New Car Review of the 2004 Mazda RX-8 Compact Sports Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $25,180 to $26,680
Base Invoice Range: $23,274 to $24,659
Price Quote
MSRP As Tested: $NA
Versions: manual, automatic
Vehicle Category: Small Sports Cars
Engine Location: Front Engine
Drive Wheels: Rear-Wheel Drive Rear-Wheel Drive
Engine As Tested: Standard version comes with a manual transmission and a .654-liter, Dual Rotor Rotary Engine, 6-valves, 247-horsepower at 8,500 rpm and 159 lb-ft torque at 5,900 rpm
The optional version comes with an automatic transmission and a ..654-liter, Dual Rotor Rotary Engine, 6-valves, 207-horsepower at 7,200 rpm and 164 lb-ft torque at 5,000 rpm
Transmission As Tested: Standard 6-Speed Manual or optional 4-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode. Madza calls it the 4AT and it has paddle shift levers mounted on the steering wheel.
Fuel Economy (city/hwy): Automatic 18 /25, Manual 28/24
Standard Safety Features: Driver and front passenger, front and side airbags, front and rear seat side curtain airbags, 4-wheel disc brakes, "> Antilock Braking System, Traction Control, In-Trunk Emergency Trunk Release, Daytime Running Lights, Brake Assist, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Rear Obstacle Detection System, Remote Keyless Entry.
Competition: Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Ford Mustang, Infiniti G35 Coupe, Infiniti G35 Sedan, Lexus IS 300, Nissan 350 Z, Subaru WRX.
Vehicle History
The RX-8, available in the Fall of 2003, is an all-new product from Mazda. It does not replace the RX-7, which is no longer sold in the United States. To Madza the RX-7 is, and will always be, a 2-door, 2-seat sports car. Hence the RX-8 with its 2 full doors, 2 partial doors (similar to those on Saturn's coupe and positioned like suicide doors) and seating for 4 is in a classification of its own. It is a product offering for people wanting sports car performance from a practical, yet hip, sedan.
Mazda has a long history manufacturing sports cars and an illustrious racing career with them. They introduced the Mazda Cosmo Sport in 1967, their first 2-passenger sports car. The first RX-7 was introduced in 1978. The second generation RX-7 was released in 1985 and the third in 1991. Also in 1991 Mazda won the 24 Hours of LeMans with a Mazda 787B, the first and only Japanese car to ever take overall victory, and the only non-piston engine driven car to have done so. All three generations of the RX-7 have performed well in racing, winning 10 IMSA GT titles and over 100 races.
The Miata was introduced in 1989 designed as a light-weight roadster, a fun toy also practical for everyday driving. The RX-7, at that point, had become a high-performance sports car. It remained in production in the US until 1998, and in Japan until 2002.
The RX-8 is the next product in the Mazda Sports Car lineage. It is a real sports car for enthusiasts that can, and should, be used as a daily driver. Mazda wanted it to be practical, not just powerful. It had to be able to be driven daily, carry 4 adults, have 4 doors, and it needed a trunk large enough for a weekend's worth of luggage for 4, or two golf bags.
Mazda executives were adamant about bringing back the Wankel Rotary Engine to the US. They were the first automaker to use it. Now they are the only automaker left with the rights to produce Wankel rotary engines for the U.S. market.
The rotary engine is a critical component of the RX-8's successful packaging. Without the compact rotary engine the RX-8 would have been impossible to build. The engine is the 'size and weight of a beer keg,' according to Jay Amestoy, V.P of Communications for Mazda. It is no taller than the transmission making it small enough to sit back behind the center line of the drive wheels and ride lower in the chassis than a piston engine would. In fact none of Mazda's piston engines would fit in the car.
Rotary engines use rotors, rather than cylinders. This makes them much smaller and they have far fewer moving parts than conventional engines. The RX-8 uses Mazda's latest rotary engine called Renesis. Their idea for the RX-8 package is great. They turned out a true 4-door sports car with great styling, features and at a fantastic price compared to the competition.
Vehicle Exterior
RX-8 has classic sports car styling. There is a hint of Avanti (who had a similar concept during their time) in the rear half of the car. There is also a bit of Ferrari and BMW 8 Series.
The front bears just enough similarity to the last generation RX-7 to keep the Mazda sports car DNA. The front end contains their standard 5-point air-intake and black mesh grill. The hood is low and long with triangular shaping between the flares of the wheel wells. This does a great deal to catch the light and make the vehicle look in motion. In fact you see the V-shaped rotary design theme throughout the vehicle not only in the hood's shape, but also in ornamentation, on the rear trunk lid and inside the vehicle like on the gear-shift lever.
Wheel well flares are wide and high tapering down to the nose. This is one of the most important design features. That, along with wheels located at nearly the furthest distance from the vehicle's centerpoint, gives the driver a fabulous view framed by the wheel flares. There are functioning air-ducts just behind the tires that vent hot air from the engine bay. Rarely are these ducts functional in most cars, but are instead cheesy design cues of useless cladding (sic General Motors.)
The A pillar sweeps back in a near-continuous curve to the rear of the car. This is a lovely and functional feature that reduces drag, and makes for great visibility. There is no B pillar. Because of this, the windows appear continuous and it made it possible for two small doors to be added in the rear. This is called the Freestyle Door Sysytem. The cabin looks very compact. At first glance one might not realize that this is a 4-passenger sports car, thinking instead that it is a sexy, two-seater coupe.
Mazda offered one description that is particularly true, 'the car conveys a look of pent-up energy, waiting to be released.'
Vehicle Interior
One thing Mazda wanted to do was to provide a better interior than any competitor. Oh boy they certainly did that! This is a great interior.
The Nissan 350 Z, which is a major competitor to the RX-8 is very utilitarian by comparison. The RX-8, on the other hand, has a more sophisticated interior that is downright graphic. It proves that molded plastic can be executed with refined designs. It also proves that there are designers who can apply interior surfaces with restraint.
Simplicity is at the core of this interior design. The Mazda interpretation is more 'classic' sports car in feel. On the other hand the 350 Z is a post-modern design. Something for everyone.
The layout of the instrument panel has 3-overlapping gauge clusters. The left cluster contains the oil pressure and odometers. The one on the right has the water temperature and the fuel gauge. The center cluster that overlaps the other two has a large, analog tachometer and a separate digital speedometer. The available two-tone steering wheel, framing the gauges is striking.
The top of the center console is the location for the optional DVD Navigation System -- it pops up out of the dash. The center stack is perfectly arranged. The attention to detail in the design of all the buttons and knobs, and the arrangement of them is terrific – you get a sense of a CD spinning, or perhaps the rotary housing. This stack uses Japanese-style black lacquer as one of its surfaces. It has a high-quality feel and is a surface that lends itself to automotive interior use. The same finish was also used for door accents.
With the manual 6-speed transmission (highly recommended) the gear-shift lever carries the rotary theme. If you get the optional 'Activematic' automatic transmission the steering wheel has paddle shifters; pull inward on the bottom paddles to move up the gears, and push on the upper paddles to shift down.
The driver and front-passenger sit in attractive sports seats with good lateral support. This is important to enjoying the great handling of the RX-8. Take note of the headrest. It's cool.
Because of the short length of the program introducing te RX-8, we did not have time to sit in the rear seat. Hence we cannot comment on its comfort. Mazda claims that it is large enough for 4 adults to drive to dinner. It appears that family with two small children could go away for a weekend and take a reasonable amount of luggage with them.
Try to spring for the optional two-toned, leather trimmed interior. It's stunning.
Performance
The Renesis engine with the manual transmission has 247-hp. In order to get the same power out of previous models, Madza had to use twin turbochargers. Unfortunately we had very little time driving the RX-8 so it is difficult to give a definitive review of its performance. The low-end torque made for good acceleration. The engine sound was as satisfying as any competitors'.
Ride and Handling
The brakes handle the weight of the vehicle well. As we did not have much opportunity to drive the car and no chance to drive the it on mountain roads, we can't attest to how it handles on twisting roads. But it appears that it would be a great deal of fun.
In the city the RX-8 was fine in stop and go traffic. The manual transmission wasn't fatiguing. On the freeway the car was comfortable, quiet and relaxing.
Safety
The RX-8 is loaded with standard safety features. There are front and side-impact, and head-curtain airbags for the driver and front passenger, Antilock, four-wheel disc brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and dynamic stability control. The RX-8 does not use brake assist. (All the competitors do.) This preserves the linear brake feel that you get in a genuine sports car. The driver feels how much brake has been applied which makes the driving experience more exciting.
Mazda also included a bracketed brake pedal. During a crash, when there might be foot-well intrusion, the brake pedal is designed to bend back, and away, from the driver's foot. If this feature works as decribed, it's a great idea.
Instead of having a conventional B-pillar (center pillar), there is a reinforcement bar in each of the two rear doors. These bars lock in place when the doors are closed and are designed to take the same impact of conventional center pillars. Mazda claims they are even stronger.
Child safety seats can easily be put into the rear seat of the car, because of the way the doors open. In fact it might be easier to put them in the RX-8 than the vast majority of cars and trucks. It comes with the mandatory ISOFIX latches. So take the kids along. They'll love it and there are lots of storage compartments, and cupholders for all.
In Conclusion
The RX-8 fits in between the Nissan 350Z and the Infiniti G35 sedan, both built on the same platform. The performance is as good as the Z, and the exterior more refined than the G35. On top of that it has the performance of a sports car and the practicality of a sedan. The interior is better than any competitor in the price range. It is a good balance of performance and elegance.
Mazda set out to create a true sports car with 4-doors and 4-seats capable of being used in every situation one would normally use a sedan. They succeeded. Use it all week for work and still be perfectly satisfied taking it for a twisty spin on the weekends.
Editors' Ratings
Pros: Styling. Great Styling, performance and it's unique.
Cons: Can't think of one.
Ratings (1-10)
- Style: 9
- Performance: 8
- Price: 8
- Handling: 8
- Ride: 8
- Comfort: 8
- Quality: 8
- Overall: 8.14
More Data
Where Built: NA
Major Options: 'Activematic' automatic transmission, Grand Touring Package, Touring Package, Sports Package, leather upholstery, heated front bucket seats, Bose sound system, navigation system,
Seating: 4
Number of Rows: 2
Crash Test Ratings:
- NHTSA Frontal Impact/Driver Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
- NHTSA Frontal Impact/Passenger Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
- NHTSA Side Impact/Front Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
- NHTSA Side Impact/Rear Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
- NHTSA Rollover Resistance Rating: Not Yet Tested
- IIHS Frontal Offset Crash Test: Not Yet Tested
Length in Inches: 174.3
Warranties: 4 years/50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 5 years/unlimited miles corrosion, 4/50,000 miles free Roadside Assistance.
Weight in Pounds: Automtaic - 3053 lbs; Manual - 3029 lbs
Cargo Capacity in Pounds: NA
Gross Maximum Vehicle Weight in Pounds: NA
Towing Capacity in Pounds: NA
Gas Tank Capacity in Gallons: 15.9
Destination Charge: NA
