Would you DD an RX-8?
 

I am considering it. They can be had for about 10k. I love their interiors, and it is a semi-fun car IMO.

Something similar to this with the 2-tone interior:

http://i40.tinypic.com/rvefrr.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/2cy1p2u.jpg

I like the looks of them and they handle great. But they get awful gas mileage -- makes it kind of expensive to use as a DD. Also I've heard they don't like the Texas heat -- 100+ days here in the summer.

No. Rwd, premium gas, gas guzzler, surprisingly tight interior for a 4 seater.

Maybe try outa Mazda3, they are surprisingly fun cars and get good mileage. Not to mention they are pretty inexpensive.


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+1 ^ I wouldnt take an RX-8 as a DD.. seems like everyone nailed the reasons above

Yeah I had a friend that has only owned RX's his whole life, he was so happy when Mazda released their intentions to do the RX-8, he started saving up for one right away. When they finally came out we wend to test drive it together. He was very disappointed. He ended up trying out a Mazda3 just for the heck of it and fell in love. I have 3 friends with this car (well, one of them is the Speed version) and all three of them love it.


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ok thanks, I guess I'll cross out the RX8

What else would you guys recommend? I mainly want something with a decent interior and $10k or less.

Volkswagen GTI MK5 or MK6 great DD. Amazing car, quick 2.0T , German quality, amazing interior, can produce over 30mpgs, I've even seen 40mpgs on steady highway on my brother in laws car. He has a new Mk6 loaded but maybe you can pick up a MK5 for the price your looking for.

I had an RX-8 before the Z as a Daily Driver. I would get anywhere from 16-18mpg of mostly highway driving. You also needed to check and top off the oil every 3-4 fill-ups. It was really fun to drive though. Really well balanced and light around the corners. Low torque and relatively low hp took some of the excitement out. You really had to flog the engine to it's 9k rpm redline to make it go fast. If there was ever a car the needed forced induction, it's the RX-8. Some engines were warrantied for 100k miles, but I've read a ton of horror stories of rotary engines crapping out, usually the apex seals.

For a DD, I would look into a Mini Cooper, GTI, STi or Mazda3. If you want to spend a bit more, I kind of like the Fiat 500 or CR-Z.

I've got a Mazda 3 as a daily driver -- quite a fun little car. A friend has the new GTI and likes it quite a lot.

You might also think about the Scion FRS or Subaru BRZ if you want something a little sportier. Still premium gas I think, but it should get pretty good highway mileage. RWD, but that not a problem unless your area gets a bunch of snow in winter -- even then a set of good snow tires will do wonders. I'll be trading my Mazda in for the BRZ when my order gets in.

edit: oops. scratch the Scion or Subaru, I didn't notice you wanted to spend 10k or less ...

On the way to pickup lunch today I saw an IS300. I completely forgot about those cars! They are close to 10k or even under it. The interior is pretty nice and as far as I know the engine and transmission is solid on that car.

Thoughts?

I like IS300s! My friend had one with about 100k of abuse on it still going strong.. Nice looking car inside and out especially for its time.. When I was younger I used to want one.

You guys are probably gonna flame me for this, but, staying with the Mazda theme... Miata. I had one and they are really fun to drive, it handles amazingly well, it weighs like 34lbs with a full tank of gas, mine was unleaded, and low maintenance. My 14" tires cost me like $140 mounted and balanced lol. And I got like 33 mpg. Go kart cars FTW!


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I like the Miata, but people think it sort of looks :superghey: driving around town. Nice solid doors though.

Lolz, I would be one of those people. No offense to anyone tho. To each his own.

Yeah same here, I used to really like them in my teens. The car has been around for a while but still looks really nice IMO. And I really do like the interior a lot.

what about a saturn sky? Similiar to the miata...

Me too lol !!!!!! Im always picking on my friend that has one, his codename is girlyman.

Haha I will totally admit, completely stock they do look like a chickmobile. But throw on a few mods and suddenly they become mean as hell. I'll try to dig up a pic of this wide body kit a guy put on his. Sleepy projector headlights too. Holy frak that thing was sexy.


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Yeah, stock Miata is kinda :supergay: but modded, they can be really rad. I've actually considered buying one. Turbo kit, suspension upgrades, and wheels + sticky tires = 200hp go-kart.

More like 5.0 motor swap+supercharger= 500hp go kart.


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Go with a mazdaspeed3 for a daily driver. It gets better gas mileage and is much faster. More room and 4 doors with a hatch.

I've been DDing my RX-8 for over 8 years now. Despite it's well documented shortcomings, I still love it.

I love Miatas. But I wouldn't daily it. In heavy rain, it's a bit of a crap shoot. I know from experience.

Couldn't find the one I was looking for, but this is another pretty nice looking wide body Miata.




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My budgets not that big. And even if it were, I don't think I'd really be able to enjoy more than 200-250whp in a Miata as a daily. Although if you could get the power to the ground consistently, 500hp would be incredible. That would put your power-to-weight ratio well above the Corvette ZR1. 375whp would get you approximately a 0.18 power-to-weight ratio, which is what the 2012 ZR1 has. 500hp puts you in 600cc crotch rocket territory.

I'd certainly support the RX-8 as a DD but I also drive less than 30 miles a day so the gas mileage isn't as big a concern as it is with a lot of people.

i dont know whats worse, a miata or a 1998 rav4 that i might pick up off my pops for a DD. It has less than 100k miles so its good for a lot longer and gets around 23 mpg in mixed driving and had plenty of room inside.

You know where I stand lol, I'm not a fan of anything resembling an suv. And the Miata is just fun to drive. Add in 30+ mpg and you can't lose.


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The Mazda RX-8 and MX-5 are amongst the most enjoyable cars to drive south of 50K so I definitely wouldn't have an issue driving them on a daily bases.

I guess if your main thing is street racing you might not be too happy but otherwise.. The MS3 is faster but that's where it ends. I'd go with the MX-5 as the RX-8 is quite a gas / oil hog

How about a RSX-S? You can probably find a used one for 10K with 100K miles.

I agree with the mazda3 people! Its an awesome dd.

I sat in a new mazda3 w/ skyactive at the Dallas Auto Show over the weekend and was surprised at how great a value it is. 40 mpg on the highway i think, great interior (for the price) and probably still as fun to drive as my 2009 mazda3.

While I was there I also convinced the Subaru BRZ lady to let me under the ropes to sit in it and check out the engine bay. I may get one soon as a dd.

Ditto to that. Already gave my Subaru dealership a deposit. I'm number 7 of 8 preorders they were taking.

RX-8 has basically a 200 miles driving range, you will average 15-20 mpg at best...