I'm about this (-) close to buying a base '05 model soon. But it doesn't have the sport package. I live in socal, so no snow down here. Will I need it you think?

 

One word, YES

 

Depends on how you drive... You will have to be sure to be very careful in wet conditions, try not to drive around on the limit, unless you are quite an experienced RWD driver.

IMO, I love my sport package, but I am a low-skill driver and I enjoy DSC catching the rear end for me once in a while. It corrects my mistakes and also lets me be a little bone-headed and not get carried away. I also like the HIDs and the looks of the fogs (although I drive w/ them off all the time).

 

YES. YES. YES.

beers

 

If yur gonna go all out and get a sporty, unique car like the RX-8...i wouldn't think twice about a minimum of a sports package! As much as allows, i'd go no less then sports, if not touring or grand touring!

 

i have a base model. i enjoy feeling 'the limits' when i take a turn at high speeds. then again, if you get the sport package, you can always turn off the dsc for this feeling.
yea, get the sport package.

 

It is well worth it imo. HID makes a huge difference toward night vision.

 

as a precaution, yes.

 

Safety first! Definitey get it for the DSC.

 

I've got the base model and haven't missed any of the features so far. I'd probably have gotten it if the dealerships had and 05's left with it, but since they didn't I got the base. Haven't had any problems in wet or dry with the tail sliding out.

My last car had the xeon headlights and IMHO they're not worth the extra $$$. It all comes down to the DSC, if you want it, get sports package, if you're one of those people who just always turn it off, get the base.

 

I went base too due to the fact thats all they had

 

Get it, you wont Regret it....

 

Yes for sure...also make sure you get a 6 speed manual transmission.

 

yes. It's not only about DSC, the limited slip, bigger wheels, bigger brakes, and better suspension alone are worth it.

Sports Package
Self-leveling Xenon headlights
Fog lights
Dynamic Stability Control with traction control
Tochigi Fuji Limited Slip Differential‡
18-inch wheels and 225/45R18 tires‡
Larger front brakes‡
Sport-tuned suspension‡

 

I don't have an 8 yet, but a base model + sport package and a spoiler is about all I'd get. Keep it light n simple... but efficient. Resale wise it'd make a difference to most buyers to warrant the initial diff in price.

 

yeah def get the sport package at a minimum i was looking at an 8 in my price range and didnt get it simply because if i was going to spend that much money on a car i figured i might as well spend the little bit of extra money to get the sport/luxury features

 

On the 05 Manual Transmission, the 18 inch wheels, limited slip, etc come with the base model. I believe the Automatic requires the sports package to get the limited slip and larger wheels/brakes.

 

its not just the 05 MTs. Every model year 8 that is a MT comes standard with the items that are marked with a ‡, in otherwords, every MT 8 out there comes standard with the 18" wheels, larger brakes, lsd, and sport suspension.

for the AT, you have to get the sport package to get those items.

 

^Right. I got a base 05 MT and have 18's, slip, etc. The sports pkg. really is about DSC & TCS. Cap't Mercury's right: why not get it if you can. It is a question of how much it is worth to you. But any 05 (with or w/o options) should be HEAVILY discounted by now, so low ball the **** out of the dealer and stick to you guns. Happy hunting.

 

sport was a must have on my list .. xenons are nice and i wanted to ease into the rwd thing .. i still keep it on .. on rainy days

then if you want to get away from that locked in acan feeling go for the moonroof upgrades .. though its a pretty good jump up

but if youre lucky to find 05s maybe you can get better pkg for about the same price

 

#1 reason for the sport package.

The difference between regular halogen lights and the xenon's is amazing.

 

in the future DSC/TC will become standard on all cars. If its an option (on ANY car), get it.

 

I completely agree the difference is amazing and it is so much easier to see at night, thats one of the reasons i had no interest in the base package because of the xenons

 

yes

 

I say get it. It's worth it. I don't think it's even that expensive. I can't remember how much it was, but it didn't seem to add too much. Maybe a thousand or two?
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