Mazda RX-8 (2003-2011)

You just cant beat the smiles per miles from an RX8 – I have had my RX8 for one year now and went into it knowing full well what I was up against so no surprises. You need to check your oil because the engine squirts small amounts for lubrication and you will use fuel because it is a sports car that revs to 10,000rpm. What they don't rave about is the insane handling of the RX8 and that sweet engine… Read more

noise, honestly put a 3 inch stainless system on it and you will have one of the most beautiful sounding engines you will ever hear in your life. This car is like no other and it stands alone being the last rotary ever made, it is special and requires a dedicated enthusiast to own it. Don't buy it if you are broke this is not a poor mans car and it is not a daily driver, this is a weekend machine. If you calculate cost of ownership go look for KIA or Hyundai because this level of motoring is not for you, move along. If you made it this far you know the beast you are about to get into, you love cars, you love noise and you love handling! Make sure you get the 6 speed manual as it made more power from a 6 port engine over the auto 4 port engine and lower rpm. Make sure you get a compression test as well or buy a broken engine RX8 on the cheap and have it rebuilt. Also there are a bunch of recalls for it so make sure there completed. Other than that enjoy the last rotary ever made :) Edit: 2022 December and still one of the best cars I ever purchased and has never let me down even on the track at Lakeside and QLD Raceway.

If you want trouble free motoring move on....If you want a passion this is your car – Do you research before buying a Mazda RX. If you are considering must complete a compression test to ensure a strong engine...Start the car and make sure no white smoke thus being water seal Failure....when starting the car make sure you let it warm up prior to driving so you dint flood the engine....and most of all join you local RX8 community… Read more

on Facebook to support your ownership and find out reputable rotary mechanic in you local area. ...If by now you haven’t been scarred off owning a rotary then read on....This is the passion part.....Redlines at 10000rpm....grips the corners like no other car on the market....drives like a sports car should and is a pleasure to drive on those long weekend drives...the sound of the engine brapping away when you start her up....RX’s are not for everyday driving...but they are for every weekend to loose the drudgery of the weekday....and you get to talk about your wankel to your friends

Discontinued For The Right Reasons – The Wankel rotor. Can't believe it was German. Must have been designed as a generator. Hit it's pinnacle in Australia with RX7 - Series 3 - ''Super Deluxe'' - Japanese import with highway gearing. Actually hit 285 + km/hr and left V8's for dead. Think it won Bathurst as well. Self destructive motor. Rotation of the motor creates crank… Read more

''pins'' at each of the 3 points of combustion called ''devil's claws''. Claws wear casing and weaken combustion, engine loses power and becomes inefficient. Unburnt oil builds up in exhaust like a 2 stroke.. My V8 mate called it an egg beater.

Stop at the petrol station, check the petrol and fill up the oil. Acts and drinks like a 2 stroke - doesn't perform like one. Once you've blown the main seal you're looking at 3 grand repairs. Great looking, great fun to drive. Great handling but smaller engine (12A) was best in the RX3/4 series.

Being young and stupid I actually borrowed money to buy one. Dad laughed - three months later I realised why. May as well have bought a 70's MG. Same thing different day syndrome. Bought a Peugot 205 GTI later then swapped it for a Honda Prelude 4WS - both were better cars. A VW Beetle with a Czekoslovakian Boxer engine would have been more reliable. Don't buy cars for emotional reasons - that's for teens.

.

haha – 1.3 litre but uses too much fuel. and repairs cost a bundle. Still quite good luxury inside. But i would say totally over rated. and if your close to 6 feet tall or over forget it u wont even be able to get in its tiny inside made for 5 feet men.  Show details

More than just another car – I'm once again a proud RX8 owner, and loving it. Four years between RX8 ownership was forty eight months too long. Now I've bought a black beauty that I couldn't afford back then, as they have got way cheaper due to "orphan status", and idiots who can't look after them, and then tell everyone about their silliness. Ok, there's some do's and… Read more

dont's that go with these cars, which anyone with half a brain can read, or research, and then follow. Sure, they "use" oil....their meant to. It's in the design, and part of the engine's lube requirements. Yes, they like a drink of fuel, especially if your running up to the redline all day....so what? If you can't afford to fill her up, drive a Getz.

Warm them up, and warm them down. You would do it to your truck, if you were a considerate owner/operator, so why not your pride and joy. Change the plugs, leads and coils every few years. Don't buy cheap knock-off leads or coils either. Change the oil often, as only about half gets dumped each time. Use quality mineral oil of the correct weight, and stick to it. Fit quality Tyres, and have the brake fluid refreshed occasionally. Don't be scared to get your hands dirty; it won't hurt you, much. Blah, blah and blah.

If this simple bit of love for your car is too onerous, consider the Hyundai I20. An ex renter, while your at it. A great car for the lazy cheap-skate.

Now that we've covered your basic "pre-flight" preparations, it's time for fun out on the twisties. There's much faster cars about, and even some that may handle a little bit better. Most cars will have a bigger boot, or even better rear seats. But for my little bit of money, the RX8 is the best little sports car that can be had. Grin factor about 98%, and I look forward to starting her up as often as I can.

My dream job would be executive courier doing long country runs in a RX8. Driving for pleasure, and remuneration..... Definitely an "enthusiasts hobby vehicle", or even a subtle obsession. Or maybe, it's just a kind of desire?

Engine has short life – 2004 model in black with black and red leather seats looks awesome,build quality feels luxurious,handles well and the auto is good. The engine was hard to start cold,moved it out of the garage and turned engine off and it would not start again. They said rotor seals worn out and starter motor not big enough to start it,there's a new starter you… Read more

can buy that spins faster but mazda won't pay for it. Design defect? Mazda dealer wanted $6500 to replace rotor seals so took it to RX7 race workshop that put in after market seals for way less and they also had a kit to fit a RX7 starter which is like 30 percent bigger than RX8 and works very well. Guy also replaced a rotor housing, the chrome worn off, seems half as thick as RX7 chrome. The old RX7 motor is so much better than this side port rubbish and it was turboed with heaps more power yet more reliable. My wife loves it,and with new engine it purrs,so smooth like a turbine engine, and the back doors are neat.Performance is better than most sports cars. The engine is unreliable

Just so good – I bought a second hand 2009 manual RX8 a couple of months ago. I have been driving for forty years and have driven more cars than I can remember. What blows me away is that this car makes me feel the same thrill I felt when I was first starting to drive. This is the best driving experience I have ever had. I simply can't compare it to any other… Read more

car. It is a refined vehicle with impeccable road holding manners. The engine is sweet to the ear and the ride is brilliant when you consider that this is a performance vehicle. Economy is completely a non issue and it is a special motor that needs some attention with respect to maintenance and I love that it I am drawn closer to the vehicle as a result of having to monitor the oil etc. It took me a couple of weeks to understand how to get the best out of it and now I find myself really looking forward to driving again whether it is in traffic or the highway. Windy roads are an absolute joy to negotiate. Plenty of vehicle for my wife and I for both daily needs and trips away.

Mazda have done something seriously special with respect to rotary engined vehicles. This is my first rotary and I only regret not having looked at these earlier. Refined and sweet in its performance. It stands alone in this category and has no competition in my view with respect to performance and sheer driving pleasure. The shiny black plastic internally scratches easily from rings and keys etc.

Terrible – I traded in my Subaru liberty and bought what I thought was my dream car, wish I could go back 6 months. I was aware of the fuel consumption but I think like most owners of an RX-8 it still comes as a surprise. I think it's written up as about 12L/100km combined. I have never gotten anywhere near that and I mostly do freeway driving. I average… Read more

300km to the tank and normally fill up over 50L, so what's that - about 16-17L/100km of premium? I took a test drive in the sunroof model and even at only 6ft I still hit my head on the roof. I've had issues with starting, the way below average climate control, enormous fuel and oil consumption. I've been back to Mazda and they have said depending upon my driving it's quite normal for a rotary to have gone through 5l of oil in 5000km and to do almost 20L/100km. Nothing wrong with air conditioning, functioning normally (just don't drive on a hot day).

It's dead sexy to look at but very hard to live with. I think the internal fit-out is ordinary. Cheap plastic dash and console. The boot is lined with plastic velour that simply peels away. The spare wouldn't do for a bicycle. Remember, this is not a cheap car, it retails well into the 50's.

Only 5 months of owning my dream car and I sold it today and will never buy a Mazda or a rotary again.

I was going to finish that if you're a revhead and don't care then it's probably a realistic option. But if you're that way inclined you'd want a turbo on it and for it do sub-6's. It's not even that fast.. Very disappointed owner, sorry, former owner. Handling, looks, leather seats, Bose sound system, surprising space in the back seats if you're not claustrophobic. Fuel consumption, poor internal finish, lack of any boot space of you want to travel with the spare. Headroom if you choose the sunroof.

Best fun in real world driving – I have had my 2010 RX8 GT for a year now and I love it. By far the best handling car I've owned (have previously owned BMW 525, Porche Boxster, Golf GTi, Mazda Xedos, Toyota Celica and Audi TT). I just love the perfect weight distribution, stiff body and the Bilstein shocks. Handling iS absolutely surgically precise, and also amazingly… Read more

forgiving (easy to recover if you overstep the mark). Power is good too, but to access it fully you have to keep the revs high (4000-8000) and shift quickly. For everyday commuting just potter around below 4000 and it behaves like a docile little mx5. Love the fact that you can accommmodate 4 people. The back is hardly spacious, but I have had four 5'11"+ adults in the car for a four hour trip and no-one complained. Reliability is great. I have done over 10,000 miles and have not had the slightest issue. I have heard that reliability and oil usage may have been an issue with the very early models, but have never had so much as a hint of trouble. Oil usage is no big deal - I have not had to top up between services. Only downside of this car is the fuel consumption - drinks like a v8. Air conditioning is a bit overwhelmed on a really hot day (my car is black). Small quibbles in a fabulous car. Sensational handling, surprisingly practical, great looks High fuel consumption, satnav not standard

Excellent – I've owned rotary engines before and I missed them. Driving the RX8 just reminded me how sweet and smooth they are to use. It's a great car. Brilliant car. Fast as a whip. Engine sings at revs. Back seats are impractical but very usable (6'1"son fits OK) Limited space in the boot but I didn't buy it to haul stuff around. Some quality issues like strange rattles.

Good – Excellent sport car with 4 seats, well balanced, but poor straight line performance. Rx-8 is not for you if you are looking for comfortable commuter, IS250 will do a better job. Although there are more and more Rx-8 on road, it still looks unique. Overall not everyone need the RX-8 performance on street but this is absolutely the best excuse to… Read more ·  1

buy a track ready sport car when your wife only allow you to get a sedan. Best handling 4 seater I have ever own, very easy to drive fast, exciting engine sound, car comes live when you rev over 5000 rpm, good performance and life for OEM tyres, DSC is billiant and so forgivable to foolish driving. I have not seen any other car in similar price range can compare. Very enjoyable sport car. Fuel consumption which is less than 400km for full tank on freeway. Inpractical of free-style back doors when parking in shopping centres. Slow start off at lights that slower than a taxi. Not easy to modify and don't expect any improvement even you spent money on some performance parts. Very easy to lost your licence. Don't drive your dog on board as they will scare. Expensive scheduled service by dealer.

Great car...but expensive – Great ride.beautiful car but rotary engines are not the cheapest. Poor fuel economy and expensive in general. But if you have the money...extremely worth the buy . Great handling, so fun to drive and very enjoyable. Great handling, beautiful shape, fun! Expensive Show details

Excellent – There is NO other car like it on the market, fabulous Rotary RENESIS Motor, Stunning looks and features, seats 4 people and a true sports car. Mazda at their finest. Sexy looks, Great Packaging for the high price. Handling second to none, Brakes among the top 10 in the world...Value Why the retail price is so HIGH, Same car in the US $25K, Japan $29K on Road. Why when the Yen has doubled in value why are Japanese cars SO EXPENSIVE?

Good – This review is based on a weekend test drive, not an actual Mazda RX8 owner. Great looks and the benefit over Nissan's 350Z competitor is the genuine two back seats which can 'comfortably' seat 2 small to medium size adults. very head-turning looks, both on exterior and the interior. I must have received immeasurable looks and many, many comments… Read more

during the time i was driving it. The engine and throttle are very responsive, as are the brakes. Excellent performance and true road hugging stability at all speeds (though i never exceeded ~100 km/h) went through about a tank of petrol in two days, though granted i was driving the car like a sports car.