Overview & Reviews

Most people know that Mazda builds sporty cars. But for some, it's the company's history of building true sports cars with lightweight rotary engines that sets it apart from the competition. The Mazda RX-8 was one of these models, and it enjoys the distinction of being the only one with a four-door configuration, providing reverse-opening rear access doors and a genuinely accommodating backseat. Sold from 2004-'11, the RX-8 didn't change much during its lengthy run.

The heart of the Mazda RX-8 is a 1.3-liter rotary engine with a thrilling 9,000-rpm redline: that is, if you can find one with the six-speed manual transmission. The available six-speed automatic was limited to 7,500 rpm, yielding about 10 percent less horsepower. With either transmission, torque from the rotary engine is very modest, and shoppers should note that this engine is known for both significant oil consumption and poor fuel economy. But with its perfectly balanced weight distribution, sharp steering and svelte 3,000-pound curb weight, the rear-wheel-drive RX-8 is one of the best-handling cars ever made.

User Reviews:

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  Regrets -- I have a few. - 2005 Mazda RX-8
  By Glenda - October 16 - 8:16 pm

  I have a 2004 RX-8 & its the worst car Ive ever had. I had an RX-7 for years & loved it; sadly the RX-8 does not come close for several reasons. The car has broken down (and been towed) 5 times in the last few months - the car floods itself! This past week the car began to shake violently - the end result being it needed new left and right motor mounts installed. The heat did not work this winter and 3 months later Im still waiting for a back-ordered part! The only saving grace not having heat was that I couldnt use the car in the first place because the slightest dusting of snow on the ground renders the car inoperable. Long story short, its fun to drive but TOTALLY unreliable.

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  Worst mistake of my life - 2005 Mazda RX-8
  By carma8 - July 1 - 9:44 am

  Do not buy this car. If you are thinking of buying this car go to the Rx8 forums, everything that can go wrong with this car will go wrong. This car has been the financial ruin of me. When I bought it the KBB price was $17k and thats what I paid. 3 years later I tried to trade it in, and was offered $3k. Bear in mind that it is in better condition now than when I bought it. Every year I spend at least $2-3k on repairs. The only luck I have had is the engine seems to be the only one that works, for now. Thats right $2-3k/year with a healthy engine. The car is crap. Other cars are just as fun to drive with much lower cost. Save yourself and run away.

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  Mazda RX8 AT GT - 2006 Mazda RX-8
  By Rotary Owner - May 9 - 2:00 pm

  Beautiful car, fun to drive, but not quite there yet. I waited until 2006 to get mine so Mazda could work out the kinks of a new design, but I had many of the same problems found in the 04s. If you buy, buy used after seeing a report of repairs - some cars are great, some cars are bad, there doesnt seem to be an in-between. Buy a used one with 30K - 40K miles and that didnt have its engine replaced and you should be happy. And above all else, dont buy a 6-speed AT - the transmission wont let the car rev high enough to burn out the carbon build out. I love rotaries, but they should be MT, so Im selling this one and keeping to my 79 RX-7 for my rotary fun (still running).

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  Fire Hazard - 2004 Mazda RX-8
  By desjes - April 10 - 8:56 am

  Given the beauty/uniqueness of this car I was willing to overlook the constant need to add oil, the engine flooding, the poor gas mileage, the manufacturer recalls ... that was until my car burst into flames in the parking lot at work due to faulty wiring. The entire front end is incinerated and unrepairable. According to Mazda mine is the first ... hopefully its the last.

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  Jen - 2004 Mazda RX-8
  By Jen in Georgia - March 29 - 10:00 am

  I do not recommend this car for larger people. There is also some difficulty in putting this car in reverse. I have enjoyed driving a mustang better.

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  Never Again - 2005 Mazda RX-8
  By scullymo - June 16 - 6:48 am

  This has bee one of my worst car buying experiences. Its hot, and fun to drive and all that, but the air conditioner never works. I have taken it to dealers in 3 states and they all say the same thing, "thats just the way it is, get used to it." I will never drive another Mazda because their customer service everywhere is awful!

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  Looks great and works bad - 2004 Mazda RX-8
  By bob forman - June 7 - 9:00 am

  This call has been towed to the dealer at least 10 times. There is a definite flaw in the design of the engine.Its failure to start especially in cold weather is frustrating. Although the handling is superior to any car I have owned, for a sports car this car is way to sluggish. I do have an automatic transmission. I am sorry I did not get the Nissan Z instead of this rattle machine

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  RX8 - 2004 Mazda RX-8
  By Sarah Cobbs - May 8 - 5:20 am

  This is a fun car to drive, and looks great, but is very unreliable. I constantly have service lights on. Whether its an engine light, a oil light, or a tire light, without fail there is always a problem. Also, this car does not like to remain idle. After about 30 seconds in dead stop traffic my entire car begins to shake. I actually had the car stall at a busy light due to this problem. Therefore, if you travel into a city on a daily basis and have to deal with traffic, I highly urge you NOT to purchase this vehicle.

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  i would not buy one again - 2005 Mazda RX-8
  By rx8joe - February 4 - 6:53 am

  when i got my rx8 home, i was looking for the spare tire. lo and behold there is no spare tire.. it is an option. which cost me 477 more. the saleslady forgot to mention that the rx8 uses oil. actually she forgot to mention many things about the rx8. and most importantly she left out the part about these cars are prone to flooding. if you do not let your engine warm up. will i buy one of these again? no... in fact as soon as i can i am getting rid of it.. nothing but problems since ive gotten it..

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  Buyer beware... - 2005 Mazda RX-8
  By MR. ED - January 15 - 4:06 pm

  A couple of things interested buyers should know. The bridgestone tires wrapped around the 18 in alloy rims are horrible in snow! Get winter tires or a 2nd car. MPG is another problem. The 05 RX-8 had a couple recalls already. The 2 back seats in the car are for children! Not for adults, unless your under 52 you will not be comfortable. At low cruzin speeds the cabin noise is over whelming. But the fact is the RX-8 is still a pretty fun car to drive. If you dont mind the shortcomings.