Oh yeah, I forgot to turn that on :D

Statistically, however, I'm quite right. Perhaps you're one of the few who can control yourself when it's snowy and easy to slide around. Many teenagers can't. Especially the type who are attracted to sportscars, and can afford an RX-8.

 

Get the 8 but be cautious. The 8 has traction control and DSC that should help a lot. I drive my 7 in the winter on occasion and i can manage it without the electronics.

 

Consider tire studs for nasty weather regardless of car and drive system. Snow, especially fresh is not bad with good snow tires or chains, but when it goes into ice or you have one of those boilerplate ice storms where everything has an inch thick coating of crystal, then studded tires are life saving! Lived for a couple up years up a steep hill in Tenn. and had to commute to the school in Nashville, or OakRidge Lab, regardless of foul weather and we had some really evil ice storms - slow speed and studded tires and you can climb mountains!

 

While the stats are against you as an inexperienced driver, at some point you have to drive a RWD to learn how to drive a RWD. I know it seems ridiculously obvious, but Dad certainly can't argue that. I had pickups when I was starting, w/less rear weight & RWD they (arguably) can be even worse. The 'inexperience' arguement is kind of silly IMO.

Then again, the opinion about the $$$ saved getting a beater & paying WAY less in insurance is tough to argue. And then those damn statisitics that are not in your favor . . .

 

That's awful advice. He lives in NJ, not Greenland...

 

Yeah, you need a permit to drive with tire studs in most places. They're pretty much a death trap in the rain and can cause significant pavement damage over time.

 

the rx8 is not a good car for an 18 year old. its too easy to drive, but has enough to get you in trouble. at 18 i would have argued with that statment, but i would have been wrong. the rx8, even with snow tires, is not the greatest winter car. they make a huge difference over the stock, but you can still get stuck easially enough.

 

IIRC, studded tires are illegal in VA. Check your own state laws before you consider buying them.

 

Given that you posted this in the "Wheels, Tires, Brakes & Suspension" forum, I'd say no.

But what do I know, I'm just some guy on the Internet.

 

You should listen to your Dad. Even when he's wrong, it's (almost) always right to listen to your Dad when you're 18. Wish I'd listened to my Dad more when I was your age. When he's not around any more, you'll be glad. My Dad always felt better when each of his kids had their first accident, especially if it involved a loss of traction in rain or snow. He figured you couldn't teach us anything until we began to realize how little we really knew. Your first car, even when your rich, should be modest and practical. Sorry, just my opinion.

 

I grew up in SD where you can start driving at 14 and there is snow on the ground half the year. I've owned RWD cars since I was 15 and have never had an issue. Maybe the way to go is something a little more "beaterish" but RWD to get you accustomed to the way they drive. 240SX's are really fun cars, they can be had for cheap, they are RWD and are a lot of handling bang for the buck. I've owned 2 and loved them both.

 

thanks,
that was the intent!!!

i drove an audi 80 with the blazzaks the first year they came out.... the audi was just fwd..... the traction was amazing.

felt like superman... and i am sure they are better now..

beers

 

What a lot of people don't get is that its the operating tempure of the tires compound that ***** you up. You could go out on a day thats 0 degrees with completely dry roads and your tires would grease over.
This part is important too: In the winter you want a skinny (width) tire with a thick sidewall. The MT rx8 (you'll be very dissapointed with the auto.. so we won't talk about it) has brakes that wont fit in a wheel any smaller than 17". That means to get a thicker sidewall you're going to buy a set of rims that are pretty much no wider than 7.5" and no smaller than 17". It's extremely important to get winter tires on any car but the rx8 is too nice of a car to wreck in the snow. If you think your life/car is worth at least a set of tires (rims would be nice too... becuase you'll get a thicker sidewall that way) BUY THEM. I know I'm going to because I plan on driving my 8 in the snow as well.

 

Your dad musta been a very loving person. I'd assume he had some good auto and medical insurance also.

 

I don't understand why everyone just assumes this is my first car lol...its not ... I was tortured and made fun of cause I drove an '88 Chevy Celebrity for 2 years! And had to bring girls in it...How freakin' embarrassing haha ....The cool thing was....that it only had 30,000 miles on it.......but still....it is a shitty looking car and I deserve and RX8 since I drove that piece of **** to my private prep school where my friends drove Jaguars and Mercedes !! lol (i'm not rich though..so don't get that idea)

 

some of them read your first 3 lame *** posts.

beers

 

You "deserve" an RX-8?

Are you going to pay for it?

 

I know how you felt driving that around, I had a crappy Cutlass I had to drive as a loaner a month ago or so.

 

[QUOTE]It can be true, folks. Given a certain number of people that have been driving for two years, some of them ARE going to be good drivers. Geez, there's always such skepticism. Not entirely without reason - you're probably just playing the odds, but I'm tired of seeing young drivers get auto-bashed (no pun intended) just because they are young.


I guess there is no particular reason why 16-18 year olds have more accidents than any other age category...this includes the 70+ age range.

 

https://www.rx8club.com/lounge-4/troll-update-94691/

 

Multiple duplicate threads merged into this one.

 

No. Why? Simple, anytime you or anyone else says they deserve something because they dealt with a small inconvience, do not deserve anything. You deserve a $30k car because you had to be like every normal teenager who drives a piece of crap for 2 years? Most normal teens drive a piece of crap from high school all the way through college and then some to get the car they want.

 

Uh. Wow. Please go try an AWD car and then come back and try to say that with a straight face.

People's blind love of the RX-8 on this board really amazes me. I own an 8. I love it. I, however, do not thing it is the greatest thing since sliced bread for everything under the sun. The 8 is not a snow car. It can don some snow shoes and get around just fine, as long as the driver's not a moron, but jesus, get a clue.

 

Yay, I get to post this pic again

 

those people must be morons. The whole point behind tire chains is obviously traction.

and we all know how much FWHP that a mustang makes.



Where's the other picture? You know...the one of them being towed out of a ditch.