Mazda RX8: the driver's advocate

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

...opposed to a piston engines 40 or so) there is very little to break down. The engine has purred on to 30,000 miles without a hitch and since Mazda extended the warranty to 8 years on the Renesis engine there is little to worry about. The rest of the car has a 5 year/60,000 mile warranty and aside from needing a few ECU upgrades I have had no unscheduled visits to Mazda. Mazda's service is far from the best, in fact the people at Mazda take twice as long as they say to fix your car and will almost never work with you to help you. They do whatever they feel is right once you give them your credit card. I recommend taking your RX8 to specialists when it needs work done. Overall this car is sheer driving bliss. The funky suicide doors that open out allow easy access to very functional backseats; although closing these doors can be somewhat...

eweibmanm 25.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of Mazda RX-8

Mazda RX-8 - An experience

Advantages: Spacious, speedy, stylish
Disadvantages: Fuel consumption - ouch!

...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...

rotty64 14.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Mazda RX-8

Amazing Mazda

Advantages:
Disadvantages:

...Mazda dealerships must be one of the most laid back I have come across. If you want the hard sell they will do it for you but it clearly is not something they want to do. Naturally, of course they will butter you up and try to make you feel good and you can always rely on a cup of coffee. I was told that Mazda only allot so many cars each year to each outlet but dealers do have to achieve their targets. Why so laid back then? I have come to the conclusion that they feell the cars sell themselves and visitors will return after they have look at the competition and seen the difference. Not cheap of course but if you are anxious for a bit of quality at an affordable price this could be where to go. I think most car buyers would do well to consider Mazda for sensible style, quality of build, reliability and residual value....

REG 08.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Mazda

Westleigh Mazda

Advantages: Friendly, informative, helpful.
Disadvantages: None spring to mind

...I've been a fan of Mazdas ever since I had my first second hand, B-Reg Mazda 323 in 1997. Although I wrote that one off after 6 months, I bought an almost identical one straight away which ran smoothly for a year before I sold it to a friend who still runs it with hardly any maintainance required. Since then, I've had a Ford and a Peugeot, and when I was looking to buy another car, I found another Mazda 323, and had to buy it - it was such a relief to be driving one of these fantastic cars after the troublesome Peugeot. Anyway, the point of this rambling discourse is that I wanted to look after my shiny new (well, second-hand) 323F, so I've been to Westleigh Mazda, in Leigh-on-Sea Essex, on two occasions, and both times they were incredibly helpful and informative, and I never felt pressured into paying for any services they offered...

Athena 11.07.2001 · Read review
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Review of Mazda

Mazda RX8 - Running and owning

Advantages: Handling, brakes and performance
Disadvantages: High fuel costs and massive dpreciation

...After spending £25,000 on purchasing the 231ps model, from new with factory fitted extras I was let down time after time. 16000 miles-catalytic convertor packed in(warranty claim) 1st mot-newbrake discs required all round due to corrosion. Paint rubbing off interior sills due to bodyflex(warranty claim) Window winder mechanism replaced(warranty claim) 23,000 miles and 3 months out of warranty auto leveliing headlights packed in (£800 for sensor mechanism-Mazda paid 70% of bill as good will) 25,000 miles and oil cooler pipes started leaking oil-£1300 to repair (later refunded by Mazda when they issued a recall) lucky I found out about the recall as I sold the car after the repair. On the plus side the car was great...

freshtracks 13.05.2008 (14.05.2008) · Read review
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Review of Mazda RX-8

Mazda RX8 230bhp

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

...I bought my Mazda RX8 230bhp two years ago as an ex demonstrator (2000 miles on clock) It has most of the extras you can imagine - 6 CD multi changer in dash, sat nav, heated seats, etc The car is a real pleasure to drive, very quick off the mark. The high revving rotary engine takes some getting use to and you tend to change gear too early and not get the full benefit out of the engine at the higher revs, as it is designed to do. Once you get use to it, it is a flying machine! The car turns heads wherever you go and is extremeley comfortable on both short and long journeys. We took ours to France last year and it was a pleasure to drive, and the sat nav was a godsend!! The boot space is surprisingly spacious for a sports car and we managed to get all of our luggage for a fortnight in France in it. Boot space is saved by...

Woodsa12 24.09.2006 · Read review
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Review of Mazda RX-8

a welcome surprise from Mazda

Advantages: sporty, eye-catching appearance
Disadvantages: rotary engine - unlike most other sports cars

...I had to babysit one an RX7 for a friend of mine while he was out of town. Knowing my liking for street racing, he gave me consent to use it anyway, while I got the customising done for him. When this car was first made, I believe it was aimed for the businessman who wanted something to drive that was a little "cooler" than everyone else, with a little "kick" and style - well, Mazda achieved that in this car. However, because of the discontinuation of this model and the introduction of the RX8, this car has been relegated to and is being sought after by street racers, who just find it to be a very good mergeance of style and power. However, I must admit that I am a fan of Nissan (300ZX, 350Z, 200SX, Skyline) and Mitsubishi (every model of the Lancer Evolution, Eclipse and the 3000GT), and rotary engines are new to me. By...

sting_of_the_scorpion 23.06.2006 · Read review
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Review of Mazda RX-7

Mazda Premacy - A Family Car

Advantages: Spacious, roomy, reliable
Disadvantages: Poor fuel consumption, poor quality interior.

...When my husband and I discovered that we were expecting our third child, we realised that we would need a much bigger car! We found it very difficult to find a car big enough to have three car seats in the back unless we wanted a 7-seater MPV. Given the price of a 7-seater and the fact that 2 seats would be wasted (not to mention the arguments from the children about who would sit on their own), we decided to look for a large estate car. We found a second-hand Premacy for sale nearby that was good value for money - less than 5 years old, under 30000 miles and under £5000. Positive aspects * We have owned the car for less than a year, but have had no problems with it yet, so it seems to be very reliable, which is understandable given that it is a Mazda. * The Mazda Premacy is a very spacious car. We can squeeze 3...

gef18 24.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Mazda Premacy 1.8

A MAZda ING

Advantages: reliability(so far) space and comfort
Disadvantages: interior finish

...This is actually my mums V reg car but she is computer illiterate so I am writing this as if it were my own. This is my first Mazda and will probably be the first of many. I have only had it for a year and a half and have had no problems with it so far. Appearance: At first glance it looks quite sporty (looks almost te same as the focus because Mazda are owned by Ford) and looks much more daring than the simalarly priced Toyota Corolla. It also has a much nicer colour trim with blue velour seats which are extremely comfortable. The dash doesn't look amazing but is designed to be used and not looked at. I think there is a new model coming out later this year with new front headlights so you may wish to wait for this. Reliability: Japanese cars last forever and do not rust for at least 10 years. The only slight reliability...

timliand 31.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of Mazda 323 1.3

Mazda 6 2.0 TS 5dr Hatch

Advantages: Space, Equipment
Disadvantages: Performance, Gearbox

...I had a 2008 Mazda 6 2.0TS 6 Speed as a hire car while on business while in the UK. Firstly the cabin is well well put together and everything was within easy reach. The model I had was equipped with a few options dual climate, 4 x electric windows, cruise control, electric mirrors, steering mounted controls etc. I found the radio controls fine to use but the display in the center of the dash very difficult to use as it was only 1 line display. Plenty of space in the car and lots of cubby holes for phone etc. There is also a AUX socket in the center arm rest which is useful if you have an ipod. I dont know about navigation with the ipod connected if it is already difficult to scroll through radio stations. The model I drove had a 6 speed box which wasnt the greatest. Gears were very close together and lacked feel. While driving...

d_cliff21 29.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Mazda 6