I was on an RX-8 forum and people were saying what a total POS the new Mustang is because of live axle suspension, hevay weight, unrefined, etc. Although the RX-8 is a nice car, I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

Maybe the stang uses a live axle but it has to be the best damm lookin car I have seen in many years that a regulkar person can afford, and I would way rather have a burbling v-8 than a rotary with 160 lb/ft of torque.

Interested to hear other opinions,

 

yea i do admit the RX-8 is a nice car and i wouldnt mind owning one...i wouldnt actively buy 1 tho....but id take my msutang HANDS DOWN! :P

 

if you put the rx8 and a mustang gt on a track the mustang would kill it on the 1/4 mile adn on a road coarse.... so yeah the live axle is lame and outdaed, but at least it is now a 3 link suspentiona and it handle quite well, better then most would imagine. There was a magazine that said the mustang GT hadled better then a 350z track edition and i am sure the 350z track edition handles better then a RX8

 

My first car out of college was an RX-7, it was a great car for me at the time. Thus, I feel I am objective in this matter. I have driven an RX-8, it is a good car but as far as looks and drive doesn't stack up to the 05 Mustang. Any RX-8 owners that think otherwise are delusional. Just my humble opinion.

 

Actually it doesn't. The RX-8 easily outhandles the 350Z track edition, because of the physics of its design. The Renesis rotary engine is 30% more compact than conventional piston engines of comparable power. This allows the engine to be placed behind the front axle and in a lower position - close to the car's center point; its yaw axis - providing several key advantages: An exceptional power-to-weight ratio for enhanced acceleration...a low center of gravity for superb handling...and a "low polar moment of yaw inertia" - which essentially means the resistance of the vehicle to being turned from its natural straight line path.

They handle like they're on rails, and since I've been airborn in one too, they stay firmly planted even upon hitting the ground hard.

But I would still pick the Mustang, overall, cause you can't beat the raw power and great '60s growl of that muscular V8 engine.

But the RX-8 is an awesome car, and if I were buying a Japanese sports car, it would be high on my list.

 

With all the troubles that the rear end seems to be causing for some owners on this form,i think if i had to pick right now ,i would would get the RX8.That being said ,i dont plan on buying the mustang now until at least the 06 so hopefully the rearend and other 05 issues will be cleared up by then.

a RX8 form (i didnt see any mustang bashing)

http://www.rx8club.com/

 

Please elaporate on this statement. Exactly what "troubles" are you refering to?

The Boss Hog

 

Come on now, were you really surprised to hear those comments from a bunch of RX-8 owners? I would have been shocked to hear anything else. It has been my experience that it is only very insecure people who find it necessary to justify their choice by bad-mouthing someone else's choice, be it cars, trucks or women.

The Boss Hog

 

 

The RX8 is a very nice car, however, it is:

1) More expensive by $3 to $5,000 depending on models/options

2) A Mazda which by my experience means dreadfully poor service and some of the most expensive parts I have EVER seen.

3) The Renesis in all it's 1.8 liter size is just not as powerful as they had stated it would be, and without twin turbocharging cannot even come close to offering the thrust capable of the 3 valve 4.6

If the Mazda was $4,000 less and had twin turbos on it, then we'd have a discussion. Until that happens, this discussion is pointless.

 

Yeah, I'm with Boss, what trouble with the rear ends on these are you referring to that would be so bad that they'd make you buy the rx-8 over the stang? I don't have any issues with the rear and I haven't heard anybody else complain either. I smell a closet ricer in here....... :angry:

 

As a former RX-7 owner, I have a soft spot for the RX-8. The RX-7 was an amazing handling car and the rotory allowed for a small, nimble car that changed directions like nothing else I've driven. From what I've read, Mazda has managed to capture that in the four-seat RX-8.

That said, there were hassles with the RX-7. Rotaries use oil as a function of their design and need frequent oil changes to remain healthy.

Rotaries don't have a lot of low-end torque, but they rev smoothly (and seemingly forever) and Mazda makes up the torque loss with gearing. In fact, judging by my Protege, Mazda does this with most of their cars. Both cars have hair-trigger throttle response -- which is great when you are hammering them, they really come alive. But, the same responsveness is a real pain in stop-and-go traffic.

The real disadvantage of the RX-7 (and I'm guessing the RX-8) is that it didn't share a lot of parts with a volume car and therefore parts were very, very expensive. In the three years I owned it, there was a least one big service a year that cost over $1000. As a young guy with a low-paying job, this just ate me up. Mufflers alone were $300 per side; cheaper aftermarket alternatives were half-price and only lasted two winters. Ultimately, that's why we parted ways.

Of course, the fact mine had a bum engine from new (it was orginially my Mom's car) and let go just out of warranty didn't exactly help, either. I do think that was a bit of a fluke. Apparently, if well cared for, rotaries can run for a long time. This one had a bad apex seal from new, causing some drivability issues that weren't resolved until the engine died and was replaced. After that, the car ran well and strong. Cost me a ton, though!

From what I've read, Mustang's are a little easier to deal with in this respect, sharing lots of parts with other Fords. The 4.6 engine seems to be pretty solid and the cars don't seem to be anywhere near as expensive as my RX-7 was to own.

In terms of character, I like both. I've driven a last-gen Mustang GT and that car was a hoot - lots of power everywhere, great sound, decent "meat and potatos" handling. The car was dominated by its great engine, which was cool in its own way.

The RX-8 seems to be a bit more balanced, with a real emphasis on handling and response. A different kind of car entirely, one that in some ways I might really enjoy if I wasn't afraid of getting killed on running costs!

I think it's pretty smart that Ford has two very different cars -- that suit their relative brands -- within their product portfolio. I would gladly take either (for different reasons)!

 

Both seem to be excellent performance coupes, albeit rather different in character. While either could be crudely caricatured in various ways, with perhaps a core of truth to them, I would be quite happy with one or the other taking residence on my driveway.

I have driven the RX-8 a couple of times and found it to be a superlative coupe. Yes, of course the 1.3 liter rotary doesn't have the low rpm punch of a big V8. But on the other hand, it revs so readily and so smoothly that accessing its power in the upper reaches of the tach is a driving joy rather than chore. This is quite in contrast to the thrashy, buzzy character of most straight fours which have terrible second order imbalances. Combined with a tight six speed that is light and crisp in action and a perfectly weighted clutch, the RX-8 makes for a wonderful driving experience whirring Dremell-tool like through the gears.

The suspension is simply sublime, combining a high degree of compliance and comfort, though appropriately firm and controlled, with great agility, balance and feedback. What the little rotary motor looses in tractor-like torque it gives in compactness, lightness and sitting way low and back in the chassis.

And if one is baffled by the benefits of a good IRS, pitch this thing through some challenging country backroads in the hills. Centrifuge around a few more textured corners and the suppleness of a good IRS will be revelatory to those used to a live-axles Tennessee Two Step over the same coarse corners.

I imagine the S197's new 3-link arrangement is an order of magnitude better than the old Fox chassis obdurate ancient arrangement but alas, there is no escpaping basic physics and any live axle's immense unsprung weight trying to pound lumps back into the pavement like the world's sharpest looking jack-hammer.

My and my families experience with various Mazda's in terms of build and material quality and overall reliability and durability have been very good. Undoubtedly some out there have their tales of woe with Mazda, as might any number of Stang owners, but overall, Mazda tends to do quite well in these areas. The new Stang, being built in basically a Mazda plant alongside the Mazda 6, ought to be a major improvement over the outgoing SN95 and more on par with a typical Mazda product.

I'll leave aesthetics to the eye of the beholder as to whether one prefers RX-8 funky to Mustang neo Pony Car, but neither will cause eye strain and the RX-8 interior ergonomics are very fine indeed evincing the typical Mazda attention to details in this area.

There is talk and rumor that Mazda will come up with some more steam pressure in the engine room, perhaps through an electrically boosted turbo system where an electric motor type system spins up the compressor at low rpm/load to bolster low rpm torque and power. While that will not likely result in V8 humbling off idle oomph, combined with a turbo rotary's mid to high rpm rush and optimally utilized by the RX-8's sophisticated chassis, it might really create something to press the Stang out on the road.

But then, rumor of SE Stang's with yet more ponies in the harness and an IRS to actually put all that power to terra firma on more than butter smooth roads ... ah, good days to be a car enthusiast!!!

 

As a previous owner of a RX-8 I would agree on great looks great handling and performance...........HOWEVER!!! I had the RX-8 for 2 months and 2500 miles on the O.D. I traded it in for a 04 GT. My 5th Mustang of 6 thatI have owned. With the New Old Rotary engine the same problem still exists as in the past with fileing of sparkplugs, flooding out, and fuel line purgeing problems still exists. All three problems happened to my RX-8. All three times had to be towed in. I am not bashing the RX-8 just my experience. I will stick with going fast and straight and knowing that I will get there without a lift.

 

Here is the thread I was talking about

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=43122

 

Sadly, there's a lot of truth to the below statement:
Thankfully, I think things are beginning to turn around now.

 

Wow, I almost feel dumber for having gone to read that RX8 drivel. Talk about people that have an inferiority complex about their choice of cars.

 

I wouldn't call it lame or outdated. The 05 handles better and any other mustang other than the cobra-R and the solid rear axle is much more durable than IRS.