I'm a 40 something female working towards a warmer retirement!
I'm a 40 something female working towards a warmer retirement!
Member since:04.01.2007
Reviews:5
I love cars! I love something with a little 'poke' and something that's got fun factor. Looks are quite important too.......and the Mazda RX-8 ticks all of these boxes.
I became the owner of a second-hand 2 year old 192bhp 4 door version a month ago and I like it. It sticks to the road like brown stuff to a blanket......you can do a good 80-90 mph round a sharp bend without losing control of your sphincter and feels very safe and controlled. Steering is quite stiff but very responsive and, again, gives you that feeling of control.
It looks good too.....very sleek in profile and a bit of a beast from the front view. The interior is 'ok' but could be better. There's a lot of plastic but it's not too crringeworthy. The 6 CD multi-changer is a nice bonus and the Bose sound system is crisp and clear and does not distort at high volume.
Space is good too......very adequate deep boot (no spare tyre though....it's equipped with foam filler), plenty of leg room in the front and, according to my 12 year old, nice and roomy in the back! The seats are quite low down which doesn't allow for an elegant entry and exit......more a 'falling in and falling out' manoevre not to be attempted with short tight skirt and stilettos!!
If you want the speed and acceleration, you have to rev it otherwise it's just like driving a middle of the range medium car.....if you're doing 40 mph in 4th gear and then expect to put your foot down and 'zoom' off then you will be disappointed. But it revs to 9500 rpm so you've got plenty of scope and when you do accelerate properly, the RX-8 gives you the impression that it will just keep going. I haven't had an opportunity to drive itflat out but I'm sure it wouldn't disappoint. This will impact on fuel economy, however, and that's really quite dire! At current petrol prices, to fill the tank to brimming will cost you £70 (at 115.8/litre) and pootling around town that will get you about 300 miles.
I haven't had the pleasure of filling up with oil yet but apparently you're supposed to check it after every second petrol fill. What did make me gasp though was the cost of road tax!! £400!!!! Yes, 400 ENGLISH pounds!! And set to go up in 2010 to £440.......we're being robbed!!
Servicing costs are average from what I can gather. A full service at a Mazda garage will set you back around £400 and intermediate servicing about £150.
Have heard stories about the engines flooding after short journeys but have also been told that if you rev the car over 4000rpm before turning off the ignition then this will help prevent any flooding. I haven't had it happen to me yet.
In summary, it's very pleasing.....it looks good, puts a smile on your face when you put your foot down and is also as practical as most saloons. Comfortable sports seats with plenty of leg and head room.
The fuel costs are very steep though and you don't get very far on a full tank, which at current fuel prices could really put people off the RX-8 experience. That's a shame.
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Advantages: Affordable, impeccable handling, styling, standard features, power, fun factor, driveability, usability (a true everyday sports car) Disadvantages: gas mileage, lack of low end torque, Mazda service
eweibmanm 25.12.2008 (25.12.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Mazda RX-8
Advantages: Affordable, impeccable handling, styling, standard features, power, fun factor, driveability, usability (a true everyday sports car) Disadvantages: gas mileage, lack of low end torque, Mazda service
eweibmanm 25.12.2008 (25.12.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Mazda RX-8
Advantages: Very quick, good looking car, 4-seater sports car, comfortable on short and long journeys Disadvantages: uses fair amount of oil, poor reversing vision, road holding on snow and ice poor
Woodsa12 24.09.2006 (24.09.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Mazda RX-8
Advantages: Ergonomically very nice to drive, easy to heel & toe with good steering Disadvantages: Very poor starting in cold weather, also cannot fit a block heater.
berbician 03.01.2005 (02.02.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Mazda RX-8
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