Mazda RX-8 (2003 – 2012) Review

Mazda RX-8 (2003 – 2012) At A Glance

Genuine four-seat coupe with unusual rear hinged back doors, very involving to drive, good value for money second hand.

Will not stand short runs from cold starts, rotary engine lacks torque and needs to be worked very hard most of the time, high CO2 emissions plus poor fuel economy.

Ask Honest John

Can you recommend a unique sports car with future classic potential?

"I'm looking for a good quality, two-seater sports car for the weekends that has a large petrol engine. I want it to have some unique qualities, not too ubiquitous on the roads and has the potential of classic status in the future. I have about £8000 to spend. I would prefer a coupe body."

You could consider a Nissan 350Z. It's not got the most premium of interiors but it has got a 3.5-litre V6 engine and I think it ticks the future classic box well. There are quite a few about but many have high mileages and haven't led easy lives, so if you find a good one it could be a potential investment. Also, look at a BMW Z4 Coupe. It's got a nicer interior than the 350Z and is fun to drive. Alternatively, a Mazda RX-8 is a four-seater but a quirky choice with a rotary engine and your budget will get you a very good example. Do your research first, though, they can go expensively wrong.

Answered by Andrew Brady

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Model History

• January 0001
• February 2006

Driving Mazda RX-8 (2003 – 2012)

The whole car is stiff and rattle-free, built like the previous RX7 twin-turbo around an immensely strong central backbone. A proper chassis to hang the double front wishbones and multi-link rear suspension from. Combined with a tiny "front mid mounted" engine, low centre of gravity, rear wheel drive and some very grippy tyres, that gives the car fantastic roadholding and handling. Show it a fast open bend and I guarantee you'll be smiling from ear to ear. Push it hard in the twisty stuff and slight understeer rapidly turns neutral then into easily controllable oversteer. And that's with the DSC switched on. It's so good and so unobtrusive, there's no point in switching this system off.

The brakes are just as fantastic, whether braking hard from maybe 60 - 70 mph into a hairpin, or dropping the anchors from 140 plus on an autostrada. The car doesn't pitch or unsettle itself. It just slows down by the required amount, or stops completely if that's what you need.

You can buy two kinds of go for the car: 192PS with a 5-speed box, or 231PS with a 6-speeder. The smaller output car has a touch more torque and is a bit easier to drive day to day, but it runs out of revs at 7,000. The high output needs rowing more through the box, but romps all the way to 8,500rpm plus and sounds like motorbike getting there. Even though the torque is low and developed at high revs, the engine is flexible enough to allow you to potter, just as long as you don't require serious acceleration without changing gear.

A lot of companies have ‘four door only' company car policies which normally preclude anything like the RX8. But don't preclude the RX8. And, though its C02s aren't particularly friendly, its baseline prices are, which means a 40% taxpayer can have an RX7 192 for £2,774.10 BIK tax a year against £2,774.72 for an Audi TT Quattro 180 or £2,852,28 for a BMW 325i Sport. Go for the RX8 231 and that also wins out against the likes of the BMW 330Ci Sport and less practical Audi TT 225.

Mazda is even being responsible. Every RX8 buyer gets the option of a one day Prodrive high performance driving course either at the Prodrive facility and track near Banbury or from their own homes.

The only ‘BUT' is that the car is more comfortable with LHD. Your legs sit straight ahead and there's plenty of room for the three pedals and a big clutch foot-rest. Sitting on the right there isn't as much room in the footwell but track driving you don't notice it and after the first year's deliveries of RHDs I only received one complaint.

Loaded with kit, including climate control aircon and a Bose six-CD sound system, so you don't have to fork out for essential extras. The two-tone red and black leather interior is nice, but the standard Alcantara-like velour is less sweaty and grips you better on corners. The leather seats are electric, but the standard seats are manual with a wheel backrest adjustor for the driver and a lever for the passenger (I wonder why?) No point in bothering with the sunroof, which robs the driver of headroom, opens outside the car, spoils the look of it, and creates wind noise. (Why have a sunroof when you've got climate control anyway?)

The clincher for a lot of people is, if two of you suddenly become three, you not only don't have to give up the sportscar, you can go out and get a better sports car. And it makes sense to have one on the company.

Mazda RX-8 (2003 – 2012) Buying Guide

Both the 190 and 231 emit more than 255g/km CO2. A concession meant that pre 22-6-2006 registered RXs were still taxed as band K at £280pa, but post 22-6-2006 RX8s are taxed as band M at £490pa.

Must check oil every second fill of petrol, but actually uses no more than many conventional cars. 

Recommended oil Dexelia ultra 5W-30 semi synthetic. 

Car must NEVER be started then shut down without reaching full operating temperature or petrol washout will harm rotor seals. Car must not be used for short runs from cold.

On very early 2003 cars, lower suspension arm ball joint and/or entire arm can fail so make sure recall work below has been carried out. 

Make sure a heat shield has been installed between exhaust pipe and plastic fuel tank (particularly important on independent imports which also means ALL automatics). 

Apparently, if the car is stationary for a long time with the revs running high the exhaust ports of the engine can melt, resulting in red hot molten metal shooting into the cat converter, spiking it. 

Have been some early clutch failures, after as little as 11,500 miles. New clutch £940 and unlike original clutches apparently warranted for 2 years or 24k miles. Pipe from oil cooler corrodes, leading to severe oil leak and a seized engine. 

Water gets into the self levelling xenon headlight electrics and replacing both with quotes at more than £1500. Anti roll bar links can fail after three years. 

Cats also prone to failure if the car has either been over-revved or driven short runs from cold (£1,011.31 at Mazda prices). Front anti roll bar links prone to fracture and plastic/nylon sleeve bushes prone to wear.

30-1-2012: RX-8s are fitted with dual mass flywheels that can need replacing in as little as 36,000 miles.

25-1-2014: Hot starting problem on 2004 RX8. Replacing coils did not solve, so probably the rotor seals. Mazda prescribed a new engine, effectively scrapping the car because in January 2014 a 2004 RX8 was worth £750 to £835 trade.

Recalls

7-5-2004 (build 28-7-03 to 29-8-03): Possible cracking of dynamic damper heat insulator. 10-8-2005 (build 28-7-2003 to 27-12-2003). Cracks may occur in lower suspension arm (check exact VINs on Recalls Database).

10-8-2005 (build 28-7-03 to 1-7-2005): Possible fuel leak (check exact VINs on Recalls Database). (TSB to fit heat shield between exhaust system and fuel tank) 

Direct link to VOSA recalls database www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/default.asp