confusedone

Hey all, its been a while since ive driven stick, im used to a wrangler in stick which is a lot more forgiving than the 8. Anyways i went to the mazda dealership today and test drove the 8. First Impressions were:

Beatufiul Exterior Design
Nice Interior Design
Good Short-Throwing Shifting Box
NEEDS MORE TORQUE
Fun at above 6000rpms.
Quick despite the lack of torque

Final Decision: Need to test drive the 350Z and Legacy GT to still determine whati want.

No More Oldsmobiles

confusedone, you're first impression was pretty accurate. I think a lot of people who have owned for quite a while will agree with everything you've said.
Let us know what you think of the Z's ride. And notice any difference in noise level, too.

VRRocket

I agree that you're on target - low torque, but quick nonetheless. Good luck and hope to see an 8 sig on your next post.

Umbra

I test drove 8's and Z's on the same day. The 8 seemed refined, the Z seemed like a brute (noisy and crude). Very different cars. I expected both to feel faster than they did. The interior of the Z and it's stereo were awful. The interior of the 8 is very nice, the stereo is passable. I think the 8 is a better looking car on the outside.

I love being able to rev up and up all day long, the ports opening above 7K rpm feel like a turbo kicking in.

Honestly my SPEC-V and Eclipse GT feel like faster cars then either the Z or the 8 even though they probably are a touch slower.

I think a G35 6speed coupe is probably a better competitor with the 8 than the Z car is. I really liked the G35, it was a more refined Z car but the interior was too "old person" for me.

I couldn't resist shinka though.....

czr

iTrader: (3)

All true. You said nothing about handling and road feel brother! You really feel connected with the road in the 8, but it's definately not for everyone. And the Legacy GT still looks odd to me too.

MI_FamilyMan

Confused,
I think that you will definitely find that under normal driving conditions you will need to "work" a little harder to get the performance out of the 8 just because of the nature of the engine. But hopefully you were able to get the revs up a little because when you are over 7,000 rpms, the performance is definitely there and sufficient for any situations you might encounter on public roads.

I think it will be just a matter of whether or not you like driving an engine like that, opposed to something where it might not matter as much what gear you are in. Good luck.

And BTW, sure it might have a lot of HP, but a Legacy GT is just not a good comparison for the 8. If you need something that practical, you shouldn't be looking at 8's or Z's.

confusedone

Yeah the handling was amazing on the 8. The one thing i did forget to mention is i live in MASS and am thinking of more something i will have fun with during the summer than what i really need. The snow and weather up here is predicatable, and i know that snow is going to come regardless of whether or not i want it too. The GT i drove today was very nice and quick, however the rx8 looks soo much better and handles much better on dry roads. Im stuck.. and dont know what to do, i just cant get over the 8 its too beautiful! Anyways any more recommendations would be appreciated.

Thetitanium8

If I had to do it again I would get an STI. Why? because I find myself so worried about keeping my 8 in mint condition that I have no life lol. The STI IMO looks better dirty makes it look like you been off road. :D I love the 8 I just dont love the hold it has on me.

mjd

I have an 8 and I actually have a test drive of a Z scheduled for this week. I'm really disappointed by the lack of torque and want to feel the punch the Z has off the line. I wouldn't mind having a Z, but I do like the looks of the 8 better. There's almost no chance of me actually buying the Z right now, but as long as they'll let my try one, why not??

markd

Yeah, I don't like the look of the Z at all. The G35c is definitely the better looking of the two. If I could have gotten any other car and economical reasons (i.e., gas mileage, insurance costs, etc.) weren't a consideration, I would have gotten the G35. 280hp--oh la la! Don't get me wrong, I still like my 8. Performance limitations aside (esp. since I have an auto), I love that people are always staring at my car! :p

Marko

I've driven the 350Z and RX8.
The 350Z is rougher riding and noisier. It also had a loose rattle noise coming from the rear of the interior. The exhaust (like the G35 Coupe) can be a little annoying if you prefer refined performance. The shifter is notchy and vibrates constantly.
On the other hand, the RX8 handles better. Has better steering feel, and smoother engine performance. The shifter and clutch act better as a team. The seats are much better too. Overall, I would rather drive the RX8.

r2s2

An associate of mine has a G35 coupe. I was surprised by the little interior rattles and creaks.