I've been considering buying a new or late model sports sedan in the next couple of months. I've got a 10 month old and my miata may have to go. I also have a Volvo S80 and an old Mercedes 300E (with over 250k miles). In any case I've been looking for 4 door sedans that you can throw around (not wanting to give up the "miata" feel) and have narrowed the choices to: 98 M3, BMW 330i, or Audi S4. I've also taken the G35 and IS300 out for spins...but don't compare to the previous group. Anyway, on whim I test drove the RX-8 and loved it. I've alway preferred the previous generation RX-7...but here I get a back seat and the 4 doors worked great. But my wife needs convincing that this set up works well for folks with child seats and getting kids in and out.

So any of you out there with kids and opinions about how the car works? Know that the Volvo will be the primary family car...but mine will be a "just in case".

Thanks.

 

I am considering a miata and i own a 2004 winninfg blue Rx8 17k miles wanna see if its worth a trade/$diff?

 

I have my 5 and 7 year old kids in the back seat on a regular basis. It works fine.

 

I might...eventhough, my brother would kill me if he doesn't get my car. I still need to get comfortable with whether the RX-8 would be a decent family car when it needs to be, when it's not my performance commuter.

 

My daughter was still in a normal carseat when I got my '8. I didn't have too much trouble, but if the '8 would have been the primary kid transport car, I'd have picked something else.

 

I have an 18 month old and 4 year old child. I also have a 12 year old Miata. (Don't give the Miata Up, fight to keep her)

Before I bought the 8 I was looking for a RWD sedan. I looked at the 330i. And the G35 I considered the WRX.

I couldn't find a 330 that wasn't an auto. I had no head room in the g35 (6'2") but fit in the Miata fine. (I still don't understand)

The WRX felt like a 12 thousand dollar Imprezza (interior wise) So I got the 8 sport package without the sunroof (for headroom)

It is somewhat difficult to fit a rear facing seat in the back of the 8, I have no experience as my kids were older then.

But here, someone has done it properly. https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/infant-car-seat-fits-64715/

These are my observations.

The 18 month old is great - It is easy to get him in and out.

The 4 year old is in a booster seat (she gets in and out on her own.)

Because she sits high in the booster, her feet don't go under the front seat, she likes to kick the back of the seat and irritate mom.

(we had to nip that in the bud...)

The 18 month old discovered that he can press his feet into the back of my seat (drivers seat all the way back)

and this gets his fathers attention while driving. (I believe if you go with the leather option you will have a solid

back panel and therefore won't get the same sensation as someone trying to adjust the lumbar)

This is how I sold the car to my wife:

I went the the local mazda dealer and said "I am going to buy a car within the next week. I have to children one toddler and one pre-school.

I need to have the 8 with the car seats in for an extended multi day test drive to see if my wife will be happy."

My salesman said let me get you the keys - Good Man...:D

And I haven't look back since. Oh and non of the 330i had posi-traction

That's a deal breaker in my book...

 

Your requirements are exactly why I bought the Rx-8.

We have a 4 year old, and it works perfectly for us. Great for the short hauls to the store, park, and even the golf course!

We use the Odyssey for the longer/larger haul stuff, but everyone still wants to go in the 8.

I also looked at the Lexus IS, Audi, and BMW. The slight advantage in utility these "4-door" sedans gives you versus the 8, pales in comparison to the pure fun and enjoyment the 8 provides.

 

We have a 2 year old & 4.5 year old, and the 8 was our family car for about 6 months. Everyone loved it, and I thought the back seats looked tre cool with the kids' matching car seats installed.

Of course, we couldn't carry the baby joggers, bicycles, and Burley d'Lite bike trailer with us. It also couldn't be used to haul other big stuff. However, the truck was big enough for Costco runs.

We now have a Subaru Legacy wagon for the primary kiddie hauler, but the RX-8 was a good compromise between 'fun to drive', style, and practicality.

 

The 8 is my family car and i have a 2.5 year old son and it works great the rear doors make it quite easy to get him in and out.

 

Thanks for the advice...by the time I get a new car my son will be a year old so I can go with the front-facing seat. Also, great idea about test driving the car for a day with the car seat...my wife may go for it.

I'm also 6'2" and fit fine in the Miata...and you're right about the G35 and the WRX feeling cheap.

 

I have seven year old twins. Longest trip I've taken them without their complaining is about 30 minutes.

If you're 6'2", you may not want to get the sun roof. Esp if you intend to autocross or go to the track. I'm 5'10" and with a helmet I brush the roof. I have to lean the seat a bit farther back than I like to for clearance.

 

exactly!

 

I recently did a trip with the wife and kids and all our bags...we took a 3 hour trip into the mountains. I didn't want to take the van...too boring. Everyone was very comfortable. We used every inch of the trunck but managed to get everything in.

 

This is how I came by the 8 as well. I have a seven month old and it wasn't working with just the wife's Touareg and my SLK, so the SLK had to go. In order to sell it to the wife, we went to the dealership and strapped the car seat right in. For know it is a bit inconvenient because she is still rear facing. In a few months my passengers will get their legroom back when she faces forward. Like you, I drove the S4, 330i, 530i, WRX, and G35 and didn't care a great deal for any of them. The closest thing I found was the VW R32 but I really needed the extra doors. Overall I am very happy with my purchase, and at 6'3 am having no problem with headroom with the sunroof.

Good luck to you.

 

Yes, it is a very good car for the kids.

My 8 is a daily driver, with a 5 yr old in a booster seat. Getting him in and out is very easy. He has trouble buckling his own seat belt, since the buckle is pretty deep betweent he seat and hump. I wish I had a short 6in extension,so he could id it himself.

Some of the monster size child seats don't fit very well, but the sleek lightweight ones fit fine. I would imagine a rear facing seat might be a tight fit also.

I put my son on the pasenger side, so I can maximize his leg room when there are only two of us. However, when there is a front seat passenger, he is still very comfortable.

My wife had the same concerns about rear seat room as your's does. After we took a test drive, with the three of us, plus the salesman, she didn't argue too much. The only thing she could think of was 'what if we have twins next?'

Sunroof:

I'll agree with some of the comments about the sun roof. My last car had one. I didn't use it much (after the first few months). I'd much rather have the 3 inches headroom instead.

Good Luck!

 

Had my sister's kids in my car yesterday, ages 10 and 11. They fit fine, however it was 105 outside and hot as a bastard in the back seats where it seems fairly difficult to get good air-flow. They pissed and moaned for awhile until the air was circulated. Thought you should know that since you are also in Texas.

 

I also was looking very closely at both the 330i and 97-98 M3s. In my opinion they are three very different levels of chassis feel. The 330 was the easiest to find but clearly had the numbest and heaviest feel. It did not make my cut as light and agile were very high on my priorities. I looked very hard at the E36 M3s and after having some difficulty finding a reasonably low mileage example configured to my taste, I realized I could get a very low mileage RX8 for much less complete with a few years of factory warranty. The chassis is noticeably the most agile and the kids really love the back set up (they are 8 and 5). The boosters are easy to access and the wife finds dealing with them in there easier than in our Audi S6. The E36 chassis is certainly great but the RX-8 is even more fun in my opinion.

 

One thing I like about using the car seat in the rear are the hooks beneath the rear seat.
They provide a very strong anchor point along with the attachment on the rear shelf.
(as seen in below photo)
The seat cushion is very easy to remove... Just lift up the front edge (firmly).

 

^agreed

 

The 8 is about the only 2 door-ish sports car that is kid friendly. In fact I think there's a huge segment of 20-50 y/o family guys out therewho gave up on sports cars because they're not aware the 8 exists or think it's not truly family friendly. Sedans like a 3 series are nice but they scream sedan. I look at the 8 and think sports car.

Most car seats fit in the back pretty well regardless if front or rear facing. Some fit better than others though. There's a thread in here somewhere listing the ones that fit best. The better the fit the more front seat room. The back seat latch system is great but not necessary. The 8's seat belts have the permanent lock feature designed for baby seats.

Regarding ease of getting kids in and out... I just picked my wife and newborn up at the hospital last week. Popped the back door open, easily got the seat in with no problem, snapped the seat in the base, and was done. Took about 5 seconds. The nurse who wheeled my wife out made a few comments like she was thinking "so, where is the baby going to fit in that thing?"

I've driven a 330i before and in my opinion the 8 is very close in feel and driving manners. If you really want to feel like you're driving a sports car and not a sporty sedan, the 8 really is a fantastic car. The more I drive it, the more I like it.

 

Thanks everyone. This forum was a great find. I appreciate the comments. I might get back into Autocross so the comment about not going with the sunroof is good....plus if it's not a convertible I'd hardly use it anyway...don't on the Volvo. I'll start looking on Autotrader to see what's available.

 

Unfortunately the only way to not get a sunroof is to get a rather low-equipped model. At 6'3" I can fit in the car fine with the moonroof and am not leaning back that far; you've just got to lower the seat. Just the other day I was reading of someone 6'2" autocrossing (helmet of course) with the moonroof and not having a problem.

 

I have a four year old and have no problems with him getting in and out. He gets mad when I don't let him ride in it. My loves riding as a family.

 

I just all depends on where your "tallness" is. Some people get there height from having long legs, and an average torso. They will fit better in a lower roofed car. I, on the other hand have a long torso.

So even with the seat all the way down, my head still rubbed the sunroof. And forget he helmet rule...

But it all works out, There IS an 8 out there for everyone! :D

 

I use the 8 as my commuter car. I'm not too sure about installing a child seat in back, but overall, the car is definitely kid friendly. My son's friends love the car and consider it a thrill to carpool.
You may want to get them a Gameboy though. They sit very low in the car and don't really have much of a view. Staring at the front seatbacks for any length of time gets old really quickly.