RX8 for the Family
04-21-2006, 06:17 PM
#26
Rotary only since 1980
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Just like everyone is saying. It may not be the *perfect* family car but it damn sure is the funnest.
I've taken the 8 on carpool duty for my daughter and her gymnastics teammates, so three 11 year olds with no problem. I've taken my wife and two older boys (18 and 15) with no problem. I'm 6'2" and my oldest son is 6 ft so he sits behind my wife but it works fine. With even smaller kids, it should work equally well. And it practical enough for a trip to Costco (with some limitations).
And don't forget to tell your wife it has the best rollover safety rating. And that the rear doors make it easier to load a kid into a car seat than a "normal" door. And the trunk is surprisingly roomy as long as it fits through the opening. Just don't tell her the *real* reason you want it.
I've taken the 8 on carpool duty for my daughter and her gymnastics teammates, so three 11 year olds with no problem. I've taken my wife and two older boys (18 and 15) with no problem. I'm 6'2" and my oldest son is 6 ft so he sits behind my wife but it works fine. With even smaller kids, it should work equally well. And it practical enough for a trip to Costco (with some limitations).
And don't forget to tell your wife it has the best rollover safety rating. And that the rear doors make it easier to load a kid into a car seat than a "normal" door. And the trunk is surprisingly roomy as long as it fits through the opening. Just don't tell her the *real* reason you want it.
04-21-2006, 06:31 PM
#27
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Most of the previous posters have it right.
As a pure family car it has obvious limitations.
I prefer to think of it as a sports car which doesn't exclude the family (i.e. it's the unselfish option).
We have a wagon for long trips with lotsa luggage and for my wife's use. It's also the sacrificial lamb for shopping centres ,etc (not so concerned if it gets the odd dent or scratch).
However, on shorter trips or visiting friends, etc, the 8 allows me to bring the whole family (kids are 4 and 5). Try doing that in a S2000.
As a pure family car it has obvious limitations.
I prefer to think of it as a sports car which doesn't exclude the family (i.e. it's the unselfish option).
We have a wagon for long trips with lotsa luggage and for my wife's use. It's also the sacrificial lamb for shopping centres ,etc (not so concerned if it gets the odd dent or scratch).
However, on shorter trips or visiting friends, etc, the 8 allows me to bring the whole family (kids are 4 and 5). Try doing that in a S2000.
04-21-2006, 06:58 PM
#28
Extraordinary Engineering
Originally Posted by Low Fly'n 8
I only foresee a few problems you may encounter:
1.) You will become obsessed with the RX-8 and start spending kid's lunch money on exhaust, springs, etc.
2.) Wife will be pissed because "you're always out in the garage messing with your car".
3.) You will spend every waking moment reading threads on RX8Club.com
4.) Premium gas costs about $3.00 per gallon and you won't even care.
5.) You will freak out about parking at Wal-Mart. Wife will pissed because she has to walk 1/2 mile from where you parked.
1.) You will become obsessed with the RX-8 and start spending kid's lunch money on exhaust, springs, etc.
2.) Wife will be pissed because "you're always out in the garage messing with your car".
3.) You will spend every waking moment reading threads on RX8Club.com
4.) Premium gas costs about $3.00 per gallon and you won't even care.
5.) You will freak out about parking at Wal-Mart. Wife will pissed because she has to walk 1/2 mile from where you parked.
I have two children, 12 and 13 years. No problems but we still use the van for long trips.
The '8 is practical enough to haul home groceries for a week and I even brought home an area rug which was 8' long.
04-22-2006, 10:10 AM
#29
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Interesting thread - thanks for sharing your experiences. I currently have an 02 C5 and am not looking forward to giving up my track days in the Vette, as my wife's biological clock is going off at an alarming rate. Guess I'll have to swing by a Mazda dealership in the near future.
To be honest, I'm a VW/Audi guy at heart and was planning on a 4-door GTI - just so happens that the VW dealership is next door to a Mazda dealership, so I'll give that a try.
To be honest, I'm a VW/Audi guy at heart and was planning on a 4-door GTI - just so happens that the VW dealership is next door to a Mazda dealership, so I'll give that a try.
04-22-2006, 11:11 AM
#31
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Ya, there have been several times when I had 2 girls in the back and then me and my buddy up front for about an hour or so each way. It was kinda uncomfortable, but definetely doable. I put my seat about 2 inches farther up and they seemed to have plenty of leg room. It's better than having a 350Z and not being able to take the chicks at all. Think about it like that... RX-8=taking chicks... 350Z=no chicks.
04-22-2006, 11:14 AM
#32
Insanely Yellow
I have a 2004 RX-8 (obviously or I wouldn't be here), and three kids. Obviously the entire family doesn't go out in the -8 but I constantly take my 3 kids with me, and we've done a number of "dad and sons" road trips in it as well. My guys are 13 (and 5' 6" tall), 10 and 10 (twins - both 4' 3" tall).
It's a great car for the family - the kids love it, I love it, wife loves it, etc. Good choice for us.
It's a great car for the family - the kids love it, I love it, wife loves it, etc. Good choice for us.
04-26-2006, 06:14 AM
#33
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Thanks for all the insite guys. I am going to check out the 8 this weekend and see how I like it. One more question a friend of mine (he is a big time autox'er) says I may not like it due to the lack of torque low in the RPM range. Any insite on this subject?
04-26-2006, 06:26 AM
#34
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Originally Posted by Bangadrum5
Thanks for all the insite guys. I am going to check out the 8 this weekend and see how I like it. One more question a friend of mine (he is a big time autox'er) says I may not like it due to the lack of torque low in the RPM range. Any insite on this subject?
Read just about every other thread on this forum.
04-26-2006, 02:13 PM
#35
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Originally Posted by Bangadrum5
Thanks for all the insite guys. I am going to check out the 8 this weekend and see how I like it. One more question a friend of mine (he is a big time autox'er) says I may not like it due to the lack of torque low in the RPM range. Any insite on this subject?
If you auto-x it you can do a 7,000 rpm clutch-drop and get a pretty good launch anyway.
To me, the car is a package and I happened to like it as a package more than any other total-package cars I considered. If I could build a car from an ala carte' menu it would be a whole different ball game. Since I can't - the low end torque is a bit less than I think the car deserves, but clearly I live with it and enjoy the car plenty just as it is.
04-26-2006, 07:21 PM
#36
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You learn to drive around the low end torque and I think it makes a great track/autocross car.
However, if straight line speed is what floats your boat, look at something else.
However, if straight line speed is what floats your boat, look at something else.
04-26-2006, 07:31 PM
#37
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my gf and i take the baby (11 months) just about everywhere we go. the seat is a graco seat and sits behind me when i'm driving. if the baby needs her bottle or some entertainment of some sort, all my gf does is just turn around. The seat fits just fine, and the fact that the 8 has 4 doors, it makes it really easy for me to take the baby and/or the car seat out with out any problems.
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