Just got my automatic RX8!
 

I've read all the comments about the automatic being less power, but honestly, the ride was extremely exhilirhating. There isn't much power in the beginning, but once you get going, the car starts to shoot in acceleration. The car felt light and very solid. The ride was pretty smooth and the engine was pretty quiet to me.

By the way, I should state that the car I bought was a Silver 4 speed AT with GT options.

Back to the ride. I am totally impressed with the steering and the ease of the controls for the stereo and paddle shifters. It was a blast driving the Activematic stick, but I didn't stay too long on it until I break it in. Although the owner's manual says that there is no special break-in necessary, it still states that to improve engine effeciency and performance, try not to go past 7 RPM in the first 1000 miles.

One thing I noticed about the car was that the immobilizer light kept blinking once the engine is off. The symbol of a car with a key in the middle kept flashing. I was wondering if this is normal. I tried looking for something about it in the manual, but I couldn't find anything. If anyone can enlighten, I would greatly appreciate it.

Overall, I love the car. I don't think I could've made a better choice. To everyone who bought an automatic, I promise, you will not be dissapointed.

Here is the pix.

Hey, the car looks great and you dressed to match! Big Congrats.

Congratulations on getting your car. I've seen the silver car in person, and it looks better than the pictures. Those of us getting automatics have taken a lot of crap from the 6-speeders, but I knew that Mazda would not put out a car like the RX-8 if it did not have good performance.:)

The imobilizer light is your Alarm. It will blink showing that the alarm is engaged.

-Rooster

I do not mean to be rude, but why would someone buy an AUTO?

I learned to drive a manual in one day and I am sure anyone else could.

Once you learn and drive a manual you will never want to go back to auto.

well the question here isn't really why would somone want to buy an auto as the answer to that question would simply be convenience...with most cars, the automatic isn't usually much slower than the manual version and usually has the same engine specifications...besides convenience some people just really don't care to drive stick or don't know how which is fair, if you're really not into the performance aspect than you're not, it's their choice...

what gets me about the automatic version of the RX-8 is the huge loss in performance...while with most cars an automatic is purely a loss of a few tenths of a second, of course depending on the driver in the manual, with the RX-8 you're losinng a few seconds...i guess the thousand dollar difference in price between the auto and stick version plays a big role as well...but in the end it comes down to user preference...IMHO, i probably would have gotten auto if the engine didn't take such a heavy hit.

I know every new member has to always bring this up but this just gets old after awhile. Can't we have a pre-canned sticky response to this question. :cool: Unfortunately, no one thinks the same or does the same, there are a number of different perspectives out there in the world and they all don't coincide with yours.

(for the record: I'm getting a manual) ;)

Mazda did. What are the auto specs again? High 7's-low 8's and high 15's for the 1/4? That's not good acceleration performance imo.. :(

I don't want to be rude, but Who cares.....

If you want to buy a manual, buy a manual...

If you want an automatic, buy an automatic.....

Try not to critique someone's choice of vehicle or how they configured it. It is a personal choice.

Some people just don't want to learn, can't learn, do not have the physical ability to drive a stick (my wife has a brace on one of her legs which prevents her from driving anything other than an automatic).

Also, while you might know how to drive a stick, someone in the family might not.

Don't worry and be happy :)

Sorry for pouncing on you. I've just seen to many of these emails.

Regards,

Rooster

I use to live in Colorado with a lot of mountain roads with very little traffic. Plus you could see far ahead on the road. That was a lot of fun with my RX-7's. And a stick was the thing to have.

But now living in the Midwest, an automatic is just nice, especially in a lot of city traffic. The country roads here are narrow with a lot of trees hanging over. They are not exactly the safe roads to enjoy a stick on. I am still considering an automatic for an RX-8. I admit that it does sound weird... a sports car with an automatic. I must be getting old.

Almost every time a person has tried to post an automatic review or ask an automatic question here, some dumbass feels it's time to set automatic owners straight. Save it.

Anyway... so, Stownz, give us more detail!
How was the shifting? Did it throw you back in the seat?
How're the paddles?

That's funny you said that because when preludes came with automatic transmissions, they were nothing faster than RX8 plus their prices were like $27,000 for automatic version. And it even had less torque and HP, FWD, rear seats were too small, not good in styling as RX8, etc.

stownz, congrats on the RX8. RX8 is a good car with any transmission.

I just read the AutoWeek review...

http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2232.shtml

They stated, "The Standard Power rotary delivers 210 horsepower and 164 pound feet of torque, channeled through a four speed automatic with a steering wheel paddle shift manual mode called Activematic."

How does the "Activematic" work?

Yes, I do think that an automatic would be just as fun. It is a good choice.

Huh, because it fits their needs and its their money ?

well first, i can answer incoming phone calls much more easily with the auto and i like to eat on the go! i'm low tech, haven't gone hands-free and you can't make me, until they plan to change the law! :p
yes the manual is better i agree, but it just doesn't give me enough flexibility! I drive in the city mostly, don't think i'll ever be able to use those 207 horses anyway, chose the car plainly for itz innovative design and rotary engine!

Thank you liquidlam....I just asked a question and you answered.

I do not know why everyone gets offended and cries about a simple question.

Can someone explain how activematic works with the steering wheel buttons like which is to gear up,shift down etc.Do you push 2 buttons to shift or 1.I seen the set up and it looks like there 2 up buttons and 2 down buttons.Info would be great and i really dont know why people care what we get.This is getting so dumb.YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN MY SALESMAN FACE WHEN ASKED FOR AUTO.

The salesman just wanted more money :p

The steering wheel does have two up and two down shift paddles. Up paddle shifts up and down paddle shifts down.

It's catering to both "lefties" and "righties".

-Rooster

Actually I think it's more like the bottom paddles shift up and top paddles shift down. That's at least what it says on them.

http://images.auction123.com/A123IH/...bimage001l.jpg

Thank, i wasnt too sure.I like the fact that its one not two.Someone told me me you had to push 2 buttons at the same time but i didnt think that was the case.Thanks for the reply.By the way 210 hp is nothing to sneeze at.I havent driven a car with more than 150 hp so it will have plenty of power.Remember you can still manually shift,that is how i will be driving,its kind of the best of both worlds.Its your money,buy what you want.

Yeah, I noticed that the Automatic car also has the "Up/Down" thing on the gear selector. Is that the activematix thing-a-majig (thats the official name I believe) that you guys are talking about?

I've always driven an Automatic, older ones... so the idea of an Automatic that allows you to shift up and down both intrigues and puzzles me. Can anyone explain how this works?

I knew it was one of those :p

-Rooster

In a nut shell, it is an automatic, or a manual without a clutch. They make a sportshift transmission on the mazda 6 that is a blast to drive. Great choice for those of us that have bumper to bumper traffic for 80% of your driving. Some lines of vehicles (toyota spyder comes to mind) only offer this type of transmission now.

Its an automatic that lets you select what gear to be in. Not a cluctchless manual like BMW's SMG or Toyota's. Those use a computer controlled clutch, the mazda RX8 uses a torque converter.

Actually, the Mazda6 sportshift *is* an automatic transmission (with torque converter and all) - it simply allows you to shift up and down at will.

The toyota mr2 spyder is a true manual, but without a clutch pedal.

Aren't there TWO models of the MR2? 6 speed SMT and 5 speed MT.

Toyota goes a step beyond and actually has a clutch that is hydralically engaged/disengaged is it's manual that has an auto clutch. So there's no torque converter to suck away power. the bmw M3 has this as will volkswagon soon to. This will pretty much be the end of manual except on very low end cars like an srt-4...

Wow, I was just gone for a day. I didn't expect this many replies on the thread. First of all, thanks everyone for backing me up on the purchase of the automatic. I figured I'd get a few of those people that would criticize us about purchasing an automatic.

Anyhow, I was able to drive the car to work today which is about 30 miles one way. I have to admit, the car seems to get better and better after adding a few more miles. I start to notice the smooth engine acceleration and the suspension when going over speed bumps.

As far as the Active matic goes, first in order for it to work, you have to pull the stick to the left in order to start it. IMO, this thing is a work of art. Okay, for example, if you are going 35 mph and you pull the lever, you will start at D3. If you are at a stop and you pull the lever, you will start at D1. This is cool, because I know in the Lexus, you always start at D3 and you have to shift down if you start from a stop position. Already, this is a plus.

Now, once you pull the stick to the left and start up the manual shifting, you have a choice of using the Stick, or the Steering paddles. There are two of each, one for the lefties, and the other for the righties. At first I kept using the Stick because I wanted to feel like I was driving a manual, but once I switched to the steering wheel, it was over. It is fun as hell using the paddles. I swear, this is the best automatic car I have ever driven. I may not have driven many cars, but I have driven an SLK and a BMW 328, but they don't compare to the RX8 automatic.

You've got 4 speeds to switch into. D1 of course is the lowest gear, and D4 is the highest gear in which you will be at the fastest speed. Each time you shift the gear, there is no need to let go of the accelerator although I feel that there is more of a kick when you do let go and puch the gas after you just shifted. There is a big difference in power between using the full automatic mode and the activematic shifter. You can actually feel the power like crazy. Like I said, all the automatic buyers will have no regrets whatsoever.

My personal opinion, I would've loved to have gotten the manual just for the extra power, but now that I've driven the automatic, I'm glad I made this decision. I guess you can say I have the best of both worlds. When I feel like cruising, listening to the boomin' sounds through my Bose Speakers with the moonroof down, I just drive with full automatic mode. When I feel the urge to rip through the road, I go into paddle shifters. Mazda RX8 baby! Gotta love it!

To drive places.

Whooopie!! Don't be so sure, some don't even have the ability.

Quote:

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Once you learn and drive a manual you will never want to go back to auto.

---

You know him that well do you? And I guess that means all the people that drive Auto's must not know how to drive stick then. If they did they "would never go back". Where is the "DUH" face?

stownz, tell us more about AT. Does it push u in the seat? Do the wheel paddles shift fast? Which car would you compare 0-60 and 1/4 mile of the RX8 to?

P.S. Don't forget to post more pics. Interior and exterior. :D

yeah, please post some 0-60 times, very interested!

Slowly in this car (RX8)

Do you know them all that well? Do ya?


I do not know him....This car is almost a sports car so if you know how to drive a stick ,I do not (I hope) think you will/would buy an automatic. If you own a slow car yeah maybe you would buy an automatic.

Isn't the low end performance basically the same as a 6pd? I thought its basically the same engine but instead of allowing 9k rpm, it only alows 7rpm. If this is true, there shouldn't be a huge ammount of difference unless your just straight drag racing.

But anyways, I drive a 5 speed Protege and I dont ever want automatic again. I just love it too much.

The auto is actually pretty fun -- have tested both now. The 6MT is definitely more powerful and more fun to push. I was suprised by the AT. Low RPM's is like driving any car off the lot but get the revs up and it will push you back. The key is learning how to use the paddle shifters at the right time and keeping the revs up over 4k. From 5k to 7k it is a blast and feels powerful. From 1k to 5k it feels like a base Mazda 6 AT -- but it still looks cool :cool:

How does AT compare to MT at low RPMs? Are they the same down there?

Also, never having driven a rotary, how often does one go past 7k anyway?

Stownz, I saw some answers to your and others' questions in Mazda's comprehensive RX-8 book (that I had to buy via eBay because most Canadian pre-orderers didn't receive their book yet).

First, the difference in 0-60 MPH acceleration is significant (Table on p. 50). The 0-60 time for the High Power (247 bhp) 6MT is shown as 6.6 sec (a bit longer than the 5.9 sec reported in Car & Driver magazine). The automatic transmission, with 207 bhp, is listed as a slow 9.5 sec from 0-60 MPH.

In the section on the "Active-matic" transmission (p. 64), it says that the engine ECU (electronic control unit) is interfaced with the transmission computer, so that the ECU "momentarily reduces engine torque to effect smooth upshifts". That would mean you don't have to let up on the gas to shift, the car does it for you. But go ahead and let-up/punch the gas if it feels good!

In the same section of the book, the automatic transmission is said to have "hill-sensing logic control in the automatic mode" so that upshifting is inhibited "when the system judges that a higher gear would not have sufficient torque for climbing the hill". It also downshifts when it detects a downhill, to "prevent excessive speed buildup". Thoughtful, eh?

Did your car come with DSC (Dynamic stability control) and LSD (limited slip differential)? I couldn't get those as options on the 4AT GS model in Canada, which I am anticipating delivery from the dealer on Monday.

Best of luck, happy driving, and be safe.

P.S. Yes, the automatic will be fast enough for me. I selected the RX-8 AT for the style, handling, unique rotary engine & unusual 4-door system, not to street-race with 350Z's or G-35's. And though I have never felt "customer loyalty" to any company, my experience with the Mazda 323 and Protege 5 have made the Mazda brand important to me.

Haha.. And where did I say that the automatic Preludes were fast? :confused: I don't even think my 5spd Prelude is "fast". Why do you feel the need to belittle my current car to bring the 8 up? Grow up.

I was merely responding to his statement that just because this is an Rx-8 it automatically, pun intended :) , has "good performance". While "good performance" is a subjective statement, I don't think the auto acceleration numbers which have been quoted anywhere from high 7's to mid 9's :eek: are low enough for "good performance" shrug.

Btw, mr. Haris I'm getting my 8 next spring.. imagine that. If I can survive until then with my slow, ugly, cramped Prelude.. rolleyes

No, I was just saying that there are other cars that cost more, and are in same class as RX8, but still they might be slower or same. If RX8 AT hits 0-60 in mid 7s then it's pretty good imo. Average car on the road is waay slower than that.

But the RX-8 is NOT an average car, that's my point. It has been billed by Mazda as a sports car... mid 7's is ok but not sports car territory. I think every car that's in the same class/mission as the rx-8 can at least equal that if not beat that. G35C, sedan, WRX.. I'm not exactly sure which other cars would be in the same "class" since the 8 is positioned rather uniquely..

G35c and sedan do beat auto RX8, but no wonder both of those cars is actually over $30,000. Don't forget automatic RX8 is at $25,700. Automatic WRX is somewhere in 7s for 0-60 and it probably costs around if not a bit more than RX8 AT. Manual WRX is about $24,000.

The MT feels very different to me even at lower RPM's -- but the RX doesn't stay at low RPM's for very long :D This version of the AT will never compare with the 6MT.

Going to 7 in the AT is fun and your their before you know it. Going over 7 in the MT is very very frequent and very very FUN.

Again this is my personal opinion. If you are into speed and the thrill of getting thrown back to the seat when accelrating, then by all means, get the 6 MT RX8. As for me, I'm not much into racing or pushing the car to its potential on the freeway with traffic. My commute is 25 miles one way with traffic so as you can see, getting the 6 speed is more cumbersome. The automatic in this case serves the purpose well.

It is true the automatic may not push you to the back of your seat, but once you're going 40, and you push to 80, you will feel the force. Honestly, the lack in speed is more than made up for with the styling of the car, smoothness of acceleration, handling, and overall fun of driving this baby. Did I mention that this car turns a lot of heads?

As far as testing the 0-60, I haven't really pushed this car to its limits yet. I'm waiting for the break in.

Has anyone taken their RX-8 with A/T to the redline? I'm curious if you can rev beyond 7500 rpm, or is there a fuel cutout or rev limiter? Also, what happens when you are in the manual mode at the redline and don't shift?

i don't think there is an automatic transmission available, pratically and economically speaking, that can handle 9k rpms.

You can't rev it past 7.5k unless you disable the fuel cutoff. Although I have not driven an auto in manual mode, I imagined it will behave the same way at redline as a manual tranny. Once it reach the fuel cutoff, the PCM will stop the injectors and rpm will drop.


On a side note, I don't know why some people feels the need to belittle other's decisions just because it's different from their own.

Stownz, one thing I didn't notice in the RX-8 development book (see my earlier post in this thread) was whether the AT downshifts automatically when you floor it. I imagine it would, since other cars have had this feature for years.

One more pounce on the "I don't mean to be rude"....but I have to say I did the test drive on both and I loved the MT however, I had a "stick" car for 10 years and let me tell you the novelty wears off when u're stuck in traffic for 1 hour each way on your commute to/from work. When u live in a big city w/ traffic, it sucks. And I do agree that there is a difference in the performance but I gotta be honest, I love the car for the car,. I'm not planning on racing, this is my baby. I chose the AT for many reasons and I wouldn't knock any one for their decision. Either way the car is bada**