I previously had an RX-8 and filed a lemon law claim 4 months after I bought it new.
There was an ongoing engine-flooding problem that the dealership could not fix after multiple visits. My opinion: Pass on the RX-8

To OP:
BINGO! Cant have it all honey! Either you Love it or Hate it.:tiphat:

RX8 is a little faster then a new SI... Get the Z!

Is there any reason i would not want a z as a dd?

It's an 07

Nope! Its my DD! Just really depends on what you want to be driving everyday. One thing to consider though: The 370z is very powerful to be driving on the streets. You will very rarely be able to really open it up and lay on the gas for more than a couple brief seconds. This is why people consider the GTI a great DD; because you can get closer to the car's limits and push it on the streets in every day driving, thus making it more fun.

I'm actually encouraging my wife to look into the GTI. She wants a small SUV, but the GTI gets better gas mileage and has good storage for shopping and bodies.

:iagree:

Having owned an RX-8, I would pass on it unless you intend to put a lot of cash into the engine to get it close to respectable.

Pros:
-It's a great dynamic car, great for twisty roads and tracks.
-It still a great looking car IMO.
-Pretty rare compared to GTI's
-4 seater
-I kind of like the rotary 'whirl' sound.
-You can get it to shoot flames if you get the exhaust hot enough.

Cons:
-On the street, where you usually zip around in traffic, the lack of torque down low in the rpm means you are contantly pushing on the engine to get it to go fast.
-Gas mileage is terrible....I mean really, really terrible. I wouldn't have minded if it had the grunt of the 370, but I was averaging 15-18mpg of mostly highway.
-The engine it really finicky and it's a bit of gamble. Some are bulletproof and some lose compression and flat out die. The only redeeming factor is that droping the engine is relatively easy. You also need to watch your oil levels constantly.
-Changing the oil filter will leave your hands bloody...seriously, what a shi*ty location.

I would definately go with the Z and cross shop with a BMW 1 or 3 series, 'stang or even, dare I say Genesis (new one looks fugly though). If you want something similar to the RX-8 without the risk of the engine headaches of the rotary, I think you should wait for the FR-S/BR-Z. GTI is nice, but fwd & still a VW Golf under there....meh.

You guys carry bodies often? :eek:

Wow, great gas milage. I've averaged 21.1 (per computer) since new. Average 40.3 mph, lots of highway mile in there but some rushhour stuff mixed in and a couple of really nice mountain drives.

I'm just under 10k miles right now.

;)

Hey I just want to say im sold on this car, and am trying to figure out what color I want and trim I can afford. Thanks everyone for all the support and info!

Choosing between a Z and an RX-8, in my opinion, depends on the kind of driving you want to do. Reason I feel that way is because I own both. I have a 12' Nismo and my wife drives an 07' RX-8. The Z is obviously WAY faster but the RX-8 drifts around ANY corner you want. I love both and would not trade either one. As of now both are stock but I have researched for countless hours the different products that are out there. I prefer a sleeper over fancy lights, colors and seats because if your going to get a car that has 10K in upgrades but still cannot beat a stock then in my opinion you have wasted more than 10K, you have wasted your time. However, I am not a 'hater' because I got both the RX-8 and Z for their looks as well.

Tuning-The Z and RX-8 have unlimited potential. Stock, I feel like the RX-8 has better throttle response time and it is designed to be driven at high RPMs so if you want to turn left to turn right then get an RX-8. The best way to begin a tune on an RX-8 would be a new differential, either 1.5 or 2 way (costs around 1K). Tuning the Z should begin with the exhaust and intakes because it will make it roar on the road stronger, louder and deeper than any other car out there, short of old school American muscle. The only thing I am personally stuck on for my Z is whether or not I want short or long intake pipes. Same goes for the RX-8 when it comes to the Exhaust and Intakes. I have found a combination that I want for my RX-8 and I need to save about 1500K for it. An ExoticSpeed Exhaust, Agency Power Pully, and AEM Cold Intake. This will all be after I spend the 1K for a differential though.

I digress-So back to the RX-8 or Z. I have had the Z for 6 months and RX-8 for 17 months and I would suggest that you take a strong look at how you drive. If you want to drift, get an RX-8. If you want to hug corners at nearly any speed and drive as fast as hell, get a Z. If gas mileage is a oncern for you then you should get neither and go with a hybrid. Gas mileage should never be a concern if you want to drive like a 'bat out of hell.' Gas is expensive no matter what you do and if you can afford 500 bones for an air intake then you can afford 60 bones for a tank of gas.

RX-8- Time now, it is in the shop. It has 62K+ miles and it failed a compression test so my warrenty covers me getting a brand new engine. I bought it with 42K+ miles. 3 months ago I noticed the gas mileage starting to decrease. I am (was) down to 9 MPG, and in 10 months I had to get the spark plugs, coils and spark plug wires replaced twice. Each time it was free under factory warrenty and took less than a day to complete. So buyer beware, rotary is absolutly amazing and fun as hell to drive but does come with complications. (note: My wife flooded the engine the first time we got all the plugs ect. fixed, I blame myself for not helping her enough with the concept of rotary).

Z- AWESOME! I love it. The only thing I do not like about my Z is the constant stake of traction control. Even when it is turned off it will still kick in slightly if you hit a corner hard enough. But oh well, its a friggin Nismo! Since Nismo comes with the epic sports package their are not many upgrades you need to make, except for a good quality radar detector (you get what you pay for, do not get a cheap-o).

Happy Driving!

Yes, if you have to drive it in winter, haul anything more than groceries, want to tow anything, or mount a bike/kayak rack.

My overall mileage in average driving is 21 mpg. It does require premium fuel. The car is a blast to drive.

You're not exactly winning the RX-8's favor, lol. It had the potential to be a great car, but Mazda dropped the ball by not going with a forced induction variant. The rumor mill says the rotary isn't dead yet though with the on again, off again possibility of the RX-7/RX-9. As for the Z, no upgrade is really needed on any of the models performance wise for street use. The track or auto-x is a different story, where even those epic brakes need upgrading if you want to run it hard....and the oil cooler.