Hey guys and gals...I'm new to the forum and I am going to get an RX8 in the near future. Although this is my first post, I have read many of your posts and have found the information extremely helpful. There is one question that I have about the RX8 though. I have looked at RX8's that have been shipped to various countries around the world, and some of them have automatic air conditioning and some don't. The U.S spec. cars don't have it. Does anyone know why? I have grown accustomed to the "set it and forget it" auto systems offered by other car manufacturers. It's not like auto A/C is a luxury...it's found in many cars, but not the U.S spec. RX8. Any ideas why?

 

Japan hates the US.

 

The U.S. doesn't get euro lips, rear fog lights or auto climate control.. but we are light years ahead on recalls...

 

We don't get heated mirrors either or headlight washers. They want us to use our hands more often by adjusting the AC numerous times. The AC is not all that great anyway.

 

It's V8 envy from Japan...lol

Put it down as some marketing fool thinking he knows what we want....that's probably it.

 

Canadians get heated mirrors and headlight washers. Booya!

 

I was actually quite happy that the car doesn't have auto climate control. I much prefer being able to control the temp, fan speed, and location for the air. I've had auto control in Nissan, Infiniti, Toyota and Audi products over the last few years and have found the auto settings to be very annoying. Fan speed control is my big pet peeve, I don't like the noise of a blower fan cranking full blast. I always ended up turning off the auto control so I could adjust things manually. It's a sad day when we want computers to handle every simple task for us. Cars now have automatic keys, so we don't have to push an unlock botton as we approach the car, much less actually put a key in the ignition and turn it.... They have automatic cruise control, because even with the car going a constant speed, we somehow are too busy to pay attention to how close we are getting to the car ahead of us, and might have to tap the deccel button a couple times, or heaven forbid take control of the gas pedal for a minute or two. How did people ever drive before we had all these things. Oh that's right, they actually were paying attention to the car and the road. We're much too busy with our phones, appearance, food and drink to possibly want to drive while we're driving.

Sorry for the vent, and not saying anyone here is one of those people (likely not, as the 8 is a drivers car). I just don't think most Americans take driving seriously enough these days. Automation is great when it does things faster and better than a person can; but when it is simply because we're too lazy or don't want to be bothered to push a button or turn a ****, I think we're going in the wrong direction, and are freeing ourselves up to pay even less attention to the act of driving.

 

Amen brotha! (or sista!)

 

I agree. I've ridden in Porsches and driven a few Volvos. I hate trying to out guess what the car thinks the temperature is and how it should be adjusted, etc.

 

by the way,welcome aboard Giffe. hold on and enjoy the ride, its full of pot holes...

 

My sticker says heated mirrors...

 

Yeah. I think heated mirrors come with the sport package, or maybe touring or GT. My sticker said it had them. As for having auto climate control, I know on my STI, it has dual function. You don't have to use it automatically. I have the ability to use the fan manually with several speeds, or sturn dial to auto mode. I always thought most, if not all came with the ability to use either, like my Subaru. Personally, I like the auto mode being there, because sometimes I just don't feel like trying to adjust it myself, and it's really better then manual a/c, unless you are the type to never have use for it. On my rx8, it would have been virtually useless, because I had to crank that thing pretty high just to make it respectable, even after I had the amplifier replaced. My guess is that it would never would have even lower it's speed on my RX8. It's by far the weakest A/C I have ever seen. I do enjoy auto climate control in winter, because I can never get it right manually, and on my STI it's a set it and forget it, and keeps cabin at a very ideal temperature automatically.

 

Heated mirrors and seat warmers only come with the GT.

 

Yep, GT package here and heated mirrors.

 

LIShinka:

It sounds like you are very passionate about how we have drifted from a manual society to one that is too automated. But I think you made too much of my point...it seems that you took a cup of sugar and made a cake factory. The idea of technology is those products and services that make our lives easier, and for me, auto a/c is easier. I live in the South where it is very hot and to have the a/c adjust the temp. automatically is one less thing that I have to worry about, maybe then I can focus on the driving experience. I just don't understand why Mazda would sell their flagship automobile (to the largest car market on earth) without something as simple as auto a/c. I mean you can get that in a Hyundai!

 

I think the reason Mazda opted out of giving us auto a/c is because the a/c is so weak the a/c logic computer would order the fan to be on high and recirculation setting all the time! Europe does not really get as hot as let's say Las Vegas where temp can get to 114F like yesterday. Those people complain when the temp gets higher than 80F IMO which is within capability of the car's a/c unit.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth!

FS