buying

 

I have been following the Mazda RX8 for about two years now and had placed a deposit on the vehicle (Red with Red/Black leather) at the local Mazda dealership, my purchase was subject to a test drive. The Red RX8 was the first of its kind to show up in Victoria, BC ----> so off I went for a test drive. Before I test drove the RX8 however, I decided that there were two other comparable vehicles around the same price range / class as the RX8; the Lexus IS-300 and the Infiniti G35 Sedan. Mandatory on my list were: 4 doors (to accommodate wife and daughter), good looks, excellent handling, excellent braking, excellent performance, and reasonable trunk space. Here were my findings:

Lexus IS-300 5MT
4 doors – good rear seat comfort with easy access (7/10)
Looks – sharp looking vehicle, but slightly dated styling (7/10)
Handling – good handling with minimal road feedback (7/10)
Braking – superb braking, stops on a dime (and gives you change) (10/10)
Power / Performance – poor performance, this car is too slow (6/10)
Trunk Space – good trunk space, smallish opening (6/10)
Total = 43 / 60

Mazda RX8 6MT
4 doors – good rear seat comfort with complicated access (6/10)
Looks – superb styling, excellent looking car (10/10)
Handling – superb handling with excellent road feedback (10/10)
Braking – excellent braking (8/10)
Power / Performance – poor performance, unless you keep the engine at 7500+ RPM (8/10)
Trunk Space – almost useless trunk space, awkward opening (4/10)
Total = 46 / 60

Infiniti G35 Sedan 6MT
4 doors – excellent rear seat comfort with easy access (8/10)
Looks – sharp looking vehicle with modern styling (9/10)
Handling – excellent handling with good road feedback (8/10)
Braking – excellent braking (8/10)
Power / Performance – excellent performance at all RPM ranges (10/10)
Trunk Space – good trunk space, easy access (7/10)
Total = 50 / 60

The Lexus IS-300 has the best braking, the Mazda RX8 has the best handling and looks (although looks are a very personal thing), but the Infiniti G35 is the best all-around vehicle. Before I test drove the G35 I had only read reviews about this vehicle, needless to say I was very skeptical, and very pleasantly surprised with the performance. I decided to purchase the Infiniti G35 Sedan (2004 model) in the new Graphite (called Silverstone here in Canada) colour. I am expecting delivery by the end of August.



2004 G35 6MT on order

 

Good reviews Victoria_G35. I have an IS300 and have test driven an RX-8 6MT and a G35 6MT three times each, once back to back. I would probably give the RX-8 a 7/10 for rear seats and 10/10 for braking. I pre-ordered an RX-8 6MT GT+NAV+Rear Wing in January and I also pre-ordered a 2004 G35 Sedan 6MT in DG with Premium/NAV/Aero etc two months ago. They are both very good cars, but last week my RX-8 finally came in and I went for it. That rotary engine is just so amazing (but horrible fuel consumption) and the rear doors are perfect for getting a baby seat into the back seats. The RX-8 feels more fun to me due to it's smaller size and nimbleness (I like Miatas too), but is noticably slower than the G35 (in it's defence the RX-8 had 4 adults on board during my back to back test-drive so weighed more than the G35)..

My only fear is the RX-8 is a first year model, so there will be teething issues. And I actually ended up paying more than I would have done for my G35 ($500 over invoice) with all the options I put on my car. The G35 was defintely the safer option but I haven't taken a risk in a while... wish me luck.

Anybody want a loaded DG/Graphite 2004 Sedan due September 25th?