Well after all of 25 minutes driving the demo:

- it would definitely be better off with an analog speedometer. What would really be fantastic would be a dual-needle gauge with concentric tach and speedo rings. That would make a lovely dance winding through the gears.

- i'm so used to the Miata that I kept looking for somewhere to rest my left arm. There's nothing there.

- the A/C did seem anemic.

- would it have ruined some cosmic plan to give another 1" headroom?

- and the #1 thing I don't like ..... I don't have one yet

 

Initially I felt the same about the speedo and headroom. I've never like digital guages in the past. This one grows on you. As far as headroom goes, I'm a marginal fit - but I've grown to love the cocooned feeling and don't have the mild claustrophobic feel I had when the car was new to me.

BTW, I think the needles scissoring about would confuse the heck out of most people. (I always thought a yellow tach needle turning bright red on red on redline would be nice though).

 

wow
the stereo functions of the wheel is like my favorite feature

 

FINGERS???

You use your thumb, you know - the opposed bit the makes you me and the monkey really special.

How do you go with the cruise control? Mus be damn hard pressing the buttons with your nose while you're driving

 

thats harsh man

 

Wasn't meant to be harsh - sorry if it read like that ... imagine a feeling more like "amazed".

I just can't visualise trying to drive and moving your hand to press the buttons with your fingers. You'd almost need to take your eyes off the road to do that!

For me the buttons just fall into place - and my hards are really normal (yeh, about the only part of me!)

 

oh I see

I agree with you, buttons are in perfect place

 

I do use my thumb. A thumb IS a finger where I come from. The buttons are poorly positioned for me. Glad they fit for you.

 

I think the oil dip stick is cheesy, poorly placed, and very hard to read. The dip stick on the rotary is a critical part and should be more ergonomically placed and easier to read.

 

Agreed, the dipstick is too hard to get to.

 

Someone previously mentioned that the steering doesn't telescope, that is also my gripe.

It seems like (I have very long legs) to get comfortable, I need the seat all the way back. But, when I do, I find the steering too far away. So, then I raise the seat back very upright, which is OK. But then I have no headroom (my hair touches the roof, which is kind of irrititating).

So I guess I would want telescoping steering And/Or more headroom.

Other than that, I love the car.

Well, Actually I would like more storage room for CDs, but can't think where it could be added.

 

It's certainly harder to access back there in the rear end plate. Earlier rotaries had the dipstick in the center plate, which made it much easier to reach. I can only assume that they moved it because the front-mid engine location means that the sump bowl is in a different place on the Renesis.

 

what i don't like is the corporate decision that canada only gets 700 units while the states gets something like 22 000 units for the 2004 model year. i wasn't looking for 50/50 split, but maybe 1000 units ?!

so i guess my gripe is, that i'm not driving one - yet.

 

dip stick location---
I get marks on my hand everytime

 

i can get the dipstick out without taking the cover off but just barely. i always take it off now to clean whats underneath and check the stick.

 

Zoom44;
I'm not here to encourage this type of behavior, but the smiley was funny, and your response was better. LOL

 

i had to think long and hard for these:

- for those of us that have power seats, there's no quick way to recline forward the driver's seat...you have to wait (yes i know you can use the back doors, but still)

- this leads me to gripe #2, no memory position on the power seats

- passenger doesn't have power seats

- the front wheels ALWAYS get dirtier than the back ones...don't know why that is, it has never happened on any of my other cars

- exhaust tips get dirty very easy...looks dirtier when you have the rotary accents because the accents are brighter, more chrome looking

- center console is just a little too low for me or the seat height is a little too high...can't seem to adjust seats any lower

- i wish the back windows were power

- DVD-ROM doesn't play movies and we probably can't even hack iit to be able to...gonna have to get separate unit which sucks

- too much mids in the BOSE stereo

- gas mileage

- Mazda aftermarket parts are at rip-off prices

- Mazda dealership reps are the biggest bunch of dicks i wish i could kill with a blunt spoon

anyways, that's about all i can think of...nothing really annoys me that much...oh wait:

- everytime i leave the car i turn around multiple times to get another look

- sometimes i wake up in the middle of the night and just sit in my car

- i spent more time with my RX than with my previous girlfriend...that's why she dumped me...

 

- i spent more time with my RX than with my previous girlfriend...that's why she dumped me... [/B][/QUOTE]


Been there with my last car and I'm approaching that fast with this car

great list, I agree so much

 

Brake dust - more force on the front brakes. This has happened on all the car's I've owned...
Hey, I still do that with my MX-5 after 5 years. It's called infatuation.
Umm, no comment... you don't even take her out for a spin?
My current gf wants my MX-5 but can't afford it. Oh, and she can't drive which would make any plans to keep it rather pointless. I think on balance, she will understand when the '8 comes along. Will keep me out of her hair for a little while at least.

Holding comment on gripes about the car itself until I actually have one!

 

my girl keeps asking to drive it and I havent let her yet:D

 

I should correct that for fear of being seen as a cradle-snatcher - she can't drive in the UK. She does have an Alaskan driving license though.

 

Gas mileage? well it is the same or better than my previous car. The only complaint I have with the car is the lack of cool air venting (without using AC) to the footwell. I greatly enjoy the car - just notice the toasty footwell.

 

Well you just have to describe how you hold the steering wheel, so that we can understand where you "thumb fingers" rest and why they're so far away from the audio (and assume cruise) control buttons.

It's become a real mystery to me.

 

Mazda had part of a good idea. The mesh panels on the sunshade are great when you are stopped at a light with the late afternoon sun coming almost exactly from behind the light. By wiggling around a bit, you can block the sun with the opaque center section and check the light through the mesh. But when the sun is on your left and you swing over the shade, sometimes the rays come right through the mesh at your face.
The solution should be simple: attach two layers of opaque material to the center section that you can swing out to cover one or both of the mesh parts when desired. Anyone have ideas on the best material, hinge and attachment arrangements to use, and how to cobble them up?

 

Alright.... first of all, I kind of posted it as a joke. It's such a small complaint, and yet it is really the only problem I have with the car, I thought it was kinda funny.

Anyway, I have small hands, so that's probably the problem. I am referring to the buttons that you use to "Track Up/Track Down" or "Station Up/Station Down", NOT the volume control buttons, which are just fine.

I just find these buttons difficult to reach easily with my thumb. The UP button, in particular, is located a little too far up for my thumb to be able to reach it without having to shift my grip off the steering wheel just a bit.

It's just a bit awkward for me. I'm not sure how they could fix it. The way the buttons on the Accord (my previous car) steering wheel were layed out were easier for me to use. They didn't look as cool, but they were a little more functional for me.

Hope that satisfies your curiosity. :D