basisguy

I have been visiting this site for quite some time (and finally registered) gathering info about the RX-8. After much research and several test drives of this car and two others (G35 coupe and 350Z) I finally broke down and got the 8 this past week! I love driving this car!!!! It was a tough choice between the 8 and the G35 but the fun factor of the 8 far out weighed the G35.

Thanks to all for the info which helped make my decision.

PS I knew so much regarding the 8 (because of this site) the dealer wanted to know if I needed a job selling cars

defboob

That's awesome, have fun with the new rx8. I'll be close to your situation soon, I'm in the process of saving for my down payment, buying then in either Nov/Dec. In the meantime I gather in as much information about these cars as I can, so when I go to the dealership with the intention to buy, I will wow them with my knowledge, just as you did.

chambo

congrats on the 8....I was in the same situation trying to decide between a g35 a 350z and my current love (my winning blue rx8).....could not be any happier with my choice as I am sure you will be!

Splarn

I'd be interested in hearing what factors helped you to make your decisions between the G35/350Z and RX-8. Was there something missing from the G35/350Z experience that the RX-8 possessed? What was the G35/350Z better at? What was the RX-8 better at? Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

snizzle

i'd be interested in this information as well, especially since i was looking at the 350Z before I puchased my 8..... ultimately, the insurance factor made the decision for me (i'm 22)

shelleys_man_06

Congratulations on your new RX-8.

Welcome to the cult.

SpinninAgain!

LOL

I got the same reaction when I whipped out all the TSB's that applied to my VIN# during the negotiation.

When I picked the car up I did the brake pedal test to make sure I had at least the "L" flash. The salesman and his boss were both watching and had no clue what I was doing, probably thought I was nuts. I pointed to the oil pressure gauge just before the needle swept over. You should've seen their faces when I told them to thank the service dept. for doing a complete job! :p

Love this place.

Enjoy the new ride. Drive carefully. DIY some oil cooler and AC condensor screens immediately. That could easily save you a couple of car payments worth of damage.

Rob Tomlin

First off, congrats!

Secondly, this is funny because I literally just got back from test driving a G35 two hours ago!

I too would be interested in hearing your specific opinions between the two cars.

In general, I agree with your statement regarding the "fun factor". I think the 8 is more fun to drive. The G35 is a very nice car, but I think of it as more "luxury" than "sport".

Here is a link to my driving impressions re the G35:

G35 Test Drive

RenoIV

1st Congrats and Welcome to the cult! :D :D

Rotaries are addictive....had the pleasure of being addicted since '88

2nd I see you're in NC ... A UNC fan by chance?
UVA will be crushing :p the Heels on Saturday

Overport

ha!! my dealer told me the same thing! congrats on your purchase dude and have fun. any mods planned?

basisguy

Have had a few interested as to what made me choose the 8 over the G35 and the 350Z......well here you go.

I have had the car fever bug ever since the first of the year and started doing some internet shopping to compare specs of various cars. I knew that i wanted something sporty and narrowed it down to these 3 cars. Eliminating the 350Z was easy. It was a blast to drive (ride was a little rough but fun), had lots of power and sounded great but it had no back seat. Being that I have a wife and 6 yr old daughter, I could not convince my wife to owning this car even though she liked the exterior looks of it.

The G35 was harder to eliminate........test drove it 3 times. I liked the way it looked (most of the time), loved the sound when you put your foot in the gas, and it had a really nice ride with decent handling but there was just something missing. As for liking the looks, sometimes, I would look at that car and think, " that car looks really awesome!" Then there were times I would see it and not be all that crazy about it. That feeling goes for the exterior and interior of the car. I even tried to talk myself into buying that car, because my wife liked it (she liked the luxury part of it), but I just felt that I would be making the wrong decision for the wrong reasons. In my opinion, the G35 is a luxury/classy car with some sport added to it (just enough "sport" to make for a few sleepless nights). To me, it was a car that we both could drive. Kind of like a family car with a peppy engine and two doors. I also want to make note that getting into that back is a little cumbersome. You have to wait for the front seat to slide up before your guest can get in and then wait for it to slide back into position before you can get in.

As for the 8, I fell in love with it when I saw it. It looks good from any angle Then I had to go and drive it......drove this one 3 times also but was hooked after my first ride. Driving this car reaffirmed what i was looking for in a car. This car is so much fun to drive. It almost feels as if it is reading your mind and is one step ahead of you on that next turn, shift, etc. Guess that is what Mazda calls the Zoom Zoom. As for the other features, I can take my whole family with me on a trip. I like the interior......love the seats and the 6 speed transmission. The handling is awesome and the whine of the rotary is addicting. I have not really got to play with the stereo.......who wants to listen to music when you have that engine to listen to!! The 8 is about 4K cheaper. Insurance is cheaper and I can rotate the tires if I want to. Plus it is pretty darn cool to see people breaking their necks to figure out what it is that I am driving

basisguy

Hey RenoIV

In NC but am not a heels fan. My blood is Wolfpack RED!!! So I will be pulling for UVA and anyone else that plays Carolina!

Doug

As for mods.....another exhuast may find its way to my car. Looking at the Racing Beat or MazdaSpeed. Being a guy with a family, I don't want anything too loud (unless I get in the gas a little).

RenoIV

Doug,
whew... I'd take the Pack over the Heels any day.

Interesting write up on the G35 vs the 8. The 8 is a drivers car. You're more connected :D to the 8 then other automobiles. + you can carry three passengers if needed.

Enjoy the drive!

Reno