SO READER PAUL SCHMIDT OWNS A MAZDA RX-8 LIKE I DO, but is thinking of trading it in for a new Mustang GT. He writes about his test-drive over the weekend:

It may be too obvious to mention, but the Rixxer and the Mustang are two very different cars. Although the reviews I’ve read say the Mustang handles pretty well, it’s not anywhere in the league of the RX8’s go-cart suspension. This has an upside, though: your kidneys don’t get hammered by every manhole cover, road patch and expansion joint you encounter. It’s a solid, comfortable ride- I don’t know offhand what the curb weights are, but the Mustang feels significantly heavier than the Mazda.

Acceleration, well, the Mustang has it all over the Rixxer. On one 40 – 80 run getting on the highway, I half expected the colors in front of me to be blue-shifted- that thing is a total rocket! I did a zero-to-40ish run which was quite fun, too. I understand it has traction control, but I didn’t try to turn it off; I think the dealer would have been irked with rubber flecks all over the rear quarter panels. What’s nice is it’s very docile driving around city streets, so there’s no penalty for the big motor in that respect.

The Mustang is easier to get in and out of (my wife and I are starting to get a little tired of climbing out of the Rixxer), and the back seat is marginally larger, as is the trunk. One nit: the rear seat headrests block some of the view out the rear window, but you won’t spend much time looking in that direction until the blue lights start flashing.

As a great driver once said, what’s-a behind-a me don’t matter. I take exception to the kidney-hammering bit, though. I find the RX-8 ride quite pleasant.