3Rotor's review of the RX-8 - Mazda has nailed it!
 

O.K., here you guys go... It has been a very long weekend being the driver of Mazda’s newest ambassador – the RX-8!! I went to the Portland Historic Races this weekend, so I have a wide variety of experiences to report on! I am going to come from a slightly different angle in my review since most of us have read just about everything there is out there so far.
Here is a recap of my weekend: Picked-up the car on Friday and had a very busy day getting set for an early departure from Tacoma. I could barely sleep Friday night because I was soooo excited. I managed to squeeze in 2 hours. I started by packing the car. RPNW was putting on a display in the Car Corral, and I was to bring a variety of items. Here is what I had packed in the trunk: a 1000 watt gas powered generator (15” tall by 15” wide and 12” deep), a 2 gallon gas can, a full size fire extinguisher, a 12”h x 12”l x 6”w box, a soft side carry on bag (with my clothes and shaving gear for the weekend), cleaning supplies and a wash bucket, a roll of paper towels, a Compaq Presario tower circa 1995 (CPU only), Keyboard/Mouse/Speakers, 100’ extension cord on a spool, a jacket, a couple of other minor small odds and ends. While you couldn’t put large items into the trunk, you can get plenty of small things in there. Hard-side items (unless they are the perfect size) will be a challenge. The trunk really is very useable and everyone was impressed with all of the things I was able to get in there.
Driving impression: I love this car! It is a blast to drive. Everything you have read about this car is dead-on. It is quick, revs like nothing most people have ever driven, and provides wonderfully smooth turbine-type sounds as you move along. It has plenty of get up and go. I was able to take it out on the track for the Parade Lap and for some unknown reason J we blew right by the exit and had to go around again, without a pace car. The car corners extremely well, accelerates quickly and smoothly, and is going to get a lot of people in trouble on the street!! On day two, we went out with the Porsche Club so it was another great lap with the same results.
The car will fit 4 full size adults. Saturday night we put the 4-passenger thing to the test as we all went to dinner. I like to sit far back (I’m 6 feet with long legs), so I had to adjust my seat further forward than I normally do, but it was still very manageable. On the other side of the car, neither the front or rear passenger’s knees were touching anything. Again, I wouldn’t suggest a two-hour drive that way, but out on the town, NO Problem.
I really like the navigation system. It is not immediately intuitive, but once you play with it and understand how it works, it is very impressive. I used it on the way back to find a Burger King and then I set it to find my home, as I knew I was going to take a different route than it would choose. I wanted to see how it would react to that. It recalculated the route with no problem. The audio directions are very clear and accurate. The stereo volume is automatically lowered before the Nav audio instructions announce.
Sound Systems are very subjective things. Believe it or not, the system in my 98 Volvo T5 sounds better to me. I would rate the RX-8 Bose system as an 8 out of 10. It is very easy to use, has some great features, and loading the discs and operating the system is very intuitive. The audio pilot works well and while not completely seamless, it isn’t distracting at all. It noticed it most when traveling on the highway over varied road surfaces.
A couple of things I noticed about the car that I really liked were the steering wheel and the rev range. The steering wheel cross-section shape is oval, so it fits my hands very well. It is also not some thin thing. It has the necessary heft to be both comfortable and appropriate for the type of driving this car is going to be put through. The rev range is so large, you could literally drive the car in any gear. It’s great that it has a 6-speed transmission, but a couple of times I kept wondering why - oh well, it’s fun shifting all those gears!
The car was an absolute showstopper. It drew a tremendous amount of attention. 99% of the comments were positive. A couple people had some very nit picky things to say and I don’t even remember what they were. It is really amazing just how low and how far back the engine is mounted – they weren’t kidding and they aren’t messing around!
My gas mileage on the first tank was right at 20 mpg and that is damn good if you consider that I have been having fun with it and it had to idle while we were queuing up for the parade lap and then 2 laps around the track, more fun on the way back to the hotel, etc, etc.
I am very excited for Mazda. They have hit the nail on the head! The rotary is back. This is going to be a very successful car. Congratulations to all who will be joining the rotary ranks. I can now join all those who came before me and say – YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!
Brad aka 3Rotor

Great review! Thanks. Hopefully I'll be posting the same in the next few days.

Hey 3rotor.....what was your impression of the a/c system? does it have quiet fans......is it cool enough (not sure of your weather). there has been alot of negative buzz about the cooling ability....any thoughts?

also....was there any final pre-order gifts with your car???:)

how hot did it run? did the engine get too hot in your opinion?

The A/C worked just fine. It's manual, but very easy to reach, very intuitive. Nice vents (they have aluminum trim rings). Between listening to the stereo, listening to NAV directions and listening to the sweet sounds of the RENESIS, I didn't notice any unusual degree of noise from the A/C. I only had to run it full blast once and only shortly because it cooled it down pretty quickly, then I backed it down to position 1 (it has off and 4 fan levels) and it has another dial to handle degree of cool or warmth. I was watching the engine temp gauge. It changed, but not more than a couple of ticks (which isn't much). Even when I came off of the parade (hot lap) - idling for 15 minutes, then buzzing around the track twice, I pulled it back in, opened the hood for display again and pulled off the cover, I don't remember noticing anything unusual and I definitely have something to contrast it to since the Cosmo lets off quite a noticiable amount of heat for a long time. The RX-8 doesn't have any heat issue as far as I can tell - no worries! The temp yesterday was in the low to mid 80s. BTW the layout and ergonomics of the car are superb!

Extremely great review. I wish the best of times ahead of you with this car, as well as the others who will soon be getting their cars... I swear I'll own one of these babies within a few years, but for right now, I have other plans in sight. :)

your just making me drool even more ,and knowing that my car should be sitting in tacoma as of fri or sat is making me crazzzzy.i wish i could have got the nav system but its not available in alaska or hawaii.how do you like the seats(driver and pass)are the comfortable,i commute about 1 hr each way and have a bad lower back so im hoping there nice.

Great review Brad, glad you like the car so much. Will you be driving it to Seven Stock 6 this year?

3Rotor, if you can tell us the lease rates and residuals... you'd rock :)

Man, shoot! I think I'll take mine around the Darlington track a few times when I get it. Maybe Charlotte too. Road Atlanta? Yeah!!!:D

In my DREAMS!!:p

Nice review, appreciate your honesty on the few things.

Great review. I can tell you have enjoyed your first few days with the car. I'm sick with anticipation after reading your review and seeing a Yellow RX-8 over the weekend.

:)

I won't be making the trek to SevenStock this year. I definitely plan to drive the 20B 10th Anniversary down the following year.

As for lease rates. Leases are complicated and my deal had a lot of moving parts - another car, business considerations, tax issues, etc. So my payment will be different from anyone else because of that and I have some options on mine. Here is what I can tell you:
I have a 6 speed with the GT package and Nav (I don't think they really consider the $1000 worth of port installed options, but I'm not sure). I had no down payment, no cap reduction, no security deposit, just the first payment plus tax and license. I will make 35 additional payments. I also can extend the lease 1 to 3 months at the same payment without affecting my payment or residual value. I get 45,000 miles. The residual value on the car is $17677.40. I may purchase the car for $500 over that. My "interest rate" is 3.623%. I am a financial planner, so here is a link you can use based upon the information I have provided to play with the numbers:

http://www.firstcommand.com/home/fin...ndex.html#auto

I hope that all helps!

Wow, how did you get such a low interest rate?

I am just curious because I'm not sure what to expect... is that thru Mazda Finance or somebody else?

Thanks!

The dealer hooked me up with a local lender that they do business with, also happens to be the lender I have my mortgage with and I have sterling credit. They also knew they were competing with another offer I had and I provided them the details. It took them about an hour to put the deal together.

Can you talk a little about the daily driving feel? How was it crusing around at 30-40 mph? How easy is it to launch from a stop sign or red light? what RPM do you slip the clutch in? hows the low mid range tq? from say 2000-5000 RPM? hows the clutch and shifter feel?

3Rotor you are the man! Thanks for the great review. It is one thing to hear it from a mag, but hearing it from a forum member is so much better.:)

Enjoy your 8.

i got a chance to see Brad's(3Rotor) car on sunday and i gotta tell you this is one sweet car!! i was really overwhelmed. the seats are great and though i didn't move the driver seat forward (his legs are about 3 feet longer than mine;) ) you can tell that everything is within easy reach of the driver. the loop spoiler, contrary to what i have thought before from pics, looks really good on the car. so do the chrome rotary trim peices front and back. and man the head and tail lights are just works of art. i got to hear him start it up and drive away a little later. it sounded really good and i was really sad to see it go without out my own to drive home in :(. but then my wife turned me around so i could see the shelby cobra and the 2 '67 mustang gt500's that were parked nearby and i cheered up a little. oh yeah and His cosmo is a fantastic car also!!

Thanks
 

Thanks brad for all the info. I was curious to know if there is any specific "break in" period covered in the Owner's manual. Also, what does the recommended maintenance schedule look like/ Thanks very much.

boowana:p

Let me get this right - you have the Grand Touring package and the car does not have automatic climate control, whereas in other countries the base car has automatic climate control. Why is Mazda short-changing the USA again (remember the 6CD changer)?

As several 'luxury' touches have been dropped for the US market for no obvious reason I really hope the car is spectacular to drive at all speeds and at all times. My last 4 vehicles have had climate control - I set it once and never touch it again. I hate adjusting AC dials constantly as it's yet another distraction.

Thanks 3rotor! Best review I've read (probably 'cuz it's by a real person). All the more excited to get mine. One question though. How protected is the NavDvd (not sure what you call it, but the slot where you insert the discs)? I haven't really seen any pictures of it installed in the center ridge, but does it have a cover or is it at risk from someone spilling their soda from the back cupholders? Thanks for the review!!:D

tried to post this earlier, comps been wierd today..

great review, car sounds awesome (yours) cant wait till i get mine
realyl upset about the air though, tahts my biggest qualm with this car, it bothers me to the point of considering other vehicles...maybe i can install one...ill never do it though........pretty upset about it.
anyawy, pitty about the Bose though, although i guesse 8/10 is pretty good, and it shoud be fine for me, though i have to admit, volvos have great sound, its the dolby digital 5.1 and the surround they use, but i dont know if your car had that.

but yeah, the climate control things bugs me a lot...
________
Medical Cannabis

The auto climate control thing might just be software. Maybe later on we could flash the ecu with the code. There might also be a thermostat but it's prob built in already.

yea, i hate the fact that auto climate control isn't standard or that the 6-Disc changer isn't either...but then again, i guess i'd rather have the Hi-Power Renesis vs. the Lo-Power one most Europe is getting, the standard 6-disc and climate control was prolly just a consolation prize for a slower car

I think people "sweating" (pun intended) over the A/c is not warranted. The knob is like 6 inches from the shift lever. If it's not cool aenough for you, turn it up - it really isn't a big deal. As for the Nav, the module sits in its own protected case with a door and in a cubby that is not connected to the rear cup holder area. It would take effort to get soda in or on the unit - again don't worry. Ergonomically this car is a 9.5 - they really have put a tremendous amount of thought (harmonious design - japanese "takumi" into it). Buy it and drive it!

on the subject of the nav, have you been able to check and see if you can place a regular DVD in there or if you see any input jacks whatsoever?

also, about the auto climate control, it's not the fact that it's a hassle, it's the principal...the fact that it's a standard feature elsewhere but in the US...that's all...it's also a cool gadget for people like me that like cool gadgets...for the price of the car almost all its' competitors feature the auto climate control...and also, i've always wanted one :)

Yes, the automatic climate control is not a deal breaker but it's annoying on principle.

If Mazda didn't offer this in any market then fair enough. But when other markets get the auto climate control and you realize that Mazda had to spend time and money to build a basic air-con control you wonder why they feel they have to deny the USA this 'standard' feature and were willing to spend money to do so. Just makes no sense to me...unless it's meant to be an 'easy' new feature to be added for the 2005 model.

Well on the plus side you get 20bhp more than the UK, delivery 4 months earlier and focussed attention from Mazda.

3Rotor: I know this has been dwelled on in the past, but what kind of oil does the owners manual suggest and at what mileage it suggests for oil changes?

Since your only stopping for bathroom breaks and sleep these days ,AR8 (after receiving RX-8), please consult the manual during a "#2" bathroom break ;)

:D

Every 5000 miles and there is no mention against using synthetics - those are the two things I recall, but that was Friday night when I read through it.

The car is a fair bit cheaper in the US as well. I'd rather have mine now with the extra power and with manual aircon.

But not as cheap as in Canada, where it is also better equipped and they 'almost' have cars too. I am moving North - hate this hot weather in Texas...

What has the world come to ....... ??? Goodness, gracious me it's a car that lacks auto climate control. We should assassinate someone !!!!!!!!!!! ;)


Suck it up and deal. This is actually a good sign..... Mazda must have done a pretty damned good job on the car if the only thing people have to complain about is auto climate control. :D

OK I agree my quote sounds pretty bad - let me elucidate. I am an inveterate fiddler - if it has knobs or dials I will absent mindedly twiddle them non-stop - drives my wife mad. Auto climate control means she can set a temp and forbid me to go near the controls. So for me it's a distraction on top of the stereo and the NAV.

My real point is that I would never expect a Miata or S2000 etc to have climate control and would not care in the least about it - they never have and probably never will and I am happy with that. The issue I have with Mazda is that they built a car with this feature and then decided the USA will be denied it - even when ordering the $3900 premium GT package. I am sure that I and everyone else can live with this feature missing but... why did they do that?

Aside from this disaster (heads will roll when Nissan marketing picks up on this - you mark my words :)) the car sounds superb. Wonderful to drive and almost SUV-like in it's storage capacity ;). And to give an 8/10 rating for the BOSE is amazing considering how bad BOSE normally is.

you mean "pelucidate" don't you?

Do you want me to post the links to the stories about the tornadoes that hit the Canadian prairies last night, or stories about the blizzards from last winter? ;)

We still don't get the auto climate control in Canada - I'd prefer it, but will be happy enough to get an RX-8 even without it! :D I agree, they will probably introduce it in a year or two.

Regards,
Gordon

Pelucidor, do you really constantly fiddle with secondary controls while you drive?:confused: Err.. your hands should be on the wheel or next to the gearshift for most of the time.. :p

You sure that aint you?

Anyway, uh, oh yeah, well, I (big I, there...) think that it should have come with auto climate. There, I said it and I'm not ashamed. My Infiniti G20T has it and I love to not have to fiddle with it. Almost never. Really never, but some people just gotta mess with it and I gotta set it back after they're done. It works better than anything and it's a shame that the RX-8 doesn't come with it, especially the GT. There!:p :p :p

the same people that are objecting the fact that we are objecting the absence of the auto climate control are probably the same people that never objected the fact that the Gameboy never came out with a proficient backlight until the GBA SP...i mean, why?? seems kind of like the car has been placed on this pedestal of perfection and nothing can damage their views of it no matter how much they get screwed...non-standard 6-Disc CD player that you have to pay $500 for and not-even-an-option-whatsoever auto climate control was replaced by a red coffee cup and a red thermos to fit into the cupholders of my black RX-8... =\

i think an auto climate control is about as important as cruise control...both are luxury items you don't really need although makes life that much simpler...if every other car in that price range had cruise control but your country's particular model didn't, i'd be bitching about that as well...

I am taking my house off the market and cancelling plans to relocate to Canada. And not because of the blizzards or tornadoes in the prairies (I would prefer Toronto or Vancouver). Maybe Japan then...

Sack up!
 

You peoples need to suck it up... It was 108 today in Fresno (normal temp) and though I have AC in my car, I never use it. Just roll down the windows and take in some Vit. D!! I hate AC systems and there are no climate control systems I've seen that let me set the temp to what I would like. I'm not hating on anyone though. It is nice to be able to cool the car down when the old lady get's in. (Never in my case). My 8's in this week, so I'll tell you all how it does with 280 AC. ( 2 windows down @ 80Mph) :D :D

Kind of like a convection oven? You go, dude!:confused:

does it sound anything like it does in x men 2? i know i'm a dork. yeah that was the one improvement they could have made on that movie...more car

The automatic climate control is only a convience. It should be on the car though. If the $24k Mazda 6 has it, why doesn't the $31k RX-8? It makes no sense. The system is designed and manufactured, so the only cost involved is the parts. I'm willing to bet the exact same system is in the RX-8 and 6. The costs between auto and manual can't be that different.
Mazda's decision makers really screwed up on this one, along with the 6 disc changer and the estimated configurations of the 6 when it was released.