Socket7

MT. Tiptronic systems just aren't the same as a clutch and a 6 speed. I got to drive my dads Acura RL with tiptronic and it was disappointing as hell. No sense of connection or control over the car. To me, tiptronic is the difference between piloting an aircraft carrier, where you yell down a tube to change your speed, and then someone in the engine room sets it for you, where an MT is like sitting in a fighter jet, with everything under your complete control.

There's just nothing like the feeling of the clutch grabbing under your left foot and the car taking off like it was shot from a catapult. With an AT, you plant your foot to the floor, watch the revs climb as you sit around waiting for the torque converter to get up to speed, then bring the transmission up to speed, and finally your *** up to speed. I hate the way the rev's can change by 2000 RPM and there is no corresponding change in speed in an AT.

AT is great for driving when you don't want to think about driving, but what is the point of having a car designed for driving if you don't want to bother with thinking about the process of driving?

Black Hatch

Stick it in 2nd gear and you can drive it like an auto... almost.

nvrfalter

iTrader: (1)

cake bro.

i just figured this thread would be locked cuz it seems like theres one every 2-3 days and its always the same crap.

DOMINION

Not true. I have way more controll over the car in stop and go traffic than I did with the AT.

Shinka-RX-8

Thanks for responding to this topic. With this I meant not so much personal liking or disliking to transmitions(because I prefer manual-it makes me feel the car on the road) but more technically-which is better for Mazda RX-8,the one that give longer life for RX-8 and is better for handling in services.
In this forums there nare so many RX-89 owners like in no other forums, so it is great to see that there will definitely be someone who helps to find out different things. Thank you for that!

DOMINION

Longer life depends on how you treat the car and that my friend goes for any car. However the AT had the most probs with over heating and compression fail.

Razz1

True.

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

M/T is more reliable:
- It has 2 oil cooler which helps with the overheating problems that some rotaries have.

alz0rz

iTrader: (41)

screw that I live in NYC and I still wouldn't have seen myself getting this car with a automatic transmission..

04RX8man

Jedi is very true the early auto's only had one oil cooler so your motor in an auto will run quite a bit hotter and the oil will break down quicker from the heat

Shinka-RX-8

Then it is better to have MT and younger because of coolers? I'm thinking of an RX-8 about years 2006 and 2007.

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

06 and 07 RX-8's are virtually the same. Go with which ever one fits your buget and you can find in a color you like.

04RX8man

Unless u want to b in the cool kids color club then u must get an 04 cause that's the only year they made lightning yellow!

Shinka-RX-8

Yeah, I noticed that yellow colour is only for 04 and some 05, but why further it is not in that colour available?
For me both are important-exterior and interior.

Bunique

Mt...

motorups

Got the auto myself and this was before I finally learned what those transmissions in vw's were all about (dsg?). The rx8, as others have explained, is sort of a 'play' auto/manual transmission in that when one changes gears (via the stick shift or the paddle shifters) it does take a second or two for the full effect of the change to take place. It is not one of those things like the car has no power or that a change does not take place it is just sort of like the way a automatic only transmissions shifts gears (smoothly from one gear to another). Not a bad thing so far as automatic transmissons go and being able to control those gear changes by putting the stick shift in manual mode or use the paddle shifters lets the driver control the shift change and thus control the rpm range.

Now if the rx8 had those vw (and a few other brands) dual clutch...that is the thing I just learned (started to understand) recently then indeed buying a rx8 over a manual stick shift might tip the balance so far as which one rx8 'to be' owners might wish to buy. Other rx tech heads would know better on that point but it would seem really nice to have.

In the end I would say to make the rx a true sports car (well one without a drop top yet has a back seat) then manual, at this point in time, would be the way to go. Still, I jump into my ride (red/black leather and red/black steering wheel and enjoy the ride). Sorry but to me...and guess it is mostly me...the need for speed in reaching the 9k mark on the rpm guage is just a 'non issue'. I'm very happy getting to the 6k mark and maybe touching 7k +/-. Heck in 2nd gear one is going pretty fast when hitting those two rpm marks and I only do it since post on the board recommend it daily/weekly. She does fine from 3k up though of course gets better at 4k, 5k.

If I had to guess I would say having the manual 'makes', in many rx8 members minds, 70% of what owning a sports car/rx8 is all about. I could live with one but happy enough with my auto/auto-shifter setup. I enjoy the 'cat like' feel of the steering control the rx8 offers and if I could find a lady that looks as good as the lines on my rx8 I would be married by now (well a lady that would have me). If mazda offered a dual clutch model that could, if they came out with a improved (mpg) rotary engine, make me consider a switch since a dual clutch prevents (lessens too a large degree) any power lost as one changes gears up/down.

In the end you just need to drive them both, if you love the manual get it. If you drive the manual and sit there and tell/ask yourself...
(do I really want to have to shfit gears all the time...well maybe a manual is not for you). And to all the rx8 owners that say you cannot have a rx8 if it does not have a manual....or that say if it has an auto it is not a rx8...well I will be nice and not say what I think about that. I got an rx8, it has an auto...deal with it. I'm happy and the world goes on...if that bothers others then they need to get a life.

p.s.
this forum is good, lots of great information but yes...the rx8 auto owners are the black sheep of the family on this site that is for sure.
Ride safe, no tickets and listen to the rotary music !

Shinka-RX-8

What also makes me think about MT or AT is that here in my country there are so few RX-8's and no one with AT, that I'm not sure about the service, if there could be a person to fix something. As I have noticed then there are several countries where this car is beloved and available as any other, but in my country from the available offer I could choose only two to buy. (I thinking about buying it from another country-bigger choice)

Renesis07

iTrader: (1)

Dude, trust the 95% of us that are saying get an MT

Shinka-RX-8

Thank you all!!! This forum really helps because of YOU-understanding and firndly-helpful users.

04RX8man

the yellow's were only made in 04 i believe becasue they were the most UNPOPULAR color made then i think like Nordic Green or smething like that haha

Renesis07

iTrader: (1)

Which is funny bc I love both of those colors.

I have only seen 3 LY RX8's in my 3 years of ownership. I love the uniqueness of that color

04RX8man

yes very very unique for sure i rarely see any around orlando i know of 4 or 5 i think i'm pretty sure only 4

04RX8man

of course i'm sure there's more but tht's all the different ones i have seen