I'm a brand new RX-8 owner, so far so good =) There is a lot of controversy over the car & I’m curious why you guys bought your 8’s

For me,

-it’s just different
-dealership is just down the block
-just looks better then its competitors
-actually aloud to drive the car first
-paid just over invoice =)
-rotary
-my friends have dealt with the dealership I bought mine from before, and never had any issues when problems came up.
-Nissan dealership gave me a creepy feeling, and tried hard to push MSRP till I was walking out the door
-Owned an Integra prior and never want another bumpy ride as long as I live =) Never got to feel the Z though, once again, 3vil Nissan dealership
-black on red leather… nuff said =)



So that’s my deal, how about the rest of you?

-KillJoy (now where is that name from.... anyone =)

 

IMO in the UK its the only purpose built sporty 4 seater car for under £30k.

Mid engined, light(relativly), rear wheel drive, comfortable every day driver, fast when you want it to be. Winner!

 

My car was a POS , Only a 2001 old and needed a second set of breaks, new struts, tranny mount, engine mount, and it lost $14,000 resale value.

My boss had just bought a Lexus SC 430. I figured it was a time for change.

I wanted the RX-8 so I test drove it one time and bought it immediately. I never test drove any other car.

 

after 5 years of my wife wanting an IS300, one day i said lets go see how the Rx-8 Drives. Well needles to say driving the car once was all she needed i guess. I have always been an Rx-7 fan so I was tickled to have the latest sports car by Mazda and even more tickled that it is a Rotary.

 

I was driving an Rx-7 for almost 15 years - still giving me thrills.

There was no question in my mind after driving the new one - got one right away....

 

Handles like my old Boxster ( ienjoy 30 MPH right hand turns again)
Doesn’t have a rag top, but …
Room for both of my children
Costs much less

 

Mazda just makes it too hard NOT to buy one. The '8 continues in the Mazda tradition of offering well thought out, high value, high fun-quotient cars that set themselves (and you) apart from the crowd.

I bought an '86 RX7 Sport and put 215,000 miles on it. Then I bought a '94 RX7 PEG and put 91,000 miles on it. I've still got both cars, btw, and never had anything major go wrong on either one. And my '04 GT is on the truck. For me, the lesson's simple. You take care of them, and they'll take care of you.

 

It's the only 4 seater in it's class.

But, of course, it's in a class by itself, so...

 

The most zip for the buck. A fun car to drive. Sleek styling. Not that many on the road yet. The price. The comments on this forum from actual owners. The test drives. The high revs capable with the rotary engine. Comfort. Was tired of my Mustang.....

 

car was a blast tor drive. I wanted something sporty but practical for hauling a couple firends around town. More importantly I wanted to enjoy my driving experience. Looking to keep the prices somewhat reasonable I decided on the RX-8 and I have not been disappointed!

 

- Unique

I have only seen 1 other RX-8 on the road and it is my friends Titanium which he bought 1 week after I got mine.

- Fast

Ok, so its not the fastest thing on the road but it sure as hell isn't the slowest.

- Handling

Blows ANYTHING that I have driven away. Nearly a perfect 50/50 weight distribution, small, nimble. This car is very VERY fun to throw around in traffic, on-ramps and curvy backroads.

- Price

$31k?! What a steal...all other cars that I compared were significantly more expensive and didn't really offer anything the 8 doesn't have.

- Rotary Engine

I was a skeptic but went with it anyway. My friends have had 7's in the past and they haven't held up very well. My friends also drive like mad men so I think that has more to do with it than anything.

- Looks

EVERYONE checks this car out...most don't even know its a Mazda and everyone has assumed a $40k + price tag. People have asked me if its a BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and most recently a Lotus

I drove a G32 Coupe, 350Z and the IS300 after I drove the 8 for the first time. No comparison...all of the other cars are super sweet but the whole package of the 8 was far to appealing for me. I was sold after the first test drive!

The gas mileage kinda blows though

 

8 is a very lucky number in Chinese superstition...

oh, and the actual car is pretty cool too

 

I test drove several cars including the 350Z. I took several things into consideration on which car I would throw my money down on:

1) Fun factor: I was tied with the '04 M3. The M3 had more hp but the RX-8 actually had more curb appeal and both handled very well.

2) Functionallity: The H2 fit the dogs very well but the RX-8 still had room for a growing family (sorry dogs but you will never see the inside of the RX-8).

3) Extras: Navigation, Side Airbags, 6 Speed M/T, 18" Wheels, DSC/TC, Etc.

The M3 was the closest runner up and it was finally decided that the price beat the hp and the Full Maintenance Warranty. Plus that curb appeal kinda set it apart. What can I say you get the most bang for your buck here with the RX-8.

Enjoy your car.

 

This was me exactly. I love me FB, but it was just time to move up.

When I started to consider other cars I thought -- Why? I like the rotary, so why not get another?

I still haven't passed another once since I've bought it. Hmm. I wonder where Gord lives?

 

I didn't even test drive my 8 - I ordered it in January '03. I knew the handling would be superb, having owned a 2nd gen 7 for 16 years. But the looks and the 4-seat capability did it for me. I would not have bought it if it were a 2-seater - the RX-7 caused a lot of hassle when our SUV was in for service (there are 3 in our family). I was all set to buy a pickup when I laid eyes on the 8 on the Internet.


I wish I could have caught one man's facial expression a couple of weeks ago. We were eating at a Greek restaurant that has windows on the front (strip mall). I could see my car parked right out in front. Everyone who passed by on the sidewalk stopped to take a look at it. One man was with his wife and kid - he stopped, lokked at it carefully, then stepped off the sidewalk to peer thru the driver's side window while his wife was waiting on the sidewalk. Then he said something to his wife and walked behind the car to look at the emblem. His eyes got wide as saucers and his jaw dropped, then he threw back his head and laughed. I'm sure he thought it was an exotic, and couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Mazda RX-8 on the back! That look was priceless, and made me feel like a very smart buyer.

 

Hey, I'm chinese. I hadn't caught the significance till you mentioned it. The chinese word for "8" rhymes with the chinese word for "rich". THat's why it's considered lucky.. Of course maybe that's why our cars run rich too!

 

I bought mine because its a rotary which really sets it apart from the rest. Its looks are amazing, everyone stares at it and talks to me about it. I just love the car despite the contraversy about the horsepower, I will fix that in the future with aftermarket parts, then Z owners can talk all the **** they want while I walk all over them

 

I also primarily got it because of the engine. I've had more rotary cars in my car-history than piston ones, and I'm just really used to how a rotary revs etc. I wasn't really intending on getting one so soon, but when I saw it I just knew I was done for.

So the engine got me interested and the way it looks & handles really sold me.

Simon.

 

I fell in love with the Miata because of its 50-50 weight distribution, great styling, superb handling and the feel of a car that loves to be revved. I have faith in Mazda and I see the RX-8 as continuing in all of those areas. Also I've never had a rotary and I loved the way it felt during the test drive.