frankford

look around for another car, although if the altima has a 6 cylinder it will be close to what the 350z has. The car if front wheel drive it will loose less power to the wheels. Yeah it won't have the feeling a RX8 but you will see the 8 in the rear view mirror.

The RX8 club has to justify why we bought our 8's. Mine is somewhat fast, people driving around me think it is fast. Cornering is where the 8 really shines but if you live in a city like Phoenix where everything is straight then the 8 doesn't fit. I always drive up to the white mountains to get my fill of the 8. Cars and trucks have a hard time keeping up with me thru the swists. I love the 8 but I have also had 300z that gave me the same feeling. Go with our gut and not a forum that has to use excuses. Yeah I will get bashed for this but who gives.

MICHGoBlue

Obviously the OP is looking for a nice, sporty looking daily driver.

Go with the Altima for your need, Accord Coupe also should be considered as well.

Roaddemon

The rx8 is a little quicker in the quarter mile and 0-60 times. They would be side by side in a straight race, neither in the others rear view mirror. Throw in a curve and goodbye altima.

jasonrxeight

I hear ya. In a corner my rx8 would accelerate soo smoothly and quickly. My maxima was understeering like a bitch.

ken-x8

Then definitely get the 8. The Altima is a very nice car, but it's not a toy. RX-8 works very well as a toy - even if it's your daily driver.

Ken

2tone

iTrader: (3)

you're a loser.

--

can we stop these stupid *** "comparisons"?? go test drive the cars and get the one you want. why would you ask a rx8 forum which car to get when clearly we all made the same comparisons (not really because this is a stupid "comparison") and got the 8.......

Sigs

To the forum: He has a right to compare the two vehicles. They're both attractive to him and within his price range. While the cars have completely different applications, that's not something he may know by just looking up the specifications on the vehicles.

To The OP: The altima has a VQ engine, which was on Ward's top ten list for 14 consecutive years. Its definitely a worthwhile engine. The altima will not hook perfectly off the line, the car weighs about the same as the 8 but certainly has more torque and a little more horsepower. Also being FWD it will lose less power to the wheels, which is pretty good for highway pulls. It will make a better daily driver if those are some of the only applications you're looking at.

Like others have said, the 8 is enthusiast's vehicle. I personally am in love with the rotary, despite the populations general disposition towards the engine. The 8 isn't perfect, but no engine is. It is all about what short comings you're willing to accept in a car for the trade-off. In this case rotaries require extra care, but the will reward you a lot in return especially the N/A ones. The 8 will have a much higher fun factor than the altima. I personally own a Nissan and despise it. The build quality isn't the same as the rx-8 especially when it comes to interiors. Also take a look at ryan's crash (in this section of the forum) just to see how well his car held up on a flip. In my opinion that's very good structural integrity. Like others have said the 8 will outshine many cars in a lot of areas. The drag strip is not one of those places. I hope you decide what you like and get what you truly want. Only your opinion matters since it is your decision ultimately. I also hope you're not put off by the many offensive responses and that it in no way effects your decision. I'm new here as well and this is a common 'interaction' on most forums. I hope some of this helps. If you have any more questions feel free to PM me. Lastly, try using google and do some independent research on the cars.

Goodluck,
Josh

REsuperD

if you owned an fc and had a good time w/ it, then chances are you'll like the rx-8. you'd definitely have much more fun w/ an 8 than with an altima, again, provided that you don't mind dealing with the care and maintenance. the altima isn't a bad car; the 3.5 packs quite a bit of power, and they're totally more comforting to the mind to own. if you choose that path, however, i think you should definitely also check out the accord and mazda6, both of which, imho, are better cars than the altima. the accord adds better resale, and the mazda6 is arguably the most fun to drive of the bunch

SayNoToPistons

iTrader: (8)

Apple or orange. Which should I have as a snack?

2tone

iTrader: (3)

well, what do you like? i would suggest eating both at least once in order to determine which you like better. also, research the nutritional value of each...i don't know but maybe one has more of a specific vitamin that fits your health needs more appropriately. you should talk to you doctor too.

keep in mind, the apple is more of a hard bite, could hurt your teeth. do you have dentures? oranges are typically juicy, and more acidic of course. you have to peel oranges, so eating one will take a little bit more time in the beginning, but may be more rewarding once you take your first bite. apples you can just pick up and eat anytime (always wash fruit prior to eating).

so, which do you think you would like better? do you normally eat on the go or sit down at a table and take your time? what is your overall health like?

cuxy

Thank you for the sincere reply. I have so far test driven 2 8s and its was fun. Things I like havent changed, the seats are great, the engine sounds great past 5k, no body roll evident when cornering thanks to that weight distribution, enough power to get myself in trouble. Not a lot of things I dont like. I'm test driving the Altima tomorrow so I should be able to gauge the difference accurately.

Sigs

Not a problem, you are welcome. I wish you the best of luck on your decision. Let us know what you end up choosing.

Marklar

No, the Altima is front-engine, the 8 is front-mid. The 8 is a mid-engine car, very different, and you can really feel it in a turn.

They are very different cars, too many differences to list. Nowhere near the same driving experience. The 8 is fun and bitchy and drinks too much, the Altima is boring and reliable and economical.

cuxy

You almost had me convinced until you mentioned the 8 was a mid engine car. umm yeah ok. Its not. Its got a small, light 1.3 engine which allowed mazda to push it further back to get that 50/50. At heart its still a front engine but where the 8 shines is the distribution of weight. The Altima has a ~65/35. The RX8 has one of the best layout for a sports car front engine rwd but its not a mid engine like a f458 italia or a Zonda which is the best for ***** out track car

Marklar

Um, no. The RX-8 is a mid-engine car. There are two types of mid-engine car, front-mid and rear-mid. The 8 is front-mid. The engine is behind the front axle. A lot of exotics have the same FMR layout as the 8.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_m...l_drive_layout

http://www.search.com/reference/Mid-engine

2tone

iTrader: (3)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rx8

2nd paragraph of "development and design"

......and somehow this thread lives on. i guess i'm to blame too

cuxy

My apologies, I did not realize there are different mid engine configuration.

2tone

iTrader: (3)

it's alllllllll good man!

now go test drive the altima so you can make a decision

cuxy

So I took the Altima for a test drive yesterday and here is my impression from the 20mins I had with it.

When I first sat in it I immediately didnt like the seat that much. I position was comfortable enough but it felt like it was designed for a linebacker and I was sliding compared to the 8. The lumbar and side support was lacking and it felt "cheap". Drove it out of the parking lot and like the ride, it was very plush and comfortable. Then the dissapointment started.

The steering was vague with a very rubbery feel. To compare the two it would be like the steering wheel for the 8 was connected to the wheel by a carbon fiber shaft and the Altima's would be a hard rubber (kinda like what they use for suspension parts). An example would be lane changing. The 8 would do it like it was attached to your head knowing what you wanted to do before you did. The Altima was more casual, not that it was bad. It wasnt razor sharp like the 8. Body roll was the other thing I noticed, the 8 was flat and the Altima would lean a few degrees.

The engine was another thing that dissapointed me. The Altima felt slow but it wasnt. It would take its time to rev (compared to the 8) and it didnt feel fast even though the speedo says it was. The shifter was a little clunky and the clutch pedal was too soft for my liking. The torque was nice and it was noticeable compared to the 8. I know the VQ engine has been around for a while but it just didnt impress me.

I know I had mention that the two cars were comparable but after driving them back to back I know now that they are as different as apples and oranges. It was hard to tell the salesman that I wasnt impressed with the Altima since he seemed to be in love with the car as he owned one himself. Basically the 8 was more of a scapel and the Altima a steak knife. Both are knives but designed to do different things. I'm now looking for a new 8 because the one I looked at had sold but at least now I know what Im looking for

Roaddemon

Glad to hear you finally get it. Now you know the difference a true sportscar makes.

2tone

iTrader: (3)

ha ha, that is awesome. thanks for sharing your feedback. hopefully not some lame april fool's joke though

make that post a sticky so people stop post comparisons that don't make sense!!

fyrstormer

Tough call man, if that Altima 3.5 has the CVT transmission, I'd say go with that instead. No, it's not a sports car, but for an econobox, it's about as nice as you can get, and there's something indescribably sexy about stomping the gas and seeing the engine jump to redline and stay there while the car accelerates. I drove my friend's Altima 3.5 CVT and that thing could chew up an onramp like no other econobox I've driven.

On the other hand, if what you really want is an RX-8 but the Altima seems like a good compromise, then get the RX-8. You only live once.

mike[piston eater]

iTrader: (3)

get the altima rx8s are slow and not as fun as they make em to be

Roaddemon

the cvt version is what makes it fast. But, no faster then the 8. Throw in one curve and it's still good bye altima. Reason being the altima is a sport coup not a sportscar.

mike[piston eater]

iTrader: (3)

its a good daily