Mazda RX-8 5 Speed 192ps Review

Watch this item
Mazda RX-8 5 Speed 192ps
4.4 stars
Average rating for this product is: 4.4 out of 5

From 5 ratings and 15 reviews

Thumb up 87% of users recommend this product

Rate it Now:

Click on the stars above to rate this product:

Tweet This Item


escapizm's Review of Mazda RX-8 5 Speed 192ps

22nd Jan 2005

Overall Rating

4 stars
  • Value for money
    4 stars
  • Length of ownership
    1 Year
  • Practicality
    4 stars
  • Year Manufactured
    2003
  • Performance
    5 stars
  • Reliability
    3.5 stars
Good Points

Awesome looks, loves to be thrashed


Bad Points

12-15 mpg, iluminted gear knob failed 4 times, lost power due to faulty catalyst which mazda are aware off!


General Comments

I don't own a Mazda RX 8 Sports Car but a good friend does. He opted for the 180? BHP version and it goes like stink, he finds keeping tabs on the oil it DRINKS a chore and a few times has exceeded the time it should be checked only to find he fills it back up with more than the 1 litre bottle recommended. He drives relatively quickly and it costs him to do so. With all the technology the cab has to offer there is no mpg indicator! So he calcs it the basic "how much goes how far" way and it doesn't go far... He has had the bulb replaced 4 times on the flashy illuminated gear knob but thinks its fixed now as it no longer gets so hot you can't touch it. More interestingly, as big kids don't, he never read the instruction manual before driving and as a result when he opted to move it 3 feet from the garage when cleaning he didn't realise that he'd flooded the engine. You can't start then stop the engine if it hasn't been running until its warm. The result is a technician calling to you home and thrashing the living daylights out of it with the fuel fuse plug removed until a specific engine tone is noted and smoke stops emitting from the exhaust, it also uses 1/4 of a tank in doing so.

Recently power was lost above 7ooo revs in all gears, on calling to the garage they said "oh yes it a faulty catalyst across the range" he asked if it was a recall or are the contacting owners. They replied no as it's only a problem if you flood it, this must cook the cat?. Heaven help any second owners un aware of this as they will probably have to fork out the £1400 to replace it, as his was only 12 months old with 10000 miles they did it under warranty.

All in all he loves the car and his only gripe is the mpg but as he thrashes it every where this is to be expected. Myself I think the suicide doors are cool and being in the back is like being in jet fighter cockpit.

Tweet This Review

On average, people found this review helpful

How helpful did you find this review?