Not sure if this is right forum, but here goes anyway:
Had my AT RX8 for almost two years, lease is up soon so time to decide, keep it or try something else.
I really love the car so will probably keep it, however being a "Research-before-you-buy" fanatic I wondered if there were another car I should consider; Heresy!!, Burn him!! I hear you scream.
IF I were to consider switching from the RX8 to something else which cars do you guys consider as "Comparable" and worth checking into.
What I like about the RX8 - handling; super acceleration once rolling (when driven at high rpms), the 4 door arrangment; Looks;
What I don't like about it; gas guzzler (10 mpg in winter, 12-14 in summer, 18-20 highway), worst still constantly filling up with gas would be better with a bigger tank.
Warm up required before I can drive it, and preventing flooding; uncomfortable passenger seat - way to low.

Decisions, decisions, decisions....

 

350z

 

well it all depends on your price range but here are a few:

2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
Retail Price Range: $19,399 - $23,699

2006 Ford Mustang
Retail Price Range: $19,115 - $31,145

2006 Audi TT
Retail Price Range: $33,990 - $46,539

2006 Nissan 350Z
Retail Price Range: $27,650 - $40,000

2006 Infiniti G35
Retail Price Range: $31,200 - $33,800

2006 Honda S2000
Retail Price Range: $34,050

2006 BMW Z4
Retail Price Range: $35,600 - $42,100

 

The RX-8 is in a class of it's own.

Try the manual RX-8, the AT is a wannabe.

 

agreed, try the MT rx8. The guy who suggested a 350z should no longer be able to post.

 

x3 on the notion to get a MT RX-8

 

?? MazdaSpeed6, or for somthing really different, take a look at the new (just in dealerships recently) x-over version, the Mazda Cx-7.

Moving up the food chain, there's not much else quite like the Rx8 in terms of 4 seats +handling, etc. Just came back from attending the local regions BWM Club HPDE track event. Lots new M3's in my particular run group, and lots of fairly surprized BMW club drivers. I'm currently looking at possibly moving on to a Cayman as an alternative, but it will be hard to say good by to the Rx8.

 

When I bought my RX-8, I was considering the 350ZX (only two seats) , BMW 3-series (but everybody owns one in L.A.), Eclipse (too cheap looking), G-35 (not sporty enough but a very nice car), and Lexus IS (butt ugly, though the 2006 looks better).

 

Thanks guys, as said already the RX8 is in a class of it's own, I a few computer comparisons to try and get a short list to identify something I might test drive, but quite honestly the list was very small then I added NOT a Convertable plus less than $35k and the list went to zero.
I will check out this CX7 thing. Whats a Cayman by the way?
Manual RX8, very tempted, but a couple of family members are not trained on these and they ain't practicing on my RX8 !

 

My wish list has these letters and numbers on it...in order of most likely

SC'ed RX8
M3
Z06
M5

 

Gto

 

they cayman is the new porsche made from the boxter frame... basically a hard top boxter but pretty close performance to that of the 911... if you have twice the money of an rx8, the cayman is a good choice for a 2 seater

 

Yeah, the mysterious, elusive SC'ed Rx8. What's with that? Has anyone heard anything further on what, if anything, and when, if ever, Mazda might do something more than give the rotary community something more than just a tarted up cosmetic Shinka "tuner" version of he Rx8? Where's the loving out there? Where's the, & it wouldn't take much IMO, extra 50-60 bhp?

The "best" I'm seeing on this list, the Rx8 dyno at the rear wheels is @ 170 to 180 SAE adjusted, but not drive line losses computed, bhp. From what I can tell of the Cayman (just as a for example competitor), those look to be reporting @ 260 to 265 SAE adjusted figures at the rear wheels, for a car the weighs about the same as the Rx8. That's a substantial difference, ... and not just in "raw" power to weight numbers, but also in relative driveline loss figures.

The Rx8 comes out substantially down on the driveline losses comparison, 238 bhp +/- reported factory at the fly wheel numbers, less the real world rear wheel range of @ 170 to 180 = @ 68 to 78 drive line loss vs. Porsche's apparent 295 factory flywheel claim - 265 +/- reported dyno = @ 30 bhp in drive loss. I'm tired of getting pulled in every straight :-)

 

^ that took WAY TOO much BRAIN POWER to read....... i gave up...

 

https://www.rx8club.com/lounge-4/cayman-%7E-sorry-mazdaspeeed-hymee-richard-paul-others-93189/

They can be had with automatics BTW, "Triptronic" in Porsche speak.

 

Well, for less than $35k though, and with capacity for 4 etc., I'd think you'd have to be looking at things like the Infinit G35, Mazda6, VW Jetta or Passats or something similar. Maybe the Nissan Altima "R" or whatever it is, but I think that's only available in a manual.

Off hand, I can't think of anything else quite like the Rx8. It's my impression, some of the Acura, e.g. the "TL" http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....&page_number=3

for comparison to the Passat, can be pretty sporty handling cars.