Part 1 of my RX-8 review
 

I made it a point to stop by the Mazda dealer today and give the car a good going over. My fiance just got a nice raise and we may be trading in her Altima for something a little more sporty in the near furture.

They had 4 RX-8s on the lot, a nice charcoal one sitting right out front at the dealer so that was the first stop. Great color, it's my favorite color on the M6 and that certainly carries over to the RX-8. This particular car had the grand touring package with the brown and black leather interior, and it was the AT.

First impressions: It's a very pretty, somewhat muscular looking car, but there are just some things that really bug me about the appearance. The door lines are funky and will be tough to get used to, and the long midsection with the stubby front and rear was kind of iffy with me as well. I kept thinking if a Saturn (you know, the other car with the suicide doors))and a Tiburon had a child it would look something like an RX-8. Don't take this as an insult, I think the new Tibby is just about one of the best looking cars on the road.

The wheels just look to big for the car, but in a fun sort of way, and the ride height seemed a little funny as well, some lowering springs would certainly help a little. Headlights and taillights look great, as do the lines of the car for the most part, mid section excluded for me. One last thing that bugged me, I swear the car has some creepy smiley face thing going on in the frontend, take a look, I'm not crazy Time will tell when it comes to the looks of the RX-8 for me. It's neat right now because it's different, but I can think of several cars I felt the same way about when they came out that I don't like much anymore.

So after going over the exterior for a bit a salesman walks up to me, and I quote "did you bring your pilots license with you?". He deserved a smack for that one, but I let it slide :p After chatting for a bit we head inside to check out the Black 6MT in the showroom. It has the black cloth interior, very nice interior and with the minimalist type person I tend to be this would be my pick, the other are just a bit to flashy for me and remind me of a lot of the aftermarket leathers that cars get.

So I get in the car and try to adjust the steering and seat to how I like to be positioned in the cockpit and it's just not going to happen. My legs are hitting the steering wheel and it's as high as it will go. Keep in mind I like to drive in more of a bent knee position which probably comes from my years of racing karts. This postion works in the WRX but it isn't happening in the RX-8. The pedals I swear are in the exact same spots as my WRX, so no complaints there. The interior is very modern and attractive, but honestly that stuff really doesn't matter much to me. It still has cheap plastic parts here and there and I found the whole rotor theme kind of cheesey. I felt more cramped in the RX than my WRX and the head room seemed less as well, but perhaps more fine tuning and getting used to a new driving position would fix that. The backseat isn't bad either, more room than one would expect, but who gives a damn really.

I have an appointment to drive the car next week since they didn't have a 6MT to drive at the time 2 were wrapped in plastic and the other was in the showroom. I drove the AT for a bit, I was almost forced to... Not going to say much other than I hope you weren't expecting much in terms of performance if you got the AT.

I'll be test driving 4 cars right in a row next week so I'll post my feelings on the performance of the 6MT compared to the EVO, S2K, and 350Z.

Ike

the seats are height adjustable. did you try lowering the seat to get your legs off the wheel? it is not as tall as a wrx so of course the headrooom is a little less. remember to bring us part 2 when you get a chance. how did the fiance like it?

let us know how it compares to a stock WRX. I think the car looks great. The only thing I really do agree with you is the rotor theme. A bit overdone. YMMV.

Grrrr I asked the guy if the seats were height adjustable... I guess that's what I get for trusting a dealer.


Ike

Re: Part 1 of my RX-8 review
 

sigh - another hater

No. I won't be disappointed at all.

the horizontal handle on the side is the adjuster. pull it up repeatedly to pump the seat bottom up and push down repeatedly to pump it down.

Are the seats that way on all packages, at the time I was sitting in the a stripped down 6MT no packages. It did have the $140 emblem option on the back though, I laughed when I saw that one... Woooo $140 for a cheap piece fo chrome!

You can control the front tilt and rear tilt of the seat bottom. You can get it REALLY low if you adjust it right. (Like too low for me to see everything and I am 5'10")

The horizontal lever (corresponds to the bottom of the seat) can go forward, backward, front tilt up/front tilt down, rear tilt up/read tilt down. If you hold one of the tilts long enough, it does the other tilt (that is confusing -- but just hold the front tilt for a while and you'll see what I mean).

This is obviously on the electric drivers side seat only.

So you need the Grand Touring package and it's only a tilt not a height adjustment?

The manually-adjustable seats have a single height adjustment while the electric chairs apparently have separate front and rear height adjustments. However, the manual seats have a greater total range of height adjustment.

By the way, my girlfriend wasn't with me, I stopped at the dealer during the day while she was at work and I was pretending to work :p She liked the looks of the car from the brochures though.
I don't know if this will ever actually happen since she's not exactly unhappy with her Altima. Best case scenario is I get an Evo or an STI next year and she takes my WRX, don't think it's happening though :( Odds are I'll mod my WRX and she'll be happy driving her Altima for a bit longer.

I'll warn you guys now, theres a snowballs chance in hell I'm going to like the RX-8 more than the Evo or the STI, but I really don't see them as being competitors, I think they appeal to a very different person. Dare I say, the RX-8 is going to be more appealing to females, and I think Mazda is trying to appeal to more females in general with their car line. I don't think Mitsubishi or Subaru could care less how many females like the STI or Evo.

Ike

why is that an issue for you?

get a car if you like it, not if you think other people will or won't like it. Generally speaking, I think thats probably the bigger difference in demographic targets between Mazda and Mitsu/Subaru for these cars

I don't quite understand what you're talking about. Could you be a little more specific?

Thanks,
Ike

I think the two round knobs that control the HVAC fan speed and temp should also be rotor shaped.

3 spoke wheels in the shape of a rotor perhaps? Rotor shaped side and rear view mirrors... the posibilities are endless :p