Ado200sx

Having owned a 200SX for a number of years I had to part with it earlier this year.

The car was my first dip into performance coupes and even before it had been tuned put the biggest smile on my face every time I drove it.

I am just about to swap my company car and am resonably free to choose what I get (within a budget)

I am stuck between 2 and having been a member of the 200SX club for about 4 years I hope you guys will help me out

So here goes first which one

RX8 or 350

Second What problems have you had with the RX8

I guess the answer to one won't be a suprise but am very interested in the answers to 2 as well

Cheers
Adam

Easy_E1

iTrader: (2)

just depends on what you like. We all like the RX-8. Ive heard that the Z does not corner as well as th 8. It (Z) feels more heavy while driving. I would not trade my RX-8 for a 350Z.
The Z has room for 2 people ,,the 8 has room for 4 people. As far as problems ,,the Z I do not know. ,the RX-8 ,nothing that Mazda has not fixed. Warranty Mazda now has a 5yr 60,000 mile drivetrain.
Why are you considering the RX-8 when you seem to be a Nissan fan?
Insurance is a lot less on a four door 1.3L I pay $125 per month full coverage.

Ado200sx

I work in the Auto Industry and know that all cars have problems which tend not to get headline news at the dealers

So it's best to ask the experts and that's you guys who drive these cars every day

The reason I am asking about the RX8 is that I think the design and looks of the car are excellent, the fact it's got 4 doors / seats (keeps the wife and Kids happy)

Where I am concerned is with the engine size, is that 1.3 lump man enough for the job, is the oil consumption really that excessive (I will be doing motorway miles daily and won't be driving it gently)

How does the engine stand up after a couple of years and 30-40,000 miles

If I'm honest the RX8 is at the front on the practicality and cost, but I don't know about reliability, after owning the 200SX it never failed to start and nothing ever broke so I have some knowledge on that front with Nissan.

I will be buying in to a 4 year deal on this car so thought it best to do my homework

Cheers
Adam

expo1

The reason I got mine.
Plenty of power unless your into racing Mustangs at steet lights. 1 qt about every 3,000-4,000 miles. I don't think that's too much.
Mine is still running strong with 72,000
Mine has started every time since 2/2004.

Ado200sx

Thanks, Thats the kind of feedback I am after
Adam

captain mercury

my car's at 34,000 now without problems. granted, i got it at 26k but so far the only engine problem was a flood that i caused by not letting my car warm before shutting off. so i blame myself for that one since i knew better. like expo said, the oil consumtion isnt a big deal. ive added maybe 4 quarts of oil in my 8k, but even that doesnt seem too extreme to make it a problem.

dtorre

Change your oil every 3K miles and you shouldn't ever have to add more. You look to be getting a new RX8 which means upgraded starter and battery which in turn means probally no flooding....You shouldn't have any engine problems with a manual and I have put over 30K miles on two 8's in the past year and no major problems except a faulty clutch and flywheel

BlueSky

My advice is go for a test drive with both cars. The RX-8 and 350z are cars with totally different personalities. Make sure to factor in all aspects of your driving situation, i.e, mileage, gas expense, road conditions, etc.

RotorChase

well, the main thing i hear about the 350 thats an issue is allignment, apparantly they eat up tires. both get similar gas mileage. my mother has an 05 g35 coupe, which is close to the same thing just 350 has shorter frame, and slightly less aggressive susp. and i honestly hate driving it, yeah its got power, but i feel every bump in the road, and have to take any entrance to parking, exits, etc, at like 2 miles an hour cutting diagnally as far as i can to keep it from scraping. granted this is my 2 cents. but ive had my 8 for about a month now and couldnt be happier.

BlueSky

^^^Strange. I've driven both my cousin's G35c (auto) and I find my RX-8 has a much more bumpy (stiff) ride. His car is definitely lower to the ground though.

TDG

I was in the same boat trying to decide to between those cars... I chose the 8 and have been so happy with my decision. The fact that the 8 is more practiacal is great. But as you'll see when you test drive both. The 8 is just more FUN to drive. Something about it just FEELS RIGHT.

I'm sure you will be a regular member of these forums soon. :-)

RotorChase

well one thing that i attribute it to is the fact she has the 18s with some very low profiles, but still our's are 18's i dunno i can tell a huge diff. but to each their own.

Ado200sx

Thanks for the responses so far, I have a back to back extended test drive in abot 10 days so it should help me make up my mind

Adam

BlueSky

Yeah I don't think he has the 18 inch wheels.