Rx-8 or G35
 

I'm new to this forum and I have been doing research on both Infiniti G35 and RX-8.
I've test drove both cars. And to me the RX-8 just seemed more fun to drive and I would probably buy it over the G35 for that reason. However, after reading so many blogs, reports, and so many other threads, it seems that the RX-8 engine is not that reliable. I would love to hear from someone who has experienced both cars. Or if you have any advice I would like to hear from you.

Wow, this kinda like apples and oranges. Sure the 8 is fun to drive, but I would think your choices would be 350Z or G35 coupe. I testdrove both Z & G35 also. The reason I picked the 8 was it reminded me more of my old 240Z(power-weight more equal = fun!) and not like my other Z's(newer). My 2 cents

Get the G35. Too many 8s on the road broken down.

Get a G35. We don't need any more RX-8s or whiny 8 owners on the road.

If the thought of an engine that requires somewhat special treatment bothers you in anyway whatsoever...G35 hands down.

8's not for everyone. accept the good...accept the bad .

G35

if you want 100% hassle free get the G35, if you want to be different and enjoy that thing and can stand checking your oil more than once ever then go for the 8.

Of all the current sports cars available, my pick has always come down to these two cars. The G35 is marginally prettier and more powerful, but I choose the 8 because it looks different and has a wankel engine that is unique. the 8 WILL be my next car

G35! itz faster, and they are really comfortable!

People's opinions of various cars are heavily effected by the major forums about the cars. It's a major resource of information, and when researching online, many will find this site.

Threads like this only help add to the poor opinion of the RX-8.

Some of you are joking, but it isn't apparent to everyone who reads the thread.

I have had both. The G35 is more upscale/luxury while the Rx8 is sportier. The G35 is faster but the 8 is over-all fun! Enjoy either way... :ylsuper:

G35 is a grampa car. If you are a grampa get the G35.

die in a fire

This question depends on what your looking for.

If straight line grunt is your thing, then the G35 should be your pick, although it's not faster by much, but you do feel alot faster due to the torque on the G. If your looking for something that feels light, tossable, nimble that you can throw into a corner with total confidence, then the 8 is what your looking for.

The rear seats in the 8 are more roomy and usable and the 8 has a better interior then the G. If pricing is a consideration, the 8 goes for lots cheaper then the G, and insurance is cheaper. The G looks awesome with a body kit, but somehow the 8 has a semi exotic look to it that the G doesn't.

The 8 has had some mechanical issues, but the 350/G35 has also had it's share of startup issue too, so if you think any car is trouble free, you should get a porcshe.
Yes, there are engine issues with some 8's, mostly but not limited to hot area's, and mostly but not limited to automatics. A few here have had thier engines replaced 2 times and one guys is on his 3rd replacement. It is a small percentage but it is happening. Mazda has extanded the warranties on the engines, so other then the hassle, it will be covered. Most of us have had no issues at all ( I'm going on 3 years and never had a problem).

If your decision is so close between these cars but you don't want the hassle of "possible" trouble, then get the G. It doesn't mean the G won't have problems, it just means you won't have to worry about it until it happens... or you can get the 8 and worry about issues and never have them...your call. For the money the 8 is the better car, but if that .5 second 0-60 means something to you, then you should spend the extra 10 grand to get it...

G35

This is like the 5th thread today with some noob posting a new thread saying that. Go buy a G35, while I continue to use my unique 8 every day of the year.

I heard the G35 has tampons in the first aid kit, no joke... how could you pass that up?

If you want to pay more upfront buy the G35.

The 8 will take the price difference back in Gas and/or resale value.

The 8's engine isn't anything like the G35. The reliability is comparable IMO. I'm certain if you look for problems with the G35 you'll find them.

A friend of mine convinced himself that the G35 was for him but after the 2 year lease he went back to BMW. He said the G35 just didn't 'feel' as good. The 8 always feels good IMO.
The steering, the brakes, the lively back end.

Do you want a sports car or a sedan?

Once upon a time this guy got chronic back problems from the seat ergonomics of a G35.

Are you willing to take that risk?

Consumer Reports recently upgraded their reliability rating of the RX-8—based solely on actual survey responses from CR subscribers—from "poor" to "average". (First year reliability problems largely solved.) And Road & Track just finished their long term road test of an '04 RX-8—they rated its reliability "excellent".

It's funny how certain cars get picked on. Be aware that the VQ engines consume oil too. Some so much that the engines have to be replaced. And the 03/04 G35 (as well as Z) models have fuel hose issues .

Do you wonder if these forums pop up under zclub.com and g35club.com
-->keep my g35 or go with an 8?

Would be interesting to see what they say.

Geez! The guy asks a legit question and gets this crap.

Kalix, if you concluded that the renesis is not reliable based on "so many blogs, reports, and so many other threads," than your analytical skills are lacking.

Otherwise, having driven both and considered both, the differences are simple. Do you prefer revs vs. torque, merits of light vs. heavy, mazda service vs. infinity service; here mazda won 2 to 1. Better rear seat access and interior design on the 8, better exterior style and slightly better fuel economy on the G35, so even split. Throw in price and the uniqueness of the rotary, and it was real easy for me.

So decide based on what do YOU want in a car? The rotary requiring regular oil checks and some reliability issues in hot climates should not be the deciding factor for an enthusiast.

If you want something that's unique and a blast to drive, buy an 8. If you want to meet the status-quo and drive a car that goes slightly faster in a straight line, by all means get the G-35.

An additional G35 on the road would make our cars all the more unique ;-)

realsitically speak in real market transaction prices, there is at least a 10 thousand dollar difference between rx8 vs G35 of similar equiptment. even though the rx8 depreciates like crazy, if you buy used, you can really get one for a very cheap price. 10 thousand dollars can go a LONG way...

Everyone and their mom has a G35. If you want to be like everyone and their mom, by all means, get a G35.

There are 7 G35 coupe's within a 1 block radius of my house. enough said.

I agree with everything here well said. I will add a few more.

On the plus side:
The 8 is plain more fun to drive, the G is a heaver vehicle and works against you. The RX becomes one with you.

On the negative side:
The G will get much better mileage then the 8, I get 12.5 city driving, if I rev only to 3K (which kills the fun) I can squeak out 13.5mpg and Mazda says this is completely normal for the RX-8.

Infinity's service is in a completely different realm then Mazda. Mazda was rated almost at the bottom of all car manufacture for servicing their vehicles by JD Power. If the RX computer dose not report a problem Mazda will not fix it no matter how obvious the problem is. Infinity stands behind their product and fixes what is wrong with out making you jump through hoops. This in my opinion is the greatest weakness of the RX. Mazda will avoid serving you for warranty work every chance they get.

Mazda is one of the worst car companies you will ever have to deal with. If you go with the RX be prepared.

theres actually no thread on g35driver.com about swtiching to an rx8... I ran rx8 through the search funtion and got 0 hit. most threads regarding switching cars are generally about the 335, M3, AMG, IS350, M35/45...

I think this is due to that people almost always move up to more expensive cars when they switch cars rather than going to something cheaper. Likewise, I dont think too many people here are interested in switching down to a rsx or eclipse. I dont think its a brand thing, because infiniti owners are some of the least brand concious people there are. they are very much about the bang for the buck factor. Most people paid close to 40k or well over 40k for their car.. so they could have easily went with a more prestigious brand like bmw or mercedes if they wanted to.

I also notice that more RX8 are concerned with other people's perception of their car and more concerned about standing out from the crowd/looking unique and drawing attention from fellow drivers. most g35 drivers more low key in general.

And to a lesser extent I think it has to do with that once you experience the service quality at a luxury dealership, you just dont want to go with non-luxry cars anymore. This is a pretty big incentive for me when I purcahse my next car because I do not want to give up quality of service i am getting right now.

i totally disagree with the g35 work againt you comment, its very much a drivers car. but if anyones serious about considering buying one im sure he will testdrive it so it dosnt matter.

Basically, if power matters to you or less effort to maintain matters to you get the G35. The G35 is a nice car. It's got a lot of power, it's pretty luxurious inside, it actually gets decent gas mileage. (My friends get about 20-21mpg mixed).

The RX-8 on the other hand is a much more fun car to drive. But be warned that if your idea of a fun ride is just powering away at straight aways, this car will be NOT fun for you to drive at all. It's fun to drive just in the way it communicates back to you. How the steering is precise. How when you take corners, it feels like the car grips more and more rather than the more traditional sticking but you being afraid that it'll break lose any time.

After driving the RX-8 for two years then test driving a G35c, the first thing I noticed was the G35c didn't really feel THAT much faster. It was definitely faster, but not to the level where I'm shocked by the power. The second thing I noticed was the car feels HUGE and heavy compared to the RX-8. The car feels like it's swallowing you up. I doubt I would've felt that if I hadn't have driven the 8 for so long though. The G35C is a more luxurious, powerful beast. You also get Infiniti service with the G35C though, which is a real plus considering how lousy a lot of Mazda dealers are.

Oh and one last comment about the G35. I know most car reviewers say something along the lines that "the g35 seems to have over taken the bmw 3 series! oh wait, we just drove the bmw again, the bmw still wins. nevermind. nice try though." that's so true. The BMW doesn't have the power (well the new 335 will), but it has the RX-8 (or rather we should say the RX-8 has its) "feel" when driving. but obviously the bmw blows the rx-8 away in terms of things like sound dampening and gas mileage.

The car just feels so right to drive, even with mere 215 horses for the 325. Perhaps it's the 50/50 weight distribution? I'm not sure. I had decided I'd rather go with the 325 over the G35 personally, even though it was slightly more expensive and like 75 horsepower less. But then again, for me I enjoy the way the car feels over pure brute power.

These are the two cars it came down to for me. The 350z was not an option (I need for seats)

I found the RX8 much more fun to drive. It was also considerably less money than the G35. I know they have upgraded the interior since I was looking but when I test drove one the interior looked as if I was driving my dad's car.


I liked the engine in the G35 but there is something to be said about the Rx8's 8500 rpm red lin. :)

you should buy an 8 because of our loving and accepting community here on rx8club.com!

all jokes aside, I can't add much to this answer (but I'm going to post anyway!). I have never spent any serious time behind the wheel of a G35, mainly because of its cost. They are both great looking cars, but as has been stated, sometimes I feel like I'm in a twisted G35 "Matrix" cause they seem to be everywhere (my 8 is the lady in red, or titanium, whatever). That being said, theres probably a reason why so many people buy the G35.

For me, the rx8, fully loaded and new at less than 25k was too good to pass up. imagine all the things you could spend that money on to make your rx8 even sweeter.

just out of curiosity, whats your age/profession/location/family situation?

and dont mind all the "buy a G35" responses on the thread, they just want their cars to be the most rare on the road.

You mean all the cry babies! :crying: :crying:

yep. thats all there is to it.

my friend has a g35, which is nice...but i know he wishes he had gotten something sportier...not soooo "26-32 year old professional"

I love it when people post a question and never come back to interact further. (Not saying this guy won't, but you get the idea...)

+1

especially when we'll go on for pages, like the dude with the S2000 that was thinking about getting an RX8 1 year ago, and we're still going....

+1 the originl poster was bunny girl's alias name.

I think the horse has been beaten to death.......

What other decisions do you need help making? Do you have a couple of girls you want marriage opinions on? How about a couple of houses you're looking at? How about two different pairs of socks your looking to buy?

Asking complete strangers about extremely personal purchase decisions is idiotic. Also, you're on a RX8club website.....what kind of unbiased opinions are you expecting to get?

*ahem*

9K sits the solid red

:ylsuper:

Get an Aveo--its more your style.

I went through the same thing. Numbers aside, the RX-8 feels more lively once you tap intop that rev range. Take the lower price, and the fact that you dont see one at every intersection, and the RX-8 is the better choice. Of Course, this is incredibly biast, as you should expect asking on an RX-8 forum. G-35 is a great car and fun to drive, but there is something so much more unque and special about the RX-8.

Or maybe an Aztek.

G35 coupes are hot.

True!!

I seriously considered the G35 before settling on the 8 and have no regrets at all.
This is my third Rx car though so I'm thoroughly indoctrinated and that influenced my decision.
Another factor for me was how many G35's do you see at the race track??....Exactly not many--and that's for good reason.
Now if your choice was between the 8 and the Z that's another issue.

Thanks for the response guys/...ladies?
 

OK, well thank you all for your responsds and opinions. For those who are wondering WHY I wasn't responding, I just got off a 12 hr shift and my work doesn't actually give me the time to go online and post, although i wish I did have time. Well here's my two cents on my own question, both cars are great to drive, yes they are opposite of each other; one likes to take the curves as if there's no tomorrow, and the other likes to put the pedal to the metal. One's all power, the other is all about precision. Aesthetically speaking, both cars are beautiful; yes the G is very common, and the 8 is more "exotic" but the G has its own unique style also. I don't plan to buy the car until the end of the year or early '07. And to be quiet honest I would get the 8 over the G, but it's that nagging thought of "high maintenance" of the Renesis engine that keeps bugging me. I came to this forum to get assurance that I'll be ok with the Renesis, and yes, any and all engines whether Renesis or VQ (G35 engine for those who don't know or care to know) have their own problems along their life span, but come on now, i'm already hearing things like expect the worst and hope for the best. Well I'll have to make a decision by the end of the year, so i can take advantage of clearance sales from dealerships. And for anyone curious, which ever car i get it's gonna be an AT, i don't feel like dealing with a manual everyday.

ok, maint is way blown out of proportion. I get an oil change somewhere between 3 and 4 k. I add one quart of oil inbetween that. I let the car warm up for a few minutes before driving and never shut it down cold. Thats it...thats all the maint I do on this thing. It's one of the easiest cars I've ever owned. Rotate your tires, change the air filter, check belts, check fluids...just like any other car.

As far as the automatic, I would get the G35. With the G, the auto is very competative to the manual...not the case for the 8. The auto 8 is really dampened down so that it is not even a comparison to the G35.

Get the G...

Man what da boy needs is a crossfire hands down...
N.S.

g35 = ugly. If your going to upgrade at least do a real upgrade like to the Viper, or the FordGT.. or even a lambo.

G vs 8
 

I have owned 3 RX's, TurboII, 93 and 95 twins, and a 04 G35 coupe. The G is a great 2-door sport "sedan", not a real sport car. Great package for your average non-gearhead, but with serious shortcomings. Take the handling, nimble does not compute. The 6mt shifter sucks, I tried for a year to get it up to par with Miata or RX to no avail, it just can't be done. I ended up with nasty vibrations at over 3500. The v6 runs out of wind at about 4500, it sounds like a truck engine after that.

I would rather buy the mazdaspeed 6 than the G at this point. But instead, I just bought an 06 Shinka! I guess once a rotohead always a rotohead. The car is awesome except as we all know for the lack of hp. After learning about the Pettit s/c, I took the plunge. BTW, I also had an '04 Miata that I s/c'd with a Vortex, but I'm too old for convertibles anymore.

Bottom line, for commuting on the fw and never having to worry about what the cat temp might be, go for the G. For the rest of us tinkerers, it's a no brainer.

The Ford connection not withstanding, what other small car co. out there guys has produced more fun-for-the-buck cars ever? Let's give credit where credit is due and quit the childish whining.