smitht0789

i got my 8 as my 4th car, when i turned 18..as of insurance, im sure its pretty high..but i pay for my gas, which isnt too bad..use to be worse..but mines a 6 speed, wouldnt drive a auto sports car. but ya man id just get on autotrader and find one! you could easily find an 05 or 06 with lower miles for under 17k im sure..prices have really dropped on the used ones..but ya i lovee my 8..its sweet to have it in high school cuz all the other kids are like wtfff whose car is that? and u may even get best car for ure school year book! haha..go for it man!

Zerotide

iTrader: (1)

arlingtonrx8

ownd.

aboogabooga

My bro has an RX8 and I have a WRX. My WRX at Stage 2 and a tune will smoke my bros RX8 in any condition. He has the regular intake and exhaust.
Things I do like more than the WRX is
-Transmission. If you have driven a stick before a WRX you will hate it at first.
-Handling. Then again my WRX's suspension is stock...so is his.
-Looks. Of course a sharp looking sports car look will better than a blue hatch.
-Clutch. He just got his clutch replaced and Mazda ordered the MS clutch (or so they say) by accident, that makes me like it a bit more.

But for everyday driving, I prefer the Subie.

PotatoSoup

Yup.

To the OP: You should be fine with a ~1.5" drop if you want to take it on dirt trails. I think Mazmart makes a 4WD conversion kit for the RX-8, you can pick one up on eBay for like $250. And the car is most definitely not fun to drive unless you floor it.

In all seriousness, you need to get your priorities straight. The RX-8 is a rare bird, and the only people who should be buying it are ones who can truly appreciate it for what it is and isn't.

It sounds like you woke up one morning recently and decided that owning an RX-8 would be cool. Do some damn research first. In fact, find a copy of Jack Yamaguchi's RX-8 book. Read it. Twice. Maybe then you'll have some appreciation for this vehicle. NO, it wasn't made for dirt trails.

Honestly, you should be looking at a used WRX or a 2001 Audi A4 Quattro or something like that. The RX-8 is definitely not for you.

Rhawb

The 8 is NOT going to be good off-road - worse if you lower it. Buy something FWD or AWD if you're going to be doing that, RWD cars are pretty terrible off road. The RX8 is a road/track car, if you're not interested in learning how to drive it in those situations, there are better options out there.

Potentiated

You mean when your mom is driving, she lets you shift from the passenger seat? What does that have to do with knowing how to drive a stick?

Anyway, I would suggest you get a different car for your first car.

04RX8man

I agree with Razz

SuperSixFour

A WRX is probably too powerful. And an audi as my first car? I dont want to take it to the shop every other week to fix some problem. Alright, so I can't really do anything on dirt. Thats fine, I wasnt really expecting to be able to. I really dont know whats so rare about it, because I see them all the time around here.

Socket7

I've taken my 8 down some dirt trails before to get to a camp site.

Harrowing doesn't even begin to describe the experience. Oh god I was so afraid of bottoming out, but I made it without problems!

PotatoSoup

Find a used IS300 5-speed manual. It's safe, reliable, relatively fun to drive, and definitely not "too powerful".

Again, the RX-8 is not for you, especially if you think an early WRX, which would certainly take a beginner driver more than 6 seconds to get to 60, is "too powerful". Don't misunderstand me though. I certainly don't think you need a fast or powerful car at this point in your life. Which is why I suggest something a little more conservative ("safer") like an A4 or a 1st-generation Lexus IS.

You can get into trouble with any car, but the RX-8 might be more tempting than most. You can always buy a nice new Accord for about $20K. What price range are you looking at anyway??

WTBRotary!

iTrader: (6)

Well i just dont see many 16's thats all i meant...

WTBRotary!

iTrader: (6)

LOL yeah man hes right, to be honest any car is fast enough to get you killed, granted the 8 isnt as fast, but trust me its fast enough to get you killed

dozer

iTrader: (3)

^that guy only speaks LIES!

SuperSixFour

Well I went over to NASIOC like I said in OP, and like 97% of the people there said I'd end up running into a tree. The only thing is, how long will it really take me before I'm comfortable with the car and I understand its capabilities/limitations? I've been driving my moms saab 98 for a while, and it took me like 2 hours behind the wheel before I felt comfortable shifting and stopping and all that jazz. I dont want a Honda accord, thats what my grandma drives. Sure its a little shallow, but how stupid would I look pulling up to my girlfriends house in an Accord? I was looking for something in the mid $20K's.

dozer

iTrader: (3)

ive been driving my 8 for two years now, and HONESTLY im still learning its "capabilities" ...

kainis2k

8th gen Civic Si are nice too. They're a little over 20k but they're more sportier than the accord and that would be brand new. (2008) - I'd go for the coupe. They're matched to the rx8 in power (with my 2004 at least) and its about 4-5 grand (depending on where you look) more than the RX8 for 0 miles or in the 1-200 range. Not an off road car either but if you want something to go off the trail with, get an old beater truck with 4x4 so you can go muddin when it's wet out and when you wanna snap back to reality, have your regular car there waiting. If you want just one car I'd get the STi. They're not too powerful by any means. Regardless of what we tell you here, it may be best for you to just go with your parents up to a couple of local dealerships and test drive some. People can debate all day long on here what you should or could drive but best way to find out is to go and try them out first hand. GL with your search. And +1 to the guy that said lowered+off road = nonsense.

WTBRotary!

iTrader: (6)

lol

aboogabooga

If you find an STI for under 25,000 its either old or beat to ****. Insurance will be sky high, will suck up more gas than all the cars mentioned so far. You say a WRX is too powerful but you want an STI...

warren(silver-roxy-8)

definitely the 8, like everyone else said, if ur willing to pay for gas (try to keep a light foot, but remember "redline a day keeps the carbon away! lol) and coming from another teenager, don't get ahead of urself and try to go racing other sports cars, enjoy the car for what it is and make it last long .........when your parents give you the opportunity to have a car like this, you don't want to throw it away ...thats how i see it anyway

Rhawb

You can be comfortable putting around town in a car within minutes. Most 16 year olds don't drive this way though, they're going to push their limits. Thus, it's best to have a car that really doesn't allow the driver to get to that "point of no return" until they have some more experience under their belts.

Truthfully though, the car is only a very (VERY) small factor in these kinds of situations, it's 99% about the driver. The best thing a new driver can do for their own safety is attend some sort of performance driving event. An autocross runs probably $40-$60 and it's not too hard on the car, so it's a great way for newbies to get into performance driving. You'll learn excellent car control skills in a safe, controlled environment - You can then apply these skills to your daily drive. It'll be a humbling experience, you'll realize that high speed driving/handling isn't so easy - but it's incredibly rewarding to watch yourself improve and to see yourself applying what you've learned in panic situations.

My $.02: A new Civic SI is a nice choice - it's quick enough, it handles well enough, it's pretty sharp looking, and it shouldn't get too far out of hand for an inexperienced driver. FWD cars are easy to learn with, and reasonably easy to recover when driven too hard. Plus, it'll be a fun car if you decide to take my advice and dive into autocrosses and/or track days.

ZachLegend

I'm 17 and drive an RX8 that I bought. It's a sick car. The insurance isn't bad at all actually. It's around $50 more a month than it was on my old Saturn. The gas hurts at time but as long as you have a steady income with manageable payments you'll still have money to mod the car and have fun with it.

Zerotide

iTrader: (1)

Jesus kid... your parents must've spoiled you rotten if you're too good for a new Accord as a first car.

04RX8man

One time i took my 8 off-road.......
I drove it into the yard to take picstures....man that was one hell of a weekend!!!!

Rotr8

iTrader: (2)

but he really wants to look cool pulling up to his girlfriends house...
but what he doesnt realize is that he'll always be late because he'sletting the liquids warm up(or should be), and always taking longer at gas stations with either premixing or filling the oil...
small prices to pay but just the tip of the iceberg!!!

and if your just starting out driving at 16 trying to find the limits of your car, your gonna find yourself wrapped around a telephone poll in no time flat, unless youve been carting since you were 8 or something...