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MSN Autos review article by Ann Job (different from her previous article).
This is another review written by Ann Job, who had a different article of hers posted on here about a week ago. She refined and updated her original review, adding mention of the HP debacle
This one was written for MSN Autos website. Read the original article here. In the Driver's Seat with Ann Job 2004 Mazda RX-8 ------------------------------ Pros: Unique rotary technology Great fun on winding roads More room in back seats than expected ------------------------------ Cons: Confused interior Purists may prefer real sport coupe Not the sleekest or prettiest exterior ------------------------------ Summary: Overall rating is 8.75 ------------------------------ Mazda returns to rotary power with its 2004 RX-8 sporty car. The successor to the popular RX-7, the RX-8 is a fun road machine. It differs from its predecessor because it has four seats and four doors. ------------------------------ You know what I kept thinking as I drove Mazda's new RX-8? What delicious temptation this nicely balanced, rotary-powered, sporty car offers. Realize I'm not necessarily talking about driving race-car fast in this new, 2+2 car. Sometimes in my test drive, the 2004 RX-8 felt good darting around a slower car in the city. Other times, it traveled winding roads like it was glued to the pavement. Sometimes, it was just nice to be able to snag a small curbside parking spot in San Francisco in this 14.5-foot-long car. Introduced in summer 2003, the RX-8 is the long-awaited successor to Mazda's RX-7, which was a sporty two-seater with a rotary engine that went out of U.S. distribution after the 1995 model year as sales lagged. A key reason for the sales problem: An RX-7 price tag that had gotten up to around $38,000. The RX-8, with its more modern features and new-generation Renesis rotary engine, not to mention a back seat for two and golf club-toting trunk, has a starting manufacturer's suggested retail price that's some $12,000 less. Specifically, at introduction, an RX-8 with automatic transmission had a starting manufacturer's suggested retail price around $25,000. A version with the six-speed manual started at more than $26,000. Rotary history No other automaker offers a mass-produced passenger vehicle with a rotary engine. The rotary internal combustion engine is firmly entrenched in Mazda history. A four-rotor engine helped Mazda become the first Japanese carmaker to win an overall victory in 1991 in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. Rotary engines work by handling intake, compression, combustion and exhaust, one after another, via a turning, triangular-shaped rotor in a cocoon-like combustion chamber. Rotaries are compact power plants, known to be smooth and high- revving, which was consistent with the RX-8 tester with manual transmission, whose redline was at 9000 rpm. Torque isn't necessarily the best. The manual RX-8 with 1.3-liter, twin-rotor, naturally aspirated rotary that I drove was rated at 159 lb-ft of torque at 5500 rpm. This moves the RX-8 from 0 to 60 miles an hour in an estimated 6.4 seconds, not exactly a top number among sportst-ers. In comparison, a 2003 Mazdaspeed Protégé with a turbocharged four cylinder could put out 160 lb-ft of torque at a low, 3500 rpm. A big "oops" Horsepower is better. Embarrassingly for Mazda officials, they had to restate and lower the RX-8's horsepower numbers in late summer 2003 after discovering they had publicized the numbers for the Japan engine, not the U.S. engine which had to comply with U.S. fuel efficiency standards. For the record, the RX-8's rotary is capable of 197 horsepower with automatic transmission and 238 horses with six-speed manual. Mazda officials have offered to buy back cars from people who purchased an RX-8 believing the earlier horsepower numbers. If a buyer chooses to keep his or her RX-8, the company can provide free maintenance during the warranty period and a $500 credit for gasoline. Sadly, this is not the first time Mazda had this issue. In 1999, the company restated the horsepower on its Miata roadster. Four doors and four seats Purists may cringe, but Mazda wanted to make the RX-8 a usable, sporty car and so installed two, small, rear-hinged doors (a la those on Saturn's Ion) to access the two, separate, rear seats. Note there's no stationary pillar here between these front and rear doors, which Mazda officials refer to as "freestyle" rather than the common lingo, "suicide doors." Reportedly, adding such a stationary pillar would have added nearly 6 inches to the overall length of the RX-8. I was skeptical about the rear-seat accommodations but found it relatively easy to climb into the RX-8 back seats. I also found a lot more leg and head room than I expected, especially if the front seats are up a ways on their tracks. A company spokesman noted the hip point for rear-seat riders is about 3 inches higher than that for the front-seat riders, helping explain why exit and entry back there is less cumbersome than expected. I still wouldn't want to ride back there on a long trip, because the rear window pillar is thick and blocks views out and the tall center console set atop the car's prominent center tunnel between the two seats is confining. About that styling I wasn't too impressed by the RX-8's styling, inside or out. Exterior styling has a lot of odd bulges here and there, including a couple on the roof. It's quite a different approach to a sporty car than, say, the sleek and tautly pulled sheet metal of the Nissan 350Z. Inside the RX-8, there's a similar sense of confusion as a couple air vents and the center stack in the dashboard have a round theme, while here and there, Mazda designers interjected softly triangular shapes designed to be reminiscent of the rotary engine. The test car's fabric seats, with side-ribbed material, and the optional floor mats that had a different kind of pattern, added to the helter-skelter feel. The seats were very comfortable. Odds and ends The speedometer in the RX-8 is a digital readout tucked inside the tachometer. There is no analog speedo gauge. The rotary engine isn't on display in the engine compartment. In fact, it's covered by a black plastic cover. So is the RX-8 battery. The rotary has a different sound than a regular internal combustion engine--not as "buzzy" as a four cylinder and not as deep in tone as a V6. |
I don't like this woman very much....
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From the MSN site:
"Today Ann is recognized as one of the nation's leading auto journalists and is a juror for the annual North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, composed of a select number of automotive journalists from around the country." I have to say that this shows (once again) how total dim bulbs can profess to be 'auto experts', believe their own hype, obviously get others to believe their BS, and proceed to write reviews so lame, they should be mightly ashamed of their lack of having a clue, but they probably simply don't know enough to be! So so sad. Bring on the **annual North American Car and Truck of the Year awards** Ann! :eek: |
Sadly, this is not the first time Mazda had this issue. In 1999, the company restated the horsepower on its Miata roadster. :mad: She's still a twit - it was the 2001 Miata. Regards, Gordon |
Did she say the car doesn't sound as good as a v6.
The interior doesn't flow I dont think any other reporter has shared the same view as this lady |
review
0-60 in 6.4secs..................well, that is close to the estimates I have seen from 5.9 to 6.4, but how can she say that is not fast??.........all other reviews loved the performance...................I wonder if she got it out of second gear...........:D
only review I have seen as well that did not like the styling or interior..........and why bring up the Protege???........like come on...........it is nowhere close to being as fast in the 0-60 or 1/4mile times................oh well................. |
I believe they have to be paid off or something. The one guy at the bottom of the page of the 3 reviewers is ususally the worst. I think he hates Mazdas.
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That whole MSN autos site is messed up. Some nutt has left bad reviews leaving the 8 with a rating of 5.6 or something. Her review just tops it all off!]
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biting my tongue lest i use some very bad words to describe this woman! Ann Job, the rx-8 is not the succesor to the rx-7!! got it?!
was rated at 159 lb-ft of torque at 5500 rpm. This moves the RX-8 from 0 to 60 miles an hour in an estimated 6.4 seconds, not exactly a top number among sportst-ers. In comparison, a 2003 Mazdaspeed Protégé with a turbocharged four cylinder could put out 160 lb-ft of torque at a low, 3500 rpm. and the rest of the article is simply copy and paste from her previous article. must be nice to write one article and get payed for it from several different companies. |
oh yeah, autojournalists :rolleyes:
she has valid points, some subjective points (which i think are never presented well, as one side is always biased over the other in editorial media like this), and some "where the hell did you learn anything about cars in the first place?" points. in short, i hate autojournalists, short of Berny and Dan (with whom i think it'd be cool to work :D). Originally posted by zoom44 mice be nice to write one article ;) |
Confused interior??? How about CONFUSED EXCUSE FOR A JOURNALIST!
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You know, I have never liked her reviews.
Put a ferrari tag on it, and the "confused" style becomes "sleek sexy italian goodness" She futher proves her ineptitude by attacking the rotery theme in the car, which ALL of us love! And I think she is confusing the z with her battery powered date! She is off of my xmas list, no cheese log this year! |
Are you guys really this insecure? Did anyone notice that she rated it 8.75 (assuming out of 10)?
She's automatically a bad journalist because she doesn't like the exterior or the interior? Or because she called the Rx-8 a successor to the Rx-7? God forbid someone who doesn't read this forum may get confused given the naming convention. Grow up. She compared the Protege to show that the rotary doesn't produce a lot of torque, which is true. And compared to the Z06, Mustang Cobra SVT, Subaru Impreza STI, and Evo 8, 6.4 seconds isn't exactly a top number, but that doesn't really matter, right? Since the Rx-8 isn't about 0-60 times, right? And she never actually said 6.4 seconds wasn't fast. Learn to take criticism. It seems as though some people are getting way to worked up over stuff like a review they don't agree with. Hell, she *liked* the car. More generally, I think a lot of people on this forum take things too seriously. It's a car, not a religion. |
I hope than ANN JOB is better at giving blowjobs (job) than being a automotive journalist IMO her articles SUCK ,
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BDCLARY
GROWING OLD IS MANDATORY GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. |
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Pooman no offence but you must have a good sense of humour to call your self pooman. As this forum is sometimes to serious I thought I would add some light-heartedness.
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Originally posted by bdclary More generally, I think a lot of people on this forum take things too seriously. It's a car, not a religion. |
I dont think I'd say the car is a religion but its close
I love cars I think its more of a lifestyle than religion |
Originally posted by mikeb I dont think I'd say the car is a religion religion?? definitely. i worship the motor. |
AMEN BROTHER!!!!
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Rx8 Review on Msn
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Her cons ...WTF
Confused interior Purists may prefer real sport coupe Not the sleekest or prettiest exterior |
As good a review as could be expected, I guess. Actually, Csaba Csere from C&D referred to the RX8's profile as "bulbous" in his review Rotary Revival
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confused interior
I think the interior is awesome 8.75 is good though |
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