2004 Mazda RX-8
Good points: Value, handling, performance, room, features
Needs improvement: Gas mileage, handling over rough roads, heater.
Not 100 meters ahead of my bright yellow Mazda RX-8 the large truck's tire exploded and pieces of rubber flew back into the following heavy traffic. There was little room to maneuver and hitting the brakes would have done nothing but potentially cause a pile-up. Normally, I would grit my teeth hope for a glancing blow and prepare for higher insurance rates. But that's not what happened. The all-new RX-8's direct steering response enabled me to avoid the flying debris and the other cars while staying within my lane. It felt like being in a computer racing game, as all around me there was chaos. A large SUVs tipped over and less nimble cars were pulling over to check for damage. The Mazda RX-8 proved it could handle in the real world. Very nice.
By and large, Mazda's RX-8 is an exceptional well-equipped sports car at a price that is remarkable. For about $26,000 US you can get a usable four passenger sports car that is quite able to keep up with vehicles that are tens of thousands dollars more expensive and not nearly as easy to drive fast. In fact, in this price range only the Nissan 350Z and the Mitsubishi Eclipse are competitive and those cars are much more demanding to drive, do not offer nearly the interior room, and ride much harsher. On the other hand, the Nissan's engine offers far more torque and the Mitsubishi costs less. What all this means is that the new Mazda RX-8 is a rare combination of usability and performance.
Mom's view: The yellow RX-8 arrived and I was immediately turned off. The hump back styling, almost feminine looking stance, and meek appearance did nothing to shout I'm a hot sports car. Getting into the car was not particularly difficult, and once inside I noticed a continuation of the feminine theme. The soft blue lights that come on as soon as the door is opened are a nice touch, but quite pastel. The knobs and gauges are low key and even the sun visors have a soft feel with a lace like insert making stop light visibility easy when they are down, but still a bit frilly. Starting the car was a continuation of this process. The engine did not roar to life. It sounded soft. Even the clutch didn't require a man's leg strength. The RX-8 was behaving just like a well brought up young lady on her first date. She was attentive, quiet, and orderly. Nothing pretentious, low cut, or Janet Jacksonish.