JeffNY

Its nice to see the RX-8 now finally has a navigation system (something my '99 TL had 7 years ago, and Acura offered 10 years ago on '96 models).....but I was checking out the Sirius installation on a Shinka RX-8 and saw it uses a MAGNETIC mount antenna on the trunk with the wire hanging out and going into the trunk!! Whats up with that?? It looks real cheezy on a otherwise amazing looking car.

Can't Mazda figure out how to make a sat antenna mount for the roof? There are guys on the Acurazine forum who used a 2006 Accord XM roof antenna and fitted their Sirius unit inside it for there 2002 TL:
http://img116.imageshack.us/my.php?i...sc025719gy.jpg
.....why cant the Mazda factory do it???

Jeff

JeffNY

I saw one on the dealer lot on a Shinka RX-8 (I know what they look like because I have on on my '99 TL)......plus the magnetic mount antenna is shown on Mazdas own web site:
http://home.earthlink.net/~jeffny61/RX8Sirius.JPG

.....do you know of any pics of the (non-magnetic mount) factory Sirius antenna?

Jeff

JeffNY

This is how my mag mount Sirius antenna looks on my '99 TL:
http://home.earthlink.net/~jeffny61/...untAntenna.JPG

....not bad looking, and the black antenna doesn't stand out too much with the Dark Emerald Pearl paint. Short of doing what the guy above did with the 2006 Accord XM roof antenna (and painting it to match) it's not bad for a 7.5 year old car. But it is not the solution a new model RX-8 should be using.

EyeBall Fixer...(o)(x)

06 Shinka here. My Sirius antenna is mounted with double sided tape on the rear trunk.
I don't have a clue why Mazda chose this location, it wasn't planned very well.
With all the plastic body parts we have, they could have hidden it in a less obvious place.
I will be moving it inside the car, under the rear shelf this spring. I'll post a DIY then

swoope

iTrader: (5)

man,

you are bitchin about not having nav before the car exsisted... i dont get it...

as to the antenna. i would go with the trunk mount before the pic you supplied.. but maybe you would like one of the shark fins...

a photo of the xm antenna on my trunk..

beers

tmak26b

I have a feeling SAT radio was port installed?!?

Where exactly is the NAV antenna anyway? I dont see any difference between my car and a non nav one

JeffNY

Ahhhh....double sided tape....Ok.....would you consider moving it to the roof using a gutted 2006 Accord XM roof antenna (and painting it to match) like the guy above?

In case you are interested in doing it see "1osunut"'s posts and explaination how he did his:
http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138269

Thanks for the info,
Jeff

JeffNY

>>you are bitchin about not having nav before the car exsisted... i dont get it...<<

The orignal RX-8 had no navi at all....and ALL Mazda vehicles had no Navi at all until 2004 I believe. Just wondered why it took Mazda EIGHT YEARS to catch up to Honda / Acura.

>>as to the antenna. i would go with the trunk mount before the pic you supplied.. but maybe you would like one of the shark fins...<<

You think two sided tape is a good solution on that pristine factory paint job??

And shark fins? Did you see the pic above? Try this one:
http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?i...sc026528oh.jpg

No "shark fins" there.....but I think on the cars with that have "fins" (Audis?) the antenna serves more than one duty....satellite radio and car cell phone or FM antenna I think. Anyone know for sure?

JeffNY

>>Where exactly is the NAV antenna anyway?<<

Not sure where it is on the RX-8, but on my '99 TL it's embedded in the rear window glass. But that was a while ago. Not sure if thats where Acura still puts it on the new TL though....

swoope

iTrader: (5)

the one in the photo is a xm it is magnetic with rubber feet.. it has been on for over 30 k miles and the paint is still just fine...

as to the navi... the rx8 came out in 04 with a nav. i dont get your point...

if one were clever. i would mount the xm / sirrus reciever to the bottom of the windshield wiper tray... would blend right in... never be seen...

good luck. seems like you are not going to be happy for whatever reason..

beers

swoope

iTrader: (5)

here you go..

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ht=nav+antenna


beers

JeffNY

>>as to the navi... the rx8 came out in 04 with a nav. i dont get your point...<<

My point is its nice to see Mazda (and the RX-8) have navi as an option. Thats all. I had a '90 Mazda 626 and LOVED it....until some jackass rear-ended me at a stop light and totaled the car. It was fun to drive, drove like a sports car, and the fit and finish on that car was AMAZING. After almost 9 years only rust on that car was a tiny spot you couldnt even see on the bottom of the rear drivers side door. And that car ALWAYS started and ran great when you turned the key. I'm a fan of Mazda, but if they can't keep up with the big boyz and offer the innovation buyers want (or let quality slip) they won't sell as many cars.

I wanted to buy another Mazda in '99 when I got my TL....but they just couldn't match Acura for "bang for the buck" (and offered to Navi option). And its hard to beat Honda in the reliabilty dept. (although I thought my 626 DID). But at the end of the day the TL was my choice. My interior still looks better than many new cars today!

I WANT to buy an RX-8. But I am a happy TL owner. I am trying to weigh it all out....new TL or RX??? But when I read about the low MPG and some of the posts here about quality and reliabilty it makes me cringe....having owed three GM trucks I will NEVER buy an unreliable ()
or GM) again.

I too wonder why Mazda would not offer a high perfomance six in the RX-8 as an option. The could probably double RX sales. I know I know, it should have a rotary.....and the rotary is probably more fun to drive. But "fun" is only part of the equation....."MPG" and "Reliabilty" also come into play....in my mind anyway.

So, I am just adding this all up.....taking a second look at the RX-8 as I plan my new car purchase.....and doing a little "thinking out loud" here....

Jeff

JeffNY

>>The RX-8 was released with a navigation option from day one.<<

Really? I followed this car about two years before it went into production. I will have to look around here for my original RX-8 brochure. My memory was when it finally shipped it did not offer navi as an option. But if you are correct, and you may very well be, then it must have been one of the Mazda models to offer it.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

jeff,

you seem to worry about the small stuff as it is big stuff... the tl you got was a lot more than any mazda at the time...

as to the rx8 it is a great car, but you need to read and learn about it..... it is not a duh no brainer car...

as to gas mileage. i get about 21mgp all the time... just did a trip, got almost 26. the worst i have seen is 18.

but i dont live in cali and sit in traffic... if you are worried about the nav and the location of the antenna for sirrus you are missing the whole point of the car... stay with a tl... i i think they are great cars..

beers

swoope

iTrader: (5)

yep,

day one. i can scan it for you. it was a 2k option.

beers

JeffNY

>> it was a 2k option.<<

Ok, I stand corrected then

tmak26b

If it has a piston engine, it wouldn't be a RX. It would just be an ordinary sporty cars.

99TL vs RX-8? Dude, there is no comparsion. They are completely different type of cars. I bought my RX-8 from an Acura dealer. I test drove a used 03 Type S, a new 06 and my 04 RX-8. While the TLs almost do everything better, but the thing is just boring as hell. THe older one I test drove were like Honda Accord with leather seats. The new ones are much better, but thye dont handle or feel as good as the RX-8. I can do circles around TL at the track despite their extra HP.

Also what's with all the idiot who writes that they have a smooth engine? THey need to ride in a VQ or a BMW 6 to know what smooth is. The engine was so rough, it was crazy!

JeffNY

>>If it has a piston engine, it wouldn't be a RX. It would just be an ordinary sporty cars.<<

Maybe an "ordinary sports car" that's more reliable and has better MPG. I am not saying drop the wankle....just maybe offer a hgh performance piston as an option. The RX-8 is a complellling car on a lot of fronts. But there are people who really hesitate at buying a rotary. If Mazda doubles RX-8 sales and half have piston engines, how is that a bad thing...for consumers OR Mazda? Seems a win-win to me.

>>99TL vs RX-8? Dude, there is no comparsion. <<

Where did I compare my '99TL to a RX-8? I said, as a '99TL owner, I am trying to decide what to buy next....another TL (new, or all new 2008 TL) or RX-8.

Jeff

Astral

I drive my 8 with my foot in it all the time, and get 15-16mpg. I drive more conservatively and put my foot in it once in a while (on-ramps etc) and get 18mpg. Typical all-highway is 20mpg. Grandma highway 21mpg.

Point is, follow the following decision process:

1) Can you deal with 16-20mpg?
2) Can you deal with RX-8's stock power level?
3) Can you deal with RX-8's lack of low-end torque? (Not much go below 4K RPMs)
4) Can you deal with limited cargo space?

I think that if you don't turbo it, you don't have too much to worry about reliability, although I would say it probably won't be as reliable as the Acura: the engine is still relatively early in its life (although many issues have been worked out, such as the recent recall/flash).

So if you answer yes to 1 thru 4, get the 8.

JeffNY

Astral, thanks for the info and observations. By the way, what kind of 0-60 or 1/4 mile times does the RX return? (I am as guilty as anyone else coming off the stop light wanting to show the guy in the next lane whos faster heehee.....which I suppose when you think about it is really dumb....but why is it so much fun to beat the guy in the other car?)

Astral

0-60 5.9sec, 1/4 mile 14.5, but realistically, 0-60 6.5sec and 1/4 15.0-15.5 based on your shifting skills. The low-end torque is low, so expect to rev it a bunch when taking off (I found that launching at 3-4K or so usually works out pretty well).

swoope

iTrader: (5)

this is not the car for you.

beers

volk

JeffNY,
I know this post is a month late but I had my Sirius factory radio installed and the antenna was installed on the front edge of the dash in the corner on the passenger side by the windshield.

It looks like it is part of the interior and doesnt mess with the clean look of the exterior.

As far as reception, I still get a clean signal sitting in my garage.

encorez

I just put my old Sirius into the rear seat compartment, right below the antenna. And wired the Sirius antenna through the trunk. Drilled a hole for power from the rear cig lighter.

Detrich

not to jump on the bandwagon, but honestly, i would hardly consider the acura TL a perfect car either...

the rack & pinion steering really makes the turning radius on that thing absolutely terrible. (just try making a short u-turn or parking in that thing.) also, if u do 90% city driving, it also gets absolutely horrible gas mileage- around 17 or 18mpg at best- plus it only takes 91 octane.

the console design & displays are also pretty difficult to use as well- ie too overly complex and dense & not conducive to quick scanning. u can't quickly glance at it to find a simple on/off control, much less do anything without studying it for a while or learning where everything is. (did they study console design from mercedes or something, cuz, i have to say they struck out big time on this one.)

also, the stock tires are completely inadequate at handling the power coming out of the rwd. step on the gas just a tiny bit too fast and u'r doing burnouts & wearing down your tire tread needlessly... also, there is a long plastic mud guard that runs along the front of the car that pretty much scrapes anything higher than a toilet plunger. that one made me laugh when i finally had to look down there and see why even on ordinary street driveways it would scratch all the time.

oh yah, and did i forget to mention the side view mirrors that automatically move every time u go into reverse? for taller drivers this is annoying as heck.

when my parents first got their 05 TL (fully-loaded), i really liked it and all the amenities. but, as i got to drive it more over the past year to help shuttle my dad around in it (he was sick), i really noticed a lot of design problems w/ this car. they paid $35.5 otd, so not too shabby overall, i suppose for a mid-size luxury car. but, it has a lot of poorly and over-designed things that i think honda needs to go back to the drawing board on.

my 2 cents anyways...