One that I don't see on any car really... Aftermarket seat is a possible fix to this, but it is not cheap to do.
Damping over small bumps. There is some jiggle that comes through. I think this is there to make the car feel more exciting, but I'd prefer to be rid of it on the daily commute. Aside from this small effect, Mazda did a fantastic job of balancing ride and handling in this car (as the reviews state).
No spare. I'm not sure I'd want to do a long road trip without one. Yes, you have a puncture repair kit, but that won't help if you have a sidewall tear or blow out. I had to park the BMW overnight once due to this and have bought a spare for the RX8. The problem is the spare takes up valuable trunk space.
Likes:
Pressing lock on the key fob when a door is open will lock the car after that door is shut. For those with a car seat in the back, this is a neat feature. Open the trunk and passenger door(s) ready to get everything out. Hit lock and put the key in your pocket. Now you can forget about the key and have two hands free to get everyone and everything out. The car will lock when you shut all the doors and trunk and flash the lights to confirm.
1-touch up/down for BOTH front windows. Most cars have this for the driver's window only. Why? It can't cost that much to put it on both (or all 4). I am also liking the "crack open" feature now I have got used to it.
Headlights - Mazda use projectors even for the base (non-xenon) lights. I've not seen that on many other cars and it means the base lights are actually quite good. Of course, I would prefer Xenons. The stock lights on the Civic are poor in comparison. Adaptive Xenons on the BMW were awesome.
Now that I am used to the close ratio box, short throw box, I find it very easy to skip over gears for minimum effort driving at low speeds through lights and traffic. The low end tq also helps. Yes, this engine works from 1500 rpm under light loads allowing you to pootle around in a relaxing fashion when the mood takes.
Damping over large freeway dips and bumps. Mazda nailed this one more than any other stock "sporty" car I have driven (better than the BMW, and way beter than the Civic). Bumps upset this car less than most others.
Suprisingly quiet in the cabin on the freeway for this type/class of car (aside from the rattles). Better than the Civic, which has more road, wind and engine noise. Not as good as the BMW.
Easy reach into the rear seat if you flip the passenger seat forward a bit.
I am 5'11 and can sit in the passenger seat in front of a rear facing child seat. OK, there is no more space to spare for me, and we have bought a smaller sized car seat, but this means that we can take a family drive with 1 rear and 1 front facing car seat (I can't reasonably fit a rear-facing seat behind me driving, but front facing is fine).
Throttle response time. Most people don't seem to understand what I mean by this and instead talk about power, or that when you push the pedal a little bit, the car goes a lot. What I mean is the delay in time between when you move the throttle and the car completes its response. Unlike many modern cars this feels instantaneous in the RX8. I had to go to an ecu tune in the Civic to get rid of lift off throttle lag (look up rev-hang). The BMW could not get close (throttle delay, followed by turbo delay which is something different). Few reviews or even forum posts talk about this, and it can be difficult to get a feel for it in a quick test drive unless you really know what to look for.
Brake pedal feel. I have never driven a car with such natural feeling brakes. The Civic is terrible. The BMW was good. A multitude of econo-box rental cars are somewhere in between.
Steering feel. This one (and the brake pedal feel and overall feel of the car) is mentioned in reviews, but is still worth a mention here :-) It can be hard to get a feel for it in a short test drive as it takes a bit of time (at least for me) to start to understand the feedback the car is giving me. No power vs Electric vs hydralic feels different, but the information can still be there. It is like getting used to a different accent when you switch cars and that may be one reason why electric steering is generally critised. OK, I have driven some electric PS cars that are so boosted they might as well not be connected to the wheels. Mazda have done a very good job giving the RX8 a natural feel. Better than our Civic (which is a little more numb even though it is heavier), probably better overall than the BMW (difficult to judge since these two feel quite different - the BMW is heavier and hydralic, if you come straight from a hydralic setup, you may well prefer the BMW until you get used to the feel of the RX8).
OK, those last 3 are talked about in all reviews in terms of overall driving feel, but I thought it worthwhile breaking these down.
Things I really don't miss from other trim levels or cars:
Sunroof. Actually, it's good to have less greenhouse effect and more headroom.
Auto-dimming mirrors. I prefer the manual option. (back to my control freak nature)
Automatic gearbox. The BMW was the first auto I have owned. I never got to like it even using the manual shift option most of the time.
Heated seats. Not needed with cloth, and a nice side effect of the poor fuel economy is that the engine warms up quickly :-)
Leather. Cloth grips better, is more comfortable temperature wise, and I have not had any major spill incidents yet.
Weight. Part of the reason for getting a sport was to get the lightest spec available :-)
Options I would like in the sport:
Bluetooth. Can be handy, although a phone mount and plugging the audio out into the factory stereo does work in a pinch.
Traction control. Actually I personally miss some of the data logging capabilities these systems bring (mainly brake pressure). It might be nice to have in the rain (especially if someone else drives the car).
Xenons. As mentioned above.
Conclusion:
Hmmm, I seem to have written waaay more than I originally planned. I guess this shows how much passion I have for this car. Overall, I do love this car, nothing else I know matches the balance of track readiness, driving fun and practical space this car provides for the money.
I thought I would share some of the little things I have picked up on that don't get mentioned in most reviews. These are the sort of things that I typically discover after some time of ownership and then slowly get used to. I'm comparing to my experience of previously owned cars, in particular a 2008 Honda Civic Si (manual) which we still own and a 2007 BMW 335i sport (auto) which we sold after buying the RX8.
Peeves:
"Max AC" control on the hot/cold dial in the base model. I don't know what the layout is for those who have full climate control, but I really want a hot/cold dial, and then a seperate button for AC and re-circulate. I am quite capable of deciding for myself when to use those options and don't want the car to turn on the a/c and re-circulate for me when I turn the dial to cold! Most of the time, I just want air fed from outside without being heated. There is a slight resistance to the control before it goes into the "max ac" setting, so I have got used to gently turning it until I meet that, but it is often too much to think about. I am tempted to get behind the console and see if I can disconnect this "feature".
A single button to circulate through the ventilation options. Most cars have a dial, or a set of buttons for each option that can be operated quickly and by feel without taking eyes off the road. I've resorted to mentally counting the number of button presses and then checking the result on the display. Far from ideal.
While I am on the topic of ventilation, most cars combine the option to blow air onto the inside of the windshield and turn on the A/C for de-mist. Again, I want the control to do both independantly. Not avialable in the Mazda, our Civic, or many rental cars I have driven. Was in the BMW.
Rattles. Perhaps it was acceptable in 2004, but for a 2010 car after a mid-life refresh these should really have been fixed. I have taken care of my instrument pod rattle. I still have a loud rattle from something behind the drivers side air vent. On a different set of tires, that one goes away, but is replaced from a center console creak. (As an aside, the Civic is rattle free after 5 years, 70k and several track days. The BMW did have an occaisional buzz).
The small perforations in the sun visor. Why not make it solid? This means that when the sun is hitting the side of the car and you use the sun visor to block it, small pins of light shine through into the corner of my eye. Not an issue with the sun in front since the center part of the visor is solid.
Base cd player does not play mp3s. Maybe this was the norm in 2004. Not so much in 2010! Also the sound from the stock system is decidedly weak and very much early-to-mid 2000's base model econo-box class. At least we do have an aux input.
The clips are prone to falling off the sliding arm rest cover and fiddly to put back on. At least they were all in the car and I have not lost any yet.
Throttle pedal sensitivity. At low rpm, the throttle is over sensitive. Most of the power is produced with just a small amount of pedal travel. This makes the car feel "quick", but also makes it harder to drive smoothly and not very relaxing in traffic. You do get used to this with time and now it is only when I switch cars that this is noticable. Could be fixed via an ecu tune to re-map the throttle table. At higher rpm the throttle is much more linear and uses the full pedal travel reasonably well.
Driving position. This one I have got more used to over time, but I still would like the seat to go lower (particularly at the front edge), the wheel to adjust for reach, and less awkward postioning of the cup holders (they are too far behind the driver and still my elbow bumps into any drinks in there). A bulge in the door pocket to hold a drinks bottle would be a neat feature. One that I don't see on any car really... Aftermarket seat is a possible fix to this, but it is not cheap to do.
Damping over small bumps. There is some jiggle that comes through. I think this is there to make the car feel more exciting, but I'd prefer to be rid of it on the daily commute. Aside from this small effect, Mazda did a fantastic job of balancing ride and handling in this car (as the reviews state).
No spare. I'm not sure I'd want to do a long road trip without one. Yes, you have a puncture repair kit, but that won't help if you have a sidewall tear or blow out. I had to park the BMW overnight once due to this and have bought a spare for the RX8. The problem is the spare takes up valuable trunk space.
Likes:
Pressing lock on the key fob when a door is open will lock the car after that door is shut. For those with a car seat in the back, this is a neat feature. Open the trunk and passenger door(s) ready to get everything out. Hit lock and put the key in your pocket. Now you can forget about the key and have two hands free to get everyone and everything out. The car will lock when you shut all the doors and trunk and flash the lights to confirm.
1-touch up/down for BOTH front windows. Most cars have this for the driver's window only. Why? It can't cost that much to put it on both (or all 4). I am also liking the "crack open" feature now I have got used to it.
Headlights - Mazda use projectors even for the base (non-xenon) lights. I've not seen that on many other cars and it means the base lights are actually quite good. Of course, I would prefer Xenons. The stock lights on the Civic are poor in comparison. Adaptive Xenons on the BMW were awesome.
Now that I am used to the close ratio box, short throw box, I find it very easy to skip over gears for minimum effort driving at low speeds through lights and traffic. The low end tq also helps. Yes, this engine works from 1500 rpm under light loads allowing you to pootle around in a relaxing fashion when the mood takes.
Damping over large freeway dips and bumps. Mazda nailed this one more than any other stock "sporty" car I have driven (better than the BMW, and way beter than the Civic). Bumps upset this car less than most others.
Suprisingly quiet in the cabin on the freeway for this type/class of car (aside from the rattles). Better than the Civic, which has more road, wind and engine noise. Not as good as the BMW.
Easy reach into the rear seat if you flip the passenger seat forward a bit.
I am 5'11 and can sit in the passenger seat in front of a rear facing child seat. OK, there is no more space to spare for me, and we have bought a smaller sized car seat, but this means that we can take a family drive with 1 rear and 1 front facing car seat (I can't reasonably fit a rear-facing seat behind me driving, but front facing is fine).
Throttle response time. Most people don't seem to understand what I mean by this and instead talk about power, or that when you push the pedal a little bit, the car goes a lot. What I mean is the delay in time between when you move the throttle and the car completes its response. Unlike many modern cars this feels instantaneous in the RX8. I had to go to an ecu tune in the Civic to get rid of lift off throttle lag (look up rev-hang). The BMW could not get close (throttle delay, followed by turbo delay which is something different). Few reviews or even forum posts talk about this, and it can be difficult to get a feel for it in a quick test drive unless you really know what to look for.
Brake pedal feel. I have never driven a car with such natural feeling brakes. The Civic is terrible. The BMW was good. A multitude of econo-box rental cars are somewhere in between.
Steering feel. This one (and the brake pedal feel and overall feel of the car) is mentioned in reviews, but is still worth a mention here :-) It can be hard to get a feel for it in a short test drive as it takes a bit of time (at least for me) to start to understand the feedback the car is giving me. No power vs Electric vs hydralic feels different, but the information can still be there. It is like getting used to a different accent when you switch cars and that may be one reason why electric steering is generally critised. OK, I have driven some electric PS cars that are so boosted they might as well not be connected to the wheels. Mazda have done a very good job giving the RX8 a natural feel. Better than our Civic (which is a little more numb even though it is heavier), probably better overall than the BMW (difficult to judge since these two feel quite different - the BMW is heavier and hydralic, if you come straight from a hydralic setup, you may well prefer the BMW until you get used to the feel of the RX8).
OK, those last 3 are talked about in all reviews in terms of overall driving feel, but I thought it worthwhile breaking these down.
Things I really don't miss from other trim levels or cars:
Sunroof. Actually, it's good to have less greenhouse effect and more headroom.
Auto-dimming mirrors. I prefer the manual option. (back to my control freak nature)
Automatic gearbox. The BMW was the first auto I have owned. I never got to like it even using the manual shift option most of the time.
Heated seats. Not needed with cloth, and a nice side effect of the poor fuel economy is that the engine warms up quickly :-)
Leather. Cloth grips better, is more comfortable temperature wise, and I have not had any major spill incidents yet.
Weight. Part of the reason for getting a sport was to get the lightest spec available :-)
Options I would like in the sport:
Bluetooth. Can be handy, although a phone mount and plugging the audio out into the factory stereo does work in a pinch.
Traction control. Actually I personally miss some of the data logging capabilities these systems bring (mainly brake pressure). It might be nice to have in the rain (especially if someone else drives the car).
Xenons. As mentioned above.
Conclusion:
Hmmm, I seem to have written waaay more than I originally planned. I guess this shows how much passion I have for this car. Overall, I do love this car, nothing else I know matches the balance of track readiness, driving fun and practical space this car provides for the money.
Last edited by blu3dragon; 06-07-2013 at 01:34 PM.
06-14-2013, 11:55 AM
#5
Registered
the AC MAX is max only when you turn the dial all the way to the left. you can still control AC on and off there is a button for that. if you dont want AC to come on automatically just turn the **** one click above MAX AC position then you have full control of the AC.
defog turns AC automatically on even tho the AC is not lit up.
I agree the mode button is a bit pain in the butt.
and the radio does not play MP3 and streaming BT audio from my iPhone is a bit shitty too.
defog turns AC automatically on even tho the AC is not lit up.
I agree the mode button is a bit pain in the butt.
and the radio does not play MP3 and streaming BT audio from my iPhone is a bit shitty too.
Last edited by jasonrxeight; 06-14-2013 at 12:02 PM.
06-14-2013, 12:11 PM
#6
nice review!
actually the BMW traditionally turns on the AC too, it just appears that it doesn't. i remember reading an article in the roundel about the climate controls (long time ago) and while the control layout is really simple, it doesn't really operate as advertised. for instance when you select defrost, the AC does come on.
While I am on the topic of ventilation, most cars combine the option to blow air onto the inside of the windshield and turn on the A/C for de-mist. Again, I want the control to do both independantly. Not avialable in the Mazda, our Civic, or many rental cars I have driven. Was in the BMW.
06-15-2013, 09:19 AM
#7
the AC MAX is max only when you turn the dial all the way to the left. you can still control AC on and off there is a button for that. if you dont want AC to come on automatically just turn the **** one click above MAX AC position then you have full control of the AC.
Exactly, and this is the behavior in all new cars I have tried. Why not light up the ac button and let me turn it off. Or, have a setting for defog and a separate setting that lets me blow air up onto the front window if the former is too confusing for the masses.
06-15-2013, 09:22 AM
#8
nice review!
actually the BMW traditionally turns on the AC too, it just appears that it doesn't. i remember reading an article in the roundel about the climate controls (long time ago) and while the control layout is really simple, it doesn't really operate as advertised. for instance when you select defrost, the AC does come on.
actually the BMW traditionally turns on the AC too, it just appears that it doesn't. i remember reading an article in the roundel about the climate controls (long time ago) and while the control layout is really simple, it doesn't really operate as advertised. for instance when you select defrost, the AC does come on.
06-15-2013, 07:36 PM
#9
The small perforations in the sun visor. Why not make it solid? This means that when the sun is hitting the side of the car and you use the sun visor to block it, small pins of light shine through into the corner of my eye. Not an issue with the sun in front since the center part of the visor is solid.
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