RX-8 vs. GTO
#52
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Originally Posted by rx8wannahave
That just does not sound right...lol, just messing with you GotZoom...khtm started it...lol, have a great day!!!
Let me rephrase..."free hand...wife in the car....benefits...."
Yeah...yeah...that's it...Lol
#53
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Originally Posted by jaguargod
So what will the Greddy exhaust do exactly? I would really like my 8 to sound a little tougher, but I don't want it to sound like a ricer.
I guess it came down to how it looked. I love how the GReddy looks from the back.
But there are just as many people who will go on and on about the Borla and the RB.
Forget HP gains - it's strictly for sound and looks.
#54
Originally Posted by Aratinga
I have both cars... an '04 GTO and an '04 RX-8... but both are manual trannies. However, I can give you a first-hand comparison of both cars, and even from the female point of view since your wife will be driving it.
RX-8: Lightweight, high-revving corner-carver with a distinctive eyecatching appearance. The major pluses to this car are:
The interior of the GTO is also first-rate -- beautiful high quality leather and seats that are amazingly comfortable. The biggest annoyance about the GTO is rear seat access (or should I say, LACK thereof). The extra doors on the RX8 have really spoiled me, and having to clamber into the back seats of the GTO gets old really quick. For some reason, Holden makes the front seats power-only, and they move forward and back reallllly slowwwwly... so getting in the back seat in a pouring rainstorm would not be a quick process. Once you're back there the rear-seat legroom seems about the same for both cars... which means that if the front-seat passengers are long-legged types with the seats way back, your rear passengers will be cramped.
Another weak spot is the braking, but only in the '04 (Pontiac put a much nicer, bigger brake kit on the '05, along with the nonfunctional hood scoops that were missing in the '04). But hey... it's a muscle car! GO is the operative word here, not STOP.
The LS1/LS2 motor is truly the heart of this car. It's perfectly mannerly for around town driving, but when you get on the thing it's a head rush. I laugh out loud when I drive this car. Thank God for the traction control! Of course, the real fun starts when you turn TC off.
So... I'm guessing that you wife ain't exactly a car fanatic, and just wants a nice comfy car for her shopping trips. I'd vote for the GTO for her. And since you're forced to do the automatic thing, you'll sacrifice a lot more in the RX8 by going auto than you will with the GTO. In fact, the only drawback to the auto in the GTO is you'll have to pay a gas guzzler tax on it (the stick escapes this by having a skip-shift mechanism).
Hope this helps!
RX-8: Lightweight, high-revving corner-carver with a distinctive eyecatching appearance. The major pluses to this car are:
- the price (I'm sure you can pick up an new '05 RX8 for thousands less than a new '05 GTO, although there are some dealers who still have leftover '04s of both makes and will make excellent deals on both in automatic trim);
- looks (if you like them);
- the freestyle doors for back-seat access;
- the handling (razor-sharp)
- the braking (awesome!) and
- the Renesis rotary engine (if you're a fan of the rotary, which is why many of us bought the car).
- lousy gas mileage (No better than the V8! Both take premium gas.)
- weak air conditioning (even after the "fix" Mazda came up with)
- lack of torque (you'll notice this even more in the automatic)
- a feeling of being somewhat underpowered when compared to other sports coupes (especially for the automatic), and
- the Renesis rotary engine (if you're not willing to give a rotary the special attention it needs in terms of checking your oil frequently and letting it warm up before shutting it down to prevent flooding).
The interior of the GTO is also first-rate -- beautiful high quality leather and seats that are amazingly comfortable. The biggest annoyance about the GTO is rear seat access (or should I say, LACK thereof). The extra doors on the RX8 have really spoiled me, and having to clamber into the back seats of the GTO gets old really quick. For some reason, Holden makes the front seats power-only, and they move forward and back reallllly slowwwwly... so getting in the back seat in a pouring rainstorm would not be a quick process. Once you're back there the rear-seat legroom seems about the same for both cars... which means that if the front-seat passengers are long-legged types with the seats way back, your rear passengers will be cramped.
Another weak spot is the braking, but only in the '04 (Pontiac put a much nicer, bigger brake kit on the '05, along with the nonfunctional hood scoops that were missing in the '04). But hey... it's a muscle car! GO is the operative word here, not STOP.
The LS1/LS2 motor is truly the heart of this car. It's perfectly mannerly for around town driving, but when you get on the thing it's a head rush. I laugh out loud when I drive this car. Thank God for the traction control! Of course, the real fun starts when you turn TC off.
So... I'm guessing that you wife ain't exactly a car fanatic, and just wants a nice comfy car for her shopping trips. I'd vote for the GTO for her. And since you're forced to do the automatic thing, you'll sacrifice a lot more in the RX8 by going auto than you will with the GTO. In fact, the only drawback to the auto in the GTO is you'll have to pay a gas guzzler tax on it (the stick escapes this by having a skip-shift mechanism).
Hope this helps!
The only thing I don't like about the GTO stick is its long throws(compared to the 8) Is there anything aftermarket available to shorten the throws? Other than that I think the GTO is a fantastic package for the money. It will most likely be my next car.
#55
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Originally Posted by Joel Ramsey
The only thing I don't like about the GTO stick is its long throws(compared to the 8) Is there anything aftermarket available to shorten the throws? Other than that I think the GTO is a fantastic package for the money. It will most likely be my next car.
that's out now, and I've tried it in the GTO shown in that link. It's a huge improvement, but we've heard that Hurst is coming out with one for the GTO and so we're waiting for that one.
Go to the LS1GTO.com forum (don't let the name fool you, it's also for the '05 with the LS2) to see what mods are out there for GTO. One of the reasons I love having our '04 is that the LS1 has been around for a long time and there's already lots of cool stuff available for it.
Last edited by Aratinga; 05-20-2005 at 12:45 PM.
#56
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Let me rephrase..."free hand...wife in the car....benefits...."
That's your wife....ENJOY! LOL
Aratinga is having too much fun...GTO & RX8...that aint right, lol
#58
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I almost went GTO when I was feeling blue about not finding the 8 at the price I wanted (I know the GTO is more expensive but the deals where better at the time) but I'm very happy with my 8!
The GTO is so comfortable and it's the ONLY 2+2 that has more space in the rear than the 8. I just wish it was not such a FAT HOG...3.7K...I mean come on Chevy!!!
Have you all seen the concept GTO that is to take it's place in 2007 or 2008? I'll have to post it up...
The GTO is so comfortable and it's the ONLY 2+2 that has more space in the rear than the 8. I just wish it was not such a FAT HOG...3.7K...I mean come on Chevy!!!
Have you all seen the concept GTO that is to take it's place in 2007 or 2008? I'll have to post it up...
#59
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Originally Posted by Joel Ramsey
Lucky you getting to own both cars at the same time! :D Thanks for the info. If you get a chance, post some pics of your rides.
For pix of my 8, the Miatae, and my four-legged "rides", check out my homepage.
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I've driven my best friend's GTO automatic a few times. He got the automatic because of his wife. He really just wanted a V8 and couldn't get a Vette because he needs four seats.
I was fairly impressed with it, and thought it handled quite well for its size. What I absolutely didn't like was the mushy brakes. They are anything but confidence inspiring.
I was fairly impressed with it, and thought it handled quite well for its size. What I absolutely didn't like was the mushy brakes. They are anything but confidence inspiring.
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