Hey everyone, first time poster. I went for an RX-8 test today and wanted to see what you all thought about what happened... I tried out the 2005 automatic, BTW.

When I wanted to go for a drive, the dealership had no problem at all. However, the guy who came out to go with me said that he had to drive it out of the lot. We went around the corner and then he pulled into a grocery store parking lot and we switched and I got to do my test drive.

At first I did not think twice about this, but after reading some of the more "negative" sounding threads about certain things with the car, I was just wondering if anybody had any thoughts. Should I be concerned about this at all or was it just some sort of weird insurance thing maybe?

BTW: I really loved the car, has a nice feeling inside, and the backseat is actually much bigger than I would have expected.

 

Lots of car dealerships have this policy -- it's an insurance thing.

I'm glad you liked the car -- buy it!

 

I actually just got back from my 2nd test drive today and the guy did the same thing with me. He turned on the car...left it running, and started to show me things about the car...which I already new after EXTENSIVE research, then he drove for a bit and parked so I could drive.

Why did they do this? Simple, the Rotary engine is a little more "special" than normal engines so they are making sure the engine is WARM before they allow someone to test drive it...who most likely want to push the car a bit. So, they are just being safe and really, doing what any owner of an RX8 should do when useing the car kinda cold...let it warm up first before pushing the car.

Don't worry about it...it's just a safety thing...

 

If you trash a car, they want it to only be one of theirs, not 2 or 3. I can imagine how many guys gun an unfamiliar throttle too hard or pop the clutch in the parking lot and, WHAM!
One of the places I went to was like that, the other let me drive it from the parking spot.

 

Definately an insurance thing. If this is not just a Mazda dealership, I'm sure the same rule applies to the other cars as well.

I think RX8wannawave misread your question, but even if he doesn't have one yet.. he knows the routine.. and is preparing for his. heheh.

Too bad pinellas county doesn't have any twisty roads to test the 8's limits on!

 

I misread what? LOL...sorry, I read too much into your question...sorry...

And yes...two test drives and about $2,300 into my love affair with the RX8 and I'm still waiting...LOL, soon...I hope...soon...

 

weird. I've test drove RX-8's in Saint Petersburg / Clearwater area, and Tampa, and in all 3 of the test drives I've taken, the sales guy drives the car around front, I jump in and we go.

 

Normal. I have experienced this same thing on most all test drives I have ever been on. Now, get some sleep, get up early tomorrow and go buy your 8!! Any thoughts on colour, spec, tranny?

- Irish
P.S. You should test-drive a manual. You do know the auto is 40HP less than the manual, right?

 

thats weird. when I went for my test drive of the GTO, the dealer just gave me the keys and let me drive it off the lot...alone!! I was suprised they just let me take it like that. One of these days, I'll get over to the Mazda dealership.

 

This must be new because when I did my test drives a few month ago I just hopped in and off we went. The salesman actually wanted me to beat the hell out of the car too. I did push it, though I wasn't as crazy as he was telling me to be. I should also mention he doesn't work there anymore...

I also was just handed the keys to a car once. It was a Celica GT-S with the crazy body kit and everything. I was really surprised especially since I was 19 at the time! Maybe the salesman figured if I wrecked it they could take the '02 Z28 I had left in the parking lot.

 

try test driving a manual next time... its a different experience! dont know how? learn!

 

I have two advices.. !! #1 is.. don't buy auto.. !!!! #2 is don't even think to buy an auto..!!!! ha.. that's all I'm saying.. if u really don't feel comfortable with driving a manual car. consider about another car... like 350z or mustang gt. even s40 is a better choice than auto 8...

 

It's a policy at certain dealerships for employees to drive the car off the lot. Just today I drove a Hyundai at two different dealerships. The first one gave me the keys and said have at it. At the second the salesman said right up front that he had to at least accompany me on the test drive.

When I bought my 8 every car that left the Mazda parking lot that day was being driven off by an by an employee, even used cars. It just depends on the policy in place.

As a side note when I went for the 8 test drive my salesman really pushed the car as soon as we left the lot. We eventually pulled into a huge, empty parking lot. He stopped the car and said "Ok, let me show you what this thing can do." As if I hadn't seen enough So he turns off the traction system and punches it. We do a perfect 360 almost ending up exactly where we started from. I just grinned at him and said "I'll take it." I spent about 20 minutes doing empty lot autocross and headed out on the highway back towards the dealership.

On the way back I asked the guy if he had an 8 cause he seemed pretty in tune w/the car. He told me that Mazda took a bunch of their sales people and actually put them through RX8 driving school. I found this to be pretty cool. Nothings better than to have a salesman know exactly what his product can do. It's a shame that Mazda doesn't offer driving "lessons" to their customers like BMW and others do

 

Man, I wish the "Auto's suck! get a manual!" would stay in the threads asking "Should I get a Manual or an Automatic???" and not any post with the "A" word in it. There's a bit more than just peak horsepower to consider in buying a new car (Unless you're one of "those" people...) ... perhaps someone likes the usability of the rear doors, and the looks of the 8, as opposed to the road pimple 350z, or the brick on wheels mustang, and they don't need the whopping 40 hp gain to feel like mario andretti in stop and go traffic around any half decent city at 5-6pm of a night. Not everyone needs to be a road demon who demands the .7 sec faster 0-60 acceleration.

Anyway... when I test drove the 8, the dealer pulled it out of it's spot, then gave it to me all by myself, and told me to drive it like i stole it. I was really surprised but very glad to have some private time with my new love!


... oh and the dealer pulled it out with the parking brake still on. ;P

 

Oh, by the way, don't get the automatic.

 

Hey Paul1149 - what did you think about the SLK?

 

Get an Automatic ... it's faster than an RX8 manual if you know how to drive the auto against the driver who drives a manual RX8! I bet I can drive the automatic faster than most manual drivers. That stupid Car and Driver tester who said Rx8 auto is 9.5 sec from 0-60 is one lousy driver. I got the RX8 automatic to go 0-60 in 7 seconds after the M flash. Some guys who tested the manual RX8 in one car magazine got 6.7 sec. Whhatt .. 0.3 seconds difference ... one wrong shifting with the RX8 manual, where the the tranny does not go in, in a split second and the RX8 automatic is the winner .. WHY? Because, you don't have to manually shift the RX8 automatic... it does it by itself. Figure that out. Real world driving is different from the numbers you see. I tested my RX8 automatic in the real world drving with a stop watch ... 7 sec flat. That's only about a split second difference from the manual RX8. So, if you want an automatic ... get one. There are some people who are not good in shifting manual trannies ... so don't be forced to get manual if you don't like manual tranny. Trust me ... the difference is not that bad. Just an advice is you really like the auto... peace out.

 

Mazda Dealer here let me take it for a spin by myself...

I am 16 years old too...

However I think it is because my g-ma said we were paying in cash...

 

Dealers make more on a financed car. I made that mistake on my last car thinking I would be treated better because I could pay in cash. Many times you can buy a Ford ( or any car) with dealer financing and it would not be through Ford credit. “Acme Credit” goes to the dealer and states if you give us “X” amount of business I can kick back to you “X” amount of cash as a “finder fee”.

 

Saw a women driver (sorry no offense :D) smack a new Volvo into three other cars on the way out of the lot on a test drive. Ever since then the dealership gets the salesman to drive the cars off the lot and far enough away that there is no colatera l damage

 

choosing the manual has little to do with performance...it all has to do with feel and control

as for this test drive nonsense...never have I been driven out of the lot...never at a mazda dealership have they even rode with me for drive

only at a cheapo dealership do they ride with you (as for them driving it out of the lot I don't know but insurance sounds right) why is this I do not know

as for the 'warm up' theory that rx8wannabee proposed...all I've got to say is YEAH RIGHT! Warming them up...hahahahahahahaha ok I'm done. Seriously 95% of car salespeople don't know **** except the basics in the brochure...even in a service department there is simple protocols to follow they don't know much about the car either

there are only a few who know and enjoy the cars they work with and work on...and most of them are on this forum (with a shout out to a certain member...who I cannot name for legal reasons )

 

As I understand it, the reason that most auto dealers insist on driving the car off the lot for a test drive is as follows. When you sign the insurance waiver for the test drive you're transferring responsibility from the dealer's insurance to your own. However, a "test drive" commences when the car is off the dealer's lot. Until that point the dealer retains responsibiity for the car, you, and anything else you collide with. That, combined with the fact that the dealer's lot is likely to be a high traffic area and that fender-benders are the most common type of accident leads a savvy dealer to insist that the car be out of the lot before turning it over to you.

 

I must agree with Kevin C, I have the manual tranny and wouldn't want it any other way but some are more at ease with an auto. I know if i was stuck an hour or 2 a day in traffic jams i would want to just use my right foot. I have an auto Passat as 2nd car and use it whenever i know i'll encounter traffic jams. But the feeling of going up the shifts with that great tansmission...