Mazda RX-8 Road Test

Mazda RX-8

Surprisingly you can fit quite a bit into the boot of the Mazda RX-8, we managed to fit a large folding three wheel pram, although we had to use the ski hatch to fit a stroller in, when we went on tour with our luggage filling the boot. There isn’t a spare wheel, to save space Mazda have included a tyre inflator and gel. One great advantage of the rear doors opening from the C pillar is that you can access the rear seats with ease.

Unlike conventional cars the rear doors are hinged from the rear pillar, remember this is a four door coupe, so the rear seats are accessible and useable. Which is great news for those of you with children, you too can drive a sports coupe and fit your children in with ease. I have a ten month old son and fitting his ISOfix seat was very easy and it was also effortless to lift him in and out. The RX-8 can also accommodate 2 adults comfortably in the rear, and both passengers commented on the amount of space in the rear. The RX-8 doesn’t have conventional rear windows, but you can open the windows. I should point out that the freestyle doors as Mazda call them are safe and in the unfortunate event of an accident rear seat passengers can release the front doors to open the rear. More can be read about the RX-8’s Ease of Use.

We took the Mazda RX-8 on an 800 mile tour and we found the car to be comfortable and relatively spacious. The electric driver’s seat did help to find the perfect driving position, but it would have been helpful if the steering wheel was adjustable for reach, rather then just height. One comment is that if you have short legs with a long body you may find it difficult to get the clutch to the floor.

The RX-8 is competitively priced, but fuel consumption is a minus point. If you are a spirited driver I doubt that you will see more than 25 mpg. You do also have to watch the oil consumption, with readers reporting a loss of a litre of oil every 1-3000 miles.

The Mazda RX-8 is great car; it would be a fantastic car if it were not for Mazda’s choice of engine.

It has to be worked, which can be great fun and it does it deliver but it is let down by a lack of torque and it simply drinks too much fuel. Plus as the car ages maintenance is going to have to be carried out either by a main dealer or a RX-8 specialist as I doubt your local garage will know much about the engine technology.

But overall the Mazda RX-8 is very enjoyable, it is practical for family use, and you can cram in a reasonable amount luggage, so it does not have to go when the children arrive. Plus it doesn’t half handle well, so if you can live with engine and I hear on the grapevine that Mazda have a new rotary engine on the horizon, then I would consider putting the RX-8 high on your shopping list.

Mazda RX-8