[Warning: long thread incoming.]

Some background on me...I'm 24 years old and when it comes to cars I am a bit of a geek...though to be honest I have limited quality knowledge (as far as tuning goes) or skill (as far as both driving and mechanical aptitude go) but a high interest level in improving all of these things. I have owned two cars in my life (three if you count a beater I bought that ended up being a lemon), none of which ever cost me more than $2,000. I'm at a point in my life right now where I feel ready to take on having a car payment, etc., and I am looking for a car that will be *fun* to drive while remaining at least somewhat practical. My taste in cars is such that I weight handling and the overall driving experience to be way more important than things like 0-60 mph times or top speeds.

For the most part, for the last month or so I've had my heart set on picking up an '04 or '05 WRX (not STi.) I got to drive a buddy's STi around and fell in love with the WRX platform. I've also had a fondness for EVOs and the whole concept of turbocharged engines + AWD platforms. I've also been considering the Mazdaspeed Miata and the RX-8, but wasn't really feeling any pressure to SERIOUSLY look into them. But I found what seems like an awesome deal on an '04 RX-8 on ebay that really has me thinking.

From what I've seen, the selling points for the RX-8 are its handling, forgiving driving characteristics, and overall fun factor, with the negative sides being of course bad gas mileage (I know going into this that there will be sacrifices made) and possibly reliability issues? I'm not too concerned with pure power so I'm not too worried about the torque, but one of the things I did find impressive about my friend's '04 STi was the feeling it gave when you asked it to accelerate hard.

I'm not trying to start a flame war as in WRX vs. RX-8....I'm just wondering which car is more right for me. I want a car that will be fun, easy to drive, and moderately fast, that will give me a solid foundation to work off of as I learn to drive, tune, and work on my car. I am not planning on creating an aftermarket monster (no matter which car I get) nor am I interested in the slightest on slapping body kits and a bunch of decals all over the place. Also, I would like a 6 speed manual transmission but will settle for a 5 speed manual (obviously, since my first choice was a WRX. )

All my tuning plans were based on the idea of buying a Scooby but the basic idea was to mod the stock intake, get a better exhaust, and do the appropriate amount of ECU tuning, along with hopefully installing a water spray for the intercooler (it gets hot here in Arizona) and upgrading to 17" lightweight forged rims, better tires, and light suspension tuning (probably just an aftermarket rear anti-sway bar.) No matter what car I get, I want to tune it slowly with the goal of enhancing its character rather than doing anything that will drastically change the balance and overall feel of the car.

Also, I personally am not a fan of FWD platforms at all for performance cars. So feel free to make other vehicle suggestions, but I'm not really going to consider stuff like the SRT-4 or Acura RSX Type-S.

 

Cars I test drove before I found my love for the RX-8

Subaru WRX STi (fun... I just am not a fan of all wheel drive though)

2004 Pontiac GTO (torquey and somewhat fun, fit and finnish was much, much better than your average American car... overall, not bad. Quick off the line too.)

Nissan 350Z (fast, handled well but understeered more than I liked. The fit and finnish was abysmal.)

2005 Mazda RX-8 GT (quick, but not as fast as the other cars I test drove. I loved the torque of the car... wasn't much, but it stayed literally flat from 3000 rpm all the way up to redline. The car's engine just zings up to redline much quicker than any other stock car I've ever driven, with close gear ratios to literally ensure you always stay at the proper engine speed in a corner. The brakes are powerful... this car is just so much fun in so many ways. I loved how light it was... nothing like a rear wheel drive car that weighs just barely over 3000 lbs. Driving this car is literally like nothing else. That's what attracted me to it.)

 

If you have to ask, then the answer is no. Don't ask people if you should or should not buy this car. That's the homework you should do on your own. Better yet, go to your local car dealers and test drive one.

Now we covered the "search, noob!" part (and hopefully no one else will say that again). Let's move on to the other questions you have.

This car is great for anyone want to learn how to drive. But this is really something you should try yourself. Get some test drive and see if you like it.

Tuning is a tricky part. If you read all the stickies on aftermarket performance section you'll see the only way to get extra power is some type of FI. Any other mod will not gain much.

Working on this car will be fun. We have a hugh DIY section you can check out yourself.

If you're looking for WRX or EVO, be aware the insurance is extremely high. Also, you will get even better deal at the end of this year when next-gen of these cars hit the market.

 

good job..

you covered most of it..

and what are you going to tune on an rx8 to the op?????

beers

 

Well, I already figured that if I got an RX-8 the whole tuning thing would probably go to the wayside...I'd be willing to sacrifice that if the overall fun level is still high.

 

Something to consider with an AWD platform is that if you have an irrepairable blowout on one tire, you have to replace all four tires unless you find a replacement of the same type, with the same amount of wear.

One of our other cars is a '04 Forrester, and with only 18,000 miles, we're on our third set of tires. My wife seems to be a magnet for chunks of scrap iron laying in the road, sigh.

 

Since you are aware of the bad-gas mileage issue, the 8 is definitely the most fun to drive (corners, winding road, etc.) without trying to be road king and speed along highways

 

I've an 05 92x Aero which is really a fancy WRX wagon. It is a wonderful car to drive around. Tuning is very easy. It's Stage II tuned right now thanks to Cobb AP and exhaust mods so it goes very well. Also love the practicality of the rear hatch. I've built my rear yard fence with multiple runs to Home Depot with it! And it swallowed entire baby cribset and a lawn trimmer too. All the while still outrunning most cars on the road. Wife loves it too.
My RX8 is not as fast in the acceleration dept. and will not give you that "back pressed to the seats" feel vs a turbo car. However what the 8 has and I tell you no Impreza has is its driver involvement. The steering tactility via its factory tuned chassis makes each and every curve you hit a much more pleasing emotion rather than just hammering through. You can throw in all kinds of suspension and tires, but an Impreza is ultimately a box on wheels albeit a very good one. It is not as balanced as the 8 because the Mazda designed the 8 from the ground up as a sports car with superior agility. Also the 8 has nicer interior than the Saabified Impreza. Imagine the regular Subaru version...
Mileage wise, I don't see much of any difference b/t the two.
Insurance are very similar too.

 

If you are not in love with the car and your interest stems mainly from what seems like a good deal on eBay, then I'd say no, it's not a car for you. Go drive one and if you don't have to have it afterwards, it's not for you.

 

Yes, dont get a car because its a good deal. Get what you feel is the best car for you, also if you dont need a 4 seater take a look at the S2000.

I got a chance to drive one a few days back and all I can say is wow.

 

Get a Crossfire.

 

I settled on a world rally blue scooby WRX in the end...but what I've learned about the RX8 in the last week has left me a fan. You can bet that any RX-8 I see on the roads will get a nod and a smile from me. :D