I purchased a 2005 new in January 2006 and have since put 65,000 trouble free miles on it. I agree very much with the assessment you've made...fit & finish is surprisingly good but the mileage is dissapointing (21.5 long term average w/ about 85% freeway driving). I don't care for the styling but I don't think you could find a …
I bought a used 05 model back in 07 from a private seller. Car had 10K miles and i got it for 17,900. These cars have very bad depreciation so good examples can be had "relatively" cheep. The car is simply the finest driving car i have ever driven. more than being just a fast car it is a fun car that tells you exactly what is going on. Faster cars like Z's and stangs can be had for near the same money but i have never had an instance where my rx8 needed to be any faster than it is. The only down side to these cars is the gas millage. I get 20-21 with about 60-40 highway city driving. The side doors are dead useful and you can fit real people in the back seats. I drive mine every day and have put 17000K on it and in that time have had no problems.
I love the RX-8! While I am not an owner, I have had the occasion to drive a few, and even compete against some. The 8 was the car I was shopping for when the P71 popped up, and sometimes I still regret the decision (until I realize I have the P71 AND the RX-7 for LESS then the down payment on an RX-8!).
The RX-8 is the true successor to the original RX-7 idea. An affordable, tossable car for the masses. It's useful in everyday life, tactile, and just puts a big stupid grin on your face every time you drive it. I would still be proud to own one!
The Mazda RX-8 R3 is a nice, solid performer. It handles great and is a good on-track partner when the revs are up and the rotary is humming along. That said, it's an odd mix of love-it-or-hate-it styling, an almost-practical layout, and abysmal gas mileage.
With a world-class suspension and a fun, rev-happy rotary engine, it's great for autocross and track use. The fat, low-profile tires, 19-inch rims and Bilstein shocks make quick work of switchbacks and hairpin turns. The R3 package adds a sport-tuned suspension and the aforementioned Bilstein shock absorbers—these make the ride a little choppy over expansion joints, but they do help the car's handling
The layout of the car, with its small, front-opening rear doors, seems practical, but the rear roofline makes the trunk opening impossibly small. On a recent business trip, we had to stow our small suitcases in the rear seat as they simply wouldn't fit through the mail slot of a trunk.
The EPA fuel economy estimates are a dismal 16 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway. We returned 15.1 mpg on a series of recent fill-ups with this car. That's really what brings the car's daily driving score down in our books.
The RX-8 has been nearly awesome since its debut in 2002, and we love the basic concept. Even so, we're ready for a new coupe from Mazda.
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