...just curious, i have to drive 10 miles to school every day, and i wanted an RX-8 as my first car...i'm 15 and in the next year or so, i'll be driving, and i LOVE this car, I liked the RX-7, but it's not very dependable...and if i can't get to school in the morning, i'm screwed, and if it breaks down half way home...i'll be sitting on the highway for between 1-3 hours(both parents can leave work at 5:00, but don't leave until 5:30-5:45, and it takes about 20 minutes to get to my school and we get out at 2:45) so i need a very dependable car...but i want it to be a nice sports car...i've heard that i'm too young to have a car like that...but oh well, i want it. :p

 

Monkey ... the rx8 is not a Yugo. In fact most new modern car are considered "dependable" (unless you get a lemon). heck a neon is "dependable".

If I were you I would hold off on the rx8. There's just too much temptation to race it at your age. Even I feel like racing it at times (and I'm 26). No doubt envious jerks will ding up your car in the parking lot. Save the cash and learn to be a good driver first.

 

are you paying for it yourself?

 

lol buy a beater!

 

No, i'm not paying for it myself

WTF is a beater??

 

 

oh god....save yourself the trouble and live a couple years before you even THINK about the 8

 

so just because of my age you're making unfair judgements about me? trust me, there are people that have some really nice cars, so i know that it'll be ok.

and i'm a very responsible person...and a lot of people i've talked to(friends), say that 35,000 isn't that much for a sports car

 

The RX-8 is pretty dependable IF you keep in mind its cold shutdown quirkiness. A 10 minute drive should be enough to warm up the engine, although it's likely you'll see the worser side of gas mileage if that's all the traveling you'll do mainly with the car. I always try to take a longer route if I'm doing just a short trip to work or a store just to ensure the engine's warmed up. Don't know who has to pay for the gas but if you do, expect to fork out $25-30 a week or so for premium gas.

I'll admit though, I'm always apprehensive everytime I go to start my RX-8...especially when it has hard starts, which it seems to have more often when the weather's hot. Reports of flooding after a year of ownership with no floods doesn't help either. So I guess if you know about the rotary, that's always going to be in the back of your head everytime you start the car.

 

lol...10 miles...about 15 or 20 minutes
...i DO have to pay for gas...it takes premium?? can't i put regular in it??
what i meant by "dependible" was, that i could get to and from school in it...to the shore during the summer, the mall, etc., and i have the cold start procedure memorized...hold gas pedal ALL the way, turn ignition for about 10 seconds, stop, then start like you normally would

 

A beater is a POS

 

Look, I dom't think people are coming down on you just because of your age. I think people (myself included) remembver what it was like when we were your age and when we say buy something else first, we say this through experience. There are thinks that we all did with cars back when we were younger that we just wouldn't do now. Having a less expensive car to learn on or experience what driving is about isn't a bad thing.

 

Unfair? Prove me wrong that a 15 year old deserves an RX-8 and can treat it right.

I don't care how RESPONSIBLE you are...your mommy and daddy are buying a frickin' sports car for you when you're 15...you're a spoiled brat...PERIOD. I don't care what your prep-school buddies say.

 

Monkey its cool man
get it
I live less than 5 minutes away from my high school
and i drive my 8 every morning
as you can see people from my school drive mercedes bmws and such
so my rx8 is safe with other 50k+ cars

 

Regular gas works just fine in the rotary - the RX-8 is no exception. I don't feel any difference between using regular and premium gas.
However, the manual recommends premium.

 

I would need to have a talk with your parents as when someone this young gets any type of car they get a change in attitude towards the parents (now you have freedom) and for school (gotta drive-got no time for homework)
My stepdaughter got several cars in the year she turned 16 and it was downhill from there-eventually dropped out of school after we bought her a new one. It was playing hooky to go to the mall. Unfortunate for my 8 yr old, she will not get a car until she can pay for it in cash-no matter what age she is. Been there, done that

 

Didn't realize it was 10 miles, not 10 minutes...you shouldn't have to worry about the cold shutdown deal then, unless the car just decides to go funny on you.

You can use regular, but I'd be a little more careful about getting hard on the gas when you do that. I've tried going between premium and midgrade, and there was a very noticeable lack of throttle response. Wasn't brave enough to go and try regular next after that experiment. If you use regular, you can risk pinging or knocking if you drive it hard, which is particularly bad for a rotary. If you have enough self control to just cruise the car, than regular would probably be fine. Keep in mind though that you're only talking a difference of about $3-5, so it's not like you save a whole lot between regular or premium. The reason people try using a lower octane fuel is that you can get better mileage...I went immediately from a steady 14.7-9 when using premium up to 15.4 MPG myself when I went with the midgrade.

 

Who cares about those people with BMW and Mercedes. Those are powerful cars that require respect and care. I wouldn't be surprised that in 2-3 years, those cars would need major overhauls from the lack of care/abuse. Same goes with the RX8. Think about your PARENTS' hard earned money going to waste.

Despite what we say here on the forum, you will probably get the 8 anyways. Just be forewarned that this car may get you into trouble or hurt. At 15, I thought I was a supergenius and mature, and I was a good kid (ha ... little did I know). Save your PARENTS' moola on college/university and get some driving experience in a beater. I dread the day that some "responsible" kid in a Mustang/Corvette/BMW/etc plows into my 8.

 

When I was in high school I went to a similar type of upscale school. All my friends had fancy cars. Know what my parents bought me? A 1980 Diesel Volkswagon Rabbit. This was 1997 so it's not like it was 1980 and it was new. I was embarrased for awhile but eventually learned the two hard truths that are indisputable.

1) You will always beat the living hell out of your first car.
2) You will always look back at your first car and love it, no matter what it is.

I had tons of fun with that car, and my high school days were just as fun or more so then they would have been if I had an expensive car. But the difference is my car only cost 1,000, so it was great to learn on and beat the hell out of. I'm telling you, man, get a economy car or a older nice car, it'll all be the same in the end.

 

For the same $$ you can buy a rocking used sports car with lower insurance, better mileage (read less $$ spent at the gas pump...especially if you have to pay for that yourself). A used Honda S2000, used C5 Corvette, used Porshe Boxster, used BMW 3 series....you can find ALL of these for less than a new RX-8 (and I'm talking really NICE used). I'm not dinging my RX-8, I really love it....but for a new driver wouldn't it be wiser to get a used car and save your $$ for after you get out of college and really know what you want? I had a used Toyota Corolla hatchback when in highschool/college and you could NOT beat the versatility (moving in and out of the dorms, camping trips, cheap and reliable, etc). Plus think about this....if you go to college where you're in a dorm, usually there is NO covered parking. I'd never let my baby sit out in the element all day, every day. How about a used Ford Probe GT (it's still really a Mazda)?

 

Get a used Miata. Your parents will spend less than half the price of an RX-8. You'll learn to drive a car well. It seats only two people, eliminating the major factor in teenage traffic deaths (driving with more than one passenger). You'll learn what a "sports car" actually is. And if it's not quite the car you want, you can spend your time learning to spell "dependable."

Sorry, friend. The following is not directed toward you. It's directed toward your (and others') parents. What the HELL are you thinking? Purchasing an automobile for a 15-16 year old at a price equal to what 40% of American families earn in a year is no way to teach your kid the value of a dollar. It's no way for a kid to learn the cost of independence and responsibility.

What on earth is your objective? To teach your child that he/she can expect the world to provide luxuries at no cost? To instill a mentality that values consumption over all other values? To encourage massive debt at an early age?

To impress your friends and neighbors with your affluence? To encourage the same mentality in your child?

Instead of spending $25K to $30K on car for your kid, get a safe, sane automobile for less than half that price. Take the rest of the money and use it as an investment fund. Teach your kid to invest wisely and postpone immediate consumption. Your kid will thank you.

Sorry. Enough middle aged ranting. I'm frankly appalled at the values apparently represented by this thread and other evidence in my affluent suburb that many parents are truly insane.

 

+1 on the Miata...for most people, except for a kid just learning to drive? I'd suggest a mid 90s SUV...something large, and crash-resistant. I agree with JSH - I question your parents commitment to your well-being; cuz they are giving you a $30K missile.

 

Back on topic, the car rates a 7.5 on the dependable scale because of the one time it flooded(just don't kill your car cold). The RX8 requires more attention than non-rotary cars but it is worth it and very much deserves it.

 

Sorry to hijack the thread for this comment, but it doesn't seem worth starting a whole new thread. Personally, I'd be hesitant to purchase an SUV for a teenager. In addition to the rollover potential, the very fact that mid/large size SUV's allow kids to carry several passengers contributes heavily to their riskiness.

Specifically, teenagers driving with passengers are 3 times as likely to crash as those driving alone. That's a HUGE factor in overall risk. Add to it the fact that teenagers are more likely to drive while drowsy and more likely to indulge in risky driving behavior, period, and there's no mystery about their insurance rates.

 

Here's the SUV I learned to drive in...



Perfect vehicle to 'cut one's teeth' in.