I don't know if anyone already posted this but if not it's pretty tight. Edmunds.com did a RX vs. 350 test. And edmunds is a big *** online critic so its good news. And who is the victor? Well the f'in good guys of course. So all of us proud RX-8 owners take a bow...

Here is the link...

http://www.edmunds.com There is a link right on the front page just scroll down a bit! You cant miss it.


The navigation tools for the article are on the left of the page.

 

And quoted directly from the comparo

"....and it's easy to see why it makes the 350Z look crude in comparison. The Z may be faster, but the RX-8 is the better sports car".

...N E X T!

Thanks WillyStyle

 

Nice article. Edmunds thought little of the RX's suicide doors and back seat, loved the handling and style. The editors totally fail to mention the fuel economy, although this is mentioned in the Consumer Reviews as the only drawback.

The Z got knocked for having a harsh ride and being difficult to control, although it was positively rated overall.

 

Iwonder if something is wrong w/my suspension b/c you reallyfeel the bumps in my Rx8 especially w/manhole covers and road bumps. The suspension inmy Rx8 is justas rough as any other sports car. Is it reallysupposed to be smooth like they say in this review? If sothen I guess something is wrong here.

 

Man if your think our suspension is rough try the Z-car out. It breaks your back if hit a pebble...
:D

 

I've owned a 350Z for a little over a year now and just recently got to drive a RX8. The Z is a harsher ride that is for sure, but it was made in the spirit of the original 240Z. It was designed to feel like a sports car and it does. You don't fully appreciate the 350Z until you get it out on the track. In stock form its a great handling car on a road course.

I hope some RX8 owners can come out and play with us at Motorsports ranch or TMS near Dallas in the spring or summer. I would like to ride in a RX8 with an experienced driver to get a feel for how the car handles on the track.

I was very impressed with the RX8 I drove in Dallas. You guys & gals have purchased another fine sports car. Its nice to see Nissan and Mazda back in the sports car business.

 

I had always heard that the Z had a harsh ride. Now it seems confirmed. I'm definitly happy with my choice and I agree with Edmunds ,and not just because I'm an 8 owner. I'll take a good ride and a comforatable interior above straight line muscle anyday.

 

It wasn't the straight line on the 350Z that had me hooked. It was the history, the local and national Z club scene, and the handling.

If I had started with RX7's in the eighties like I did with my first 240Z I would probably be hooked on the Mazda.

 

Well thats awesome news to hear about the car compare...i was so torn between getting an rx8 or a 350z but im glad i made the rx8 choice. I mean dont get me wrong, i LOVE the Z and i know its faster than 8 but theres no comparison between the interiors..the 8 wins hands down...But its truely an honor to be compared to the legendary Z and actually be rated higher...I'm glade i went wit the practical car instead of faster car :D

 

That about sums it up. I've always loved the 240Z and especially enjoy the rivalry that exists between myself and a particularly nice 240Z in our local autoX club.

 

350Z is OVERRATED ... RX-8 is UNDERRATED

RX-8 is the BETTER OF THEM...

 

More kudos for the 8. I knew I made the right decision.......

 

That's an opinion...you should have learned that by now if you're in high school. You shouldn't make factual statements that are backed up by opinions.

 

Lay off the kids J man! You obviously have doubts about your car, especially when your dwelling in the RX-8 forum!


I own a 2001 Modena, a 911 turbo, and a 04 RX-8 and it is by far the best value you can get in the low 30k range.

Remember, there are definitly cars that can beat Ferrari's. People do not respect Ferrari's because of their straight line speed. They respec them because of their over all perfomance. The RX-8 is a mirror image of that respect, just in a different price range.

If you like your car then you like your car. Don't down people who voice their opinions on theirs. Especially when it's on a site in which you should have no say to your own.

 

By the way what the hell are you doing on this site?

Oh silly you're just sour.

And you are right, it is an opinion. But it is an opinion from a critic at that, and they are not bias. And if you want I can take you one step further...Can you say "International Engine of the Year?" Mazda Can! Oh yeah where did the Z place. At the the bottom looking up.

The 8 has yet to lose any one head-to-head comparison test. How much proof do you need to realize that the high schooler might have outwitted you?

 

Hey *****, Zthang has been here for a while, he's cool.

And it's clear that the Renesis won the overall award in part due to emotion rather than purely by merit. It's even stated that the judges commended Mazda for its courage in going it alone with the rotary. Many, many people, including most of us here, waited a long time for the rotary to come back. You can imagine the same for the judges. There is a huge air of sentiment, nostalgia, sympathy, empathy, hope, and root-for-the-underdog with regard to the rotary, RX, and Mazda.

This is exactly what happened with the 350Z/G35 last year when they won all those awards. Those cars are not by any means close to perfect but they easily and clearly won the affection of tons of voters who had waited years for the Z to make its come-back. At the same time, Nissan was poised to make a colossal come-back from the shitz, and everyone in the automotive world pushed for its success. The exact same thing is happening this year to the rotary/RX and Mazda.

By head-to-head, do you mean a comparison between only two cars? Because if you don't, a top British magazine (I forgot which one) ranked a ton of cars (I think it was only sports cars???) and had the 350Z in 5th place and the RX8 in 8th.

But yeah, the RX8 almost always beats the 350Z in the magazines.

 

Theres no need to bash the Z...we all have to agree its probably the best competitor for our 8's and it is an awesome machine....i'm sure theres alot of you 8 owners who considered gettin a Z at one point ( I know i did ) but like i said before the rx8 was just more practical...and im happy to hear that our 8's won in the comparison, makes me feel like i made the right choice.....

 

Actually, the thought never even crossed my mind, even when I could see and touch a Z and the RX-8 was a glint in my eye. Of course, I owned a RX-7 for 16 years, so maybe that had something to do with it. :D

 

Maybe you misunderstand what people mean by rough/smooth? Seriously, in my RX-8 it goes like this...when I do a quick turn over broken pavement, I can hear the wheels bump and jounce over the crap surface, but none of that bumping and jouncing (very little other vibration) is transferred to the chassis or my body. Are you really being jarred in your car, or are you just hearing the suspension doing its job? On that note, have you ever said while driving any car, "Holy ****!" through clenched teeth because you felt like you got smacked in the neck with a bat? If not, then you've probably never driven a car with a rough suspension. Not to say that every bump feels that way, but the big ones certainly do!

 

I think everyone agrees that both the RX8 and 350Z are great cars. Personally, I’m not big into ¼ times. I prefer cars that are capable of performing in all aspects, which I think is best exemplified by track times around a road course. It would seem that, in a track environment, both cars score evenly. So, in my book, both cars are equivalent in performance.

With performance out of the way, the things left to consider are build quality, comfort, convenience, aesthetics and, the ever elusive, fun factor. To me, the RX8 comes out ahead in virtually all of these areas.

 

Well said Newf... I agree totally.

 

I have no bias either. I don't own an RX8 but I think highly of them.

 

newf you hit the nail on the head!!! :D

 

Comparatively speaking. The Z is REALLY ROUGH. Fifteen minutes in one gave me a strong impression. I love the Z look but knowing what I know now, it is a turn off.

BMW has always been the "benchmark" sports/sedan ride and Mazda knew this. That is why they tuned it like one and IMHO I think they achieved their goal. Remember, you have low profile 18" inch tires too. Take our word or go try a Z on familiar roads and then you will know ROUGH and NOISY.

 

I foundout why my suspension felt so rough. The morons at thebodyshop that had my car put the tire pressure of my front wheels all the way up to 40 PSI instead of the labeled 32 PSI. After I released the extra air and got the pressureback down to 32 my ride is back to howsmooth it was before.