RX-8 or SRT-4?
01-18-2005 | 04:51 PM
#176
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From: Utah
okay everyone, i just came back from my proper test drive... and the verdict is!!!!....
I'm gonna have to keep going after the 8. It just feels fantastic. Inside and out it looks awesome, on the road it behaves beautifully around corners. Anyway, here's my little un-professional review:
Looks are subjective, but that car still turns me on everytime i see it. Don't worry, i won't be hugging it anytime soon or masturbating to it. It just looks fantastic from the outside. Once inside, everything looked sharp and in the right place, with nothing that looked like much of an afterthought. The best part of the interior, for a guy of my size (5'5" for those of you who didn't know) was the comfort. I felt secure in the bucket seats, but they were not so tight on me (like the SRT) that i felt fat either. I'm only 125lbs, so really, i'm not fat. :D The gearbox was just at the right distance from my seating position. The clutch was also at just the right distance. My view outside was just right, catching a slight glimpse of the rotary symbol in the hood as i look forward. All around visibility was great. I was given enough time behind the wheel to really understand what some reviewers meant by the 8 feeling very intimate. I don't know how to describe it, but i felt nice and cozy in there. I didn't feel as detached as i did in the SRT or RSX.
Anyway, so i took it to the freeway. The sweeping turn leading up to the freeway had me pushing the 8 hard as i merge into traffic at a speed i didn't realize was already faster than most other drivers on the road!! Oops, better slow down a little. Man that thing just grips the road like there's no tomorrow!! It did feel like i was fighting against something subtle that was trying to say "let me take over"... is that the DSC? Initially i thought it was just me readjusting the turning angle because i wasn't used to the car... but looking back it felt like something else was busy doing something. As soon as the salesman pointed that out, i started wishing i could have turned it off, because they spent a good deal of time trying to convince me of its absolute necessity for hard turns or wet roads...
the bad stuff:
-- low-down power. It doesn't pin you to your seat like some other cars i was thinking about... and i did miss that a little, but that turn to get on and then off the freeway had me thinking "who cares???". It reminded me of how much i loved cornering hard in my regular car. I can already hear Ike saying "well the STi handles even better" and maybe it does, but the 8 handles great for me AND i prefer its looks over anything else. So that takes care of that :p
-- the gearbox vibrates a little much...
-- when the back door is closed and you close the front one, it looks like both doors go "boing"... you know, like it bounces back and forth a tiny bit. Makes it look a little flimsy.
that's it!!
the only question i have for you guys in here is: when i'm ready to get the 8, should i get at least the Sport Package to get the DSC or can i live without it?... Frankly i don't care to bump up the price just for the DSC, but then i live in Utah and we have a little rain and some snow around the fall-winter-spring time... any suggestions? or should i start a new thread for such a question?
I'm gonna have to keep going after the 8. It just feels fantastic. Inside and out it looks awesome, on the road it behaves beautifully around corners. Anyway, here's my little un-professional review:
Looks are subjective, but that car still turns me on everytime i see it. Don't worry, i won't be hugging it anytime soon or masturbating to it. It just looks fantastic from the outside. Once inside, everything looked sharp and in the right place, with nothing that looked like much of an afterthought. The best part of the interior, for a guy of my size (5'5" for those of you who didn't know) was the comfort. I felt secure in the bucket seats, but they were not so tight on me (like the SRT) that i felt fat either. I'm only 125lbs, so really, i'm not fat. :D The gearbox was just at the right distance from my seating position. The clutch was also at just the right distance. My view outside was just right, catching a slight glimpse of the rotary symbol in the hood as i look forward. All around visibility was great. I was given enough time behind the wheel to really understand what some reviewers meant by the 8 feeling very intimate. I don't know how to describe it, but i felt nice and cozy in there. I didn't feel as detached as i did in the SRT or RSX.
Anyway, so i took it to the freeway. The sweeping turn leading up to the freeway had me pushing the 8 hard as i merge into traffic at a speed i didn't realize was already faster than most other drivers on the road!! Oops, better slow down a little. Man that thing just grips the road like there's no tomorrow!! It did feel like i was fighting against something subtle that was trying to say "let me take over"... is that the DSC? Initially i thought it was just me readjusting the turning angle because i wasn't used to the car... but looking back it felt like something else was busy doing something. As soon as the salesman pointed that out, i started wishing i could have turned it off, because they spent a good deal of time trying to convince me of its absolute necessity for hard turns or wet roads...
the bad stuff:
-- low-down power. It doesn't pin you to your seat like some other cars i was thinking about... and i did miss that a little, but that turn to get on and then off the freeway had me thinking "who cares???". It reminded me of how much i loved cornering hard in my regular car. I can already hear Ike saying "well the STi handles even better" and maybe it does, but the 8 handles great for me AND i prefer its looks over anything else. So that takes care of that :p
-- the gearbox vibrates a little much...
-- when the back door is closed and you close the front one, it looks like both doors go "boing"... you know, like it bounces back and forth a tiny bit. Makes it look a little flimsy.
that's it!!
the only question i have for you guys in here is: when i'm ready to get the 8, should i get at least the Sport Package to get the DSC or can i live without it?... Frankly i don't care to bump up the price just for the DSC, but then i live in Utah and we have a little rain and some snow around the fall-winter-spring time... any suggestions? or should i start a new thread for such a question?
01-18-2005 | 04:58 PM
#177
Blue By You
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,717
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee
Originally Posted by raji
okay everyone, i just came back from my proper test drive... and the verdict is!!!!....
I'm gonna have to keep going after the 8. It just feels fantastic. Inside and out it looks awesome, on the road it behaves beautifully around corners. Anyway, here's my little un-professional review:
Looks are subjective, but that car still turns me on everytime i see it. Don't worry, i won't be hugging it anytime soon or masturbating to it. It just looks fantastic from the outside. Once inside, everything looked sharp and in the right place, with nothing that looked like much of an afterthought. The best part of the interior, for a guy of my size (5'5" for those of you who didn't know) was the comfort. I felt secure in the bucket seats, but they were not so tight on me (like the SRT) that i felt fat either. I'm only 125lbs, so really, i'm not fat. :D The gearbox was just at the right distance from my seating position. The clutch was also at just the right distance. My view outside was just right, catching a slight glimpse of the rotary symbol in the hood as i look forward. All around visibility was great. I was given enough time behind the wheel to really understand what some reviewers meant by the 8 feeling very intimate. I don't know how to describe it, but i felt nice and cozy in there. I didn't feel as detached as i did in the SRT or RSX.
Anyway, so i took it to the freeway. The sweeping turn leading up to the freeway had me pushing the 8 hard as i merge into traffic at a speed i didn't realize was already faster than most other drivers on the road!! Oops, better slow down a little. Man that thing just grips the road like there's no tomorrow!! It did feel like i was fighting against something subtle that was trying to say "let me take over"... is that the DSC? Initially i thought it was just me readjusting the turning angle because i wasn't used to the car... but looking back it felt like something else was busy doing something. As soon as the salesman pointed that out, i started wishing i could have turned it off, because they spent a good deal of time trying to convince me of its absolute necessity for hard turns or wet roads...
the bad stuff:
-- low-down power. It doesn't pin you to your seat like some other cars i was thinking about... and i did miss that a little, but that turn to get on and then off the freeway had me thinking "who cares???". It reminded me of how much i loved cornering hard in my regular car. I can already hear Ike saying "well the STi handles even better" and maybe it does, but the 8 handles great for me AND i prefer its looks over anything else. So that takes care of that :p
-- the gearbox vibrates a little much...
-- when the back door is closed and you close the front one, it looks like both doors go "boing"... you know, like it bounces back and forth a tiny bit. Makes it look a little flimsy.
that's it!!
the only question i have for you guys in here is: when i'm ready to get the 8, should i get at least the Sport Package to get the DSC or can i live without it?... Frankly i don't care to bump up the price just for the DSC, but then i live in Utah and we have a little rain and some snow around the fall-winter-spring time... any suggestions? or should i start a new thread for such a question?
I'm gonna have to keep going after the 8. It just feels fantastic. Inside and out it looks awesome, on the road it behaves beautifully around corners. Anyway, here's my little un-professional review:
Looks are subjective, but that car still turns me on everytime i see it. Don't worry, i won't be hugging it anytime soon or masturbating to it. It just looks fantastic from the outside. Once inside, everything looked sharp and in the right place, with nothing that looked like much of an afterthought. The best part of the interior, for a guy of my size (5'5" for those of you who didn't know) was the comfort. I felt secure in the bucket seats, but they were not so tight on me (like the SRT) that i felt fat either. I'm only 125lbs, so really, i'm not fat. :D The gearbox was just at the right distance from my seating position. The clutch was also at just the right distance. My view outside was just right, catching a slight glimpse of the rotary symbol in the hood as i look forward. All around visibility was great. I was given enough time behind the wheel to really understand what some reviewers meant by the 8 feeling very intimate. I don't know how to describe it, but i felt nice and cozy in there. I didn't feel as detached as i did in the SRT or RSX.
Anyway, so i took it to the freeway. The sweeping turn leading up to the freeway had me pushing the 8 hard as i merge into traffic at a speed i didn't realize was already faster than most other drivers on the road!! Oops, better slow down a little. Man that thing just grips the road like there's no tomorrow!! It did feel like i was fighting against something subtle that was trying to say "let me take over"... is that the DSC? Initially i thought it was just me readjusting the turning angle because i wasn't used to the car... but looking back it felt like something else was busy doing something. As soon as the salesman pointed that out, i started wishing i could have turned it off, because they spent a good deal of time trying to convince me of its absolute necessity for hard turns or wet roads...
the bad stuff:
-- low-down power. It doesn't pin you to your seat like some other cars i was thinking about... and i did miss that a little, but that turn to get on and then off the freeway had me thinking "who cares???". It reminded me of how much i loved cornering hard in my regular car. I can already hear Ike saying "well the STi handles even better" and maybe it does, but the 8 handles great for me AND i prefer its looks over anything else. So that takes care of that :p
-- the gearbox vibrates a little much...
-- when the back door is closed and you close the front one, it looks like both doors go "boing"... you know, like it bounces back and forth a tiny bit. Makes it look a little flimsy.
that's it!!
the only question i have for you guys in here is: when i'm ready to get the 8, should i get at least the Sport Package to get the DSC or can i live without it?... Frankly i don't care to bump up the price just for the DSC, but then i live in Utah and we have a little rain and some snow around the fall-winter-spring time... any suggestions? or should i start a new thread for such a question?
01-18-2005 | 05:02 PM
#178
Blue By You
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,717
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee
Originally Posted by Shamblerock
Ike, at least your consistent. Keep it up. Its bolstering your reputation nicely 
Now speak to the hand!!!
Now speak to the hand!!!
01-18-2005 | 05:04 PM
#179
Originally Posted by raji
Don't worry, i won't be hugging it anytime soon or masturbating to it.
Originally Posted by raji
the bad stuff:
-- low-down power. It doesn't pin you to your seat like some other cars i was thinking about... and i did miss that a little, but that turn to get on and then off the freeway had me thinking "who cares???". It reminded me of how much i loved cornering hard in my regular car.
-- the gearbox vibrates a little much...
-- when the back door is closed and you close the front one, it looks like both doors go "boing"... you know, like it bounces back and forth a tiny bit. Makes it look a little flimsy.
-- low-down power. It doesn't pin you to your seat like some other cars i was thinking about... and i did miss that a little, but that turn to get on and then off the freeway had me thinking "who cares???". It reminded me of how much i loved cornering hard in my regular car.
-- the gearbox vibrates a little much...
-- when the back door is closed and you close the front one, it looks like both doors go "boing"... you know, like it bounces back and forth a tiny bit. Makes it look a little flimsy.
2.The tranny is really smooth but a redline swap should help with the vibration.
3.I know what you mean about the doors and how it feels not so rigid without a pillar in between the doors but the frame was reinforced to account for it. It may look flimsy, but you don't notice it when you are actually driving.
01-18-2005 | 05:19 PM
#181
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Posts: 149
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From: Utah
the doors really didn't bother me while driving or when simply admiring the car and i'm sure it's plenty solid enough. It just looked a little flimsy to me. I'm sure many of you have noticed that the only negative remarks i had to make about the car were minor at best (except for the torque).
any more comments on the DSC issue?
any more comments on the DSC issue?
01-18-2005 | 06:54 PM
#183
<p><
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 693
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I think adding the sports package (which actually is nothing really sporty) is a good deal if you can add another grand to the price. You get DSC, foglights and Xenons. The foglights are a joke, but the DSC will pay itself off as soon as you make a mistake during poor driving conditions. But then, I'm biased because that's what I have on my '8.
The doors are not going to have the solid, European feel. This is a 3000lb 4-seat RWD car. Weight has to be shed off from somewhere. If there's anything about the door that bothers me, it would be the vague door stops.
The doors are not going to have the solid, European feel. This is a 3000lb 4-seat RWD car. Weight has to be shed off from somewhere. If there's anything about the door that bothers me, it would be the vague door stops.
01-19-2005 | 12:04 AM
#184
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,144
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From: Livermore, CA
Glad to hear raji. What color are you gonna get?
BTW...have you ever test driven or considered a 350Z? I believe the handling comparable to the RX-8 but the power is more in line with the SRT-4...although I've never had one pull on me yet.
BTW...have you ever test driven or considered a 350Z? I believe the handling comparable to the RX-8 but the power is more in line with the SRT-4...although I've never had one pull on me yet.
01-19-2005 | 12:50 AM
#185
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From: Utah
a long time ago i test drove the 350z for fun. I say "for fun" because as i said earlier in this 234-page thread (:D), i have a 2 year-old and need the practicality of at least a 4-seater. So the 350z was really just a joy ride.
I'm planning on getting a base Velocity Red with a 6-speed gearbox and possibly the Sports Package. I remember reading a quote somewhere that said something to the effect of "don't try to save money because in the long run it'll cost you more than you saved". And i must say, the thought of making a mistake and wrecking an 8 is horrible... so i'm actually starting to think that maybe playing it safe and getting the Sports Package just so i can get the DSC is a better long-term idea than getting the 8 completely base. Don't really want it... but at least it'll leave the appearance of the 8 almost intact (stupid foglights lol). I seem to be one of the very few who likes to keep the 8 completely basic. I love the cloth, love the look without the appearance package, don't like the rotary accent package, etc etc. I'm just weird i guess! :D
hope all this made sense
I'm planning on getting a base Velocity Red with a 6-speed gearbox and possibly the Sports Package. I remember reading a quote somewhere that said something to the effect of "don't try to save money because in the long run it'll cost you more than you saved". And i must say, the thought of making a mistake and wrecking an 8 is horrible... so i'm actually starting to think that maybe playing it safe and getting the Sports Package just so i can get the DSC is a better long-term idea than getting the 8 completely base. Don't really want it... but at least it'll leave the appearance of the 8 almost intact (stupid foglights lol). I seem to be one of the very few who likes to keep the 8 completely basic. I love the cloth, love the look without the appearance package, don't like the rotary accent package, etc etc. I'm just weird i guess! :D
hope all this made sense
01-19-2005 | 08:53 AM
#186
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,343
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From: Mississauga, Ontario
Raji, you will not regret getting DSC. It is a great feature and provides a much higher level of safety. You always have the choice to turn off. When the ground is wet or snowy/icy, it make a huge difference in keeping your car straight and reduces the chances of the back end going out on you. Furthermore, it will help you sell the car in the future easier in case a potential buyer must have DSC.
Good luck.
Good luck.
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