The Story Behind the Story
My husband had been bothering me about getting this car for over two years. I finally gave in just a few days ago since he tracked the exact color (Phantom Blue) and package (Automatic w/Sports Package and spoiler) that we wanted even though local dealers were little help.
We had to drive 2.5 hours to pick it up, and we are now addicted to it. When we wake up in the morning, we find an excuse to drive our new car. I went from being not interested in it at all (before the purchase) to going outside just to take another look at it.
The Good
--Price. This car is a bargain for its great performance and many features. After rebates and talking the dealer down to just 500 over invoice, it was just a notch over 25,500. It can dust cars costing well over twice that.
--Exterior Styling. A picture is worth 1000 words. Just take a look at any photo. We purchased the Phantom Blue, and the metallic paint is awesome. Depending on the lighting, it can go from aqua to blue. Don't even bother getting the RX-8 without the spoiler. It really makes the car look great!
--Handling. It doesn't matter if you are going from 0 to 60 or quickly around a curve, it doesn't feel like you are going as fast as you truly are. You are stuck in your sport seat, and you feel 100% safe.
--Sport Seats. This goes with the handling, but you definitely don't feel the lean you get with a non-sports car. You feel like a race car driver in the seat. The side bolsters are very good unlike some cars which claim to have sport seats but really don't.
--Xenon Headlights. From the moment you turn them on, you know you are driving a winner. The road not only lights up in front of you, but it also lights up from side to side giving you great vision at night.
--Upgraded transmission. The 2006 automatic gets a 6-speed transmission this year along with a boost of horsepower, going from 194hp to 212hp. We took the '05 for a test drive and waited for this new transmission.
--Practicality. This car has four seats with awesome suicide rear doors. This really helps when shopping or having to take the occasional extra passenger. Most sports cars simply are not practical. This one is. My sister sold her used Audi TT after just six months. I'll have this one for years to come.
The Bad
Nothing so far--Obviously the gas mileage is only about 20, but we knew that ahead of time.
The Future
In the future, we will be updating the following:
Maintenance--The rotary engine needs more attention than a normal one, so we'll write about that experience.
Reliability
Winter Driving - The biggest concern. There is some debate about driving it in the winter even with winter tires since it is rear wheel drive, but we will update with our experience.
Updates through 2/2008
The trunk has a large amount of room for such a small car, and making a big trip to the grocery store is no big deal. No reliability problems. Overall, this is the still by far the best car I have ever owned, and I would buy it again in a second.
On the negative side, in cold weather the brakes sometimes made a horrible high pitch noise right before stopping even when pressing lightly. The techs say nothing is wrong, and it does not happen all the time. New brake pads were installed under warranty, but the issue is still the same. We just have to get used to it I guess.
As a minor issue, the driver side sun visor split apart in the Spring and was replaced under warranty. So far, so good.
The RX-8 did start without a problem when it was -30 with the wind chill in the Chicago area. This used to be an issue with the 2004 models.
We still have the summer tires and avoid driving in the snow for the most part. We have been in light snow a few times, and as long as you drive very, very carefully in a straight line, you'll be fine. If you turn with any sudden wheel movement or speed, the car will start spinning. That being said, it is not actually as bad as I had anticipated from previous reviews. As soon as these treads are done, we'll get all season performance tires.
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