Which Mazda dealer did you go to? The one in Arlington near the Ballston Mall?

And yes, the sway bar apparently does reduce the body roll a fair amount, but so does the A-Spec suspension.

 

Yeah, I laughed. My friend just picked up a 5MT 3 and is learning stick on it. She keeps telling me she's stalling everywhere...gives me a good chuckle.

 

yup, near ballston mall. i live down the street.

 

I traded in my RX-8 (manual) for a TSX (auto) for the wife. I had no problems with the RX-8 and enjoyed every minute of ownership. Performance wise, the RX-8 is about 10 levels ahead of the TSX in handling and fun to drive. Room for 4, but no trunk. As a second car, the RX-8 is fantastic. As a primary car, the gas mileage of the RX-8 is a bummer.

 

rx8 is hideous.........

 

I recently bought my 06 GBP TSX after having to compare it to a Mazda6 S with (6cyl).and no regrets. It is slower than what i am used to, but really when you drive the TSX, it really gets going and you do not know you are going 95 mph. I enjoy all the features the it comes with and when the real option is the navigator and everything is standard, what better deal can you get for the price. Not to mention the resell value is higher than most cars out there. TSX is fun though may mot much so as other sports cars, but defintely gives you more bang for your buck and with the peace of mind with such a reputable reliability. It is definitely a car for long-term keeps and still love it.

My fiance, on the other hand, drives the 05 RX8 and I have to say that there are definitely differences between the 2 cars. Below are my fiance's comments about his RX8 car:

1) As everybody has made comments about cost of maintenance, let me tell the way it really is: maintenance is required according to the manual at every 7500 miles. With the first 2 checkups with a coupon, it averages $75 that includes oil change, fluid level and brake checks. The first big maintenance is at 24k miles and costs about $240. This is their "first" major tune-up.

2) Gas mileage - not great at all. On a long stretch of freeway with a cruise control on, the best I have seen is 21MPG. In the city, it averages 15-17 MPG.

3) OIL - YES the engine does use oil. NO it is not outrageoues. I do carry a quart of oil in my trunk, only because it is an odd weight 5W/20 and not easy to find at every gas station when needed. I have had to add about 3 quarts of oil over 3K miles of driving.

4) Trunk - if you plan on using one, this is not the car for you. The opening is small and it is hard to fit large object like a 30 roll pack of toilet paper from Costco through the opening.

5) Spare tire - There is none. It comes with a very a indepth tire repair kit that is easy to use but expensive to replace. You can put a spare tire in the trunk, but do no tplan on usign the trunk much after that.

6) Insurance - it is considred a 4 dr coupe and cost the same insure as my previous 4 dr Jetta.

7) Performance - for a small engine, the rotary packs an enormous punch. There is a redline at 8500 rpm, but that is just for show. This engine does not have valves so there is really no redline. The 6 speed model pushes 260HP at 7500 rpm. It is sluggish out of 1st, picks up at 2nd and seems bottomless at 3rd gear and up.

8) Handling - suspension is tight, handling is very smooth and responsive on corners and windy roads. Acceleration when down shifted is immediate and responsive.

9) Exhaust - little know fact: rotary engines are notorious for extremely high exhaust tempratures. As the exhaust runs down the center of the car, the inside gear shift and center console tend to get warm and the car is always warm in the inside. Exhaust temperatures averages 750-800F. This is know to blow catalytic converters after 2 - 3years and they are not cheap to replace. The car is always warm in the inside.

10) Interior - nothing special. The air vents are kinda unique as they are bubbly-shaped.

My fiance owned one fo the first RX7 in 1980, the new RENESIS engine is a great improvement for stability and performance. He never had a problem. It is unique, smooth and responsive. Overall. is he happy about his car? YES or he would not still have it. For the price in his opinion, it does really perform like a really good sports car.

So, take it for what it is, it really is entirely up to what feels better to you. The TSX is a a good start-up luxurius sports sedan. For the RX8 with the same features, expect to buy the grand touring package whihc will price you over the TSX.

Good luck

 

I forgot to add this in ----

I am not that tall, but taller than most Asians and getting in and out of the RX8 can be a drag at times as it is sooooo low to the ground.

That all folks!!!

 

Doesn't seem like a good idea, but part of the price you pay for something unusual. No different than, say, buying a mid to large SUV, or perhaps some other sports cars. (I like how many sporty car owners are quick to quote highway milage. The last time I was in a really slick Pontiac with a V8, I looked at the trip computer, and it said 16 MPG! Dang, I get 26, usually, or better.) But if you have the cash.... Just seems like a waste of money tho.....

Not necessarily. I looked at the Mazda 3, and it had horribly cheap plastic. Then I looked at the Scion tC, and was very impressed at how nice the interior was. Not a luxury-car interior, but the plastic did not feel "cheap" at all. Impressive.

Yeah, the Mazda salesmen in this area are bad too. Hmm.

Prolly a 3-series, but look how much more you have to pay. Hard to get excited about that. G35 has massive power, but aside from power, I'd rather have the TSX.

I hope to change the suspension one of these days and find out for myself what can be done.


Going back to some of the talk about maintenance, my old RX-7 was pretty reliable, until it got older. I did have a couple of breakdowns, but they weren't massive. The worst part was one time having to wait almost two weeks for a part from Japan! Ugh. That's what you get for buying a foreign sports car. That and a difficulty finding someone who knows how to work on a rotary.... So, I think it's much easier having a Honda.

Still, it comes down to what can you afford. If you can afford a bit extra for whatever surprises come up, go crazy. But if you really have to keep with a strict budget, you're better off being more practical.