350z or Mazda RX-8

[zero2sxity]

Which would you rather own, drive and modify? just trying to get an idea of what the pros and cons of both are. any info would be much appreciated. thanks in advance

[nsrZ32]

Welcome to NICO!

I'd recommend going and driving both cars. Personally I'd take the 350Z hands down over the RX8

[Vinhnumber]

yeah 350z's have more parts available, and are pretty smooth cars off the lot.

[IndyZed]

Which would you rather own, drive and modify? just trying to get an idea of what the pros and cons of both are. any info would be much appreciated. thanks in advance

Guessing from your user name straightline acceleration is important to you. You'll want a Z. If a sweet exhaust note at start up and all thru the rev band is important you'll want a Z.

If carrying more than two people will be a common thing, you'll want an 8. Definitely drive both cars and spend more than 5 minutes on a test drive. I currently own both cars and enjoy both immensly.

One more thing, rotaries are unique engines with unique needs. If you go to the RX-8 club website and ask this question you'll likely get your pants flamed off. Don't do it.

Both cars are great but approach the same issue very differently. For me though, I like my 8, but I LOVE my Z

[NSRsheets]

I have driven both cars (one reason I almost got kicked out of a Mazda dealership.) and both are really good. IMO the Z is much better. It comes standard with more power and rode a lot better. Pro's for the Z are you can make more power out of it, better ride, and has tons of parts. The bad is no back seat. The RX-8 is lighter than the 350Z, but unless you know a lot about how rotary engines good luck building the engine.

[IndyZed]

NSRsheets makes a good point. My 2007 Z rides noticeably better than my RX-8.

It will probably come down to practicality. Most people who need to carry four people opt for the RX-8 or a G35 coupe.

Keep one thing in mind. The RX-8 gets miserable fuel economy. The very best I've ever gotten over the last four years was 19 mpg and I was coasting down every hill and not going past 4k. It was misery. Expect to get about 14 in town and 17 on the highway.

I've only got 500 miles on my Z and the computer says I'm averaging 20 mpg.

One last thing. Depending on what you want to do as far as mods, getting more hp out of a RX-8 will require forced induction and even then it doesn't do a whole lot. The Renesis rotaries run very hot and do not respond very well to turbocharging. Pettit Racing has a bolt on supercharger that's good for about 70 more hp but that requires tuning and about 5k in parts & labour.

[zero2sxity]

thanks alot guys. i am probably going to go ahead and get the 350z.

[epaplia]

Z will probably be the best choice. They are a blast to drive!

[gyarrris]

I would choose the Z waaaay over rx8. rx8 is gas guzzling, lacking in power, and it is seriously overpriced.

[sylviadrift]

thats a stupid question... 350 all the way you know how fast you can build one? you barely need anything for it to get more power.

[sylviadrift]

not a mazda fan whatso ever

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Now ask this question on a Mazda-specific forum and see what kinda answers you get.

350Z>RX8

[IndyZed]

I would choose the Z waaaay over rx8. rx8 is gas guzzling, lacking in power, and it is seriously overpriced.

I'll argue every point with you except for the fuel issue
Modified by IndyZed at 5:51 AM 9/27/2007

[NSRsheets]

I've also heard the Rx-8's have a lot of problems.

[IndyZed]

I've also heard the Rx-8's have a lot of problems.

Funny. According to the RX-8 website the Z has had a lot of problems.

I've had mine 4 years now and not one problem. The main issue people have had is starting it up, backing it out of the garage and then shutting it off. This floods the engine and usually results in a tow. Mazda gives you a booklet at delivery explaining that you must let the car warm up to normal temps before shutting it off. Rotaries run very rich and the plugs can get fouled quite easily.

Mazda also strongly recommends redlining the car everyday. They admit that driving the car like a grandma will hurt the engine. I drive mine hard everyday and 32,000 miles later it runs like a champ.

[ZMEDIC13]

I was told the same thing when I bought my 350Z. They told me that if I didn't push the car every now and then that it would hurt the engine and that the 350Z was made to be driven hard.

[flyguy2618]

I was told the same thing when I bought my 350Z. They told me that if I didn't push the car every now and then that it would hurt the engine and that the 350Z was made to be driven hard.

That makes me feel so much better becuase i do that every now and then and its nice to know im actually suposed to.

[IndyZed]

That's the excuse I use to my wife to drive hard. Sorry honey, just following procedure.

Speaking of driving hard, I'm really having a hard time not driving my Z hard. I have 630 miles on it right now and I've redlined it in 1st several times. It sounds so good and pulls so strong I can't help it. I can't wait till 1200 miles gets here.

[rex8]

As a very satisfied owner of an RX8 I can highly recomend it, however I would also highly recommend the 350z. Unfortunately the comparisons between the two cars have caused a sort of rivalry. To compare the 350 with with the rx isn't fair to either. The Z is powerful,stylish,tough and a great value. It should be compared to other 2 seat coupes such as hondas' S2000. I consider the Z a serious sports/performance car which would top my list if only I didn't need the additional seating on occasion. The Rx8 is also somewhat powerful (not a match for the superior Z),stylish,and semi-practicle(4 doors,2+2). The RX8 is more "sport" than performance and like the Z a good value and well equipped. Both are engaging to drive and feature many modern design elements. There are times when 8 owners would love to have Zs' power and torque and maybe on occasion the Z owners could use the extra seating. It's time for a little mutual respect and alot less slams.

[TheHat]

I think your question just boils down to preference and practicality and reliability. You probably would want to spend the $14 dollars for a subscription to consumer reports to get every detail about reliablity on both cars. Its one thing to hear about it from owners its a completely different thing when hearing about it from an objective third party. In terms of practicallity you need to think about how often you are going to have more then just two people in the car and what not, last statistic that I heard was that people spend somthing like 75% of their driving time with one person in their car (stat is several years old so it could be different or I could have read it wrong, i read alot of stats for school so I easily get them all confused.) Now the big one is preference. To determine your preference do like I did an rent each car for a couple days. This may take a bit out of your walet but in the long run is worth every penny when you finally make up your mind, you dont want to be making a 4 or 5 hundred dollar car payment on a car that you are not happy with. Also you may want to go to the dealers and see how they opperate, if you dont get a good vib give the sales men the finger and move on.

[NSRsheets]

The final decision is up to you. Go drive them and see which one you like better.

[Dittoz7]

Ummm In A Nissan Forum....

[Redline 350z]

I know this is a 350z forum, so here it goes. RX-8 has major issues if you compared it to the Z. I went in to look at an RX-8 and was told that there were a buy-back program on the problematic ones. The problem was that the engine was locking up. I asked the sales person (yes, he worked at one of the largest Mazda dealer here) and he told me that many people did not realize that you must rev the engine to 3k rpm before shutting it down. He said that it drains the oil from part of the engine. I have no clue to what that means, but to me I have no times to rev my engine to 3k right before shutting it down. It sounds to me like a flawed design.

Probably some RX-8 owners can enlighten us about this flawed design.

[samej82]

That doesn't make sense to me. I thought oil pressure rises with RPM.. So, how does reving it before shutting down aid drainage? Why would you even want to drain it? Seems like the locking up is from lack of oil anyway. I know that the RX-8 burns oil, and you need to check and refill the level every 1800 milles. Which for some drivers would be every 2 weeks. I'm sure this rev thing is a rumor, stemming from the truth about the RX-8 burning oil.

The RX-8 was a car I too was considering on purchasing before I decided on the 350z. The Rx-8 is a lot of fun to drive, can carry four people, has a trunk, and rides excellently. But, I heard there was an issue with some of the older RX-8's Air Conditioner, many needed to be returned to the dealer for an upgrade cause they just not cooling the car down enough, I wasn't sure if they fixed that problem for the 07 car. Also, the Rex 8 had the burning oil problem, but what really did it for me was that rex had a 15 gal fuel tank, and only runs on premium unleaded, which limited the range of the rex. So I went with the Z, though it only seats 2 and it's trunk is hardly to speak of, it doesn't have oil issues, or AC issues, (just transmission and clutch and its hasn't been recalled so it might be due to driver error) and it has a large fuel tank that gives me a range of more than 430 miles and it can run on regular unleaded with no problem.

[Redline 350z]

from http://www.leftlanenews.com/ma....html

"Mazda will recall all 2004, 2005, and many 2006 model year RX-8 sports cars to address an issue with the vehicle's unique rotary engine, according to trade publication Automotive News. The automaker is expected to officially announced the voluntary recall some time this week. Many engines will need to be replaced, according to the report. The move comes after the Japanese automaker came under fire from consumers over a number of serious problems with the engine. The issue involves damage to the catalyst resulting from oil leaks. Any engine that does not pass a vacuum test must be replaced."

and

http://rotarynews.com/node/view/826

RotaryNews.com has confirmed that there will be a recall on the 2004, 2005 and some 2006 Mazda RX-8s. Not every RX-8 will need a new engine, only those that fail a series of tests, including a new vacuum test. The replacement engines will correct for issues ranging from flooding, hard starting, complete loss of compression, and use of Synthetic Oil in hot climates. For those that do not require an engine replacement, the ECU will be reflashed to provide for more lubrication (an already released Flash). Recall notice letters will be sent out to owners on a staggered schedule. At this point some dealers do not know about the recall, as the bulletin has not been sent.

[samej82]

I wonder if they'll replace motors for those people that modified their Rx-8 or will Mazda say that because the engine was modified their hands are tied.

[blinkme323]

I've driven both and the Z is the clear winner. The 8 was nice in some ways, but just lacked power in a big way.

[PerfectApex]

Road and Track recently compared the two and they felt the 8 was an overall better car. The 8 also had quicker road course times however its slower than the Z in straight line performance. From my stand point, I like the Z much better. I looked at the 8 before buying my 07 Z and it had very little head room with the sun roof. I refused the test drive as my neck would have been in traction!! I also prefer just two doors and two seats as a true sports car should have. Mazda has always made a very reliable car but the styling, power, and head room sold me on the Z.

[flyguy2618]

True sports cars are two seaters, also Z has amazing power for its weight and alot of room for upgrades that have potential of yeilding even greater power, also the 8's engine sounds messed up, the Z is an amazing sports car not many in its class can fill its shoes.

[ZnifiedZ33]

hands down the Z, test drove the rx8 but slow but handles very well, besides the rx8 looks like *** compared to the Z.