2004 Mazda RX-8 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

good accel., good handling, great looking, plenty of interior space

Overall a great car. Fun to drive, handles like a dream, acceleration a bit slow, however, when you get to about 4,000RPM, it takes off like a rocket. Love the suicide doors, and the back seat is actually comfortable for a sports car. Owned it for about 6 months now or so and haven't needed to do any repairs to it. This isn't much of a drawback for me because I bought a sports car, not a fuel efficient family sedan, however, I get about 18city and about 22hwy - that is if I am driving it nicely, not how it wants to be driven. Additionally, the rotorary engine requires a few maintenance and guidelines for running that many people do not want to do - again, the juice is worth the squeeze for me and I own a sports car, not a Corolla, so for me, it is expected. The car CANNOT have synthetic oil. I am used to synthetic, however, it needs to burn about a quart of oil between oil changes and this is a NORMAL. You also have to make sure the car is warmed up all the way before shutting it down, rotories evidently don't like to be started then shut down in the dead of winter. If you cannot, rev it up to about 5-6k RPM and shut the engine down in mid rev. This will evacuate all the fuel in the engine to avoid flooding. Visually, I get massive amounts of complements on the car. Cannot go anywhere without catching people catching a glance. Overall a great car and when it is time for me to get a new car, I will be going with another one or maybe the new RX9 when it comes out :D

Love the low center of gravity and the unique rotary motor. The engine just pulls and pulls strong to 9,000RPM's The red and black leather interior is a nice touch too. Oh, and this compact car can hold 4 passengers.

* Performance - great acceleration, braking, handling * Build Quality - no major repairs so far * Appearance - unique interior and exterior styling * Cost of Ownership - gas mileage is a little on the poor side, but whatever * Fun Factor - Incredibly fun to drive and handles great

Good handling, styling, no torque. cheap used. terrible fuel efficiency. I bought this car for 12700 used. There is an 8 year warranty which solves reliability issues but not the fuel efficiency and lack of power. Get a mustang if u want to drag race off lights.

I actually love the styling although many people do say it is ugly because of its short nose. The handling speaks for itself, car handles like it's on rails. Acceleration isn't the best but not bad, just have to get your launch right. Overall it's the best car for me because I was looking for the performance of a two-seater but got that and four seats. Very handy, not to mention the build quality is impeccable, mazdas are great.

I love the color on my car, the design, the performance, the interior and the its sound. I just don't like the gas mileage and the fact that it's from 2004. The car is really fun to drive and it is Rear Wheel Drive..i love to drift with it!!

How many cylinders does it have? That's probably the most favorite question of all time asked to RX8 owners. The answer is none. It is using rotary engine with two rotors, each holding displacement of 654cc, totalling to around 1300cc and produces 238HP (claimed). It has no cylinder nor piston. This is the 2nd car I've owned. That explains the naming of car plate number. The only problem with this car is that there is no rotary engine technician where I live. Any problem with the car's engine would be complete disaster. As for performance, build quality and look, there is nothing to complain about.

This car is art in form and function. I forgive it for for its really horrible mileage. My girlfriend has the 350Z, and here's the deal: Sure, the Z has a couple more horses, and is slightly faster for it... but I have back seats... and a better looking car. It's true.

great handling, good-looking car. it comes with a 1.3 kiter rotary with a 9,000 RPM redline- you can't lose with that! it is electrically assisted power-steering as opposed to a fluid-driven system. This makes the handling feel more natural and gives good feedback to the driver. some bads, however- be prepared to be making some trips to the dealership if you buy a 2004, since it is the first model year for this car. also, the rotary engine gets horrible gas mileage and requires premium. also, you cannot beat a nissan 350z off the line. overall, this is the best car I have ever owned/driven to date. I have driven many cars as well, including BMWs, acuras, camaros, corvettes, among others. you will have a blast throwing this tiny car into some sweet turns.

very good handling and brakes. interior room is good, unlike most sport cars.

A beautifully styled car inside and out. Fantastic door arrangement, very smooth high-revving rotary engine, and an amazing chassis.

The handling was superior to its competitors, but the power was lacking. If they upgraded the engine up to 300+ bhp the car would be more marketable and competitve with the other cars of its class

If you want a sports car with the practicallity of 4 full sized adult seats that has a unique styling and head turning appearence, this is the car to get. 228bhp model gts 0-60 in 6.4 seconds, top speed 148, handles great, brakes are fantastic, very smooth engine only draw back is low torque below 3000 revs. You can get a good deal on them seconds hand but running costs can be high. Around 20mpg max (thats even with no speeding and driving in a higher gear) so about 250 miles per tank. Oil isn't as bad as i'd heard, mine has eaten 1.5 litres in 8 months. Insurance is fairly high as you have to insure it as a 2.6 litre engine and servicing (esp 3rd year service) is high along with road tax. Overall, if you dont love this car and care for her like its ur own mother, dont buy it as you'll always be thinking about the running costs. Its a car you have to own because its a passion, not because its a mode of transport.

good acceleration, braking and handling, i love this car, for a young couple or a single its really fun to drive it, the maintenance and the gas are ok, no too cheap or expensive, its good for one that kind of cars...

Love the engine and its sound. Materials quality is on par with a Japanese sports car. Plenty of bang for your buck. Goes like mad you never realize how fast you're going because you're always just lost in the pleasure of performance.

Performance - Good performance, great handling. Build Quality - Good build quality for a japanese manufacturer. Appearance - slick styling inside and out especially with scissor doors. Cost of Ownership - very thirsty on fuel and needs engine oil to be topped up regularly. Fun Factor - Great fun to drive.

performance on RX8 is not bad for a 13b genesis rotary 1.3L, handling is great, 50%- 50% weight distribution RWD 240HP..... the car requieres a lot of attentions is NOT a "" HONDA CIVIC "" gotta check oil very often other than that same as other cars...aligments,tune ups etc. Car is real fun to drive i enjoyed every time i drove it.....missin it :( but gettin another one soon!!! :)

Ahh the sound of a rotary engine. With the displacement on par with that of a motorcycle one could really question the performance of this car. That is until it is driven. The true merits of the RX-8 shines not in the straights of highways but in the curves of tortuous roads. The handling on this 2+2 door pseudo sedan (there is in fact 2 rear suicide "doors") is ridiculously tight and the response is amazing. The price paid for this however makes it a less than ideal automobile for pitted rough city streets. While the road feel is great, it also means you feel every single pebble, pothole and bump on the road. Turning the steering wheel also becomes an _exercise_ at low speeds due the difficulty of turning the steering wheel. Another possible trouble one can run into is that since it *is* a rotary engine you must only use dino oil (non synthetic for those not in the know) only and very often at that since the rotary engine actually burns off the oil. Also if you must turn on the engine make sure it is not turned off until it has sufficiently warmed up (5-10 minutes) or else the engine will flood and subsequent cranks will lead to a quick trip to dealership garage. But looking past it's shortcomings it still retains much of it's rotary heritage and has a large almost cult like fan base. If you love rotaries and can handle it's quirks then this car is for you.

Performance- epic. Build Quality- pretty amazing. Appearance- beyond beauteous. Cost- gas is a bit much. Fun Factor- the most fun I've ever had in a car.. I would say everyone should drive an 8 but then it wouldn't be unique.

Great, fun car. Only gets about 20 MPG on the freeway and 17-18 on the roads but it revs to 9000 rpm, so i forgive it. Haven't had any problems with it. The only complaint I have is power. With another 50 hp this would be a really great car. It handles beautifully; brakes like a champ and is still comfortable and quiet enough for me to drive it to work 70 miles a day, even in the snow.

Performance is decent and handling is excellent. The brakes are responsive, which is a good thing. 50mph feels like 35 in this car. The loaded model I drive occasionally that my mom owns has anything you could ever want, and is quality built. The car is fun to drive, if you can afford it. The Rotary engine in this car is a bit of a gas hog. The car looks great, but it should be 2 doors, not 4.

I was fortunate to be involved as a driver for the release of this vehicle in Queensland. I was asked back to do other work with the car on most of the major tracks in Australia. This car rewards finsse and smoothness, communicating with you on a level than nothing else can for the money. And the soundtrack...!

beautiful car w/ great handling, good daily driving car,

I love this car, it performs great, is very stylish, and I haven't had any mechanical issue's with it. The only negative thing I can think of is that it burns gas... Fast, but nonetheless I still love this car. The best car purchase I've ever made.

this car is amazing! cheap to buy reasonably cheap to insure but is a little thirsty i get 21 MPG maximum lol. the only problem i've had with it was the catalytic converter(£1200 done under warranty) the way it looks, drives and sounds is AWESOME. it has DSC(dynamic stability control) which stops (well tries as hard as it can) you spinning out it's saved my life a few times, but it still lets you have fun turn it off and you have a full on drift car. ps i have the 231bhp model. so is it fun YESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This car is all about speed and agility, you can take a turn at high speeds with out the fear of flipping. The 4 doors that just look like 2, takes the best of both worlds of having a sports coupe car and a 4 door sedan. This has a high fun factor. With the 50/50 weight distribution you can have tons of fun, and drift and slide every turn.

Awesome Car Picked it up June 6 of 2007 and I couldn't be happier with the car for what I paid for it. The car has all the goods except for the nav system. Two tone leather, moon roof, appearance package, bose system. Rotary power FTW!!!

The acceleration is pretty good. I like it. It handles really well, and is quite responsive. I love the interior. Leather inside, and a dark gay outside. Gas mileage isn't the best, 17-20mpg. Its alost of fun to drive. Especially sideways. Maintenance has been pretty low so far. Its easy to take care of.

Awsome car, the performance is great, handling smooth and responsive, breaking is excellent. Not so good in the rain, but still easy to drive. The engine's redline of 8500 RPM is wonderful, the sound of the engine is great. Overall I love it except the gas mileage could use help.

The RX-8 is like no other car on the road. You must spend some real time behind the wheel to truly appreciate the the marvel of the rotary engine. While quick enough, you'll not be overly impressed with straight line acceleeration. And the non-existent low end grunt is something most enthusiasts will miss. However, the engine revs wth a smoothness and sound that begs for the driver to keeps the tach high...where it's more respectable horsepower band lives. Where the RX-8 shines is in it's balanced handing and apparent inability to ever stray from where you point it.

smoothest engine ever, at 9000rpm is still smoother then any cylinder engine at idle.

The car itself had many mechanical problems. Other than that, it was amazing.

Nice car runs great, sounds nice, very smooth. Great high end power., 4 Speed Automatic transmission kills the all the lower end power this power has. Works great for those who are not looking for speed but mainly style and comfort.

All in all I love this car! I wish that I had learned all the tips and tricks before I started driving it tho. Too many times in the garage for repairs! The acceleration from a stop is the only thing I do not like about this little gem, but once it gets going... NICE! Braking and handling really nice, responds well. Really a fun car to drive and own once you learn the ropes!

I adore the styling of the car first off, from the sleek exterior, to the beautiful and comfortable interior. The handling is tight and smooth, and the power is breath-taking. The whir of the engine makes your heart race, and how easily it flies down the road leaves you stunned. All around an amazing car.

Performance - Not the fastest car in the world but shouldn't be underestimated Build Quality - no repairs except for the usual maintenance (It literally eats oil) Appearance - Love the body style. Sometimes I just stare at it for hours. Cost of Ownership - premium only no mid-grade or unleaded gas. Need to have a bottle of oil stashed in your trunk always. Fun Factor - For me, 10/10

Theres not really much to say about it. Its a 2004 Mazda RX-8.I absolutely love the car all over. I use it just for work and casual driving. The only downfall to it is gas millage which isnt too horrible all the time but it does guzzle gas if you drive it like i do. It also wont move and inch in the snow for me.

Its a sharp looking car with amazing handling and top end speed it cuts you off at 145 stock which is fast enough in this area dont like how it burns oil but its worth it for the rotory motor

This car is certainly one that will turn heads everywhere you go. It definitely has some get up and go to it although it takes high rpms to get there. This is not a car to save for the winter months however since it is RWD.