When I decided to buy a new car I had some fairly specific criteria in mind. I'm single and rarely need to haul people or cargo, so I don't need a large vehicle. That means I may as well have something I can enjoy driving. I've always been a sports car enthusiast and to me a true sports car has rear-wheel drive, a manual transmission and two doors. I planned on buying used and the price limit I set was $20k. I briefly considered an older BMW M3 or Porsche 911, but I knew I'd have reliability issues with a higher-mileage vehicle so decided to buy a newer Japanese car. That pretty much narrowed it down to the RX8 and 350Z. The "Z" is definitely a respectable sports car, I love the styling and the engine is fantastic. However I found the interior to be on the cheesy side. And this being my only vehicle, I knew I would *sometimes* need more than two seats.
Competing cars like the Acura RSX, Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evolution are essentially ordinary passenger cars with tuning; they may have power but they will never have the same feel as a machine built from the ground up for speed. The RX8, on the other hand, is a pure driver's car. It is simply a joy to corner, both responsive and forgiving. The only thing it lacks as a performance car is power; if you simply have to have a car that will glue you to your seat off the line, you might look elsewhere. This is balanced by the amazing high-RPM smoothness that the rotary provides. With no reciprocating pistons, the motor will scream to its 9,000 RPM (!) redline with nary a complaint. The handling is fantastic; I have tried to push the car to its limits and always found my own confidence to be the limiting factor. It takes supreme effort to break the tires loose on dry pavement.
The interior of most Japanese cars is pretty uninspired, but it is the interior that really drew me to this Mazda. It is functional, comfortable and elegant. The trim level of the GT version (with leather, 8-way power driver's seat and heated front seats) is comparable to that of an entry-level BMW, Mercedes or Audi. There is plenty of room up front, though headroom is a bit tight if you're over 6 feet tall. The back seats are fine for kids or adults on short trips and the suicide doors make them fairly easy to get in and out of, though this probably isn't your best choice as a daily driver if you routinely carry more than one passenger. The 8 is highly rated for safety, with airbags galore, high crash ratings and even an electronic tire pressure monitoring system. The stock 8-speaker Bose sounds great, my only gripe being that the CD player skips very easily on rough pavement.
Most people mention low fuel mileage as a major "con," but this doesn't make much sense to me. You can't have it all, and if you want a performance automobile there will be some sacrifices. 200+ horsepower at the wheel, from a 1.3-liter naturally-aspirated engine is a fantastic achievement. But again on the subject of horsepower, I would love to see Mazda release a turbocharged version. Speaking of the engine, you MUST be vigilant about checking the oil; every other fillup is a good rule. The rotary injects (and thus burns) small amounts of it in order to maintain the critical apex seals. I use roughly a quart between changes. Mazda recommends (but doesn't require) running 91 octane, but I'm not sure why as it's a low-compression motor. Myself (and many others) run 87 consistently with no problems whatsoever.
All in all, the RX8 is a fantastic choice for someone who wants a performance-oriented daily driver.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 20000
Condition: Used Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: GT
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