First of all hello everyone. I am new to the site. I have been reading around the site for a couple of days just soaking up on a lot of info on the RX-8. I have always loved the car and some of the threads here have led me to believe that it is a very nice car.

Now to the point.

Right now I am a proud owner of a 2007 Mazda CX-7, one of the best if not the best SUV/Crossover (or whatever people call these things) that I have had the pleasure of driving. I have done a couple of mods to it and it moves very well but it is no sports car.

Well the plan is that my mother will be buying my CX-7 in the next month or so because she needs a smaller car because her SUV is so big it will not fit in the new company parking lot. She has a 1998 Mitsubishi Montero.

So now I have to go buy a new car. I have been shopping around and I want to go back to my roots and get a manual car. I would preferr a sports car but if I can't afford it then I will stick with a sports sedan or something close to that. I just want something I can drive every day and take to the track once or twice a year and have some fun with.

Cars I like: Mazdaspeed3, RX-8, 350z, Civic Si, Accord coupe. Yeah I know lot of different cars in different classes.

Even though I like all of those my top 2 right now are the RX-8 and Mazdaspeed3, in that order. I love the speed3 for various reasons, it is a nice sporty convenient hatch with incredible power, my dad has a Mazdaspeed6 and I love driving it so i know this will drive good too minus the all wheel drive, it looks great inside and has a lot of cool features, but its not a true sports car. I had always liked the RX-8 but never too much, but this week I took my CX-7 to the dealer, for the scheduled free maintenance I get for the first year every 3,000 miles, and I saw a 40th anniversary edition RX-8 with appearance package and I just fell in love. I just love the combination of the gray with the red interior. It just looked awesome. Then I sat in it and wow this car is a beauty outside and inside.

Now to the hard part. I have a heavy foot so I am not getting great gas mileage out of my CX-7, plus the CX-7 made the closet gas hogs list with the RX-8 so yeah jeje. I would just like to know if I can get similar gas mileage in the RX-8 than what I get with my current car. right now I am getting 17.6 to 19 mpg. I drive a lot, my CX-7 has only 6 months and it already has 11,000 miles on it so I want to stay with more or less the same gas consumption. I know the speed3 will consume less but again not a true sports car. I have yet to test drive an RX-8 so I don't know really how it feels but I am dissapointed that it will not have as much power as the speed3 and that is kinda sad because I like feeling power behind the wheel.

So, can I get more or less the same gas mileage on an RX-8 and is the difference in power really that bad that it will make me want to not buy it and buy a speed3?

Sorry for the long post but I just wanted to cover most of the bases. Thanks in advance.

 

I think the 8 is rated for like 16-19 mpgs. Not 100% sure on that, I know I have very heavy foot, and I get around 14-15 mpg, a mix of 35 highway 65 city driving.

If your really into getting better gas mileage get the speed3, but if you want a car that's unique and truly sporty get the 8. Good Luck.

 

Get the 8! It seems that there a lot of people comparing the MS3 and the RX8 on here lately. In addition to searching for some of these recent threads, go drive them both. My brother has a speed 3 and it is a lot of fun but it is a totally different car. Civic Si sucks in comparison to the rest. Good luck.

 

listing civics along with a mazda is blasphemy/a sin.

 

Listen buddy , your already complaining about the gas and power , thats not good . I feel you'll do better with the 3 . With all the driving you do your not going to be happy. I get about 14-15 mpg , but the car is not my daily driver , only weekend and thats if is nice out.

Its a great car , no complaints whatsoever. Its just that some people get the car then complaint about gas and power . The best thing you can do, is to test drive one and make you own decision . Do more investigative work on the car.

Good Luck....................De que parte de Puerto Rico eres ?

 

MS3 is a mini rocket.

Civic ? ...

If u want Accord, u might as well get Mazda 6, they're doing 0% APR for 60 months now, they're trying to push all the stock away for the new 09s to come, so u might be able to get *really* good deal out of it.

but if u want smooth power, 8 is ur pick.

 

I am not complaining about gas and power. I am just stating that I am aware of it but like I said I preferr the feeling of a true sports car even if it is not as powerful as a speed3 or a 350z. I like the car a lot and if it gives anywhere close to 16/22 like it is rated I should have no issue with it since I am getting 17 to 18 right now.

I really want to test drive it to get a feel for it and I might just go do it.

Soy del area metro en Puerto Rico, San juan. Tu eres de por aca?

 

i get about 18 average driving 21 full highway 16 maybe aggressive driving.

 

I know it is a mini rocket and its a mazda Zoom Zoom hehe, that is why I have it as my 2nd choice after the 8.

I know civic is crap compared to all of these but its cheap and it is a nice ride. I test drove one and it is a very nice car.

If I consider the accord I will not consider an Mazda 6. Mazda6 is so underpowered it is not even funny. The new accord has the new V6 that has a very nice output.

But again my choices right now are the 8 and speed3. I think they are the best of the bunch. Plus I have aquired a lot of love for Mazda since my dad owns a speed6 and I own a CX-7. They are very nice cars.

 

That I can live with.

I drive aggressively but not all the time. On the mornings on my way to work I drive around 15miles, maybe less, and its all traffic so no aggressive driving. And on the afternoon I get a bit of traffic, so my most aggressive driving is at night when I go out or when I see clear path to accelerate. But I do that mostly because the CX-7 pulls so nicely its just awesome to drive it like that hehe.

The 8 is just such a nice car, specially the 40th anniversary it just screams buy me.

If I buy it I plan to put an intake and exhaust in the first couple of months. Will that affect my mpg negatively or positively or stay around the same. I know with my CX-7 with cold are intake and exhaust I have been getting same mpg but just to know.

 

Well I suppose your next move will be a test drive . See if your able to take it out by yourself , you'll be able to pust it to its limits.............. Yo naci en PR . vivo en Chicago ........................

 

If you want a true sports car feel you can't go wrong with the RX-8. The handling is truly amazing. It is the best handling car I've ever driven. I took several hundred dollars of modifications to make my boyfriend's WRX handle anything near as good as my stock RX-8 (on dry pavement of course). I don't think a MS3 would be a bad choice either. Before i got my 8 I wanted a MS3 too, and I would have went for the MS3 if I could have gotten it in all wheel drive.

 

^^ yeah I know what you mean an AWD MS3 would be awesome.

But I really really want a rear wheel drive sports car. I sat in that RX-8 at the dealer and I felt at home. I sat in a speed3 and it just felt like any other car except for the nice seats and stuff but it doesnt feel like a sports car.

And I like the 350z but its not as practical or good looking as the 8. I think the 350z feels cheap inside.

 

350z is cheap inside the gauges are a dull orange yellow, dont match, and very small interior.

I have 2 friends w/ wrx's and my stock suspension is as good if not better than their sway bars and strut tower braces. So definatly one of the best handling cars around, period.

 

I get 16 mpg full city driving, and I've got probably the heaviest foot out of most....I was amazed when I got that number.

 

It looks like you have pretty much finalized your decision on the RX-8, and I believe you've made the right choice! I'm sure the test drive will confirm what you've been expecting. Just make a few quick lane changes/turns with the RX-8 and the MS3 will be out of your mind . You will definitely appreciate the RX-8 A LOT more once you've taken it to the track. Then things that you didn't experience at the test drive will show itself. Like the perfect weighted feel of the steering, more responsive and precise rev-matching/shifting, the good built-in camber adjustability, etc.

I get 17-19 mpg with about 50/50 city/highway driving, and I have a pretty heavy foot.

 

Welcome to the club.

If you have just about talked yourself into a 8, then more than likely a spirited test drive will seal the deal. Don't be afraid to rev it to the max after it's warmed up regardless of what the salesman might tell you and don't consider anything but a MT to squeeze out the most pleasure. A MS3 is definitely fast, has lots of room, and deserves some respect but in the end your still just driving a supped-up entry level Mazda that makes compromises to retain its practicality.

Good luck and report back.

 

Went to the dealer today. They had already sold the 40th anniversary edition but they will try to bring in another one. They are going to prep a manual 8 for monday so I can go get a test drive. So I will let you know how much I like the car after the test drive

 

If you think the cx7 is so good I only hope you're surprised by the rx8 when you drive it. I had a cx7 rental when the rx8 was in repair, and they feel totally opposite.

The cx7 looks sleek and steals rx8 front wheel arches, yet feels most like a passenger van around town. Drives, feels much bigger than it looks.

 

Welcome! :P "8" is great!

 

I saw like 4 CX-7s today. I like the CX-9 better though.

 

ehh, they look the same. the 9 is just bigger.

this cx-7 looks really sweet.
http://www.carbodydesign.com/archive...-7-adrenaline/

 

I bought a 05 RX8 AT and was getting around 14 - 16mpg in that thing, with a pretty heavy foot. Just recently got my 05 Shinka MT, and even though I'm driving it harder than I did the AT I'm still getting around 18mpg. I do about 50% highway 50% city driving.

 

^^ Yeah as long as I can get mpg around 18 I am ok with it. I dont mind that for being in a nice *** car like this one jeje.

 

I can get 18, but its kinda hard.

Too many stop and go Traffic, my Fuel Tank light comes on and my thing saids "160 miles" ...

I still redline it like crap tho. too much fun.

if u go on a track, and the rx8 driver is good. MS3 will barely be able to have a chance.