In about 6 months, I'm going to be purchasing a new car from what I have now (96 Chevy Blazer) Now started from a long long time ago, I have been looking at cars and deciding that I would want one car, but then find something better, then change etc etc. This is just a short list of the cars I've looked at...

Chevy Colorado ZQ8
Dodge Ram 1500
Dodge Magnum
Acura RSX
Acura TL
Acura TSX
2001-2002 BMW 330Ci
1999 BMW M3
Chrystler 300C
Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
Chevy Silverado
Mazda RX-8
2005 Ford Mustang

So obviously you see that I have gone from an array of cars, SUV's sports cars luxery coupes etc etc. In short, a thing I want to find in a car exceeded in one of these and this is the type of car I want.

Luxurious interior: just something nice, coming from a 96 base Blazer, mostly anything would be nice, but I really like the BMW interior

Manual: I learned to drive stick a while ago on a friends truck just to get a new car to be manual, that's why the majority (SUV's) are basically out of the question.

Handling: Too many times have I needed to put almost all my weight when turning the slightest corner. I do not really take corners that fast, but say going into a 25mph turn at maybe 35mpg, I feel as though it's a danger as I really need to lean.

Gas Mileage: I'd like to get something better than my Blazer, I get about 270-280mi. per fillup

Looks: I want a car that will turn heads, that not many people have, I want to be different.

So basically after all of that, each car has their advantages, but over time, I've always had a thing for the RX-8, however, not so luxerious interior compared to the BMW, it's a 6 speed, heard handling is great, looks are amazing, I drool every time I see one, only seen a few around my area. Only downfall that I'm really looking at is the gas mileage, seems to be LESS than my Blazer which is going to kill me over time.

I like the Mustangs, I like the BMW's but like people probably know, everyone and their moms have one. I've already seen more 2005 Mustangs on the road than RX-8's.

So what would you choose? I know it's going to be a little one sided, but what are your thoughts. I'm only looking to spend a max of around $27,500-$28,000 on the car so I might be looking at some used cars, maybe used 2004 RX8?

How much did you guys get your RX-8 and what options should I get? What is a good price for a used 2004 RX-8 fully loaded (navi and everything) so I know the max price when looking at used RX-8's)

 

They have a 2004 RX8 fully loaded every option, with 5000 miles on it, Its a Demo, for 29,995.

It has Nav, but I wouldn't want NAV, so find a demo without NAV, and you should be able to get it for 27,995.

My biggest concern with the 8, is gas milage. I think its a winner in almost all of the rest of the categories you mention.

 

i would love to sell you to the 8 but first i have to ask, do you need a lot of trunk space? are you often driving many people around? the 8's biggest issue is the smallest space. this car is very small. do you like the rotory engine? it has a lot of power for such a small displacement but it requires a little more attention then a piston engine. if space is the issue i would recomend the magnum or chrylser cousin but if not then you will not find a better handling car on the market for under 50k.

 

Man, this is nuts--I came from almost the same position you are coming from, HardHitter. Before purchasing my 8, I was driving a '98 Chevy Blazer (and, before that, a '96 Blazer). From your list of cars, it looks like you are following two streams of thought here: functionality (i.e., cargo space) and performance (i.e., speed).

Since I finished college and law school, I decided that, after many years of SUV'ing it, I no longer needed all that extra cargo space b/c I wasn't moving every year. So I followed one of your desires: performance. And I looked into a similar line of cars that you are looking at: '04 RX-8, '04 350Z, '04 Altima 3.5 SE, '01 BWM 328i, and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head.

I really wanted a 3-series, but, the financial factor weighing heavily, it turned out that even though I could afford the car, I couldn't afford the insurance or any future repairs (which, I hear, are quite hefty). I ruled out the Altima b/c while it had 250hp, it looked too much like a family car. The 350Z I only threw into the mix b/c I felt like I had to; I don't like how it looks (the front looks like a frog; overall, it looks like a gimmicky design that I don't fall for).

To form a direct comparison for you between the Blazer and the 8 (odd as that comarison sounds) just to prepare you for what you might be in store for, here're some random points: The 8 is way faster at higher RPM's, while it paces and, in some cases, lags behind the Blazer at lower speeds (I know, I raced a Blazer stoplight-to-stoplight one time)... The 8's trunk is obviously significantly smaller than the Blazer's, but who totes a whole lotta crap around everyday anyway? The 8 just looks damn better and is less common than a Blazer. Pull up to a red light with a Blazer and you can't expect to see everyone around you checking out your car like you would with an 8. You'll have to get used to the attention (you wouldn't get that with a BMW--they're everywhere). And with an 8, you no longer have that feeling like you're going to tumble off the side of the road when you make a turn. Since you're much, much lower to the ground, though, you'll also feel a little more cautious that cars won't see you over their front hood. Plus, now you won't be able to reach the buttons at the ATM without opening your door. Oh, and you're more sitting back in an 8, as opposed to sitting up in the Blazer's driver's seat.

Just some randomness for you to consider that I noticed in my transition from SUV to performance vehicle, not necessarily pros or cons. Hope it helped!

 

The only space issue in the trunk would be for a system, I am a really big system man and have been in the car audio business for about two years now. I know that I'm not going to be able to fit my 3 15's in the back of an RX8, but I am willing to sacrafice this, so I don't believe I'll need a lot of trunk space, it is rarelly used unless I put my soccer bag and just things like that back there. This is another reason why I like the 8 is because sometimes I drive around people. Usually it's just me and my gf driving around, but if I need to be the DD for someone, I would like to have the space for someone to fit comfortably back there.

When I went to test drive one, I sat in the back seat. It was a breeze to get in there and what I thought was plenty of space althought I am only 5'10. The one thing that bugged me was the height of the wheel, is there a wheel tilt or anything that I can do to adjust it down lower? I tried to look on the steering column and I couldn't find anything. Other than that during the test drive, I loved the car, getting looks left and right and I loved the sound of the rotary. I had a little difficulty adjusting to the clutch as I had driven my friends older BMW and the clutch would catch right away whereas I felt I had to actually push the clutch in about 1/2 to 3/4 the way in before it would catch as to the BMW where I just barelly flexed my ankle and it caught. This led a stall and some pretty crappy shifts, but I am sure over time I'd be able to work on it. The BMW when I was driving was a lot easier to shift, never made a bad shift, never stalled, and I was still a newbie at driving stick. I believe that I still am, but not as bad where I will stall every time, just every now and then I'll have a bad shift.

 

Thanks MarkD.

One thing I absolutly hate about my blazer is the acceleration. When trying to get my speed up on the freeway or the need to do a lane change and speed up really fast cause a car is coming up, the Blazer does a horrible job. It seems as though the engine gets "stuck" in a gear--seems mostly like 3rd--and it goes all the way to redline and then it finally shifts and I jolt off. There have been a handful of times where this has almost gotten me in an accident and the acceleration of this car is so random at times. Did you ever have this problem Mark?

Anyways, back to the pricing. I was actually looking around at brand new Mazda RX-8's online at my local dealerships, and the 2005's are almost as cheap as the the 2004's listed. Why is this? I looked for the option of Titanium Gray 6 speed manual with black leather and a 2005 RX-8 came up that was listed at $31,645 MSRP which I thought was for a base RX-8, but when I clicked on it, it had the GT package with it which to them is $4,250 for that option. Do you ever purchase by the MSRP price? or is the price that you buy a car for usually cheaper than the MSRP. Sorry, this will be my first time going out and buying a new car so I'm really trying to understand the differences on like MSRP and Invoice and things like that. But is $31,645 MSRP a good price for a 2005 brand new 6 speed with GT package?

 

if i was in your situation, i would go with the 05 mustang gt. its a beast. near the same price of an rx8 and you get a rwd 300 hp american muslce car with a luxurious interior.

 

05 Mustang GT's are very nice and are great for the money, but it's just that I know everyone in the world is going to be buying these Mustangs. In fact, a kid at my school already has one.

 

Man, The 05 Mustang GT is bad ***, but like you said a kid at ur school is going to get one. Me I am in High school and I know a kid who has one too. Still people go far more crazy when my car drives by than when his mustang does. There is somthing a little more to an RX8 than to a 05 Mustang GT. The Acura RSX is cool and pretty good on gas, but after looking at the interior for a while, you'll realize its too simple and boring. Out of all the ones you have listed, in my opinion it is between the RX8, Chevy silverado, and pontiac grand prix gtp, also you might want to check up on the GTO.

 

I had a good time with my Blazer, although overall, it certainly isn't at fast as the 8. I don't remember having the same problem you mentioned specifically, although I wouldn't doubt it either. That being said, I'm glad you test drove an 8 before posting here. It's difficult to help newcomers make their decisions when they haven't even stepped in the cockpit of the 8 before. At least you know what you're getting into.

I have my thoughts on the '05 Mustangs. I used to like them until they started producing them. The concept car was a beauty; the production cars are, to me, much, much less attractive. I haven't seen many of them around here, but the ones I have seen just haven't taken my breath away like I thought they would. The novelty of the new design will wear off in about 6 months, especially when everyone and his mother buys one. Sure, the 8 isn't as fast as the Mustang YET, but a) I'm sure the 8 would outdo it in every other performance category, and b) engine enhancements are closely on the horizon for our rotaries. There are plenty of other thoughts around here on the new Mustangs. Just do a search.

By the way, you should never pay MSRP for a car. Check here to see how I got my car for $3000 below invoice in late July/early August. Basically, do your homework, go to KBB.com to bluebook your desired car and the options you want, and be patient and get quotes from a number of dealers so you can get the best deal.

 

Holy sh*t, this is my 300th posting! YAY! I'm moving up in the ranks :D

Anyway, I forgot to mention that I also looked into Acuras. In my opinion, the best car you can take off their lot is the TL. Great looking/performing car. But it's also more expensive than the 8. You can't go with the RSX--it's the shrimp of the fleet. It looks cool on the website, really puny in person. Plus, it's a 4-cylinder. And the TSX, as Samurai mentioned, is just plain looking. The big deal breaker for me, though was that Acura offers no rebates or incentives of any kind, so good luck talking them down significantly from the sticker price.

I'm also not a big fan of the Grand Prix, even if it is the GTP. The body design is just exhausted. I don't think it's changed much from the last decade. Nobody's going to be impressed that you're driving it just by looking at it. Looks like a stretched out Grand Am for all I care. And if you're going to go with the GTO, I'd at least wait until they make the design changes. The new look of it is going to be awesome.

I'm going to go bask in my 300-post sunshine now

 

On the subject of gas mileage- if you can afford an 8, you can afford the extra money for the gas mileage. It really doesn't work out to that much extra in gas. Perhaps $2-3 hundred a year.

 

And depending on your insurance, the RX8 is cheap because of it's considered 4-door and small displacement. Check with your ins company.

 

There are a lot of people here with systems in their 8's. You could get absolutely ridiculous with it if you really wanted to. Talk to SlashMatrix (Gray), whose 8 I've seen in person. He has a simple setup that kicks a lot of boom. Keep in mind that the car is much, much smaller compared to your Blazer (even though it doesn't look like it, I've heard the 8 is about the same size as a Honda Civic), so it's going to take a lot less to get the same results out of an 8.

 

Acceleration merging on to the highway is no problem...this is where the 8 is at its best. It's the 0-40 or so that it isn't so fast. If you want a car to be different and turn heads, this is it. The mustang will do it at first, but when everyone gets one, you'll blend in again. The 99 M3 is nice, but the exterior is dated and people will just think you're driving an old BMW. The grand Prix or any of the pickups are just more cars that will blend in and not get you any atteneion. As for the handling...you say you don't really like taking corners too fast, if you get this car, you will begin to.

A few of those cars (Acura TL, BMW 330, maybe chrysler 300) I doubt you'll be able to get in your price range. You should NEVER pay MSRP, or even close to it. Always keep it under invoice, especially if you can pick up a remaining 04 soon, you'll get a great deal.