rx8 or 350z or rsx-s
 

hi all,

i'm new here. have always been a fan of the rx8's exterior/interior appearance, the suicide doors, and the handling characteristics. i have a friend who is looking to get a sports car, used, under $23k, and since he is not very familiar with the overall automotive arena, i wanted to help him out.

RX8:

pros: great handling, comfortable ride, 4 doors with a coupe's sexy appearance, 4 seats as well as a decent trunk. beautiful interior and good seats.

cons: eats engine oil, engine might flood, poor mpg, lack of torque and overall power. doesn't respond to power mods well (n/a or FI). blind spots due to crampy interior.

350z:

pros: great handling (not as good as rx8), very good low end torque for the streets, and good power overall. roomier interior relative to rx8. more reliable than rx8 in general.

cons: 2 seats, doesn't respond to power mods well, unless FI is employed. ride quality not as good as rx8 (but not very sure since i havn't driven/sat in one). pretty much useless trunk. bad mpg (but slightly better than rx8)

RSX-S:

pros: economical: good storage space being a hatchback, good MPG, decent acceleration (pretty much the same as rx8), good handling for a fwd. roomy interior, 4 seats (though small backseats). comfortable ride quality. responds very well to n/a and FI mods. honda reliability. good entry level car for beginners, less chance of wrecking since it's fwd.

cons: doesn't handle as well as the rx8/350z being fwd.

so basically it comes down to which car has the best practicality and performance combination.

power: 350z.
handling: rx8.
practicality: rsx-s (storage). rsx-s and rx8 tie for seats.
styling: my friend's leaning toward rx8 as am I.
response to mods: rsx-s.
reliability at factory trim: rsx-s.
price: rsx-s.
mpg: rsx-s.
ride quality: rx8.

trying to see if anybody has more inputs/opinions about these 3 cars, or if anybody else could think of a good car to compete with these 3. my friend's not a car buff, so please no cheap-car-with-mods ideas.

also these cars are out for one reason or another:

srt-4, s2k, miata, mr2 turbo, 240sx, mustang, wrx.

also my friend hasn't driven any of these cars, while i've driven the rx8 and rsx-s.
for now he wants a car that is better at handling than power, but that's not for sure since he hasn't driven a good handling and/or powerful car. he's coming from a 2000 toyota avalon.

Thanks!

:)

p.s. will add more if i remember anything else that i'm missing on this list.

p.p.s. insurance is different for everybody, so let's not include it as a factor for now.

well, the rsx is a nice car for getting groceries or if you are a tennager, but it doesnt even look grown up. Plus the fact that if you want a sports car then fwd is like an oxy-moron
Of course youll here a lot of praise for the rx8 but its not just because its an rx forum. Its cause its the best bang for buck out there for appearance, power, handling, and seating all in the same pkg.
Also, the 350z will go through tires more that the rx8 burns quarts of oil. :hahano:
Luigi

Ok, how in the hell did a RSX make it onto the same list as a RX-8 and 350z?? :p:

I'll pretend this is just a toss up between the 8 and the Z.

I chose the RX-8 based on looks, handling and I love the rotary engine. The Z is quite fast and looks nice, but I prefer the way the 8 looks, handles and the engine is just so much fun. It's not as powerful but the gearing and 9000rpm redline make it a LOT more fun in the corners.

I'm going to venture a guess that the RX-8 will win this one. :rolleyes:

A forum full of RX8 owners that already had to make that choice.... hmmm, what will they choose?

The Z is like a lot of other cars . . . name me one that is like an R8. Nothing I have ever driven 'connects' to me like Seamus does.

to give you some background, my previous car was a 2000 civic si (modded yet clean looking) and i'm a long-time fan of honda.

i test drove the 3 cars that you mentioned (along with several others including the s2000) extensively, and chose the 8. i could go into how good the price/performance, handling, interior, fun factor, looks, etc are, but i'd suggest just having your friend drive one, as the jet-like 8 basically sells itself.

as for the "response to mods" factor... the rsx-s is in a completely different class and it'd take a ton of $$$ to get it to perform and handle like a sports car, whereas the 8 is already there. one interesting thing to note, is that insurance was actually CHEAPER on the rx-8.

ps another con for the rsx-s is the chick factor, as it's much less impressive than the 8 or the z.

The new Honda Civic. Rice her up and enjoy

Not a bad analysis, but two things I disagree with.

The S is "pretty much" the same in acceleration? Then the Z is "pretty much the same" to the 8 if you give or take half seconds. All major mags have tested 8's at 5.9/6.0 sec. for 0-60 and 14.4/14.5 in the 1/4, the S is usually tested a half second slower.

Practicality? The guy is going from an Avalon, the rear seats on an 8 is bigger, as are the advantages of the rear doors, so advantage 8.

Also, the 350 DOES respond well to mods, and front wheel drive IS NEVER better.

...thats it!

This may sound like a blasphemy, but if he's not a car buff, he might enjoy the RX-8 the most of those 3. He'll probably find the Z to be raw and harsh (though a great sports car for dedicated enthusiasts), and the RSX-S to be small and cramped (coming from an Avalon).

The cool thing with the 8 is when you're NOT pushing it (OK, it's rare, but it happens), the car becomes very docile and comfortable. The lack of torque makes it very easy to drive around town, when parking, etc. And the suspension, while stiffer than an Avalon, is very livable day-to-day.

Just make sure he can deal with 18mpg and checking the oil level regularly (<-IMPORTANT).

Very true, one of the things that helped me overcome my aversion to a RWD car (Michigan Winters.... *shudder*) is that the low-end torque isn't outrageous so I won't go spinning off the road should I give it a little too much gas on an icy road.

uhmmmm lets see I think I choose the RX-8
Kind of a silly question to ask 25,000 RX-8 owners what car they prefer.
But what the heck, you'll get the answer you were looking for .
The RX-8 is the best.

I wonder which car will come out ahead in the poll!

I'd go with the RX8 or 350Z. Test drive them and then pick. Both are great cars!

The CROSSFIRE!!!!!

um....why don't you post this toll on the 350z & rsx site and see what happen?

Um NO! It has no backseats!!!! The salesman had to literally pour me out of the Z after my test drive.

it's obvious that if you come here...people will choose the 8
in the 350z world people will choose the Z
you'll prolly get a better response from the rsx guys (IMO) but ofcourse some of them will choose their rsx over the 8 and Z

Look at the RSX site for a few minutes. Apparently they're having quite a time with transmission problems despite the number of years the car has been in production. My gf's Acura TL has had 5 new transmissions. Not sure what the prob with Acura is on this score. Must admit my old Integra was a solid car . . . sadly it had a zero passion quotient. Just a car.

I think your friend should buy a Miata. Super fun, heavily modifiable, rear wheel drive fun-in-the-sun top down cruising. Might I suggest a 94 Laguna Blue with the C package. A rare color and comes with tan leather seats, A/C, cruise control . . . in fact, I might even know someone that could hook you up with a beauty like that. :mdrmed:

I am truly shocked to learn that car owners prefer their own cars.

Should have sprung for the Type R.

Just so you know, the RSX-S responds VERY well to mods. so if you're looking for a car that responds well stock.. stick with the rx-8, if you want a car that responds well to mods, get the Z or rsx-s

I/H/E + the Hondata and you will hit low 13's where as the RX-8 Doesnt respond so well to mods, unless it is F/I of course.

It was a bit of an impulse buy. My 83 RX-7 had well over a 100k on it and I got an incredible deal from a co-worker that was parting with an Integra. I felt it would be a better commute car and would extend the life of the RX. It served the purpose well for about 4 years. Great car but having come from an RX and previously an Austin Healey, I just could never get quite as unthusiastic about it as some of my other cars. It was almost too perfect . . . I like a car that requires my attention as perverse as that may be. But thanks for the suggestion BlueEyes, somehow I knew I could count on you.:smoker:

get a Hyundai Accent they are fun cars