Hey all, I'm new to the boards here and will continue to read and learn as I have for the past week or so but now I have an account so I can post!

Anyways to get to my question, I am currently a college student majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. I will be going on to med school to become a vet after I'm done here (which I have already been accepted to). Anyways, I am currently driving my parents 01 corolla but with my youngest brother entering college next year the car gets transferred to him and I have to purchase my own.

Now in order to try and make this post longer than it already is I'll cut out the details of the situation and get down to business. I'm looking to get either an Rx8 or an Mx5. The problem with the Mx5 is the lack of a backseat, which would be very nice to have, however the Rx8 gets pretty poor gas milage and costs more to insure (from my situation you can tell money is tight). I really just want a nice car that I can autocross (I have a friend with a 99 Mx5 that autocrosses it and he let me drive a few races in his car and holy crap I'm hooked like its crack.)

So any incite into which car to choose (I'm also open to any other cars that might fit the build better).

Thanks

-Dan

 

Do you really need a back seat?

Try a G35 or a used M3.

If not, I would pick the rx8 since you value a back seat.

 

You're spot on with the mileage and the insurance costs. What else would you like to know? Financially you'd be better off with a used Miata.

 

how expensive is it to insure a MX-5?

I only pay 80/month for the rex

 

Actually from my experience, RX8 is comparable to the MX5 as far as insurance is concerned. In some cases, RX8 is less explensive to insured than the MX5.

In my case, RX8 is less, though gas mileage sucks compare to my Miata.

 

It's a tough call. Strictly monetary, I'd have to recommend the MX-5. A used 2006+ will probably cost more than an RX8, but operating costs will definitely be lower so it'll be cheaper in the long run. But if this car is going to be your only vehicle, go for the RX8 for it's backseat, bigger trunk, and hardtop. The best choice, though, would probably be a used Mini Cooper or WRX.

 

do you need backseats or not?

 

I got offered a trade for an 07 miata with with about 1/5 the miles of my 8

I turned the offer down...

 

mazdaspeed mx-8: miata chassis with a turbo renesis

 

How about a Mazdaspeed3? Practicality with speed.

 

Where you be living? Is the convertible something you would use? I think the newest MX-5 is an excellent car in its own right, but I gotta have a little more room and a roof (and a rotary, hehe) as it would be my only car.

Love the looks of the NC MX-5 and something about this car makes me want to mod the hell out of it. I wish I could have both.

 

You can't go wrong with either car. Do you really need 4 seats? The rx-8 is a better car, but the convertible factor is also great.

 

I have both. They are just different. I wouldn't hesitate to use the MX5 as a DD. I rarely use back seats. Biggest difference is the gas mileage. Other than that, they are both sporty, fun, reliable etc. I have snow tires for both for the winter.
Feel free to ask specific questions if I can help you with the decision.

Some days I walk outside and just can't decide which one to drive. It's a wonderful problem to have

 

+1 for mini cooper S.

personally, i think the mini cooper S is somewhere between a miata and an rx8.

 

I've owned both. Both great cars.

How much do you need a rear seat? An old girlfriend of mine had an Altima and wanted an MX-5, but was worried about giving up the rear seat. I asked her how many times in the past year she had people back there. Two or three times, she said. I pointed out that, on those few occasions, you could take the other person's car. She bought the MX-5 and never missed the rear seat.

On the other hand, even if you rarely have more than one passenger, the rear seat is nice for tossing a backpack or brief case into. For that matter, it's easier to have "stuff" in the RX-8; there's just more room. If two of you take the MX-5 on a 3-day trip, you'll have to carefully load the trunk, thinking about where each piece should go and how it fits best - like a jigsaw puzzle. With the 8, you can just casually toss stuff in the back seat - or the bigger trunk - without giving it any thought. The MX-5 forces you to be more ****.

If you'll be doing a lot of interstate driving, I'd go with the RX-8. The MX-5 can cruise all day at 75mph, but you can tell the car doesn't really enjoy it, and would rather be on a twisty two-lane road. After a couple of hours on I-91 the MX-5 gets to be fatiguing. Buzzy. And a bit claustrophobic, as there's less room for you, the driver, to move around. Take the MX-5 on a 6-8 hour interstate drive - top closed - and when you pry yourself out of the car at the end of the day you'll feel like Lindbergh must've felt after crossing the Atlantic.

That said, on a beautiful spring day - or a warm summer night - no hardtop can compare with the feeling of being in an MX-5 with the top down. It's quite a high - like a drug.

Good luck with your decision!

 

This car would be my daily driver. The reason I would like the backseat is obviously incase I had more than 1 other person going to the same place I am as well as the storage space it would offer.

I would be driving this car pretty minimally around Columbus Ohio with the occasional trips back home to Cleveland (about 120 miles). The convertible would be great in the summer but not of use in the winter months.

 

Get the RX-8.


Always get the RX-8.

 

 

Neither. Any self-respecting vet should drive either an Outback or Forester.

 

Personally, I'm not a fan of convertibles, as I don't feel the need for the open top. If you really want that back seat, the RX-8 would be a good choice.

*edit* Ugh, Crossfires are ugly...

 

On one hand, used RX-8s are cheap. You can find a nice one for $16K or so, and it will have DSC/TSC, which I think is a really nice feature for inexperienced rear-wheel-drive drivers. It will help a lot in the winter.

When you consider gas mileage, ask how many miles you drive a year. I drive 24K a year on average, so gas mileage is a greater consideration for me than someone who drives 10K a year. If I drove 5-8K a year, I probably wouldn't care if my car got 10mpg.

Then, if you have extra cash and the room to store an extra person, you can buy an NA (89-97) Miata for cheap ($3K-5K) and autocross that, as well as have the convertible. You drive it only on nice days, etc, so you don't care about DSC or whatever.

Now, alternatively, you could get a 2006+ MX-5, probably at a decent price used with DSC (but that requires the most expensive GT package). The new gen MX-5 is bigger and easier to live with as a daily driver.

Finally, you could buy a used MX-5 of any year that you like (e.g. an NB) and get a beater for when you need to haul stuff or people (my recommendation: Mazda Protege5, very fun to drive and has good room being a hatch) or drive in winter weather. Say $10-11K for the NB and between $5-7K for the beater. Overall cost still pretty clean. Yes, you do have twice the insurance, so you'd want to run some quotes on that first and this does require owning two cars.

Personally, everything aside, right now I would rather be in an NC MX-5 GT with DSC. Right now is the perfect time for you to have a two-seater convertible. Not married, etc. If you find yourself in a tizzy and need back seats or more room, either add a beater or sell the MX-5. But if you go with a used MX-5, it should hold its value pretty well when you resell.

 

Any concerns out there about the MX-5 in the winter? I thought I had heard they were terrible in the winter (for those up north that actually have a winter)

 

^With winter tires, the MX-5 is delightful in the winter. My friend put Blizzaks on her daily driver MX-5 in Omaha, and would routinely pass spun out Jeeps and SUVs. But I feel winter tires are mandatory.

Like the RX-8, the only problem is deep snow; the car is low, so about 4" or so is the limit.