Test Drive - Renesis vs VVTLi
 

Hi everyone, just recently joined the forum after a few weeks of browsing.

Was a late comer to the wonders of the RX8 compared to most of you - having only ordered in September, but seem to be one of those lucky few that have a Dec 5th delivery date - apparently my spec (Hi Power - Titanium Grey - Leather - Sunroof) matched one of the extra 200 Mazda are shipping to the UK. (Feel sorry for all of you that have had a long wait)

Took a Silver Hi-power for a test drive at the beginning of last week and thought I'd add another report to the forum - my current car is a 2002 Celica 190 VVTLi (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Intelligence ;-) so here are my thoughts in comparison.

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My initial thoughts were that the car seemed smaller than I'd imagined, the publicity photos do seem to make it look longer than it is in real life, but really do not do it justice.

After settling into the very comfy and tightly hugging seats - compared with the Celica the seats support much better - much less body roll and slide (lots of people complained about the Celicas 'sliddy' seats) The dash looked so clear and very sharp in definition - something that make you feel very at home behind the wheel.

Turning the key gets you that turbine whine we've all been waiting for - indescribable. And pulling away I had to rev the engine just to hear the throbbing wail increase.

I wasn't too happy as I'd been promised a 2 hour test drive, when I arrived the dealer informed me (well one of the sales juniors) that Mazda UK were being pernicity and were only letting me have a half hour drive round a set route - however I had to pick up the wife and kid and so we ended up with a 1 hour drive.

As the engine revs rise the power builds in very sweetly, much more gradual and linear than the exponential and then 'kick-down' style VVTLi engine in the Celica - where at 4K you feel the valves start to open and at 6K all hell breaks loose. However the Celica does suffer from bad torque steer at these two rev points and in the wet will wheel spin at 6K if not done gently. Both cars have similar red lines, 8.2K for the Celica - so I'm used to high reving. The Mazda definitely wins on the power feed in and grip factors here.

The chasis roll was more noticable than in the Celica, but I preferred the ride in the RX8 - the Celica feels every bump - no matter how small and sounds like you are doing damage when you hit a larger pot-hole and man-hole cover. Driving along country roads I know, I tested this out by not avoiding the spots I usually do and was very pleasantly suprised.

The main reason for the change of car is actually practical - the space behind the drivers seat in the celica means that my son is constantly sticking his feet into the middle of my back - at only 16 months old - things are only going to get worse. Thankfully when we test drove the RX8 there seemed to be about 5-6" more room for him - and purchasing one of the Recaro sport baby seats (as recommened elsewhere in this forum) things are even better as it sits in the rear buckets better.

Finally back to the engine noise, the celica definately has a courser, rougher sound, more of a roar, than the RX8, but the RX8 has a more refined sound - I will miss the Celica, I still think the new shape is a classic coupe shape for the new millenium - as quoted in car "a 21st century capri" - however the RX8 is slightly more refined and wins on the gradual feed of power and better handling statistics, mainly due to the RWD.

Another test drive booked for this Friday - without the Mazda sales junior in tow this time, so looking forward to driving the car the way I normally drive...

Good post and welcome - kids are the reason I have the '8 as well or else I'd still be driving an MX-5, turbocharged of course!

wow - thats 500 messages up....still miles behind the other boys though...if only I'd not lurked back in March....

Thx for the welcome renegade_si, I registered a couple of weeks ago, but the site was having problems and seemed to not let me post anything until today - been lurking too, wanting to reply - and now i can !

Nice post.

Quick question: Have you seen Jeremy Clarkson's review of the new Celica in the Times this weekend? If so, any comments?

I agree. nice post. But note JC's report was on the 140bhp 'normal' Celica, so his comments wil be relative.

Stu C

Just read it now.

Interesting, however he seems to have got a bit mixed up.

I had a W regy 140 prior to upgrading to the 190 last year.

The 140 red lines at 6800 revs, with the oomph coming in at 4300 revs, so its more useable.

The 190 red lines higher, at 8200 revs, with a power surge at the same 4300 (more gradual than the 140 at this rev range) and then at 6000 it just takes off (like a turbo) - however (quote below from clarkson's review) he is talking about the 140 and then quotes the rev range from the 190 - wonder if we actually drove it ... ???!


"Then there’s the performance. Yes, 0 to 60mph in 8.7sec looks pretty hopeless, but it doesn’t tell the whole story because the VVVVVVT-iiiiiii engine delivers all its get up and go between 6000 and 8000rpm. So, in the real world, you do have plenty of oomph for overtaking."

The 190 does 0-60 in 7.4 and has the rev characterstics he quotes...

I agree with his comments for the rest though, it is good for overtaking, you pull out in 3rd doing about 4K revs and you get about along side the drivers window, smile over at them and then BOOM, the cam-lift kicks in at 6K and your gone!

You get a similar feeling around 4K in the RX8 - others may have noticed, it definitely picks up a bit around there but is much more subtle than the Celica

Dunno how small the "pre-teenage" kids are he's talking about, I'm only 6"1 and when I sit in the Celica, I have to have the seat fully back, and there is less than 2" of legroom behind my seat!

Anyway, makes an interesting read - typical Clarkson review, 50% of it nothing to do with the car!