91GSXAWD

Hey, I own a 1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX that is my weekend toy. I really love the look of the 8 but there is no way I could afford one on a student's income, or lack thereof I guess. Instead, my question is in regards to my mom.

My parents have been divorced for about a year and half now and while my dad has remarried, built a new house, moved out of state, etc., my mom is still living the same life she has been for the last 20 years. She has just changed jobs from retail, Hobby Lobby, to working at an Orthopedic Sports Medecine Clinic. I would really like her to get something new and fun to celebrate her being single and successful on her own. She has been driving a 2000 Chevy Blazer with the Trailblazer package (heated seats, Bose stereo, leather, sunroof) and isn't really looking to downgrade a whole lot. She thought about looking at the Mini Convertible, but an 8 is so much cooler.

Do you think she would have fun with an 8, an automatic of course. Are the automatics fun, seeing as how I would be driving this as well from time to time? What persuasive facts can I use to convince her to buy one?

Thanks for the tips in advance and if no one replies, Ill try to make my next post less stupid. Thanks

Mugatu

iTrader: (1)

do a search.

bmcc49er

Hard to say what someone would enjoy but I would teach her to drive a stick and get a 6 speed 8. She would be in love by my estimation and if she is looking to date again, the guys would definitely notice her in that car alot quicker then a mini. If you have never driving a stick it takes no time for most people to learn especially with modern cars, unless of course you are in a heavy traffic area and just don't feel like dealing with it. This is an opinion only but if fun factor is important I vote the 8. Or you can do a search as the helpful one pointed out above

hotpot

Yes.

Wankeler

LOL, don't worry about stupid posts... there are plenty abound. Your question seems legitimate.

First off, it sounds like you want some ammo to CONVINCE your mom to get this car. :D
And you're right... the 8 is soooooooo much cooler. (unless you plan on driving through the hallways of hotels, then the MINI would be a better choice)

I'm not sure she'd be too happy going from an SUV/Truck to a smaller vehicle. Although a MINI is a stark contrast compared to a Blazer. Just out of curiosity, and I don't mean to offend... how's your mom's health... I mean as far as her leg/knee joints, lower back, weight.... the reason I ask is that I have a friend who is about 30 pounds overweight and has bad knees. Everytime he gets in and out of my car, he's gotta grunt and always lets me know how "damn low" my car is compared to his full sized land yacht (2004 Town Car).

As far as automatics go... I can't say, I only took a test drive with an auto cause the manual trans equipped demo was being tested by another potential buyer. I'm not bashing the automatic equipped 8, but if the 8 was only available with an auto, I'd own a different car right now.

Best of luck to your mom on being "single again", been there done that... I know how tough things can get at times. Just don't rush her cause YOU want to drive an 8.

91GSXAWD

thanks for the info, especially the always helpful USE THE SEARCH
-her health is decent for a woman of 45, no knee or weight problems, some back trouble so that could be an issue
-She used to know how to drive a stick, i just see her as wanting an automatic more
-I wouldn't make her buy a car for my own reasons, im content with the GSX for now and I'm only home once every 2 months
-the whole dating again aspect may work, i always have told her to look at the guy's car first before she says yes to a date

czr

iTrader: (3)

Going from a Blazer to the 8 is like night and day. The 8 is a fun car and would definately recommend it over the Cooper. My dad had the Cooper S and I thought it was slow and plasticky but its a bimmer. It handles great and drives like a go cart though but the downside is in an accident, it will crumple like one.

I had a 92 TSI AWD until it died... but loved that car.

Wankeler

LMAO!

"I don't think I was being rude."
"Oh, then you must be from New York City." :D

Sorry Mugatu, just had to.
P.S. I lived in NY most of my life, Manhatten mostly, Queens, Rockland County and Nassau County.

spork

Here's some of my quick thoughts
1) It corners incredibly well. You'll take turns way faster than you're supposed to just because it feels so stable (and fun).
2) Low RPM acceleration is just good. It's not great. So if you're looking to rocket from a stand still up, you might be disappointed. Definitely test drive it and determine if the stand still acceleration is good enough for you.
3) Higher RPM acceleration is very good.
4) Gas mileage is shaky. You might get lucky and get one that hits the 18/24 listed. Yours might be slightly better. Or on the other hand you might get one that's more like 13/20.
5) Suicide doors are a lot of fun but they can be hard to manage if you're parked in a narrow area. That means in a 2 car garage with another car there or in a parking spot surrounded by cars. Because for optimal usage you need to open two doors all the way out. Sneaking into the back seat is a bit trickier when you don't have the room to swing the doors out.
6) Trunk space is pretty darn huge - but the trunk opening... is not. There's plenty of stuff you can put in the trunk but you can't really since you can't get it INTO the trunk. It's not really a problem though thanks to.... the back seat. That's where I put the bigger stuff.
7) I dunno how the automatic is to drive but... damn is the manual fun to drive. Oh and I have to disagree with the "it takes no time to learn manual". From what I hear if you learned once, it's pretty much ingrained into you now. But from scratch... it's definitely not "no time".

bmcc49er

No time meaning relatively short time. If you can't learn in a week i would agree, you should stick with an automatic.

StewC625

She needs to spend some serious time with the car. This car is definitely NOT for everyone and someone coming out of a sport ute may not want it. Be respectful of your mom's needs and don't talk her into it because you want it.

Consider a luxury sports sedan instead - perhaps an Acura TL or TSX, or BMW 3 or MB C-class.

spork

eh... what do you mean by "learn"? You can learn how to drive stick in about 5 minutes, but it'll take a lot longer than that to be good enough at stick to drive it in most common driving conditions. I've taught people to drive stick (even though I'm a beginner myself) and they could do it very soon after, but they all said that they probably couldn't handle driving it in real driving situations (vs a parking lot).

Most people I know that drive stick say it'll probably be about 2-3 months before you get very confident in your manual transmission abilities. I just started driving stick not too long ago and this from my experience. I "practiced" like 3-4 days outta the week for like an hour a day. I spent about 1.5 weeks driving in my neighborhood later at night so next to no one was around (very jerky, common stalls). I spent the 1.5 weeks driving in the area around my neighborhood late at night (jerky, occassional stalls). Then after that I would drive around in familiar places in the city for a week like to a distance of 10 miles (random jerikness, rare stalls). Now I started driving where ever as long as I knew the area (shifts are still a bit jerky but stalling is very very rare). I avoid stop and go traffic though, steep hills, and painful parking situations.

It's frustrating to learn, but manual is just much more fun than automatic.

phee

Tell your mom this:
from one "seasoned" lady to another, an RX-8 will be the most fun you've probably ever had driving.

As far as the change from going from an SUV to an RX-8, I went from a Honda Accord to the 8, and made alot of attempts to talk myself out of it. I kept thinking it was too much money, or not practical, blah, blah, blah.

My husband said, "how long will you keep the new car you decide on?"
Me: "Probably 5 - 10 years".
Him: "And do you think you will feel more like driving something sporty then as opposed to now?"
Me: "No, probably not".
Three hours later, I was the proud owner of my 8. I still get giddy every time I drive it.

StewC625

That reminds me of my conversation with my wife:

Me: "Well, I oughta get the Acura TSX (we've driven nothing but Acuras and Hondas for 17 years - my last non-Honda car was my '85 RX-7) - price will be reasonable, fun car, etc. (I was coming off a 2001 Acura TL lease and the new TLs are a bit pricy for me)

Wife: Come on, you want that RX-8. I know your brand and dealer loyalty thing is hurting but you know you want it and you won't be happy unless you get it.

Me: Welll ...

Wife: Consider this: In 4 years, our son will be getting his driver's license. You're signing up for a 4 year lease. Do you think you will have a sports car then?

Me: Nope, no way - as the kids learn to drive, that will be 4 years of automotive purgatory in which I drive a sensible shoes car.

Wife: Right. Get the -8.

Me: I know. I think I'll get the RX-8.

Wife: [Rolls eyes]

phee

How ironic

I have a 12 year-old at home, too. She's already been told that she gets dad's 2000 Saturn on which to learn the how-to's of driving. She no toucha da mama's car, eh?

AQA101

All I have to say about this is that my mother and my grandmother were the two persons who supported my idea to get this car the most. They both love it, though they don't drive it.

Only question is: Does your mother want a "hot" car like this?

irish8

Here's three things Mom will like about the 8...

- It has back seats w/ back doors
- It has a 5 star rollover rating and 4 star F/B/S impact ratings
- It is slated to be one of the top cars for resale value

Good luck.
- Irish