well i was exactly in the same situation as u PLERX8 half a year ago. As im a uni student as well and i was also looking to purchase a car with around $60 price tag. but in the end i choose the 8 with testing all 3 of the cars u mentioned

and now with half a yr owning the 8 i can tell you some pros and cons of a young aged 8 driver

for a start, the 8 can get annoying at times as you will need to warm up your car nearly all the time, so there is no get up and go factor. and it does drink alot a petrol and i do mean alot, and also the engine oil level needs checking on a regurlar basis, well for the back seat i often had complaints about them being too cramped and it is very difficult getting in and out when parked along other cars.(how ever i never sat in them as im the driver and it's more than comfortable in the driver seat but you will be glad to have it when u actually need it as i always find myself having to giving rides to friends, parents and gf. And for power u would have to gear down and rev it up all the time if you want the power( not a drag car so dont be borthered dragging at the lights:p). and it's no match for a s2k or a 350z in terms of power), also theres not that much modding ability right now for the car.
how ever the 8 has more than enough power than it needs i reckon, and it's a very sexy car and yes u do get a lot of attention from it and all positive so far no cop trouble even im on P plate and always people coming up to u and saying what a nice car it is from guys and chicks just walk past and winks at u(it's a great feeling that u wont get from the other 2 cars). And you will find the insurance to be the cheapest of all the 3 cars. But in the end it will be the cheapest, smoothest, classiest, quietest and most comfortable and easiest ride to drive away with.

But if u can handle the wind noise and the cramped space and the lack of the extra seating and boot space and u r also a performance freak then get a S2k
, it's the most expensive car to buy and maintain out of the 3( insurance and car dispreciation).

and i would give the thumbs down to the Z, poor interior, worst car to drive out of the 3 in terms handling and very lack of room(very poor boot space) can't carry anything. and styling will fade in time while the 8 will keep it for a long time to come.

have u considered any other cars? euro ones?
there are also lots of cars to choose from with this kind of cash.

 

for evo and sti, too butt ugly and very costly to maintain

 

What the 8 can carry things in the boot ???

Whats up with all these Uni students and 60K cars :D Am I the only one that finds this strange hehe

 

thanks again for the advice guys.

I finally test drove a 350z Track today and i was very impress overall besides the low views to the back of the car and interior.
It beats the rx-8 imo in terms of power. (maybe i got to spend more time driving it)

The fuel consumption in the rx-8 has put me off so for now its off my 'maybe' list.
So now im stuck to choose a 2002 s2k or a 2003 350z both with approx 15k kms.
I got offered an EVO VIII for around $60,000 but i will have alot of trouble finding any decent insurance for that.

As for uni student getting these type of cars, i believe our parents are kinda bribing us in a way so when we graduate, we will look after them when they retire or something. But of course i will look after them if they buy me a car not of :D

 

Count the parent factor out... I think you should swallow the insurance and get the EVO man it is a killer price for $60000. Spare some cash for the clutch replacement too :D

I will drive a car with class since you are a uni student. I think s2k is too down to earth for you in Adelaide - no no. I think the 350Z may not match your computer or notebook with a back pack. I don't think you will go into a lecture room empty handed no no. So I think EVO will go well since it will blend in nicely with your mate (who drives a riced up Lancer with a GT wing) :D. RX-8 is too unique and a huge chick magnet - I think it will keep you from your study by having too much sex everynight .

Whatever of your choice. Just be careful on the road (do I sounds like your parents :D)

 

"Stuck" is not the word I would use :p . Both are fine cars; when I was choosing between the convertible 350Z, the S2000 and the Boxster (a year ago), I chose the S2000--the cheapest of the lot, and, for me, the most fun to drive. I have never seen a comparison test in which the 350Z beat the S2000; most recently, the current Road & Track (at least the US version) has a nine-car comparison, and the S2000 beat the 350Z (but not the Corvette C6, the new Boxster S, the Carerra S or the Elise; it did beat the Viper, the Z4, the 350Z and the new MB roadster).

 

124spider. I believe the s2000 that you talking about has received the power up engine with 2.2L. Unfortunately Australian only have the 2.0L S2000. So it's different i think.

Cheers

 

60k? hehe i would trade options for 6months and buy the 8 brand new.

Personally i havent driven the other cars but i wouldnt consider the s2000 (too many).

 

Good point; however, it's worth pointing out that here, there is a constant debate over which is better--the higher-revving 2.0 (but with a less street-friendly torque curve and probably less power), or the 2.2, with a redline of "only" 8k, but with more torque, and much more low-end torque. For a daily driver, I think that nobody can legitimately claim that the older version is better, but one can argue about which is better on the track, especially depending on the track.

In any case, I still would hardly say that one is "stuck" by the choice between two fine cars!

 

After test driving all these other cars to see if it would change my mind. I still preferred the S2000. So i finally went for it and got a 2002 S2000 with 13k kms!!!

Thanks for you support and help guys.

 

good choice and hope you'll be happly ever after with the car Now go Speeding lol Just kidding :p

 

No worries, seeya on the S2K forum when hell freezes over!!! Shame we couldn't have gotten you into a limited edition RX-8, though....

 

Had we recieved the 2.2 spec Honda S2000 the one in japan i think i could have been temted but i refuse to pay for last years model cars .

cheers
michael

 

Does that mean I can turn him off??

 

why? Let him be. it won't hurt to have an Ex-RX8 fan here

 

I was commenting on his avatar...

 

oh ic i apologize hahaha :D