I knew the guys would be thrilled to see a wife doing this for her hubby. I approve, too!!! [Back in the day I got my hubby a 911. ]

 

Great feedback...Only drawback I see is that I would consider this more of an enthusiast car and requires a little more care than other cars, but maybe this car will make him more of a car guy...I forgot all about motorcycles when I got my rotary. Make sure U get a great deal since they do depreciate more than other cars of its price range.

 

And the Shinka's have Tokico struts, so not much point in upgrading those either. I do like my Hawk Ceramic pads tho'.

Back on topic, get your husband whatever you both like, that's all that matters.

So, looks like VR Touring?

 

Good for you, Urban! That's awesome!!

THanks for all the inputs. I'll be buying around the end of Aug. I'll post a pic of the one I get when I do.

See you then!

 

Oh, another important question... What's the difference in handling between the Touring and Grand? And I might as well include the R3 because it has some options on it that I really like... Do they all drive about the same?

 

dam i had no idea about the brakes either i have changed mine but i love my ceramic pads so i guess iss ok. but dam we have brembos!

 

I'm not to sure about this. It's like my girlfriend trying to buy me electronics - she just doesn't know the right thing to buy and esp if you guys share the money he might be mad. I'm also in the military but I'm interested in ALOT of cars and shopped around alot before deciding on my 8 so that could be what he was doing. Anywayz I would freak out if my my wife bought a car while i was deployed and it wasn't the car I wanted esp with the amount of money involved. But hey maybe you just know your husband THAT WELL.

 

Thanks, Mystic. I think he'll love it. Remember those commercials around Christmas when someone gives their spouse a new car as a surprise? He's always saying, "Wish someone could do that for ME!" haha

And my recent deployment gave me PLENTY of money to fund this endeavor. That's one thing we're not concerned about...

 

oil capacity has increased in the 2009 models (to a listed 4.6 quarts from a listed 3.7), which may be part of the reason why owners don't seem to need to add as much oil

 

There's no difference in handling between Touring and Grand Touring, they're just different trim levels.

The R3 has a bit stiffer suspension as it's intended to be the 'ready for the track' edition, much as the S2000CR is Honda's track-ready equivalent.

 

One thing could be very important. The moonroof takes away some head room so if your husband is tall, ie, around 6'2" or so, it could be better to avoid that option.

BTW, thanks for your service to our country! We'll definitely want to see lots of pictures of him getting his surprise 8. Sounds like he may already have dropped enough hints. Do you think he may be half-expecting it?

 

We're both short, but we don't like the moonroof option on cars anyway. (Used to until I drove one with it... Decided it's not as cool as I thought!)

I think he thinks he's going to buy a car when he returns. He told me while I was deployed that I should take the money and buy a car with it. But I told him we had better things to spend our money on! haha! Also, I did some upgrades on his 1994 Ranger Splash which he knows about, so I think I took the suspicions out of a new car option...

 

Thank you both for your service. Good luck with finding a new 08. I'm sure you could fit his luggage in the back seat!!!

 

Somehow on a whim I stopped at a dealer today and found a Velocity Red '08 Touring with the spoiler!! The only thing was the radio didn't have mp3 aux input... I'm waiting on the window sticker to be emailed so I can study it more. The price was $30k, though. I'm thinking that might be too much for an '08. But I'll compare it to the '09 I'm "building" online. I'll post the sticker when I get it, too.

 

That is way too much for an 08 touring. I paid that much for my 09 GT with the premium package.

 

Thanks! That's exactly what I'm thinking. Still curious to review the sticker. I know part of it is because it has some fancy Bose system but it's still an '08...

He actually didn't have any '09s on the lot and I really wanted to compare body styles. Someone told me they are the same, but I distinctly remember my husband liking the way the 08s looked compared to the 09s. Pictures aren't distinct enough.

 

I would be worried about the happy face.

That is the most hideous front end I have ever seen

 

08 Looks better than an 09 (except for R3)

I would NEVER pay close to 30K for a 2008 RX8; don't let them pull any **** on you.

 

You can definitely get a much better deal on an '08 if you find one. Good luck!

 

Do any of you have the manual/automatic transmission? (Is that the right term? It's where you have both...)

Anyway, just wondered how you liked it. I am looking at that for the car now. I kind of like it, but I wanted opinions out there!

Thanks!

 

its actually an automatic with a shift gate and steering mounted shifters its still an auto though ... and IMHO dont get it ... i got mine coz i had a broken left leg left hand and left hip so i couldnt possibly drive a stick ... thats why i got a 2010 camaro 6sp ... the auto 8, although its not horrible its just not nearly as much fun and is alot slower than the stick ...

 

No auto... unless you want to punish your husband.

 

6'2" here with moonroof, long legs, no problems, got 3-5" of room too.

The R3 has slightly tighter suspension but it's not very noticeable. The GT and Touring are exactly the same except the GT has a few more creature comforts on the inside.

I picked up my 09 for 24k (with premium package), brand new, in August of 08. So you've definitely got a lot of lee-way in price, especially if you offer cash.

Bose system, for the 09 anyways, is part of the Premium package, not sure bout earlier models.

04-08s have a different front and side than the 09s.

More info here with pics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_RX-8

 

"The updated [2009] version is slightly slower than the previous model (0-100 km/h in 6.7s from 6.4s)." -Wiki

 

I'm sure everyone has already answer4ed all important questions so I just wanted too say...YOU ARE A GOOD WIFE! <I suspect>
________
Buy Bubblers