Let me first qualify my intentions in this thread. I do not intend to attack or berate any of these three cars (RX-8, Evo VIII, or 350Z - my impressions on this are included in the next post). I simply wish to discuss my impressions of the vehicles and see if others have similar or differing viewpoints. Now that we have that out of the way, on to the meat of the situation.

As is my common practice, I went out a couple weeks ago while my wife was off with her sister and decided to stop in and drive one of the '05 Evo VIII's. Since lists are easier to read and understand, I will use one here.

1) The first thing I noticed was that the look is not quite as shocking in person as it is in pictures. The black and silver ones especially blend in fairly well to a certain degree and do not look too boy-racerish.

2) The next things I noticed was when I entered the car. I liked the seats very much, I felt they were very supportive and comfortable. The rest of the interior left quite a bit to be desired. Even though the stereo had an 8" sub, I really didn't like the sound clarity. I did not care for the small feeling and bare looking steering wheel, or the small speedometer. The interior lighting was not quite enough in my opinion, but it was acceptable.

3) The power could not help but be noticed. When that turbo kicks in, it's a very interesting experience. I had a blast with the turbo, and the sound was a little more refined than I expected.

4) The whole driving experience overall was considerably better than I expected. I could feel a little body roll, but the ride felt firm yet not uncomfortable. I liked the feedback I was getting from the car, you feel fairly connected to the road, though the steering wheel seems to vibrate a little much for my tastes (I would attribute most of this to the fact that there is power going to the front wheels). The shifter was very nice, the throws were fairly short and felt solid when shifting. The clutch was not nearly as stiff as I expected and did not seem too overbearing.

Overall, for what it does, the Evo VIII does it very well. The performance is undeniable, and although I'm not a huge fan of the exterior or interior styling, it's not quite as bad as I think most people make it out to be. If it cost $5k less and had a less drastic looking wing, I think it would have been a little higher contender for purchase in my book.

 

Just last night, I decided to check out the 350Z, since I had heard so many comparisons to it and it definately piqued my curiosity.

1) Let me start off by saying that I do not really like the way this car looks from the outside. Also, I think the coupe looks much better than the roadster, and the front windshield of the roadster seems to limit visibility somewhat near the A-pillars. I do like the look of the dual exhaust tips, but I think the are a little too large in diameter, they seem to be trying to hard to make themselves known.

2) The interior of the car was not as bad as I had expected it to be. It was largely plastic, but most cars are these days. I liked that it had so many gagues, but I didn't like that they were all very small and seemed to be placed all over the car. The option for the digital speedometer in the closest center gague was very nice (as I now find it difficult to read analog speedometers as quickly as I do the digital to which I have become accustomed). I do think that were the gagues a bit larger, I would have liked them more. My only real complaint with the interior was that the seats were very uncomfortable to me. I found the lack of lumbar suport in the power seats to be disappointing, as they hurt my back quite a bit.

3) I found the performance in the car to be prevalent, but I couldn't help being disappointed at the lack of a huge difference between it and my RX-8. Part of this was my dislike of the pedals, but to me, it just didn't feel quite right. The mid range grunt was great, but I'm not used to shifting so early. I think with some more time behind the seat, I would have been able to figure out where the best shift points were and how to get the most bang for the proverbial buck, if my back could stand the seats for that long of course.

4) The overall driving experience of the Z was decent. The car was connected to the road and the ride itself was not punishing. There was definately feedback, but it was not overbearing as I had expected. I did not like the amount of engine noise and exhaust tone that creeped into the cabin however, and keep in mind that I drove the coupe, not the roadster. I think my biggest complaints of all with this car were the shifter and the clutch. The shifter felt much too bulky and disconnected from the transmission. It felt very much like grabbing a stick, pushing one end into the dirt, and then writing the letters "H" and "I" with it. The clutch was rather odd and uncomfortable to me, not to mention vague feeling. It seemed like more of a lever than a pedal on a stick. It was as if the top of the pedal were attached to a switch mechanism and you just flipped it up and down to engage the clutch, much like a light switch. This was part of my problem in harnessing the performance of the car, I could not seem to get a fast shift time as I was always unsure of the clutch engagement and shifter position. Lastly, the brakes, while strong, were very non-linear in feel. The pedal is very soft at first, but it soon feels like you're pushing a brick wall when the brakes hit the rotors.

Overall, the 350Z seemed like a good performer with a lot of potential. In my opinion though, it lacked the refinement of a good daily driver and the comfort of a touring car. It seemed a bit loud and it overall just made me felt like it was trying too hard. I was afraid to push it to the limits, I half expected it to explode.

 

1.) The looks of the Evo have grwon on me quite a bit over the last few years to the point that I find them attractive now, moreso in certain colors.

2.) The seats are incredible, the interior overall is bland yet well layed out and functional. I rather liked the small wheel and it's particularly good for spirited driving. I've only driven them in the daytime so didn't notice the interior lights, but I can tell you it's not something I really care about. Also the only stock stereos I've ever that sounded good were in cars that most of us can't afford.

3.) I knew what to expect going in since it's pretty similar to my lightly modded WRX.

4.) I didn't think it was uncomfortable, yet I thought it would get a little bothersome. The STi is a little softer and the steering less skitish so my feelings as of now are that I'm most likely going to plunk down a little extra money in a year or two and get the STi unless something new catches my fancy.

I don't know how you can quible with the price, it's probably the best overall performance value on the market.

 

I like the Z but it's a car I would pick after about 5 other new cars in its pricerange and countless used cars. It's a great engine with a good car built around it, but it's nothing remarkable.

 

I like the immediate response of the Z. Move the gas pedal a centimeter and the thing moves. Very responsive.

My one complaint with the Evo and RX-8 is WAITING. You have to wait for the power. There is never "right now" power! When I test drove the Evo and 8... I floored it constantly.

Example: U-Turn at a light in 2nd gear.. floor it in both cars and you have to wait a few seconds to spool up the power. Hate that. The Z will happily smoke the tires for you and explode away in a hurry.

 

Heh, that's pretty much how I felt. What I was really HOPING for with the 350z was a car like the FD with the reliability of the VQ. But after driving an FD, the overall feel of the car just seemed pretty lackluster to me.

What Nissan should have done IMHO, was stuff the VQ in the excellent S platform and called that the new Z. Everything I've read about the S15 said that it was an excellent car, imagine how great it would be to have the 300hp AE motor in a agile ~2800lb package...

 

FoxTypeR, what car do you drive?

I find RX8 drivers non-transitional when it comes to sports cars mainly because they're not used to the differences in characteristics and behaviour of a raw sports car such as the 350z.

The Z is fast and because of that, it handles more aggressively. The overall makeup of the car (weight, rigidity, interior design) is geared towards that.

You said the seats were uncomfortable, how tall are you? A lot of 6 footers find the Z the right size though small drivers tend to complain about the lack of comfort when out on a long drive (Z isn't a cruiser or a GT).

Good personal experience review for both cars, I like them both and would actually pick the EVO. However the Z looks way better than the EVO and RX8 (STI is another car I would love to have), and I think the aftermarket parts is just too good to ignore when making a very good sports car even better.

 

I rode (too young to drive back then) in EVO 6 few years back and the experience was very good. Quick as hell and seat felt superb. I admire EVO since that ride.

There was no EVO available when I bought by 8, but I was always wondering if the outcome would be different if I had a test drive.

I have tested G35 and 350z, liked them but not loved them. But the decision was made based on price afterall.... G35 is too expensive, 350z base didn't have the same std feature such as LSD, big breaks. I need a back seat since it's my only car.

 

It's called an Evo RS and it's about $3k-$5k less than the GSR and MR. It loses the wing but it also loses ABS, lots of sound deadening, power windows, power locks, a radio and about 180lbs. I've had mine for about 3 months now. The stereo system I installed is awesome...Omnifi 60GB MP3 hard drive, 6 JBL audio speakers, and a powered 8" subwoofer...but I'm getting sick of the manual door locks. Before any power mods I'm gonna get a Clifford universal power lock system. Anyways...the Evo is a driver's car and the Evo RS is a dedicated driving purist's car. I love mine. BTW...you're the first person I've ever seen put "body roll" and "Evo" in the same sentence. I've yet to experience any body roll in this car...it stick to the road in an amazing way while remaining almost totally parallel to the road surface in my experience.

I've never driven a 350Z but I've spent a lot of time behind the wheel of a coworker's RX-8. It sounds like the ride quality and handling fall somewhere between the Evo and RX-8...with the Evo being the abbrassive one and the RX-8 being the more comfortable one of course. Is that accurate? I would love to drive one of those things just to see how they feel. Nissan is a good company...I just wished they had some things differently with the new Z.

 

I'd say the Z is about on par with the Evo in terms of ride quality, at least the track model is.

 

Fast, umm, no. My old FD RX-7 was fast, a C6 Corvette is fast, a 911 is fast, an EVO & STi are fast. The Z is quick, a little quicker than the 8, but I wouldn't call it fast.

It's all relative, but to me the Z, S2K, G35 and RX-8 are generally in the same ball park. I consider all of these cars to be quick, but I wouldn't call any of them fast.

 

Shiri, I drive an RX-8 with the touring package (the only thing I miss is the lumbar support and power seat in the GT, but for 7k less, I was willing to compromise). I do tend to compare other cars to my own, but I've always been like that no matter what car. My oberservations above are compared to what I feel in my own car. I'm a little under 5'8", so that may explain quite a bit of the feel in the 350Z as you mentioned.

When I was in the market to buy about two months ago, I heavily considered the RSX-S, which was quite a compromise, but in the price range I had originally set for myself. I am happy with my final decision, but that doesn't mean I don't like to check out similarly classed (and in some casses over/under-classed) vehicles. I am an enthusiast and I like to try a variety of cars to see what "feels" the best to me.

As for the body roll in the Evo VIII that I mentioned, I think I may have given the wrong impression. I wasn't really getting at a bad type of movement, it just felt different, a little light in the corners. Most of this feeling is due to the slightly smaller diameter tires and high initial ride height I think. With a few minor suspension mods, I believe it would negate this feeling.

Both the 350Z and Evo VIII have tons of aftermarket mods out there. Such amazing potential in each car, but for what I was looking for in terms of reliability and keeping my car as near stock as possible (at least until the warranty wears out and I am solidly in a house), the RX-8 is what did it for me.

I appreciate all the comments, and like I mentioned, I enjoy hearing other points of view concerning all these wonderful cars.

 

You should go drive an S2K and an STi tomorrow :D

 

Hmmm...and maybe an R32, Lotus Elise and even a GTO. That sounds a helluva lot funner than laundry and mowing the lawn. Maybe I'll take some test drives tomorrow too. :p

 

that's what I was planning on this weekend.

 

Its good to see some mature responses for a change, unlike what I used to see before.

One major thing I like about the Z is how much you can play with it and not really break the bank. I'd say you'll need to mod it a little to match the EVO speed for speed, corner for corner. Both of these cars likes to be pushed hard so if you're that kind of driver then this is it.

The RX8 is probably the most user friendly of the three, yet has some underlining of a sports car. I've never really liked rotaries, I'm sure with a different engine the RX8 will definitely change my perspective of it.

Otherwise all cars are fine depending on your needs.

 

That's what this RX8 is all about-ROTARIES!