Mazda RX-8 (03-10) - Review

Review by David Ross on 12 May 2006

Last Updated: 24 March 2009

Mazda isn't afraid to do things differently - as the RX-8 proves. It breaks traditional coupe convention by having two rear-hinged doors to make access to the back easier plus it's powered by a unique rotary engine. In terms of design it truly stands out - both inside and out - while the cabin is fairly practical too. There's enough room for two in the back and a half decent boot, making the Mazda a useable coupe. It's great to drive with well weighted steering and minimal body roll, however while the rotary engine sounds good, it has to be worked hard to get meaningful performance and lacks pulling power. As a result fuel economy is poor. In August 2008 a revised model - called the RX-8 R3, was introduced with sharper looks and uprated suspension while the lower power engine was dropped from the line-up.

4 out of 5

Other Mazda reviews

4 out of 5

Summary

New price range:

£21,500 - £25,995

Used price range:

£1,746 - £15,034

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Unique style, good performance, rear-hinged doors, four useable seats

Rotary engine needs to be worked hard and is thirsty as a result

Driving & Performance

Performance

4 out of 5
"One engine is available in the RX-8 but it comes in two outputs of 192bhp or 231bhp. Confusingly the..."
Handling

4.5 out of 5
"Many comparisons were made between the Mazda and its rival the Nissan 350Z as both cars were..."

Comfort

Comfort

3.5 out of 5
"There's decent space for the driver and front passenger and the seats are comfortable yet..."
Practicality

3 out of 5
"The boot is quite useful with 290-litres of space (about the same as a Vauxhall Corsa) and will..."
Equipment

4.5 out of 5
"The level of standard equipment is impressive and even in the cheaper of the two models you'll get a..."
Behind the wheel

4 out of 5
"The cockpit of the RX-8 is equally as stylish and modern as the outside. The piano black trimmed..."

Costs

Running costs

2.5 out of 5
"The Mazda is well priced but depreciation is only average and it doesn't hold it's value as well as..."
Green credentials

1 out of 5
"There's no getting away from the fact that the RX-8 is a polluting model. The high output model..."

Safety & Reliability

Safety

4 out of 5
"The RX-8 doesn't have a Euro NCAP crash safety rating but it comes with plenty of standard safety..."
Reliability

3.5 out of 5
"Rotary engines used to suffer premature wear problems, but Mazda claims to have resolved this."

Buying & Selling

Buying new

3 out of 5
"Demand for the RX-8 R3 isn't as high as it initially was when the car was first launched and with..."
Buying used

4 out of 5
"Although there were several scare stories about the RX-8's thirst for oil, this shouldn't put..."
Selling

3 out of 5
"The RX-8 shouldn't be difficult to sell but it's high emissions and thirsty nature may put some..."