I disagree. MK8 has better balance because MK7, like MKWii, is overly reliant on items. You can trash 8 for only needing to worry about red shells, but you can trash MK7 for having way too much defense for everything beyond blue shells. You don't even need to worry about triple reds in MK7 when the tail reflects everything back anyway.
The only flaw with MK8's item system, which I will admit to, is that coins are a bit too prominent as items. However, even 2 coins give you a speed boost due to the coin system. It may not be a perfect system, but the old ways of MK before 8 were FAR from perfect as well, and to act as if that system was even a single bit more balanced is ridiculous to me. You may be more used to MK the way Wii and 7 were, but that doesn't mean it was ever a good thing.
The tracks between both are pretty equal to me, however. But with DLC, MK8 has more of them objectively.
Acceleration in MK7 was dominate. In MK8, it's speed this time. Seems like it's simply switching the pecking order style to me, rather than MK7 being better balanced in weight classes.
MK8, while not perfect, relies more on skillful driving than MK7. The item system needed to be toned down, and yes, it's not perfect, but it's more than what we had before.
