I've owned my "8" for two weeks now. I spent 3 weeks prior to purchase reading everything I could find about the car's advantage and disadvantages on the Internet and working on local dealers to lower my cost. I can tell you up front that most owners are VERY satisfied with this car. Granted, nobody in the US has over six months "history" with the RX8 but the car is getting off to a great start. Given that this is the fist model year, I chose to buy an extended warranty to cover any unforeseen shortcomings. The 4 year 50K basic warranty is pretty "generous" however.
The rotary engine is a new-generation (Renesis is the brand name) version of the old RX7 engine. It's designed to be more reliable, I think to deliver more power, and to burn less oil. This amazing feat of engineering results in an engine the size of two shoe-boxes (1.3 liter displacment) that can deliver 237 or so horsepower to this 3,100 pound car (approx wt.). Add to that, the fact that the engine is happy to rev to 8,000 rpm (red-lines at 8,500) and if you shift correctly, this car is a BEAST!!. As someone already indicated, 70 mph in 2nd and 90 in 3rd are easily achieved and the engine doesn't sound strained at all.
The steering is very tight although in my reading some have complained about the wheel pulling (or jerking) severely when braking on very rough terrain. I've not experienced anything but smooth responsive handling.
Part of the handling and the cornering that this car does so well is due to the very rigid frame and low center of gravity. The frame is reinforced by a front-to-back support that runs down the center of the car. The center of gravity couldn't be more centered or much lower. They designed the car with the gas-tank forward and the engine back which means you get almost perfect 50:50 rear:front weight distribution on this rear-while drive wonder.
Taking "25 mph" curves at 55 is no problem. I love to zip along our high and curved freeway entrance ramps at 80 mph and feel the car hug the road as it easily handles the curves. In such extreme conditions, the car is literally amazing. It doesn't give you that "outside-lift" sensation nor does it pull the wheel from your hand. It literally seems to hug the road.
The brakes are excellent. If I recall 60 to zero in about 120 feet (not sure if that includes reaction time--probably not.)
The turning radius is also amazing.
This car will make you smile from ear to ear as you put it through its paces. It's got plenty of zip, especially when, as mentioned earlier, you downshift into 3rd or even 2nd, depending upon your starting speed. Nobody's advocating breaking any speed limits but I have to share with you that people on the RX8 forum (presumably on a track-- wink-wink) have reported a top in speed of around 155 mph.
If you enjoy people scoping out your car as you drive. If you enjoy people walking up to you and asking "what is that?" "what size engine?" "what will it do?" and generally gawking, then this is a great car to have. It has the styling grace and looks of a $40+ thousand dollar car and can be had for under $30K.
After two weeks, I'm fully sold. I traded in a Mustang that I'd driven for 3 years (a V8) and I'm very glad that I did. I don't miss the V8 at all. In terms of cabin space, this car (the front of it anyway) is comparable to the interior of the 'stang. I have driven for 1 to 1.5 hours on trips with my wife in the front and my grown daughter in the back and they are comfortable in terms of the seat design and the amount of leg room. There are bucket-seats in the rear as well as the front.
This wouldn't be a review if I didn't raise issues that I've heard reported as I read about the car. First and foremost, the gas mileage is not what you'd expect for this size car. I'm getting about 17 mpg on a mix of non-stop freeway commuting in the morning and a stop-n-go freeway commute in the afternoon. Open highway driving runs about 20 mpg. Some people report mileage as low as 13 mpg.
There are discussions as to whether to burn premium octane or regular (the manual recommends 91 octane but "allows" as low as 87 octane.) Many owners seem to be running the 87 and having no problems. Whether there are no problems or whether the problems are forthcoming, only time will tell.
That reinforcement that runs the length of the car caused the design to include a front and rear console and front and rear bucket seats. The front console is obviously nothing new but the console in the rear does tend to make you feel closed in. You can't stretch your legs by placing them "across the hump" like you can on other rear-wheel drive cars. If you want to look out of the windshield from the back seat, you have to lean over and position your torso above the console.
The console lids (the locking covers) themselves are the "cheapest" part of the car. They are made of fairly flimsy plastic. Not a big issue unless you lean on them hard enough to crack the lid. Once you realize what you're dealing with, then it's easy not to abuse these somewhat unsturdy parts.
I should put the above in perspective by adding that the rest of the car, the way the doors close, the cabin interior is quite solid. Not opulent but very comfortable and very substantial. All in all, a feel of tight, well-fitted quality.
The car's engine can flood. Apparently most of the time when it does flood, the car doesn't recover on its own. The car must be towed to a Mazda dealer and engine-work is required. What this costs or how long it takes, I can't say since I've never flooded mine. Most owners routinely let the engine warm up for 3 minutes or so before killing it (on cold starts) and for those who do, flooding doesn't seem to be an issue. Most owners have never had the flooding problem. You probably do want to be careful when you drop the car off for work (such as having it tinted), to tell the workers not to cold-start it, drive it 50 feet, and then immediately kill it. No point in pressing your luck.
Some people aren't thrilled with the car's performance on snow. They seem to attribute it to the stock tires on the car.
Some people think that the carpet wears too quickly. If that bothers you, use floor mats (most people do.) If your floor-mats wearing out bothers you (it takes all kinds), then buy a spare set for those special occasions when you don't want to see a heel-print in the driver's mat.
The little things like the sunroof, the leather seats, the tight-action shifter, the fluid transition from gear to gear, the sensors in tires that warn you of low tire pressure, the white-digital speedometer readout, the 9-speaker BOSE audio system, the heated seats, the self-leveling xenon headlamps, all come together with this car's basic design to make driving the "8" a true pleasure.
I'd give it a solid "5" across the board!! I own a six-speed manual transmission, titanium color, with the Grand Touring Package. It MSRP's at $31,300 and I got it for $28,800 (including the $520 destination charges). That was about $500 over dealer invoice.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 28,800
Condition: New Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: 6 speed MT with Grand Touring
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.