yes, yet another newb posts RX8 vs. ____.

go ahead shoot me.

here is my situation. i have a four door sedan that I use as my daily driver/work commuter car. It is old, it squeeks, it's not any fun to drive. but it works, and it's PAID for. it has been well maintaine and could easily run another 100k with routine maintenance. I commute 5 miles each way to work. I am married iwth kids and have a new nice luxury SUV for the wife/kids/weekend trips.

I am torn between selling/trading my yucky 4 door sedan - which might net at most a few thousand bucks - and then getting a newer, nicer, 4 door sport sedan. the best "deal" I can find now is on the TL-S lease. Money factor is super low, makes it more attractive than the G35. I can't afford a 335. so those other cars are out. I test drove both a stick and auto TL-S and thought it was pretty nice. a good "do it all" car.

I have 3 kids, and would like to have an "alternative" car to the SUV so that if/when I needed to haul the whole family and don't want to take the SUV, I could. so an RX8 is out as a second car. BUT, it would be a neat third car. it would have the fun/feel of a sports car for when I just zip around by myself, but if i had to take one or two kids with me somewhere, I could fit htem and take an RX8. unlike something more impractical like an S2000 where you basically can't take anyone...

if I get an RX8, i'd spend in the 15-20k range and get a nice low mileage used one. if I put a bit of cash down, I could get the payment + insurance to be near or less what I would be paying on just leasing a new TL-S.

so I can either be a two car household, with two new nice cars. OR I can become a 3 car household and have one good car for hauling the family (wife's SUV), an old beater that runs great but is NO fun to get me to/from work or to take on longer commutes when I don't want to use the big suv, AND have a fun little sports car to play with on weekends and commute in when I want to have fun.

each option costs me about the same in terms of increased monthly costs.

my big question is this. i have test driven both these cars. but it was not back to back. my recollection wsa that the RX8 felt much lighter, nimbler, and on a tight twisty road would run circles around a TL-S.

but I was reviewing some R&T stats and they show the TL-S as having a HIGHER lateral G rating on the skidpad AND higher slalom numbers. I posted this question n an acura board and got a couple of peple chiming in claiming that they either drove an RX8 also, or had friends who had RX8s and that their TL's would outrun and outhandle an RX8.

i can understand a 286 hp TL-S outrunning an RX8 in a drag. the 8 is not about dragging. but for fun factor, twisty road driving, I don't see how the mags came up wtih these numbers.

anyone here have a TL in the garage, or better yet a TL type S (much stiffer suspension) or have they played around with one? is it that the TL-S is just a newr design, and has stiffer suspension so it can pul better skidpad/slalom numbers it just won't be as much fun?

i don't see many cars being as "fun" as an RX8. the TL-S would be a better overall car as I'd have a new car - no maintenance issues, reliability would be really good and I'd be under warranty.

if I get an RX8 and keep my beater - i will be maintaining two used cars...since I'd have my old beater to maintain, AND I'd have a used RX to maintain. not that either would nickel dime me to death, but maintaining two used cars HAS to cost something...vs just driving a brand new Acura.

i need to go test drive the 8 again and see hwo big of a smile it leaves on my face... last time i drove one it just was such a blast. i got out of the car and felt like "wow....wow...that was fun". when I test drove the TL-S I had a different feeling. like "that was nice...good car..handled pretty well..." no question the TL-S is a more $$ car, way mor eluxury stuff...but in terms of what made me "want" the car - the RX8 was FUN. my test drive was months ago and I"m still thinking about that car.

 

FWD vs. RWD

Spent plenty of time behind the wheel of a TL.
I would take the RX over the TL every time.

 

I actually like the TL alot. Personally, the TL is a fine car for being FWD. If I needed a daily, the TL would definately do more than it's job. But for a little fun driving, the 8 is where it would be.

 

I vote for keeping the beater, and adding an 8.

If it is going to be down to 1 car for the family, obviously the TL.


Good choice though. The TL is a great car, just very different than an RX

 

I read your post thoroughly and came up with a truthful answer.

I am single and have ZERO kids knock on wood. With your situation with a full family...the RX-8 as a second car just isnt practical to me...Yes it can seat 4 but it isnt exactly a soccer trip vehicle. I dont know what the specs are on the TL-S but I'm positive it has better gas milage than the 8. If you dont care about that sort of thing than thats ok.

In terms of fun and handling the 8 beats the TL-S everytime. My old roomie had one...fast....but he could never take me in the Catawba mountains here around Virginia Tech.

I conclude this statement by saying that you should PROBABLY try to get the 8 for a 3rd car...because you can get them pretty cheap withlow miles if you look around hard enough...

 

The TL will not out handle an RX 8

Go for the 3 car option. That's what I did.

Not too sure it will pass smog this year so I'm looking at a new Impala/ Malibu

Why do you need to spend so much money on your DD?

While the skid pad .91 may be higher I do believe the 8 got 68.4 mph in the salom vs. 66 for the TL.

The early TL's had electronic problems... that's why I bought the RX8.

 

don't need to spend a LOT on my DD - it's just that there is NOTHING out there that I like. if i sell my daily driver I have to get a 4 door that can seat 3 kids in the back. there are NOT many fun cars that I could buy, new or used that would do that. I don't want an american car. don't like the G35 sedan or g37. an accord/camry would be boring. if I go used, I don't want something too old that will cuase me mega problems. hell, a used 2003 M5 would be a blast..but you start getting used hard core sport sedans and you will get hard core $$ repairs. I don't want to get an old car that nickels and dimes me to death with repairs. i'd like to get something relatively new/low mileage that will be slightly used - so I save on depreciation - but the car is still relatively "new" and trouble free. something 1-2 years old that has 12-25k on it...and is still under factory warranty for a bit.

used Audi S4? similar in price to TL-S. although you can get a brand new TL-S now for 33k. they are selling at 2-3k under invoice.

what car could I get that would be sporty/pracitcal like a TL-S, be relatively new and be 32k or cheaper? and be FUN to drive. and NOT look ricey like an EVO or STi? i'm 35, and a professional. I can drive a sporty car but not a ricey car.


My current daily driver is a 99 Volvo S70. it's pushing 130k but i've owned it for a long time, done a lot of maintenance, and the thing will run like a champ to 200k.


in terms of why I looked at the TL-S - I don't want an accord, or a camry. i am a "car guy" and want something fun to drive. an accord/camry would bore the crap out of me. i've owned sports cars my whole life, and most of them wound of modded to some degree...some extensively... i'm at a point in life where - due to family/kids, I can't have a two seater or other totally impractical car - unless it's a third car. our SUV (new MDX) is NICE. very nice. it is the ultimate SUV/family car. it handles like a dream for a 4500lb vehicle, and it is halfway fast with 300hp...i like it. but it's not a sports car. i drive my yucky boxy volvo to/from work b/c it's paid off...and i don't want some mega car payment when I only drive 5 miles to/from work. but b/c i've got this addiction to sports cars, I want something that is fun to drive.

A TL-S would be a good candidate IF I got rid of my DD. the TL-S looks pretty sporty for a 4 door sedan, and having driven it, it really does corner, handle nice. especially for FWD. you can get it in a stick which would be fun. they are leasing them now with a great deal. with getting 3k in trade for my DD, I could lease one with 12k/year for about $425/month. that would get me a trouble free, sporty car that could haul me/wife/3 kids when needed. it would be a jack of all trades car. great commuter car, nav, bluetooth, etc... and for those rare occasions when I want to go for a sunday morning drive - and canyon cruise - it would do it...albeit not as well as an 8...but it would do it.

if I get an 8, it's a third car. so i have to factor in insurance costs. my insurance quoted me about $80/month increase to insure an 8 as a third car. i checked and an S2000 wouldbe $100-110/month more. (the TL-S would only add about $30/month to what I now pay...)

so whatever I pay in terms of a car paymnet I have to add in $80/month just in extra insurance. plus factor in that a low mileage used car is still just that - used- so it can/will have issues over the next few years that may or may not be under warranty. if i got an 06 it might still be under warranty for the first year or two of ownershp.... assuming i bought an RX8 for about 18k....that would get me a really new low mileage one. probaby an 06 or 05 at least with low miles. fully loaded too...sport kit, leather, etc. even with no money down, over 72 months, that's like 330/month. add in 80/insurance and I"m at the same costs. if i put some cash down, i could get the monthly + insurance to be CHEAPER than leasing the TL.

i could drive/commute to work in the 8 when I felt like driving a sporty car, or take my beater S70. depends on my mood. i am torn between getting rid of my old S70. i've put a decent amount of $$ into repairing/maintaning it and it will probalby run strong for another few years easily...with no car payment. it's one of those cars that is worth very little on paper...but it's value to ME to use/drive/get around is high. it is clean, looks good, actually has a few mods (exhaust/sway bars/tint...) and is quick. 240hp stock...up to 250 or so with exhaust. talk about torque..anyway... it's a good commuter car, it's cheap and reliable. but there's NO reason to keep it AND get a TL-S. i'd have two four door sedans....

if I get an 8 I'd have a car that would be fun and I'd keep my beater/commuter and i might be able to make it cheaper. the only way I'd get screwed is if the volvo AND the RX8 both started having problems/issues and I was in/out of repair shops on both and suffered thousands in repair bills. then i'd be wishing i just got a new car...

plus I kind of want to mod. if I got a TL-S..there's honestly not much to mod and if i lease - you realy can't mod. you can, but why..it's a lease...so the TL-S will be stock. an RX8 I would buy so I could add shocks/springs/bars and maybe an exhaust. that would make the car that much more fun to zip around in.

if I ever wanted to do a track day or autocross I am really not going to have a ton of fun doing it in a TL-S. you could...but it's just not really a track car. an RX8 would be at home on a track, or on twisty so cal roads blasting around.

decisions decision. if I were single and had no kids - and had my curent income, I'd have the TL-S as my daily driver and a frickin 911 for the weekends...but with a stay at home wife raising my 3 kids...who ARE the most important things in my life, I have sacrificed my car needs.... i sold my "cool" car to fund the new car for the family.... and now i'm hating life driving my bucket. i debated about getting a motorcycle as a cheap speed fix, but I know better and dn't want anyone I don't know getting my organs...

my big question was whether it's true that a TL-S would really beat an RX8 on a track or on a twisty road. i dond't think it would....and part of me wondes that even if it would "beat" it.... it wouldn't be as much fun.

my other question - that only I can answer is - would I be better off having TWO cars - and driving a four door sedan - OR - having THREE cars and having an old/kinda boring but PAIDOFF daily driver AND a small semi-practical but really kinda impractical RX8 SPORTS CAR to drive and put a smile on my face.

hell, part of me says just keep driving the damn S70 and SAVE that extra money... but the part of me that LOVES cars....wants something fun to drive. whether it's a TL-S as a new daily driver or an RX8 as a toy/daily driver/weekend car.

arrrggghhhh

 

There is no way my buddies TL-S could even touch the rx-8. TL type S actually felt like it handled worse than my s10 with the xtreme package. FWD's just never seem to handle right either.

Numbers on Paper and Handling/driving in real life are two different things. This seems to be the case with the rx in a lot of cases. I think one of the things mazda got perfect with the rx-8 was the line between daily driveable and trackable. Excellent car just driving to work everyday, rides just as smooth as my grandmothers cadillac, then somehow you can get into the backroads and start really pushing it and I've never even felt like I've hit the cars limit.

 

If most of your driving is 5 miles, I don't know if I would recommend the RX-8. It doesn't like really short trips. Your gas mileage will be quite low because by the time you arrive, your car will just be barely warmed up.

 

a lot of my driving to/from work is 5-10 minutes. it's like 7 miles, surface streets.

maybe i'll have to take the "long" way...

the TL is the more practical car that replaced my aging sedan - that can do it all.

having an RX8 as a third car would be FUN. used ones are dirt cheap.

i've seen nice 05s and 06s with under 25k for 18-20k and i'm sure you could negotiate.

curious - how would the RX8 handle with coilovers or shocks/spring/sways vs the stock setup? would the ride go to crap but handling on twisties be far better?

 

Uhh...let me help you out here...both on a closed course and a "private road" I can tell you right now...

The TL/RL/TSX do not out perform the RX-8 MT both in drag and track.

I had this argument a while ago with an acura fanboy and so I told him I would help test his theory out. The tests were repeated over and over specifically with the TL until he finally conceded. It's a nice car...but its not in the same class when you have two competent drivers behind the wheel.

 

Words cannot really describe the difference between a modified setup and the stock one. I thought the stock setup was decent...after replacing the sways alone...it made a tremendous difference...the wheels/tire combination I am testing today has just increased it again. It's highly rewarding however taking the long way to work.

 

Just get the 8. You will love it.

 

too many people with the TL

 

Given your situation (family, kids, etc.), I'd go with the Acura TL-S because it would be a way more practical car. And oh, while the TL-S can be a very fine and fun car, it can't be as fun as an RX-8 (FWD vs. RWD; nose-heavy vs. almost 50-50 weight distribution).

 

Welcome to the club fellow driver...take a test drive in the 8. You will not look back...its more practical than you think.

Few things you should invest money on...if your going to HAVE to be in a car...you can at least ENJOY your car, and let it put the stupid grin on your face each time you walk out to it.

You are a driver...you belong here...

Seriously...

 

Ja, keep the Volvo it saves money and get a used 8.

Then drive it for fun.

They are correct. It is not a short run car. Carbon will build up and you have a good chance of flooding it some day not to mention the 16.5 MPG you will get.

Drive it to work every Friday and on the weekends and you will be fine.

Ahh... you could help out another member here and go the cars for sale thread.

You will get a better deal and get an RX8 that someone has taken care of.

 

you already have a practical car. why get another?

get the 8.

 

The FWD I experienced in my old Integra Type-S (US Acura RSX) was awesome. It's handling was superb, very sharp. I'm not going to argue that RWD is better than FWD, but I would say that for all intents and purposes on the street, there is very little difference. Handling-wise they would both be a good choice, so you need to use some other criterion to separate them.

 

No its not...it pales in comparison...thanks for trying tho...

 

I posted a similar question on the Acurazine forum and got responses that basically said:

a TL-S will win on a drag strip
the RX8 will dominate on a track
the RX8 would be more FUN to drive
the TL-S is a better commuter car

several claimed to have friends who owned RX8s, one HAD an RX8, all said they didn't like it and wanted to sell it.

i'm going to test drive an 8 and also an S2k later today. might also re-test drive the TL-s in stick and auto.

see which one leaves me wanting it the most.

 

There you go, even they admit the RX8 handles better and is more fun to drive.

Though Im not sure why the TLS would be a better commuter car.

 

Heh...frankly I'm surprised they didnt say that the TL-S was good at all three...but I can see why they chose the drag to be the biased choice. It's the one thing all cars can do and the worst thing the RX-8 does when matched against the cars it was designed to compete with...you know...other "sports cars"...

But unfortunately...no, I'm afraid its not faster in 0-60, dig, roll, stoplight in front of a deaf school...perhaps a modified version...and if they can get enough traction to ride it out, a few of them might have a shot. But then again...matching my modified car against a modified version would show how badly that disparity would be again.

Esp with the R888's...sweet baby jeebus they haz grip...

Oh btw...you'll LOVE the s2k...but feel crampy...the 8 is like an s2k...but with more room...and heavier...

Keep those revs high for maximum effect...

 

if I was buying a car purely for the "toy" factor...

you guys think an S2k would be a better choice over an 8?

i gotta go drive them. my test drive in the 8 was 10 months ago..so it's been too long to really remember it. all i know is that when I was done I thought to myself "wow what a fun car". not a lot of cars have made me say that. the ones that did that to me were a third gen RX7 twin turbo, a miata, my dad's boxster, and the RX8. i've driven a lot of nice cars, but very few could put a smile on my face purely due to the fun factor.

fun and speed don't always go together. my dad's boxster being a great example. it's a 2000 base model..so i think it has like 215hp.... not tons of torque...but once it hits about 4500 rpm it gets going and wow is it a blast to drive. the sounds it make, the tight chassis, the handling..his has a factory upgraded suspension setup...not aftermarket..but it was an option..i believe it is similar to what an S boxster migth have stock.. 18"s, stiffer shocks/springs/sway bars. it is on rails ...literally. rough ride...but hey it's a sports car. and it is FUN. hard to beat it for top down, sunny driving, out for a good drive. it's not the best car for commuting as it's small.

i think the tL-S guys said the TL is better for commuting b/c it's more of a luxury car. better stereo, better nav (which is standard in all of them), blue tooth phone integration, etc... if you are sitting at a stop light, rolling around going slow, a manumatic TL-S would be a pretty nice car that would do ok on the freeway onramps.

once you pull off the interstate and hit the twisty sections of pavement, you would have way more fun in an 8 or s2k.

the 8s are cheaper. i could find a slick 2005 or 2006 for 20k easy. i'd probably lower the 8 with springs, amybe do coilovers. i don't plan to track the car more than one or twice a year...so if i could get by cheaper on shocks/springs I'd do that. sway bars and braces maybe. intake exhasut would be fun, but i hear you don't get much power out othem, mostly just noise.... if/when the car got a clutch id' do a flywheel....but if i get a low mileage car, that wouldn't be for a while. when do the cluthces normally need to be replaced?

i'd try to keep the mods minimal. no way i'd go FI or nitrous. i'd just do suspension to make it handle like it's on rails and maybe exhaust to have it sound cool. i'd find one with the body kit as i think that looks slick. and it would have to be white. i LOVE the white pearl RX8s. the TL-S comes in pearl too..beautfiul color on both cars.

i'll report ack after i drive the cars.

 

Doesn't sound like the 8 is for you.