RX-8 or 2005 Mustang???
 

Anybody driven both? Opinions on either? I've had a 2005 Mustang on order (no obligation to purchase) for 3 months now with no delivery date in sight. Sick of playing the waiting game and the RX-8 is the other ride I've kept in mind. Is the Mustang worth the wait or does the RX-8 blow it away?

Two different cars, really. I have a 04' 6-speed RX-8 and love it. A coworker of mine placed his order for a Mustang GT back in late January, and just got his build date of June 6th last week, he was originally told 10 weeks by the dealer, he kept getting the runaround when asking for a build date. I can't wait to drive his so I can compare the two.

Have you driven them both? If not, you really should. Nobody here can give written justice to what the driving experience is really like.

By the way, here's a decent comparison of the two:

https://www.rx8club.com/general-automotive-49/drove-new-mustang-61568/

I have driven both....

In a nut shell... two very different cars

Both cars are good at achieving what they set out to do.

The 05 Stang is out to get that nostalgic retro appeal dragger and does a very good job of it while still being leaps and bounds ahead of the prior mustang.... its an obvious improvement over the prior years and will definitely win Ford new customers it never had before while still keeping the current ones happy.

The 8 is out to be that sleek sexy lil tight handling yet practical touring car and it does this well with a comfortable zippy ride and 4 useable back seats

The RX8 has considerably less power (especially on the low end) However is more of a handler than the mustang. This is not to say that the mustang is a bad handler because its not... it will actually surprise you in this dept....its just simply not as tossable or nimble as the 8.... bu tthat Mustang power cant be touched.... it will definitely wow you

Exterior wise... totally subjective... I liked both equally in different ways... hard to compare.

The interior of the 8 is nicer, yet again; this is not to say that the 'stang interior is bad... its pretty good when you bear in mind what this car is trying to achieve IMO

Both cars are great and appeal to a different side of the enthusiast in me...

In short.. I chose the Mustang... it just had a slightly better effect on me, especially when taking the $$ savings into account

But to answer your question... is it worth the wait? .... You need to drive both cars for yourself in order to properly answer your own question

nice write up dreamer

In about 6-12 months they will have a 120+ day supply of mustangs available and they will start sitting on the lots, then they will come out with incentives and that is the time to buy... Other than that two different animals...

I looked at MINI Coopers for almost 2 years
Then planted myself firmly in the Mustang camp for about 5 weeks
The last time I drove an '05 Mustang was at lunch on a Monday.
On a whim I stopped by a Mazda dealer the next day in the morning.
Took an '05 8 for a drive with the family that night.
When I came home, I googled on line discussion forums and found this place.
Thursday morning a local member told me about a local dealer that had '04s on the lot.
Drove that one that night and put my money down to buy it the next day.

Regardless of what you want to say about horsepower versus handling, I felt the 8 was a much more refined and sophisticated car. I used to own a '65 289 and desperately wanted another 'Stang. But, when you took into account the rear doors and the immediate availability and the softness on price and that you could actually test drive a car similar to the one you wanted to buy and the sun roof and the stability control and the fact that there are roof racks available for bikes -- there only seemed to be one correct answer -- zoom zoom zoom. :D

And, what finally sold it for me was the amount of leg room in the back versus a Mustang. Yes, that's not a typo. I'm 6'2". My daughter is a tall 7 year old. I was pretty much hugging the steering wheel in the MINI and had to move the seat up quite a ways on the Mustang for her to fit back there. But, I can have my seat all the way back in the 8 and the back of my seat is still about an inch from her knees. Now THAT I thought was cool! :)

I think I read somewhere before I got to this forum that it would cost as much to get the horsepower of the 8 up to the 'Stang's 300 bhp as it would cost to get the 'Stang to handle as well as the 8. That's a blanket statement I agree with from having driven both of them.

So, I think you have 4 questions to ask yourself:
1) How soon do you want it?
2) Does the thought of paying sticker upset you?
3) Which is more imporant
a) horsepower?
b) or handling?

The funny thing is, I think the fuel mileage on the GT 5 speed is better than that 8.

Dont forget the mustang is FAST!

0 to 100Mph is 13.2seconds

The Rx8 is alot slower at

0 to 100Mph in 15.9Seconds

If youre looking for Power, and like the looks of the mustang. Get the mustang!

Well, coming from a family that's owned many types of cars (Fords, Hondas, Toyotas, BMW's etc.) over the years (sedans, mini-vans, suv's), my opinion is that, overall, Ford cars fall apart much sooner than their Japanese or European counterparts. And, Ford cars seem to have a lot more minor problems (electrical etc.) as they age.

My current boss is originally from Detroit and worked at Ford for 10 years and has owned many Ford vehicles himself. And, he swears that he will never in this lifetime buy another piece-of-shit Ford made by lazy-ass American auto-workers- which he has seen & experienced first-hand how crappy their attitudes are, he says. (He's caucasion American too, so no racial bias here.) So, he said no matter how tempting or sexy the mustang looks- which it does look very nice- he says it's not worth the headache of dealing w/ the problems Ford cars have as they age...

Ultimately, you have to drive both & decide for yourself, of course.

D =)

Good points all around. One problem I would personally have with the Mustang (and why I never looked at the Stang in the first place) is the fact that rental fleets are going to go crazy with these things. In fact, I'm already starting to see rental Mustangs around Sarasota (they're rare, but they exist.), so it's only going to get worse as the inital demand drops off. This might make resale values a problem.

Overall, I would choose the 8 since it has better handling, practicality, interior, looks and relaibility (probably). The only things that the Mustang really impresses me with are the power and possibly the value, depending on how you would option up the cars.

That being said, most people would take power even if it meant a slight loss in handling and practicality. Personally, being a road racing/autocross enthusiast, I was drawn to the handling of the 8. However, you may be turned off by the relative lack of power in the 8.

In the end, you're just going to have to drive both cars and find out for yourself.

see... I chose the mustang but that doesnt mean I dont have some reservations about it.

As detrich said... theres also the quality thing.... it makes me a little jittery

How can I explain this

Ah yes...

Its like sex! Guys, ever have a girl that is so damn sexy it makes you hard as a rock just to think about it? BUT word on the street is shes been around and may possibly have "something"... You wanna hit it so bad and granted you have absolutely no proof that she has anything. Further, she seems perfectly fine to you and you know that you cant always beleive everything you hear... especially rumours... yet on the other hand, you can never be too sure.
Sure you could pass it up and go with some other girl you've heard psoitive things about, but she doesnt quite do it for you as much as the other one and whos to say you'd be any safer.

Whats a man to do?


Thats How I feel about going with the mustang :D

So if you wear a full body rubber then the stang should be OK then:)

I keep going back to that girl from time to time . . that could get expensive with the stang, think i will stick to my 8 and at least i will have extra money for penicylian! haha :)

The Mustang GT and the RX-8 also have similar mileage. GT gets 17mpg in the city and 25 highway. The GT is also cheaper.

No matter how you look at it, the GT has got the RX-8 by the balls in terms of acceleration. I haven't driven one personally, but it reaches 60 in 5.2 seconds. If I'm not mistaken, that's how long it takes the BMW M3 w/SMG to get to 60. That's a lot of power you get for under $30,000. Quite a deal. Lots of low torque too...unlike the RX-8...a car you have to work at to get some power out of it.

RX-8 takes the cake in handling, and while the GT looks good in certain colors, I still say the RX-8 is more appealing to the eye.

Though the only down side is that a 4.6 liter V8 will definitely be more expensive to insure than a 1.3 liter rotary.

Basically the way I see it, the RX-8 is a car for someone that loves cars. Someone who really enjoys driving and has the patience to put up with its differences, like building up revs, redlining at 9000 RPM, letting the engine warm up a little before you take off...its a very unique vehicle. It's not going to push you back into your seat when you gun it, and if you want a decent 0-60 time you're going to have to force it out of the engine with a painful launch. This car has lots of technicalities that will take some patience on your part to enjoy, but once you get used to them, it's a blast to drive, and there isn't much like it out there.

The 2005 Mustang GT, on the other hand, is just like any other car with a monster cylinder engine. You give it gas....and it takes off. Quick and simple. Nothing easier than that. I mean who wouldn't love having 320 pounds per foot of torque at their disposal? It'll push you back in your seat every time you gun the bitch too. It has no impressive redline since its torquey right from the get go, so there's no need to keep the revs high. Just like most cars.

Which one do you see yourself enjoying more?

The problem with GT's is that you have to pay MSRP right now. I would have bought one for invoice if that was possible but they were selling the cars 3 weeks in advance for sticker. Insane..

So I got a leftover 04 rx8 with 27 miles and many thousands under invoice.. with GT, leather, nav, LSD. IT was a few thousand less than the avg option mustang so I'm not missing the torque.. :)

Drive both, and go with your heart. It's a simple as that. ;)

When it was time, I knew I wanted the 8. I didn't test drive any other cars.

We just traded our '98 Mustang GT in for an '05 RX8. Couldn't stand the Mustang anymore, the biggest complaint was the *grunt!* legwork it took to operate the clutch.

We got a BMW 330i 2 years ago, and alongside the Mustang it just further accentuated how much *work* it took to drive the thing. Literally, after getting used to the BMW, we'd get leg-cramps driving the Mustang.

Then around a year ago our 9 year old started complaining about the legroom in the back seat.

The RX8 seems to have cured both those problems, and I can't see the RX8 wearing on us over the years like the Mustang did. The clutch is better than the BMW's in my opinion, just as light with a shorter throw. The gearbox is far better as well.

I haven't been in an '05 mustang, but I've been in an '03... and it felt pretty similar to our '98.

So yeah - you might go for the throaty-roar and the thrill of the 0-60 times on the freeway on-ramps, but will it be worth the daily grind in the long run?

The 05 mustang is leaps and bounds over the prior years... its almost like a totally different car in some respects... the clutch being one of them... the clutch on the 05 feels like the clutch on my current Honda Accord... which is good and can definitely do the dailyrind with no damage to the left legt :D . Mind you i didnt have it all day to drive around.

The shift to be honest could be a little shorter... its not bad but definitely room for improvement.

Trust me.. go drive the 05 stang... you still may not want the car but you'll see for your self how different it is.. and you'll have fun in the process.

Hmm wont most guys go for the sexy pettit asian who does what she's told, than the fat pig american who's been around and wears clothes from the 60's and fights back?

(just using his analogy, i don't find asian girls attractive =) )

Ummm yeah but when your a guy like me whos practically went on a tour of all of asia when it comes to women... you sometimes get a hankering for a that white girl with the feminine fat... and when you get it its ooooh so good. :D ... like Mozzarella cheese! lol

Yea but it's only a good quick fix...after that you're going back to the hot little asian...once in a while when you get the urge you go over to the rental agency and rent a fat pig :)

This is true.. I ended up marrying one ..... so maybe I'll ultimately end up with the 8 ... who knows :D

Also keep in mind that some people chose the 8 over the Stang like myself due to not wanting a cookie cutter car. I think the Mustang is awesome, however thinking how many will be on the road in a year made my decision. I just don't want to drive a vehicle where you see 200 or so a day. 8s are getting more plentiful but they will never approach the population of Mustangs. The savings in insurance is an added plus.

On MSN autos, there's a lot of user complaints about the build quality....far more than there are with the 8. Another on this topic, if you search autotrader for used cars, you'll come up with about as many used mustangs already as there are used 8's. I think a lot of people were buying them with sky high expectations, but then realized it's still a Ford.

Chicks dig the RX-8

Most girls I know associate Mustang GTs with Mullets and Mustang V6s with secretaries.

Good topic.
MY last 2 new cars were Mustang GT's.
I had a 92 till 2001, then got a 2001.
Sold my 01 to a friend to get an 05 RX-8.
Yes, I miss the power. I have never really adjusted.
Especially when my friend keeps beating me in races.
But, I get more looks in 1 day driving my 8 than I did the entire time
I had both GTs.
In fact, I am shocked at how many people ask me about my 8
or just stare..

I love the new Mustangs.. and I think about getting 1 every day.
But then I pass someone who turns around to look at my car.. and it gets me through
till the next day.. haha

The 2006 Mustang GT500 may be the only thing to make me trade...
But, if the SC kits come out before the GT500, I will be saved !!

-B

YES...I have...

RX8

Pro: Sexy looks, nimble, rear seat comfort, quality interior & exterior, FUN to drive, fast-quick, rear doorlits makes rear entry much easier, 50/50 weight distribution, great breaks, very good handling, comfortable ride for a sports car, standard equipment list is great, rotary 9K engine, nice trunk size

Cons: Narrow trunk opening, just average fuel economy (sometimes less (but I average 19.2 city)), narrow door storage, occasional wind humming with ONE window open, door stop points seem off a little, need to remove the front bumper for most frontal mods (LOL), tranny at times notchy, interior easily scuffs, spare tire is optional (but they give you a tire sealant), lacks so torque (while it’s not as bad as a S2000 or low torque I-4’s)

What makes it special: It’s a VERY FUN to drive car that feels as if it’s connected to your nervous system. It uses a rare engine (rotary) that acts like a Formula car engine hitting 9K redline. It’s balanced as a TRUE sports car made to race (ON A TRACK) and enjoyed safely. Finally, it’s looks stand out and put other cars to shame.

05 Mustang GT


Pro: American V8 muscle, easy to make it look MEAN, seats are comfortable, ready to drag out of the box (ON A TRACK), bang for the buck in regards to power, outside interior quality is good, did I mention the AMERICAN V8 (LOL), fast-fast and can handle pretty well for a non-independent suspension car, small turning radius


Cons: Madona looks (sometimes nice…sometimes ugly), interior quality of a $10,000 car (at least the one I tried), rear headroom keeps your head attached to the rear window (unpleasant), uncomfortable getting to the rear seats, a little heavy (3500lbs…should have been 3300lbs), V8 fuel economy not on par with Chevy V8’s (it’s about average for a V8), designed to go straight not so much for curves

What makes it special: The American pony car king with a lot of history of giving common or average people the opportunity to experience a RWD sports car. (while it’s priced similar to a RX8 now…so it’s 3K too high in my opinion) Also, there is no rumble like that of a V8 which give you grins ear to ear.

I hope the best in your decision! Both cars have their good and not so good with the RX8 being more of a TRUE sports (as an athlete does good in all categories) car while the Mustang gives you neck snapping acceleration at a drag strip. The Mustang handles pretty well and with mods will handle even better while the RX8 was built for a race track out of the box and with mods it will reach near professional race car levels. Quality wise the RX8 take it but in 0-60 & ¼ mile the Mustang will eat the 8 by a 1 second (in the car world that’s huge…lol). Also with looks, while I understand it’s subjective, the RX8 is at another level that the Mustang can’t even come close to.

Again…this is MY OPINION, but as long as you love what you paid for…that’s all that maters! Any TRUE sports car guy/gal will love the good of all sports cars and wont hate one because it’s built by a certain company, has a certain engine, etc etc…I’m just glad they keep building cars for enthusiast like me and the other sports car guys out there!

I hope the best…test drive them both, and enjoy!

:)

I just read what I said, please don't take the above the wrong way...I'm a common or average person myself, so I understand we all don't have money tree's in the back yard. What I mean is that it's an affordable rwd sports car for NON-RICH people...lol...

...like me...but I got my 8 for 25K...now that's a BANG FOR THE BUCK!

I wish I could buy both

It's just the same old Mustang. Nothing different from the ones I've owned before.
Just a cosmetic make over and bigger engine.

Yes, they have improved the handling but............

I love my 8 !

Having driven both a 2005 Mustang GT and an RX-8, there are definite advantages to both. I find the seats to be far more comfortable in the Mustang, and there is the obvious 300 HP :) It is also available in better colors (yellow!).

The RX-8, however, is generally less expensive, has a far better warranty (5 years vs 3) and most importantly, the steering, clutch, and transmission FEEL much better, more precise.

Ultimately, drive them both and you will figure out which is better for you.

ive driven both, and personally i prefer the 8. which is why i bought it. my dad has the 05 GT and that car is amazing but i like the sleek look of the 8 and the fact that i can take him in the turns. My dad loves his GT tho, but he always gives me complements on my car. if your a rally type of guy go with the 8 and if your the Drag kind of guy go with the GT. good luck on the call, both are great cars

Whelp, I wouldn't exactly consider myself an authority...but I do own them both. I have had 97,98, and 2000 GT's and a 99 cobra and the 2005 has greatly improved. BUT...I prefer my 8, except when the pedal is down. Heres why..the gt's handling has come a long way..but not far ebough to deal with the rx. It fells clunky and it floats...BAD. I have to think about driving it...the 8 seems like it anticipates where I want to turn or drift w/ just a minor flick of my wrist. The gt's manual tranny is less precise...and when I have been driving the 8 often and get into the GT, I grind reverse alot trying to get into the non-existant "sixth" gear :rolleyes: . Some of my gt's handling issues may be that its a convertible and it has less body/frame ridgidity. The "shaker" 500 sound system cant compare to the bose in the 8. But maybe the shaker 1000 can. I get more looks in the 8. The stang has less of an "electronic" feel...I like the 8's gadgets much more. I think the 8 is more comfortable and better at restaining you, but the gt is a bit more acceptable on long drives. The 8 sits lower & gives you a "part of the road" feeling. The gt, like I said, floats and sways. The 8 gets more comfortable to handle the faster I go..over 100 in the gt gets worrisome and scary. I have seen 130+ in the 8 and never even broke a sweat. The gt's wheel wells are so big, & wheels are so small that it looks like its all tire. And it doesnt "feel" like 300 hp. Your at the 6k redline so fast that if your not watching, you'll bounce off the limiter. My last car was a Lightning and that FELT like 400hp. Also, I dont think the gt looks sleek...it seems rather big & bulky. And it looks EXACTLY like the 60's version, for the most part. It makes me worry that ford designers are lost for ideas. The longer I look at it the more I feel like ford should send some big checks to the children/grandchildren of the original designers of the 60's 'stang..because they totally ravaged it. The overall driving experience and asthetic (visual) value go to the 8. But, the problem is the aftermarket system will embrace the mustang much better than it has the 8, and all above mentioned issues will have options to vastly improve them, or obliterate them all together. Best of luck.




http://photos.imageevent.com/ironmon...k/DSC03075.JPG

I'm new to this forum, but this thread really demonstrates that people here aren't just some clueless teens yappin about their rides. Some excellent comparisons, especially by dreamer and sinister. (I'm choosing to ignore the borderline tasteless comparisons to women.)

I've driven both, and reviewed them for epinions. Search "2004 RX-8" and "2005 Mustang" and my reviews should be at the top of the list. I should have a review of the 2005 RX-8 out later this week.

I'm one of two people who manage the autos category at Epinions. I encourage people here to post some reviews over there as well. If you do let me know, I'm make sure your reviews get noticed. Epinions pays royalties based on some complex secret formula, but don't count on earning more than a few dollars. Better than nothing, but not much better.

Now about the two cars. As others have said, two very different animals. To me the Mustang is a car that anyone can understand the appeal of and enjoy, even people who don't have a clue about cars. As others have said, it excels at what it's trying to be. My review gave it top marks for this reason. It's just not me.

The RX-8, on the other hand, is a car for true enthusiasts, those who understand and can appreciate fine handling. All the better that the car lacks in the grunt department. This serves to single out those who truly understand the car from those merely in a sports car for looks and horsepower.

I currently own a Protege5 based on similar logic. Much less grunt than, say, a Sentra Spec V. But then you can't change lanes with a stab at the throttle, either.

Want something in between the RX-8 and Mustang? Still can't decide between the two? Then I'd suggest the 350Z or G35 coupe.

Why would it be any different than your 2004 review? Are you going to write about how cool the flip-out key is? ;)

I've been in the '05 Mustang assembly plant.... My money was better spent on the RX8. :) Until you see how some of the plants are operated, and the number of cars that have been pulled off the line for repairs and QC checks, ...well you get the picture. The first time roll off stats are allot better at the Hiroshima plant than the Detroit plant.

Won't be much different.

But I've taken two more test drives. One of the test drives, where the salesman simply handed me the keys, included my favorite set of curvy roads. I've driven dozens of different cars on these same roads, so this enabled me to better evaluate the car. Also, I drove the car back-to-back with a Honda S2000 both times. This really put some things in perspective.

Once upon a time epinions just listed models. Then they decided to list models by model year. I protested, because this would have the effect of burying still relevant reviews. People shopping for a new car tend to only read reviews of the latest model year, even though the previous year or two might be essentially the same car. I wanted to instead list cars by design generation. But I lost.

At the same time, posting the same review under all relevant model years is frowned upon.

Put it all together and I'll have a different review this time around even though the car hasn't changed.

I was going to ask you to elaborate, but realized that you are probably still in the midst of writing your review. Once its done can you please post it here? I am interested in reading it.

Thanks

Not in the midst, haven't started yet.

Key points I'll make:

I don't care that much about midrange power if an engine is willing to rev. As many others have pointed out, if you like torque you won't like the RX-8.

The roads I drove the RX-8 on this time around have very uneven concrete pavement. In a couple of the turns the concrete slabs don't line up well, which upsets the average car a great deal. Nothing has handled these roads better than the 2006 330i. Astounding ride-handling balance in that car. But the RX-8 comes close. Driving the RX fast on these roads could hardly have been easier. Very good precision, composure, and balance.

The Honda S2000, in contrast, was much more tiresome and difficult to drive quickly on these same roads. I know they redesigned the suspension for '04 to reduce the rear end's propensity to step out without warning, but it still does it. Though easy to catch, this behavior isn't confidence-inspiring. Stability control would help. The Honda's firmer, busier ride gets tiresome quickly. This ride might be worth it if the car's handling was significantly better than the RX-8's, but it isn't. If anything I have more fun driving the RX-8, even on smooth roads. I suppose its a matter of personal taste, but I like the Mazda's quicker turn-in.

I've never driven the G35 coupe, but compared to both the S2000 and the 350Z the RX-8 rides so much more smoothly and quietly. Looking at the road tests the objective noise levels in the Mazda aren't low, but subjectively it's very quiet for a sports car.

But then there are the seats. The Honda has wonderful seats. They feel more substantial than those in the RX-8 and provide better support. Jumping from the S2000 to the RX-8 really made me wish the latter had equally good seats.

In other areas as well the Honda felt more substsantial to me. Especially the interior trim and door hardware. I suppose some of this is the almost Benz-like ultra-solid feel you get when you close the door in the Honda--a pillarless design will never do well here. But in general the Honda struck me as a car that would hold up very well over the years, while I have concerns in this area with the Mazda.

This last bit mattered more to me when I was thinking of a sports car as a toy that I'd only drive infrequently, and thus I'd want to be able to hold onto it for a long time. With the RX-8, though, I'd be able to drive it at least half the time. So long-term durability becomes less of an issue.

I'm thinking, if I had to do it over again, I'd have got the Mustang.

Care to elaborate? I'm actually surprised that so many people cross-shop these two cars. They seem so different to me.

On my price comparison site the RX-8 is most often compared to the 350Z and G35. Nothing else met my report threshhold. To investigate further I lowered the threshhold. Other cars included in at least five comparisons with the RX-8: 3-Series, S2000, MINI, RSX, and Impreza (includes STi).

Care most often compared to the Mustang: 350Z, Scion tC, Corvette, RSX, Accord (probably the coupe), Impreza, and G35.

The two lists clearly have some overlap, especially the Nissan products. Which supports my earlier post: if you don't know whether you want an RX-8 or a Mustang, you probably want a 350Z or G35.

The more I see and read of the new Mustang, the more I think I could have been very happy with the car - if not the very cheap-looking interior, the handling, and power for sure.

:)

I agree with you for sure! :)