Title says it all I guess. I just got my 2009 RX-8 back in August. I freaking love it, but... after joining the Navy and moving from WI to Jacksonville, FL I'm really itching for a convertible. Furthermore, I commute 60 miles x 5 = 300 miles/wk just for getting to work alone. Jacksonville is enormous and I never go anywhere on weekends because the gas bill hurts.

Also, the roads are so damn straight here, I can't enjoy the athleticism of the '8 enough. I hate to be "that guy" complaining about gas mileage, but what do you guys think?

I paid $21k for the car back in August. It only had 5k miles on it and now has about 19k. It seems like dealers would only give me 16k trade-in about, but considering the tax benefit of a trade-in and not having to worry about a private party sale I may do this. Tough call, I've been looking at an 06' Z4 3.0SI that's priced at $22.5k and an 06' S2K priced at $23k. If i could close the gap to a $3k or $4k difference I might do it.

Any thoughts or advice? I hate not just being happy with what I have

 

My only comment is: 06 S2k for $23k is too much imo, they are found for much less for example there was one at a dealer near me 07, 6k miles, white/red, $19k

 

Your going through a phase.

Best off to keep the car.

both cars you mention handle great, so you still have the straight away problem.

It rains allot so you won't use the convert as often as you think.

Try posting here to sell it, if you must.

 

I live in South FL, and yes, there is a difference in weather between where I'm at and Jacksonville, but here's my input. The only time I find a convertible to be nice is during the select few of winter. When its around 65-75 degrees. Not very often where I'm at. Otherwise, its either too cold (rarely) or too hot (very common). Thats just my input.

 

+1

Think about this move before you regret it bro

 

Good God stay away from Z4's. I've have two very close friends who were also roommates who had Z4's. So basically i've had two different ones in my garage and have looked them up and down, inside and out and they are not very good cars. The build quality on the rx8 is so much better by comparison.

The paint is terrible. It will chip, fade and shrink. The interior materials aren't that great. Bits and pieces break and squeak etc. The convertible top will definitely squeak. One of my friends window regulators went out which caused an awful noise. Differential leak -- twice. Transmission leak. The ride is horrible and the hood is too long.

These were not high mileage cars either. One was definitely less than 50k and the other was no more than 70k.

Trust me. I liked them at one point too. That 3.0 makes a great noise and having the top down is always fun but after witnessing two friends go through ownership i would not recommend one to anyone.

 

If you must, I'd go for the S2K.

 

You should be able to find an S2k cheaper than that and still in good condition, unless they've gone up in price since production ended. I'd try to find a better deal on an S2K and put some money in mods to really make it stand out.

 

Z4 is fugly and if the S2K is an option slammed with work meisters is the only way to go.......otherwise keep the 8.

 

OK, I own both a 2008 RX8 and a 2004 Z4 3.0i.

handling: both are great, the RX8 is like driving a scalpel, the Z is like driving a machette, both will slice and dice, but you can make more precise cuts in the 8. both cars weight about 3,000 pounds but in the Z you sit behind the center of gravity so the car feels like it is rotating around your knees. In the 8, you sit on the center of gravity and the car rotates around your hips.

engine: There is something special about the BMW straight 6. Lots of low end torque and very smooth power delivery. There is something special about the rotory. Lots of revs and smooth power delivery. I average about 26 - 27 mpg in my Z, I average about 18 in my 8.

Build quality: I bought my Z for my wife a year ago and it had about 70,000 miles on it. it runs great, I've had to replace the tie-rod ends and control arm bushings. The interior fit and finish are so-so.. feels like the car is built by red-necks in South Carolina... my 8, I bought 2 years ago with 6,000 miles on it. it now has 32,000. It is still like new and the fit and finish are awesome.

My wife loves the Z4, I love the RX8. I like the Z4, but it is not an 8 substitue.

 

The S2000 is a great car, for sure. It's a lot like the RX-8: high redline, not a lot of torque. It's slightly lighter and more compact, the suspension is stiffer and more direct feeling. It does have slightly more torque. You'll feel the difference in the length of the cars. And of course, it's a convertible. But it's even less of a freeway cruiser than the RX-8. In comparison, the RX-8 is smooth and quiet. Running top down can break up the monotony, but it is also fatiguing. I don't think you'll get a lot better gas mileage, plus it has a much smaller tank (12 gallons vs 16-17).

So I doubt that it's worth the money you'd lose in selling the RX-8 and buying an S2000, unless you really want a convertible. $23k sounds high for an S2000. If I could get that much for my '05 with 35,000 miles, I might actually sell it.

The Z4 seems like it would be a better freeway car than the S2000, but I have no direct experience. I suggest also looking at used Boxsters.

 

excellent review/comparison.

I like Z4s too. But as you said, it wouldn't be a substitute for my 8. But I would certainly own one for sure.

 

Really appreciate all the input guys. I love the 8, I think in the end I won't be able to part with it, it just feels like such a bad fit for my current situation. Being in Jacksonville, there's all these places I want to take road trips to, and I just have this obsession that touring in a roadster beats touring in a 4-seat gas guzzler. Ah well, I think I need to find a private buyer rather than trading it in. I think the Z4 is a much better option than the s2k as well, but I'd hate to miss that direct-control feeling that the Rx8 gives.

Ho hum

 

^^This

 

Get Evo my friend.