Hello All- I am Derek aka Falcon 1. I am most likely the oldest member on the forum at 59.

I need some honest opinions on the RX 8. I have not had the chance to drive the car yet but it has all the aspects of what I think I may want in a 3rd car. I am currently in an Infiniti FX 35,Lexus Sc 430 and a MB E500.

The FX on a long trip from Atlanta to Miami about did me in from legs to back. Making the same trip in the Lexus and Benz was more of a smile than ache. How is a 8-9 hour drive in the RX-8?

I have heard that the A/C is not up to par.....those of us in the Southeast know a good A/C is king and one that works in traffic in Atlanta is GOD.

How many of you have had a reliability issue? I just like the car and after 6 mos with the FX I am gettiing tired and want a new toy ala the Rx or ZX or ??

All thoughts and opinons would be welcome. I will most likely get the A/T due to wife that loves my cars and wants to share them.

Who in the Atlanta area is the best dealer to get an honest deal and what is the best one so far in the area?

Thanks in advance.

Derek.

 

Hey. I'm in Atlanta and got my 8 from Jim Ellis on Cobb Pkwy back in September. First went to Jim Ellis on Peachtree Ind and the sales lady (forgot her namen, but only female Isalesperson I think.) there was very nice and did not pressure me, but they did not have the interior I was looking for, and tehe Cobb Pkwy dealer did, so I went there.
I don't think you need to worry about getting an honest deal in Atlanta because (at least back in September) MAzda would not let the dealers charge over MSRP, so I did no haggling. The price on the sticker is what you pay. My overall experience at Jim Ellis on Cobb Pkwy was a good while I was buying. Have yet to test the service department.
As far as road trips, I took a trip to Charleston and the only complaint I have is the interior noise. But of course it is a sports car and sports cars are never quiet on the highway. Especially at 80 mph.
I only test drove one other sports car during my shopping (Honda S2000) and there was no comparison. The S2000 had a very harsh, bumpy ride and was much louder. Did not test the 350Z although now I am curious about how it drives.
The ride and comfort for a long trip is very good.
I have 2000 miles now and have had no issues. My gas mileage at the beginning did not seem to be very good but it appears to be improving. ( I have yet to measure exactly but will do so on my next tank.)

 

Jim Ellis on Peachtree Industrial is where I bought my 8 - I feel like I got a good deal. They didn't play all the typical BS games that dealers like to do.

MSRP 31,100
PAID: 30,500

I think I could have talked them down even lower...I would / will buy from them again - I can't say that about my previous Nissan buying experience.

 

Thanks Guys for the quick response. This will at least induce me to go down to Jim Ellis on 41 and check out the RX 8.

My main concern is leaving the FX pains for a new set........I wish there was a way to get the dealer to give me a demo to drive to Dalton and back........hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Hope to see you both at the next Atlanta group meeting.

Derek.

 

Forgot to ask........How is the A/C in the hot months and how is the cooling in traffic not only on the A/C but on the motor?

I had an Audi a few years back that did not like traffic, summer and A/C in the same sentence.

D.

 

The AC works very well in my opinion. I got mine in September and have yet to turn the AC fan past 3 and usually never go beyond 1 or 2 (settings are 1-4 I think). I have not noticed it affect the engine. Your biggest gripe on a long road trip will probably be gas mileage. That combined with a small tank does not make for a long distance cruiser. Read the other discussions where people talk about their gas mileage and you will see what I'm talking about.
The norm seems to be that the fuel economy starts out quite bad when the engine is new and then improves after 2000 miles or so. When I went to Charleston I only had about 400 miles on the car or so and while I did not make an exact measure I could literally watch the gas gauge moving toward empty as I was driving. One tank of gas was not able to get me there.
Now if you've already had a car that has had leather seats you already know what those are like and I don't have to tell you that your backside gets hot in the summer. I want to get sheepskin covers on mine before next summer.

 

Gas mileage is an issue for me too...I get 240 - 250 miles out of a tank and its a 15 gallon tank I believe. I just have to remind myself that if I wanted fuel efficiency I should have kept my Altima I'm probably 70% city and 30% highway

The A/C works well when I use it...I haven't had the car for a full Georgia summer though. It definetly isn't as strong as my previous car but it does work!