Vasichko

iTrader: (1)

Its up to you and if you can handle the maintenance and the cost of fuel.

Seeing as you are young and will very well go off to college income may be an issue in the future to pay for the car.

It is a fun car, but since Ive been through the "in college and broke" days I wouldnt recommend it, but that is up to you.

Have you looked at a used RSX or Civic Si?

oakleyfool007

When considering a used rsx or civic si those both are more expensive then a used rx-8. I have a job so paying for gas wont be terrible bc I wont be putting that many miles on the car. I'm going to try to get my dad to take me to the used rx-8 tht I found and test drive it. Maybe after that he'll see how nice of a car it is then i can show him all the safety information that you guys have so nicely provided

oakleyfool007

so i went with my dad to see an rx-8 adn we went for a test drive. He wouldnt let me drive because it was a M/T even thoguh I know how Ive never actaully drvien a car with it so he did. Now the problem isnt safety its more of him saying that M/T for a first car is not a good idea. I tell him that with an auto I can talk on teh phone and eat (even though i wouldnt) yet it still seems like a bad idea to him. Any other ways to convince him that the M/T is a safe and viable option??

RebelYJ

I can talk on the phone and eat while driving a stick, so that shouldn't matter either way...I think your best bet is just show that you are responsible and mature enough to handle that kind of responsibility...

And it may not sound like the greatest advice, but sometimes ya gotta do what your parents say...

YaXMaNGTO

Good lord. Just buy a cheap used damned pickup truck. You're not ready for ANY sports car, and your Dad has far more sense than you do if he doesn't let you get one. I hope he reads this.

And go pick up your room or I'll take your phone away... so you can't text while driving.

Telexen

I think the RX8 is a bad car to learn to drive a MT on. Get a beater for that. Once you've got it down, then go to an MT RX8.

I don't blame you for not wanting the AT 8, but I think the risk of flooding when you stall it over and over (because EVERYONE does) is too high.

Soapflake

Low center of gravity, very solid frame, I think I counted 8 airbags total, it has great brakes and DSC standard on all but base model. A fun car, but a safe one.

*nixUsr

They don't know something that you do know.

You would be more distracted with a MT rather than an AT.

636

Threaten to kill yourself if you dont get it LOL. Please dont take my advice

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

the rx8 is a terrible car to learn to drive manual on. honestly. the friction point is about .2" long, and you need to hit that spot perfectly for a good shift. also, when shifting with this car, you dont put the clutch all the way to the floor. i think for me its about 1/2-2/3s of the way to the floor.

best cars to learn on that i've drivien. 06 corolla or a late 80s bmw 3 series. both have friction points about 3" long, so they are really easy to hit for perfect shifts.

that said, the best way to learn to drive manual is to get a car and start driving. MT keep you more focused on the road imo. the rx8 as a first time car with a MT might be a bad idea, but a first time car with a MT is not. generations of people learned to drive on manuals. in europe, 80% of the cars are manuals. and on a whole, european drivers are far more skilled drivers than american drivers. not even a comparison.

AstronomerB

My first car was a Mint Condition 1993 LeBaron GTC Aqua Color
bought it 2001 while in college! haha

Ugliest car around!

But in retrospect, Im glad I had that after school with 7 people all cramped in it with booze in the trunk going to a house party listening to music loud as hell and my friends screaming for me to peel the tires!!

RX-8 Safety wise is awesome. I cant believe how fast I can slow from 170 to 100km/hr in a jiffy, it corners amazingly, and I can see everything out of the windows!

As a first car? Its def. the more cooler car to have.
But if your going to stack it with ur buddies u better consider seat covers, and consider all the cheap interior plastics to get busted up.

But then again, your buying it as a first car, you should expect nothing left of it when your done with it, or you cannot consider it your "first car" hehehehe

I know I drove my car into the ground! I'd expect you to do the same!

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

I guess it might be better to listen to your dad.

we'all been thru ur age and we all know what u're thinking... the "bling" matters.

but I think ur parents care about ur safety more than anything else.

get some beater.

wassup_nuthin

I agree with most of you guys on here but also disagree in part too. *that make sense?* I think it would be a fine car to learn how to drive a mt in, very easy to drive, just need to figure on getting a new clutch or tranny maybe later on down the road. *which would be with any first time mt driver* Second you cant just sterotype this kid as a partier and disrespectful to his *first car* He may be mature enough to take care of it and not beat it up. I know my first car was a brand new 03 hyundai tiburon gt 6 spd, i bought when i just turned 18, it was my first car but i treated it like a baby, also i had never driven a mt b4 and i did fine w/ that. anyways enough about my history, I think if you can get your parents to get it for you go for it. its safe, gets ok gas mileage, easy to drive, a little bit of get up and go but not too much, insurance should be fairly cheap since its considered a 4 door 4cyl, oh and now they have the new 8 100k warrenty

Rhawb

...Wat?

I think having a stick as a first car forces you to pay attention to what you're doing on the road - I know that's what it did for me. I drove an automatic for a few years as my second car and I found that driving an automatic encouraged lots of bad driving habits. Personally, I noticed myself pulling up too close to other drivers and I had a much greater tendency to just relax and drop my guard a bit as I was driving, which is very bad. It's just too easy to lose your focus, especially as a new driver. It's boring, there's nothing to learn, nothing to do that will keep your mind focused on the road.

Now, maybe he thinks MT in a car like an 8 is a bad idea - That's just a personal concern. Myself, I think forcing your kid to drive stick right off the bat is one of the biggest favors you can do for their safety. Though, everyone has their opinion on the subject. Try talking it out and seeing what his concerns are.

oakleyfool007

thanks a lot guys I understand why some of you say why my dad is right. I guess I will try to talk to him about the M/T more and well see. I'm going to a private seller this week so maybe he'll let me drive and if I do well at it then he might consider it

cody6766

as an auto owner, coming from a MUCH faster previous car, I can say it's not that bad. I haven't driven an M6, but my modded GTP that I had before my 8 was in a totally different league from any 8 as far as power is concerned (well...with a few exceptions). Anyway, the MT is quick enough to get you places but not fast enough to really encourage street racing. It would suck to lose almost every time, so why do it? :P

I think, for a responsible kid, the 8 wouldn't be a bad car at all. They're fun, look great, safe and slow. The only real concern is a kid playing and spinning it into a curb or feeling his oats on the highway when the car hits that magic little comfort groove at 80mph. I did find that I was MUCH more likely to speed in this vs. my GTP. I didn't start fast, but the car seems to slowly creep up to fast if you're not watching closely.

For most kids, the 8 would be a terrible option. I think, had I had one at 16, I would have been fine. I played some and did some stupid things (almost all kids do, you will) in my 94 Cougar, but I was smart about it. if you're responsible and keep your mind in the right spot then you'd probably be in good hands.

Oh, if you want suggestions for another good first car (assuming your parents stick to the no 8 policy) you should look in to GM's w-body line. My 99 GTP served me very well for 165k. They're reliable, comfortable, big, have great power in the supercharged models and very safe. I've seen several wrecks that should have been very bad that came out just fine. I've had 3 people close to me walk away from 3 different wbody wrecks with a little bruising and aches from being jarred around and a totaled car. One was a head on, 50mph hit. One got rear-ended by a truck. She was stopped, he hit her at about 60'ish. The other was at about 40mph. My little brother took it in the driver's side quarter when a 70's van ran a light.

anyway...I went too far OT. Good luck with the 8. I hope your parents are a good judge of your responsibility and reward you accordingly if you deserve it.

Outkast187

I would recomend a 30+mph civic honestly.......

Rootski

iTrader: (1)

With all the dumb **** I did with/to my first car, I'm glad it wasn't my 8.

To be named later

If after you make your best case for the 8, but, your parents get their way and go with another car.....make sure you have a plan B......Negotiate with them.....get them to agree that if you get some plain Jane car.....if after one year there are no accidents, you keep a certain GPA, etc, that they let you trade the plain Jane in for an RX8.

And set that bar low.......if you are a 3.5 GPA student, agree to something that you will easily nail, like a 3.0.

Socket7

A beater is less likely to get you killed, but technologically the 8 is safer.

I spent the first 6..7 years of my driving years in an automatic 93 Honda accord, and the thing was ******* awesome. Carried me all the way from the east coast to the west coast.

Soapflake

I kind of agree there. My sister hasn't had her first car for a year and shes already hit two deer and got in an accident trying not to hit the third.