Finally drove an 8
 

I know this has been done before but I wanted to provide my take on this car and add some points that have not been covered as well. After calling around I found a dealer that was willing to allow a test drive. I had an interesting perspective, I am a Miata owner for the last 6 years and I drove my Dad's 96 Mustang SVT (305bhp, 295tq) to the test drive. The car they had available was a red GT, 6MT with 170 miles on the odometer.

1.) The interior trim was nice and appeared to be of good quality. I feel the seats are very comfortable, both front and back. I have posted in the past the concerns I have with being able to put a rear facing child seat in this car. I brought it along to see how well it fits and I can say happly that it will fit on the passenger side. The passanger seat does need to be forward a small amount but it is still workable. I was also able to maneuver the seat in and out without disrupting to level of the carseat. The carseat I am using is the Graco quattro travel system, so it is a large carseat. The level of the seats wasn't too extreme, I was concerned the pitch was going to be a problem, but I could adjust the seat to be level. I don't think my stroller is going to fit into the trunk but I am not concerned about that.

2.) The drive was great! I had the chance to drive it on the freeway as well as a short tight mountain road and the ride was smooth and very refined. On the mountain road the car carves the corners almost as well as my modified Miata. It is not as nimble or quick but I still walked away with a big grin on my face. I did not detect the body roll that has been mentioned in prior threads but these were not high speed corners.

3.) Like I said I drove a high powered V8 to the test drive ( I didn't intend to but it worked out that way). While the 8 may not have the low end grunt of other cars it is a very fast car. Before I knew it I was well over the posted speed limit and was still climbing. I drove the car hard without going into extremes. I never hit the 9K mark but stayed in the 7500-8000 range. I truely believe the unhappiness of some people is because the car gets to speed very quickly with very little effort. For example, while the SVT will keep the 8 in the rear view mirror it sounds and acts like it is a big beast. The 8 does it with finesse and smoothness. It is a perception of speed and acceleration

4.) The car we drove was parked in the sun on a 106 degree day
and with four people riding, the AC cooled the car and us down efficently. I never saw the AC problem some have menitoned, maybe it is a problem in cooler temps causing the AC to cycle on and off.


I am very impressed with this car, this is the first car I have ever considered selling the Miata for. The few problems I found were more quirks of mine than flaws of the car. I like to rest my left elbow on the door while driving and the sill is a little too high to do that. I could raise the seat but that puts my head a little too close to the roof. But other than that I am very happy with this car and now need to look into finacing and what features I want to add.

The sales rep stated they "had to add an addendum to the price because everyone else is doing it". After talking to the sales manager I said there was no way I was going to pay that and I drove past 2 other Mazda dearlerships to come here. He quickly removed the addendum and was willing to order whatever model I wanted.

I wanted to thank Perilcur for his insight into the Lexus IS300 vs RX8 debate, after taking his advice there is no debate left, I am going to get the RX8:D

Re: Finally drove an 8
 

How modified IS your MX-5? The RX-8 can eliminate a standard version with ease (speed if not handling). Good review, thanks.

I agree wholly with you. I have never felt a car that was so solid its awsome.

My Miata has adjustable Koni's at the corners with Flying Miata sways. I have also a preformance driven alingment. There are better setups out there but I have been very happy with what I have.

Another point I thought was interesting is the 8 has the same tires (larger size) I have on the Miata. They are a nice tire with a good balance between grip and tire wear.

Glad you liked the RX-8 test drive enough to order one - will you be selling the Miata or keeping both cars?

My intent is to keep both cars, however I need to take into consideration the financial aspect and see what I can afford. I may wait until this fall to order then I should be able to keep both, if I can stand to wait that long;)