I don't have kids, but that would be so cool to drop your kids off at school in an RX-8. Their friends would go crazy, especially when that suicide door opens! Personally, I wouldn't want to sit in that back seat for any length of time. But I'm the driver, so I guess I don't have to! :D

The seat is comfortable enough. The headroom and legroom are decent for a car in this class. But you can't see a thing back there.

G8rboy, thanks for sharing your experience. Your wife knows how to drive a stick? Good for you (and her)! Maybe I will teach my wife to drive stick with the Miata before I sell it. I will only get a RX8 with MT (no offense). This is one compromise I will not make. If I am force to buy an AT, I frankly will not consider RX8.
Like many of you, I have to say I am hooked after the test drive. I think I will go with just the Sport package. I first sat in a GT at the showroom and even after lowered the seat all the way down, my hair still touched the top (don't like to recline the seat too much). The one I test drive was also a GT, but it was ok. Maybe its seat just got a little more travel? Besides IMO the Sport package is the most bang-for-the-buck :)

Yeah- I taught her back in college many years ago... she loves it. The grin on her face when she chirps the tires in 2nd and 3rd is priceless : ). Good idea about teaching her on the Miata... it's such an effortless clutch and transmission, not to mention bulletproof. I agree about the headroom in the GT... I'm only 5'6'', but also like to sit fairly upright- there's not that much headroom with the moonroof in there.

No offence to our AT brethren but IMO this is a wise choice. IMO there are better AT cars out there...

Single father here too. Good terms with the ex - she went cruising in my 8 the other night (and got a parking ticket lol)

Anyway - i can attest to this comment. Cute kid & the 8 = drooling women...single mums, singles, taken but bored etc...i've had more women come up to me and coo when the tyke is in the back or even when they notice the carseat. They come to look at the car, notice the kid/seat, check ring finger...man it's crazy.

I'm on a sabatical from women but that may have to end soon...

Cute kid & 8 = drooling women? I hope my wife is not reading this. I better make sure I don't forget to wear my ring. :D

Now that's the right attitude 94Medition! Your starting to see the benefits clearly!

The second baby seat will be a problem.

Check to see how a infant seat works behind you.

Then the problem comes when the kid gets bigger and you have to use a regular car seat.

If there is enough room now for the kid behind you for his legs and feat, then buy the car.

Get some velcro and black vinal or black cloth. Use that on your seat and you get zero scuffs and scratches.

I think the Mazda 6 is your best bet and you won't regret it.

http://www.stopngo.com/plugger.htm

With this kit and/or the goo you should be just fine. Without the spare, the trunk is surprisingly large, the challenge is the opening is a bit narrow.

I have two young kids (4 and 6) they love the car. I find it easy to get them into their seats.......no matter what car you get, the kids will always kick the back of your seat if they can reach it.

Does it have to be your kid? I wonder if I could pay some kid to sit in the back seat!

I have a 3-year-old son and another one on the way. No regrets or problems with the 8 here.

However, if my wife didn't have a Forester (or other wagon), I might not have bought the 8... sometimes we need to haul more stuff than can fit in the 8, like when taking our trash/recycling to the dump every couple weeks or buying something large that needs to go in the hatch or on top of the car (like a large TV, bunk-bed mattress or xmas tree... though honestly, that only happens once every year or so).

Other than that, we can use either vehicle pretty much everytime we need a car... We routinely fit a shopping cart's worth of groceries (along with all of us) and have gone on weekend trips in the 8 (though once we have 2 kids, I think the Forester will be better suited for that). I even fit a computer desk (disassembled) into the passenger side of the 8... in fact, I couldn't have carried it in my wife's Forester without folding down the rear seats, which can't be done with a child-seat in place. So the 8 can actually be more functional than a station wagon (thanks to the suicide doors).

Anyway, my son loves riding in the car and it's roomier than it looks. Good luck!