elisemk1

The RX-8 is the sport sedan I waited for a lot of years, but on 25th on December we'll awaiting our first child and I don't know if the RX-8 has enough space, especially the boot.

Our other cars are a 2002 Mini Cooper and a 1999 Lotus Elise, so the RX-8 would fit perfectly, but maybe I have to go for a Mazda6/Atenza sport wagon ...

What Do you think?

Stefan Janssen
Germany

Hercules

If you truly love the good handling cars, get the RX-8. Plenty of room, more power, rotary (yay!), RWD, and it looks sweeeet

sheylen

The RX-8 will be big enough for a family with one or two kids. The boot and back seats or more than ok. I have three small kids:p. I am still going to get me an RX-8. It is my dream sports car and I can still drop the kids at school or parties. If we go out together we use my wife's MPV.

elisemk1

That's exactly the point I'm thinking about...
we have two other cars, but both are sports cars (the MINI is almost a sports car), and ther is no SUV or MPV to use.

We have to carry everything in the boot of the upcoming RX-8...

Stefan Janssen
Germany

danger

a mini cooper as a family car?!? really!? wow, never thought they would be classified as that...

but i would think that the rx-8 would be a more than adequate family car. They've added the two extra seats for that purpose i think, so that they can have added passengers.

Rx-8 - ya can't go wrong with it. :D

red_base 95

Ultimately, you'll need to wait to see the car in person to determine if it will fit your needs.

Rear seat accomodations really should not be an issue, even for a rear facing infant carrier. And after your little one is out of the infant carrier, the seats will most likely accomodate a full sized child safety seat. There have been pics posted of a possible Mazda sourced child seat actually in place in the rear seats.

The boot (or trunk for colonists ) is supposed to be good sized, with room for 2 golf bags (per Mazda via their website). I have not seen any pics of the interior trunk though. This would most likely meet your day-to-day needs, but packing the family up for a week long vacation may be a challenge.

Just out of curiosity though, with a MINI Cooper and an Elise, how can you thirst for a sporty car not be quenched? :D A Mazda6 hatch would probably be a good compromise if the RX-8 is too small. Best of luck though, and congrats on your new baby.

Mazda man

300 litres of boot space I saw somewhere

Toadman

With .95g skidpad numbers, I hope those rear seats are bolstered well and the C-pillar is padded. Or will safety helmets and 5-point harnesses be required for adolescents? :D

zoom44

that's the first skid pad numbers i've heard, where did you find that?

Toadman

It was touched on at Sevenstock and last April’s issue of Road and Track. It is still an estimated figure publicly. I'm sure the long-lead time publications already have that data. I think .95 is a bit optimistic, imho.

BlueAdept

Adolescents, aren't the problem... I'm sure they can hold on to somthing for themselves while cheering you on... it's the infants you want to worry about!

pelucidor

We are expecting our first baby early next year. I must say my friends who already have babies carry so much stuff around (strollers, diaper bags, several changes of clothing, food bags , toy bags etc) that I cannot imagine anything short of a station wagon/suv/minivan being up to the job (at least in the USA).

However...
when I was a baby many moons ago my parents didn't even have a car and they managed to take me everywhere. Perhaps a very minimalist approach could allow the trunk/boot of the RX-8 to be sufficient for some people.
As for me I bought an MDX (top safety honours with BMW X5) that seats 5 and still can carry 50 cubic feet of baby stuff. In my defence we also need it to occasionally carry two large 95lb dogs around.

If I already had a Lotus Elise (and a Mini) the only reason I would buy an RX-8 would be for the unique rotary engine. With a baby on the way (and no giant dogs) I might instead consider an A4 Avant or a BMW 3 series wagon or some kind of hatchback.

elisemk1

After some miles in my Lotus all cars feel awful to drive, I had a Lexus IS 200 and now a Jaguar X-Type Sport as my company car, but both cars are even close... only the MINI comes close. IMHO the lightweight RX-8 will have a great handling and a lot of grip. More than any other sports sedan around. I think I'll wait for June and make a testdrive, and if I can live with the Jag till than (for the first six month with the child), I'll get the RX-8, otherwise a Mazda6 sports wagon...

Audi A4 and BMW 3 series are great driver cars, but you'll find them on every corner in germany...

Stefan Janssen
Germany

pelucidor

That MINI must be some incredible vehicle. If my wife and friends didn't already tease me about looking like Mr. Bean and telling me to get a Mini I might have been interested in it...

Jerome81

I was a kid doing family trips only 10 years ago. From the day I was born, my parents only bought 4 door family sedans. 4 of us in the family and we had NO problem taking trips.

I am amazed at what kind of junk people feel they need to take on vacation with them. During the past 4 summers in college I worked as a valet at a resort hotel, and I was utterly amazed at the number of guests pulling up with suburbans with 2-3 kids, the entire rear full of junk to the roof, and sometimes they even had a roof rack carrier up top?

When we travelled, we were able to fit EVERYTHING into the trunk, in anything from an 84 VW Jetta to a 91 Accord. I don't think we ever felt we needed more room, and we definitely didn't feel like we had to leave stuff behind because of a lack of space.

I guess what I'm saying, is that I KNOW that if I had 2 kids that the 4 of us could use the RX-8 just fine. Many others will say there is no way, but I guess its just a matter of opinion. A MINI would be a little small with 4 people. An RX-8 would work for me.

Reminds me of the couples who say they can't fit anyting in a Miata. There is plenty of room for 2 people's things in a Miata trunk, if you are careful about what you bring.

If you can't get the RX-8, which I don't think should be a problem (but I'm not your family), I'd go for the Mazda6 Hatch Sport 2.3L in Titanium Grey. Now that is a sweet family sedan.

Donny Boy

Buy a rope, buy a skateboard and teach the kid to balance.

Just kidding. The RX-8 should have more than enough room for your small family. Mazda touts the cars space virtues, especially the trunk/boot as being able to fit two golf bags, and the interior should have ample head, leg, shoulder and foot room. Do you remember seeing the Mazda RX Evolve with the baby seat attached?

Go all the way, get the RX-8 and smile, like I will.

Rich

Jerome, your post reminded me of a couple down the street from me. They had a Miata but decided they needed 4 doors. So they bought a second Miata. :D

btw, I'm soooo jealous of anyone who owns an Elise. The U.S. release has been delayed, and I have my doubts that it will ever make it to these shores. It's the only car that's been officially announced that I'd pick over the RX-8.

On to your question, I agree with red_base_95, you'll probably just need to see it for yourself. My family took weeklong vacations with 3 kids in a Volvo sedan with no trouble. If we left my little brother at home I'm sure we could have done just fine in an RX-8. I know people that filled a full-size fan for similar trips, also with 3 kids.

khoney

Sell the Lotus, buy the '8 and a Mazda 6

elisemk1

hey, that's right! I already had a close look at this one:


In german car magazines the Mazda6 has beaten everything in comparison, but the RX-8's handling will be one much higher level because it's much lower and lighter than the Mazda6.

irresistibo

whats the deal with the neat baby seat in the back that i saw at some car show? I dont need one but for you i think i would be perfect.