hello. i currently drive a '01 Honda S2000. i love the car, however, i am a college student, and the car is very very inconvenient. the cabin in ridiculously loud (considering i put on aftermarket exhausts) and i'm so sick of the 2seater situation. furthermore, no trunk room or any cargo space. i guess most people would think that if i switch to a rx8, it would be a downgrade (i hope i don't **** anyone off with this statement). however, i really do love the way the car looks and all the little things people have said on the thread "little things." any opinions? i have yet to test drive a rx8. i will in a week or so, but has anyone driven both a rx8 and a s2k? i think the rx8 has a little worse gas mileage, but thats not a big factor. i've been reading up on this rx8 forum all week, and i'm very very tempted to buy a new rx8. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INPUT PEOPLE! THANK YOU!

 

If you like the handling and power curve on the s2k, then you'll probably like the rx8. The extra seats and decent trunk space on the rx8 are a big plus. Cruising in the 60 mph range with the rx8 is just a pleasure. It is the best cruiser I've ever driven. Gas consumption is only annoying because it is just so smooth, it seems like it should be great on gas.

I will be slightly slower and less frantic then the s2k, but you can do midpipe, fly wheel, wheels/tires and ecu to quicken it up.

If you like butter....

 

The rx8 would only be a downgrade in acceleration and handling, but only slightly. Obviously, rx8s and s2ks run similarly; low torque, high revs. But with the rx8, you'll have 4 seats (the back seats can actually fit adults), and a decent trunk. Also, you'll get to experience the rotary and receive much more attention. You may even get lower insurance rates.

You said you have an aftermarket exhaust...just fyi, the rx8 isn't as mod-friendly because of Mazda's tuning of the car for emission rules. So a new exhaust wouldn't give a significant gain in performance, nor would an intake, etc. The slow aftermarket for the rx8 doesn't help, either.

 

thanks. if i do end up purchasing a rx8, i wouldn't modify it at all. if anything, i would just get it tinted and a sub installed. how is the drive? for the s2k, the higher the RPM (especially when you hit V-TEC) the more power. is it the same for rx8? is it really weak in the lower RPMs?

 

the s2k is a more sporty car and all, but i'm looking to get an rx8 for convenience, yet at the same time i want speed. hmmmm. how is the clutch? stiff? super sensitive? i guess this is all in comparison to a s2k, because this s2k is the first manual car i've owned. imma have to test drive one myself before making a final decision (of course), but i just wanted to some input from current rx8 owners.

 

Basically

 

It could be called weak but certainly diveable at low rpms in all gears. Just don't a expect a torque monster car, (just like your s2k) expect a pleasant, uneventful acceleration, esp. because of the rotary smoothness. But past 5k things get much better, real quick! You'll enjoy the rush, just wo/the frantic noise and that can be a little downer until you get used to the easy hi-rev feeling. Think Double Cream revs!

 

I've test driven -- but don't own -- the RX8 and the S2000 (I'm also considering a purchase between them, plus a few other cars). The one thing I'd make sure of on the RX8, which I expect you will, anyway, is to go for the manual. In most cars, there's some performance difference between auto and manual; in the RX8, the difference is staggering. I loved the test drive in the manual version; I was embarrassed for Mazda in the automatic.

 

I would honestly say test drive one and try to find a dealer who's route includes some highway time (mine had about 4 miles worth) and a decent corner(s) where you can check out the handling. From a S2k to me you'll definatly notice the increase in space and room for people. I believe a friend said it best yesterday when 3 of us went to the movies "The backseat is comfortable but not alot of room to move. If your over 5'8" your not gonna have tons of room to squirm around but atleast you'll be comfortable. Gasmileage to me has been a total nonissue since I came from driving a Chevy W/T1500 with a 27 gallon tank and worse gas mileage. I fill it up pretty much once a week and in comparision I filled up my old Truck once every two weeks.

Not sure whatelse to tell you since I dont know you personaly as to why or why not you should buy the car. Though I will suggest you rev it to 8k and have the stereo off and listen to that Rotary blare, nothing else like it.

 

At low rpms you wont have much tourqe. I notice when i'm entering a freeway in 3rd gear at around 4k rmps the car accelerates really fast, plenty of power to pass up others.

 

I was wrestling with this sort of thing when I was trying to decide whether I should give up my '04 MazdaSpeed Miata (admittedly not quite an S2000) for an 8. (And I drove Miatas for 15 years.) Both cars are fine, fun-to-drive RWD handlers that need to be revved to go fast. The BIG question, dwarfing all others, is whether or not you'll miss having a convertible. On the 9 or 10 perfect "convertible" days/evenings, there's no comparison—the droptop is pure magic—like a drug—and no closed car can come close. But the REST of the time—which, let's face it, is most of the time—I'm enjoying the 8 more. Even today—hot, hazy and humid—the Miata with the top down would NOT be fun. (Late tonight, on the other hand, I'm sure will be perfect!) If your S2000 was like my MX-5, it was NOT a pleasant place to be on the interstate for hours at a time. I would get out of the car after a 4-hour drive on I-89 and feel like Lindbergh must've after his solo flight to Paris. Now I feel cool and refreshed. Of course, I have a 10-speed and a motorcycle to help me get through those "convertible" days, but overall I'm digging the 8. (It's also nice to have a back seat to casually "toss" things into. Not having one, I'm sure you know what I mean.)

 

LoL! i have a s2k...i'm a 9k RPM V-TEC *****! high-revs are so fun, yet i also think that its really hard on the clutch when you switch between gears at such high RPMs. hmmm. so the gas mileage really isn't an issue? i've read on many reviews that the gas mileage is one of the biggest cons of rx8. however, is there that big of difference between 24MPG on freeway and 26MPG?

 

well said

And yes, not much power in the lower RPMs but there's a good 180 whp or so when you get over 6000. The shifting and clutch is easy, I think it would be very similar to the s2k also. A test drive would help.

I'm also a college student, the back seats are very convenient for you know what and the engine sound is pleasant.

 

the drop-top i can give up. when it gets really hot, the cabin start to fry! i hate it. if i drive top-down, i'm sweating like a pig. i live in downtown atlanta so i'm on the freeway a lot and i hate driving top-down goin 60+ MPH. furthermore, during the winter, it not only gets too cold but too loud when all that rain hits the converitble top...not to mention hail...

but yes, on good nights, i've had many romantic nights with the top down under the moon and the stars and the sky =P...too bad there's no room to do anything else >.<

 

Why would high rev shifting be bad?

Freeway mileage varies between cars and types of gas...also depends at what speeds you cruise at. But highway mileage is usually at least 21 mpg.

 

everyone has been saying there's more power at like 5K+ RPM, but how long does it take to get up that high? what RPMs do you cruise at? at what RPMs do you shift-up? when the car is idle, what RPMs do you usually feather out at to start the car moving? for the s2k, i had a very hard time in 1st gear under 2k RPM (especially when the A/C is on), comes too close to stalling...hope this isn't an issue with the rx8

o yea, thatz another question. does the A/C make a big difference in power? it sure does for the s2k...

 

For me its not a issue solely because the truck I had before hand had similar if not worse mileage. I'm sure those feeling and seeing this "horrible mileage" are possibly those coming from cars that got what can only be called "great mileage" in comparision. Oh also I'm sure you have read the engine loves to gobble up Oil, so far the only brand my local Advanced Auto Parts carry for the 5W20 is Valvoline everything else is 5W30 grrr..

 

Actullay the RX 8 out handles the SC2000

 

50/50 weight distribution, right? that's a plus! ^_^

 

Not long, depending on gear. 1,2, & 3 are the best gears....then you're going 90+ so... who cares about the rest lol. 80mph is 4k plus or minus in 6th. 3rd gear is 1/2 that .. your rpms are your speed/100. Starting is a blip blip and go from the 800rpm idle. I've never noticed the ac changing anything much.

 

in terms of power and handling, the s2k is very similar to the rx-8.

even the clutches are made by the same company.

the rx-8 is a tad bit slower in 0-60, but unless you're drag racing it's not going to be significant enough to matter.

 

The bump in power, 200 pounds less and better handling (from what I hear) makes the s2k significantly better on a track.

 

I've driven the 2.0L S2k a few times. If you've been reading the forum all week, none of this should be new to you... however, vs the S2k, the RX8:

• is a bit slower
• lacks the 2.0L's VTEC switchover "kick"
• has an excellent, but slightly inferior shifter (my 3 favorites are the S2k, Miata, and RX8)
• has lower limits
• is less prone to snap oversteer/is more forgiving at its limits
• is happier to rev
• is smoother
• is cheaper
• is more comfortable
• seats four
• has a decent trunk
• consumes more fuel
• needs a quart of oil added every 2k miles
• is more susceptible to flooding if you don't follow its cold-engine shutdown procedure (when its engine is cold, rev it to 3k RPM for 10 sec before shutoff)

So both are balanced, responsive, RWD cars that are a blast to drive, but the RX8 is slower and not as edgy... it's more-or-less a watered down version of the S2k.

As always, test drive before you buy. Good luck!

 

I have tested 3 vehicles (BMW 325i, Honda S2K, Mazda RX-8) before I settled for the RX-8. The Bimmer was a little too tall for me and I feel that the handling and stability of the other 2 outpaced the bimmer in tight turns. Moreover, I wanted a mid-engine car.

I did not enjoy the sound of the S2K engine: at full throttle, it felt like it was going to blow up. On the RX-8, the engine beckons me to go for more when I floored the accelerator. The sound of the rotary engine, IMHO, gave me more positive feedback to go further and the smoothness at high RPM is simply very satisfying.

The issue with lower torque when the RPM is lower can easily be fixed by down-shifting.

I have owned about 5 sedans, some included Honda's finest VTEC engines but none yielded so much satisfaction in handling than the RX-8.

 

>lacks the 2.0L's VTEC switchover "kick"

Yes, I have used a few VTEC engines in my lifetime and I enjoyed them a lot. But, the power delivery curve of the rotary is almost linear, which means there're no surprises and control is total.