l_doggy

Went to dealer last week and found a sunlight silver 6Sp Rx-8 GT with black and red leather interior. Paid $800 under list. First one off the lot supposedly. Has about 500-600 miles on it now.

Pros:
1) Looks even better than the pics. Everyone likes it. Had 2 cars stop by me on highway to check it out and say hello on way from dealer to home. Unfortunately all were guys (damn it).
2) Great handling and steering but ride is still comfy.
3) High revving, smooth rotary with excellent shifter. Power is refined as opposed to raw horsepower in a corvette or turbo.
4) Back seat can fit a 6 footer for short trips. Got compliments
on getting in/out of backseat due to no center pillar.
5) Stereo sounds great.
6) Cruise control on steering wheel with cancel button is nice.

Cons:
1) Heat from engine is noticeable. I may have to fix this myself
since it's quite annoying on the highway. This is the worse
attribute of the car so far.
2) Gas mileage is worse than a regular engine with pistons.
About 15-20 all around driving, but haven't driven it enough to be sure. Premium gas is suggested but not required.
3) Engine fan can turn on for a long time after stopping car.
It's quite noisy.
4) Maybe just me but the seat doesn't "hug" me like my
adjustable MX6 seats so it makes my right leg kind of tired.
I wish seats could be adjusted narrower, but I don't see any way
to do it.
5) Temp and Oil gauges are NOT analog.

Notes:
1) Mechanic said no syn oil but manual doesn't state that.
2) I told the salesman about the possibly misleading horsepower
ratings and he said if it's true then they'll make it right by either
refunding the car or giving us free stuff. (I'm NOT giving up
the car, and I doubt that anyone will.)

I can't wait to open it up after I pass the 600mile breakin period.
Overall this is a great car for the money. What other car looks this sporty, holds 4 people comfortably, has a great engine, and costs 30k?

chikai

amen...good review....

damn I want one..

RX22

Sweet!!! You got my car! I love that color combination - -obviously. Great review, if you've got pics I would love to see them. They would help me make it to November when mine is due. You're right the back seat room is great. I'm 6'5" and my wife was test driving it w/ me in the back and the salesman in the passenger side, I couldn't believe the amount of room back there. I was completely comfortable. This is strange but I was looking at a Volvo S60R and went w/ the RX8 because it has more room in the back.

Have fun with your car. Congrats!

TomsterRX8

LOL! Glad to see I'm not the only one who gets stares from males only. If I were gay, this car would get me into the pants of every 17-35 year old male out there. I've had all of one female take notice and I think she was lesbian. Same was true with my S2000. Women are impressed with one's ability to buy a very expensive car, not by how cool a car looks.

I thought your review was fair. Too many new owner's have their heads in the clouds and don't see that this car has its faults. The engine heat is unacceptable. The fan goes on and on after the engine is turned off and is much too loud. It doesn't feel anything like 250 horses and may, in fact, not be. Rattles are appearing already. The cup holders make it difficult to shift and are only good for coffee due to the heat produced by the engine.

I don't share your enthusiasm about the sound system. I think its pretty anemic with almost no separation of instruments (imaging) giving it a very muddled sound.

That all said, it's a really fun car to drive. Great handling, cornering and braking. Will be even more fun once it can be wound to 8,500 rpm. I got it to 115mph in 5th gear at around 7,500 rpm the other day. Did not feel anywhere near as solid as my BMW 330 coupe at this speed but got there rather easily.

I hope you're right concerning our options available to us if the horsepower turns out lower than advertised. It would be a tough choice but I think I'd take the money and run. I'd hate to get clobbered by an Accord in a straight line race.