Aseras

i have a civic hx they are rare, so it cost more to insure, plus it's a two door. I drive it 45,000 miles per year. So I get popped there too. I drive 100 miles roundtrip a day for work so i need something that gets nigh 50 mpg. It's gopod to know your top lasted well, Most of the poeple i know with convertibles ( ford mustang , another older miata and a sebring ) all started having problems with thiers after about 3 years. the plastic started dry rotting and the canvas started cracking and that was with reasonable maintanence. I'm baised against donut spares as well. don't mind me but the 8 donut is hideous and it eats the trunk. I guess though when you are stranded it'd be worth it.

m477

The RX-8 feels like a big Miata with more power. It is also a bit smoother.

And ANY car will be horrible in the snow w/summer tires. I've known people with AWD Subarus that said they couldn't go for **** in the snow with summer tires.

DARKMAZ8

they would make for some nice front drag wheels... :D

truemagellen

Maybe you bought your Miata with a shorter shifter already installed because all the Miata's I have driven have a much longer shift.

Besides if you want to make the RX-8's short shifter ridiculously low you can get the RP or Mazdaspeed short shifter kit...very very easy to install and will suit the stick your hand in the transmission and shift needs :p .

SpacerX

My impression of the operating parameters of the RX8 echo msrecant's statements. All it takes is a little situational awareness and attention to detail WRT your vehicle... something every driver should have anyway...

sweet_tea

You are right, but the light weight of the Miata, the rear-wheel drive and the low clearance all contribute to making it a much more difficult car in the snow and ice than a heavier car with FWD or 4WD and higher clearance. Believe me, I spent years driving the latter type car in Alaska with summer tires. Smart? No (I was young and cocky), but I got by. I wouldn't attempt such a thing with a Miata. I once got stuck in my Miata on a flat, paved road that had just a bit of ice and snow. I actually had to have the car towed, if you can believe that. Very frustrating!

Someone else mentioned the ragtops on Miatas. I've had my Miata five years and my top is fine. It doesn't leak and has no tears. It has faded a bit though, but that's to be expected since I've never covered the car. So perhaps I'll like not having to worry about fading on the RX8.

WildOne

Well Sweet Tea, I am a female also and I love my 8. I want another one this time I want a MT. If I could find it I would buy it now. My only regret is that I got a AT other than that, I am really happy! One year and 11,000 miles later!

Good Luck!

sweet_tea

Hey WildOne! I agree about the MT. My Miata is a manual and I plan on getting my RX8 in MT also. It just wouldn't be right to drive a sports car with an AT in my opinion.

I need to decide what color I want. I can't tell well enough from the website. I saw a black one on that lot that was gorgeous, although I don't usually like black cars. Those of you who have one in metallic gray (really pretty to me) and black, can you tell me how they hold up after a wash? Does every bit of dirt show? Is the blue shade too obnoxiously blue? My Miata is red so I don't want a red RX8 (although it really doesn't show dirt much at all, which is great).

I've having to defend this purchase to Mr. Sweet Tea. He drives a BMW 330 and is a big fan of BMWs in general, says there is no other car engineered as well as the BMW. He said I should consider getting a used BMW in the same price range. I have driven his car and love the way it drives, but I still don't think that's the car for me.

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

titanium gray is a great color, hides dirt REALLY well, but when clean also sparkles really nicely!

guy321

clutch pedal stroke is adjustable with locknut b.

BIMMER5&RX8

Besides the 8, I currently own a BMW 530i Sport. I am a big fan of BMW. But even I would admit the the 8 is better bang for the buck. Of course you will not get the snob factor.

124Spider

If you like the ability of the Miata to corner nicely, and if you like having a bit of power for when it's useful, the RX-8 is a fine car. It really is a sports car, and it has much more room than the Miata, with two extra usable seats, and a fairly large trunk.

As someone else said earlier, with a sunroof, you will get a bit of the fell of the drop-top, but in actual use, the driving experience in an RX-8 is completely different from the driving experience in a nice roadster. If you enjoy having the top down a lot, you will miss that a great deal in any coupe.

The RX-8 is no different from any other car in the snow--put proper tires on it, and you'll be fine; try to drive in the snow in summer performance tires, and you'll regret it. We have snow tires (Blizzaks) for our RX-8, and it performs very well in them on snow and ice, whereas it can't get out of our driveway in the summer tires.

Only you can evaluate the emotional aspects of one car vs. another. I'm a convertible junkie, and even our RX-8, with sunroof open, doesn't satisfy my love of open-top driving; the S2000 is my daily driver, but it certainly does not have any more room than the Miata. OTOH, my wife mostly would prefer not to have the top down, so she drives--and loves--the RX-8.

msrecant

Oh man! The best of both worlds ... a great coupe AND a great roadster.

G8rboy

Agreed- the S2000 would make an awesome addition to the garage, if there were only room. The only roadster I like better is the Lotus Elise... but that is in no possible way a daily driver.

Tigster

I traded in my 2002 Miata for my 8 and there are a few differences I noticed right away. The 8 obviously has more power and is alot faster. But the Miata was easier to throw into corners and have fun with not that much skill. The miata was a very friendly and forgiving car. The 8 also has a much better stereo than my Miata , and there is nothing better than reving to 9K. I do however miss having the convertable top, but my wife feels better with me driving a bigger car.

Wurmfist

I put this question to the test. My mother has a 95 miata M edition. And I drove my 8, drove the Miata, and drove the 8 again. I don't think it's really even fair to compare the two against each other. They are in two wholey different classes. The 8 was superior in all aspects, handling, speed, room, comfort, luxory, you name it. Although if you are used to a Miata you will be getting more room by going to the 8, but while the 8 has no problem with the front seats, if you put people in the back seats then the driver or front passanger can get cramped, not to mention the people in the back have very little leg room. But I'm usually the only one in my 8 so it's not an issue really. I didn't buy it for my passengers to be comfortable. hehe.

bluesunlion

Sweet Tea,
I'm also female and own a 2004 RX8 and a 93 Miata. The major differences you'll see are previously echoed by other folks, but i'll go over the big ones:
The Rx8 is bigger and heavier, so the familiar weight transfer going into corners with the miata takes a whole lot more oomph, if you know what I mean. however, it's much more rigid, quiet (that's a given) and has much higher limits if you're driving aggressively.

My gas mileage has been between 16 and 20 in the 8, as I commute 50 miles round trip per day in stop and go highway traffic. My highway mileage is usually 20 or higher in regular "highway" conditions. Of course, my miata gets about 30 mpg, so that's a consideration.

The rotary engine consumes a little bit of oil by design. I usually add about 1 quart between regular 5K changes, and check it once or twice between those intervals. It's really NOT a big deal.

You'll miss the ragtop.

The Rx8 has AMAZING brakes compared to the miata.
you can get a lot more luxury features in the 8 as opposed to the miata.



Both cars are awesome. I probably would have bought an Mazdaspeed miata if we hadn't been considering children in the next 5 years or so.

My most important advice will be to go to a good dealer and take an extended test drive, then draw your own conclusion.

My next question: are you going to sell your miata personally, or just trade it in? =)

Deslock

It lives up to the hype, though it's not perfect

Microdot

I've had my 8 for almost a year now (regestration's due this month) ...And I still get a stupid grin on my face when I look at it. I love this car.

I'm about 6'4" and can't drive a Miata. I attempted to test drive one, but with the seat all the way back, my knees were still smashed up against the dash. They didn't design the Miata for tall people (that much is obvious to me).

When it was time to trade in my Jetta, I really wanted the 8, but based upon my prior experiece with a Miata, I didn't believe I would fit. I went to the dealership expecting disappointment ...Imagine my surprise at the roomy interior of the 8

...So after a test drive that I certainly deserve a ticket for, I drove it home. It was way too much fun to leave it at the dealership.

The best part, is that when I modified my insurance policy (removing the Jetta and adding the 8), My insurance actually went DOWN. I couldn't believe it, but I'm not complaining. I'm guessing it must have something to do with the 8's 1.3L of engine displacement vs. my old Jettas 2.0L ...that and some more modern saftey features in the 8

Coming from the Jetta (in which I was getting almost 30MPG), Gas milage was a big shock. ...but I've adjusted to that. Aside from breaking the cover on the center console (replaced under waranty) I can't recall a single problem it's ever given me.

I would recommend the 8 whole-hartedly and without reservation ...but don't take my word for it, ...go drive one for yourself.

Rotule

Sweet tea,

You may already be aware of this but there is another interesting vehicle for a gal looking for a sports car with a "little more room" than a Miata: another Miata.

The 2006 Miata that will be available at the end of this summer is a complete redesign. It is based on a shortened RX-8 chassis and will feature a much roomier cabin. The new car also offers a smoother and more powerful engine (170HP instead of 142), a better top, standard side airbags, electronic driving aids (TCS and DSC), a redesigned and better 6 speed transmission and a lot of other features that I can't remember right now. Interestingly, even with all this new stuff, the weight of the car will remeain the same.

Photos of the car can be found at miata.net

I guess it depends on whether a "little more room" means four seats or just a little more elbow room and on whether you're also looking for something different than a miata

G8rboy

Good point... if you can get past the looks. I don't know where their designer's heads were when they came up with that front end, but I think it looks horrible. I loved some of the prototype/concepts with a more RX8 looking front end, but the final product looks so much worse than the previous NB's, although I still think the NA was the best looking. If I ever do get another Miata as a weekend toy, it will definitely not be this new design.

Rotule

Like the RX-8's design, it seems to be a love it or hate it affair.

I'll concede that it may not be as "timeless" as the previous Miata designs but I like it. I will even go as far as to say that I like it better than the NA and NB. It still has the simple rounded look of the Miata but the designers added a few aggressive elements that I thought were needed. Interestingly, I find the front to be the best and most innovative design feature. It's the fender flares that I think are a bit too much.

G8rboy

The funny thing is the Miata rarely elicited that type of response before... but I do like some added aggressive elements. If they're trying to compete with looks of the S2000 and upcoming Solstice and Sky, they had to make some changes. I do love the interior- it's leaps and bounds better than mine or the NB, and I applaud Mazda most for not adding power just to counteract more weight. I watched over the years as the Miata got heavier and heavier, and slightly less nimble each time they added weight despite added power. My favorite is still the 1990 base Miata- no AC or power anything, tipping the scales at 2100lbs and 116hp... but so fun and tossable, it was like a grown-up go-kart. Despite what some of the HP junkies on this board think, that was a true sports car.

Rotule

I never drove a 1990 base miata so I can't comment on that but I must agree that the Miata's weight is a big reason why it's one of the most fun to drive car around.

I certainly hope that the "lower moment of inertia" of the new model makes the car feel even more tossable and fun than the current design. It seems to be what Mazda is touting and I think it makes sense. After all, the RX-8 received the same treatment and it feels lighter than what the numbers would suggest.

Imagine what the 06 Miata would be like if it felt 100 to 200 pounds lighter than the NB and drove accordingly.

Mmmhh... I think we are hijacking this thread. :o

G8rboy

Eh... this thread was looking for some good discussion anyway .

Personally, after falling in love the Miata's handling, I can't wait to try out a new Lotus... there's a car with love/hate looks, but nobody can deny it's performance capabilities.