I am planning to sell my tcm xB. I have had two different xBs and both were autos. I have never driven the manual xb, but the auto is soooo slow. Im just tired of the lack of hp in the xb. I want to buy a used manual bsp tC , if i could find one. But, my dad owns a car dealership and he has offered me a '04 black 6 speed manual Mazda Rx-8 w/ leather seats and a bunch of options. That car is sooo much faster than the xB and i bet its way faster than a tC. Personally, i like the tCs interior and exterior design more than the Rx-8's, but the Rx-8 is not that bad. Can someone give me the pros and cons of the tC please. If anyone owns a Rx-8 or knows someone that does, can you tell me somethings i should know about the car. And if anyone wants to give me thier opinion on which car i should choose that would be great.

 

Is your dad giving the rx8 to you or selling it to you. Could you sell it later and get the tc? I'd take the rx8. But i'm 47. The tc (which I like) is aimed toward you. You could always supercharge the car for $5,000. Good luck

mARTY

 

it depends how much "power" your looking for also.

does your xb have custom headers? intake? you could also just get a nitrous boost for when your in the mood for a shot of some power also

 

It really depends on what type of car you are looking for. If you want to go crazy with mods and stay in the good graces of people on this forum you might want the tC.

But if you have a true need for speed and handling then the rx-8 is your best bet. I have been racing rx-8s in the grand am series of scca for about a year now and these cars are just a blast to drive.

 

my dad is giving me the rx-8. lol it would suck if he was selling it to me. and he said i can wait n see if he comes across a bsp tC in a auction. But he has told me that in the past year, he has seen only 2 tCs in the auction because the car is brand new. Im looking for alot more horsepower than the xb can offer. I havent done anything but add a exhaust to gain hp. i was looking into getting a supercharger for my xb, but i have a auto and i HATE driving an auto. My dad has bought two xBs from auctions and they have both been autos. The first one was a basic bsp and the second, which im currently driving is a tcm and this one had a whole bunch of upgrades that include the 18 inch enkei rims. I traded him my bsp for the tcm. I really like the xB, but right now, i really want a sports car w/ manual transmission. Its just a lot more fun to drive. The tC gets 160 hp and the rx-8 gets i think 238, which is a lot more. But i like the tC more appearance wise. I think i really need to test drive a tC.

 

Insurance wise, neither the tC or RX-8 are good compared to the xB (you are 16, male=bad insurance rates). RX-8 requires premium fuel. But since your dad is giving you an RX-8...go for it. Old British Proverb: Real sport cars are rear wheel drive. Maybe it's just SL owners, but there sure are a lot of complaints AGAINST the tC. Also that tC recall issue is a problem. Entry into the rear seats of the RX-8 is better than the tC.Read more about the reliability of the Wankel (rotary) engine though. Not too familiar with Mazda engines.

 

Sports cars and teenagers don't mix. I think a father that would give a 16 yr old an rx-8 is asking for the police to call him on a saturday night to inform him that his son was found wrapped around a tree. Enjoy your xB. After you get a few year's experience driving then get your sports car.

 

I hear rx8's are great they burn more gas then v8's and have no torque.

 

they also burn some oil to keep the seals maintained.

 

Great another 16 yearold with a fast car to try and race every car they come next to. listen to mxyzptlk on this.

 

tC

 

If his dad is "giving" him a RX-8, I dont think insurance would be an issue...

 

i wish people gave me 25 grand slow cars.

i test drove an rx-8 and was very dissatisfied.

maybe you sould be a nice guy and instead of being spoiled by taking yer dads rx-8 have him buy u a manual xB .

i hate the tc too. but i'd take a hopped up tc over a stck rx-8.

 

ok i think some of u guys are being too stereotypical about teens and their driving. im not saying that i dont speed sometimes, but i dont think i would ever do any illegal street racing or anything too crazy if i had a tC or rx-8. Money is not really an issue here. Its just what car would be a better fit for me. I really want the opinion of some tC owners. i want to know what they like and dislike about their cars.

 

16 yr olds wreck cars. Its not a stereotype. RX8 is a nice car but burns gas like a v8 with with 4cylinder torque and v6 hp. Burns a lot of oil too. No the best combo there. tC is probably safer for a younger driver. Better mileage and cheaper to insure. You are going to wreck it anyways so what is easier to fix would be my choice.

 

moved

 

Good for your dad to buy you a car. The question is do you want horsepoiwer or a cool car. But at 16 your friends will think any car you drive is cool.

Marty

 

word..

i really concur with mxyzptlk. although the Rx8 is a very nice car and has way more power than any scion, too much power/torque at the tip of your foot like an Rx8 might be waay too much at your age. and like others said, maybe get some experience first, and then go for the Rx8.

for now..tC should be your best choice. you can always make it go faster too..

 

I wish people gave me those as well.

You were disappointed with the rx8? I guess you're just a power person....otherwise the balance and revability of the RX8 should easiliy compensate the feeling of lack of torque, kind of like the S2000.

Since you're a teenager, I'd probably say tC just because...but for just a general comparison, it's really matter of

do you want a sports compact? or...
a sports car?

 

The RX-8 is a far better car hands-down. The interior (did you get the red/black leather) is one of the nicest on any car under $60,000. The handling is absolutely superb. And you're blessed with a NA rotary engine.

I've personally done a couple years of research into rotary engines, so I can tell you a bit about them. Due to the problems with the FD RX-7, there is a great stigma that rotary engines are unreliable. This is *wrong*.

In forced induction applications, it is true. They are very temperamental engines under boost. The rotary has basically no tolerance for detonation. If the fuel runs lean for just about any reason, an apex seal blows, and the engine is hosed. So RX-7s tended to have a lot of problems especially when incorrectly modded. The detonation problems were further compounded by a ridiculously overcomplicated (and unnecessary) twin turbo system. There are well over a hundred different vacuum hoses in the FD's turbo system and they were made of cheap materials that deteriorate easily. So FD's and turbo rotaries in general are very finicky.

Naturally aspirated rotaries, like the RENESIS in the RX-8, will last forever if properly maintained. Fuel efficiency is not great, but you will see it improve a bit after about 3-4K miles of break in. Oil consumption is the real complaint most people have. If you get regular oil changes, oil consumption will not be a very big deal. Just watch the oil on long trips and things like that, and change it regularly. Other than that, the only thing to watch out for is flooding. The RENESIS does not take well at all to extremely short trips. Once you start her up, you have to get the engine up to optimal temperature before shutting down. So don't just start the engine to move the car in the driveway. Drive it around for about five minutes before turning it off, otherwise the engine could flood.

Those are the main two things: Regular oil changes, and running the engine. You do that and get your scheduled maintenance and the engine will probably last 300K+ miles no problem.