RX8_Buckeye

A lot of what you say is true. I agree with you 100% about the old (through 2004 MY) Mustangs--those are definitely not up to par with cars such as the RX-8. The Mustang to which people are referring in this thread is all-new for 2005. New platform, new engine for the GT, new assembly location, etc. I have had heavy exposure to this new model and I can honestly say that if I were in the market for a new car, I would definitely consider buying a 2005 Mustang GT. It is a huge step up from the old Mustang.

I just felt like you were unfairly painting an image of Ford as company that can't built a quality vehicle. As you mentioned, every company has quality issues when it comes to certain products. Certain engines or transmissions can get a reputation as being unreliable, which very often is justified; however, this reputation should not be applied to the entire company. I took a look at the www.lemonaidcars.com website and it seems to me that the site tries to paint manufacturers as evil corporations that intentionally screw over the consumer to earn more profit ("secret TSBs that manufacturers don't want you to know about!", "ABS and airbags actually make vehicles less safe, but manufacturers don't want you to know this", etc.). Having worked in the industry, I know that's far from the truth. It's unfortunate that cars can't be built flawlessly, but manufacturers do the best they can while trying to price their product competively. Obviously, some are able do it better than others.

I did come across a bit too strong in my initial reply. I was in a bad mood at the time. We should be able to agree to disagree about certain things, though our views are much closer than I initially thought. The main things that I tend to disagree with you about are 1) the styling of the new 'Stang, which I think is great, and 2) the initial quality AND reliability of this NEW model Mustang I believe will far exceed the expectations of many people.

HardHitter

Thanks for the information, but please don't go off topic with the name calling and everything. Didn't really mean to cause any commotion.

Anyways, back on topic, is there really a problem with the clutch on the RX8 that I've been test driving?

mysql101

i've been thinking about your comment about the clutch today when i drove around.

I noted I could change gears with my clutch only about half way down, i don't need to go all the way down to shift. After about the first half inch of movement on the clutch, it's starts to slip the gears.

bean438

We can definately agree to disagree. I have not seen the new Mustang in person. I was so turned off by my rental. Maybe Ford will build a better stang. Maybe not. Time will tell.
I am from the "car makers are evil wicked crooks out to screw the public" camp.
I hate car dealers, and car sales people. I hate the repair shops too.
They are in it to make money. We are all in it to make money.
Honest profits are ok. Gouging is not ok. Martha Stewart went to prison. Most dealers should be in prison too.
The N.H.L is a racket. It is fixed, with the Stanely cup outcomes determined up to 3 years in advance.
The only real sport left is professional wrestling. Man those guys are tough! The abuse they take, in the form of chairs being broke on their heads is unreal! How many NHL'ers can survive as chair over the head?

HardHitter

JasonHamilton, so it isn't a problem? That's what I was saying, that I had to actually push down the clutch about 1/2 way until I was able to shift, compare to the BMW when I probably went 3/4 of the way until I was able to shift. Thats what I meant by with the RX8 I actually had to push down on the clutch, whereas in the BMW, really all I had to do was flex my ankle to have the clutch catch.

So is that just common in the RX8 that the clutch catches around 1/2 way or is there a way to change it or what?

mysql101

I don't know, maybe you should start a new thread on the topic, as this one is way off topic.

When you said 1/2 way down, I think I misunderstood you, as the pressure plates can back off causing you to have to go further down in order to shift.

RX8_Buckeye

HardHitter: I don't think there is anything wrong with the clutch in that RX-8, and yes, the clutch pedal engagement point can be adjusted. I had clutch service performed on my 3000GT on two separate occasions (new clutch disk, slave cylinder, master cylinder), and the technicians managed to totally screw up the clutch pedal travel both times. The clutch was not fully engaged with my foot completely off the pedal, meaning the clutch was slipping like crazy under moderate to heavy throttle. I brought to car back to the dealer both times and they were able to move the engagement point closer to the floor. One time, the engagement point was far from the floor (could shift when the pedal still had 3/4 of its travel remaining), and another time the engagement point was very close to the floor (could shift when pedal only had 1/4 of travel remaining).

The clutch pedal feel in every car is different, and engagement points will vary from vehicle to vehicle, even being the same model. It will take less than a day of driving to get comfortable with the feel of an unfamiliar clutch pedal. My suggestion is to not worry about it. If, in the unlikely case that you drive the car for a week or so and you still can't stand the clutch feel, you could have the dealer adjust the engagement point. However, I doubt it would be covered under warranty since clutch functioned okay in the first place. I agree with Jason that you should start a new thread if you still have questions.

bean438: you honestly think the NHL is rigged??? If that were the case, the Red Wings would win every year, or at least get to the finals, because they bring so much money to the league. I wouldn't mind that. Also, I agree with you about car dealers--they absolutely suck and I don't trust them at all. I just wanted to point out that dealers are independently owned and operated, and the manufacturers have very little say when it comes to dealer-customer interaction. Trust me, I have personal experience with this. Mazda North America refused to intervene when a dealer totally screwed me over on the sale of my RX-8.

HardHitter

Thanks Buckeye and Jason for the info.