- coupe 54,507
- Pocatello, ID
-
- autoshopper.com
2007 mazda rx-8 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Rotary revolutionary. introductionfor about five years in the middle of the 1970s, mazda's rotary engine seemed poised to conquer the automotive world. Small, smooth and powerful, it promised a new generation of faster, cleaner and more efficient cars. But they are all still motivated by the same reciprocating-piston principle that served the automotive pioneers of the 1880s. all but one, that is. That may seem like an awfully small kingdom for an iron warrior that once looked like a world conqueror. But it's still a wonderful place to be. the latest model in this series, the ingeniously engineered 2007 mazda rx-8, drives like a sports car, with a high-revving engine and perfect 50-50 weight distribution for balanced handling. yet the rx-8 is surprisingly practical. There's enough room for a weekend's worth of luggage or two full-size golf bags, and the small rear doors and relatively spacious trunk make trips to the home improvement center possible. It reminds us of the brilliant third-generation rx-7, but it's $13,000 cheaper, and its muscular styling has a zoom-zoom edge. it's the small but powerful rotary engine that makes all this possible. the rx-8 was launched as an all-new model for 2004. The six-speed manual benefits from 232 horsepower at 8500 rpm, while the automatic gets 212 horsepower at 7500 rpm, albeit with the same 159 pound-feet of torque at 5500. The base automatic comes packaged with a softer suspension, smaller wheels and smaller brakes. The bottom line is that the manual model is for driving enthusiasts willing to sacrifice some comfort and convenience for performance. The automatic is for drivers more interested in the look and feel of a sports car than in ultimate performance and for drivers who have to contend with stop-and-go commuting. changes for '07 are more modest. Mazda has promoted some of last year's various option packages to the status of separate trim levels. All are powered by a 1. 3-liter twin-rotor rotary engine. the rx-8 sport 26,435) comes with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission. Standard equipment includes cloth upholstery; air conditioning; am/fm/cd stereo with six speakers and steering-wheel mounted controls; cruise control; power windows, mirrors and locks; leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob; floor and overhead consoles; rear window defogger; variable intermittent windshield wipers; and an alarm with immobilizer. Dealer-installed accessories include an aero body kit 1,100), sirius satellite radio 430), and a cd-changer for sport models 500). safety features that come standard include frontal and side-impact airbags (for torso protection) for the front passengers, and curtain airbags (for head protection) front and rear. A tire pressure monitor is also standard on all models. Anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution comes standard; dsc is optional. walkaroundthe mazda rx-8 bulges with style if not grace. It's about the most aggressive shape possible in stamped steel. From the rear it looks good, with upswept lines and wide fender flares. The headlights aren't as dramatic as they might be; mazda says it believes design should be expressed in sheet metal, not lighting. the front and rear doors open in opposite directions, which mazda calls the freestyle door system. With no pillar between the doors, this allows very easy ingress and egress for the rear-seat passengers. The seats are great, a nice fit with good bolstering. Getting into and out of the rear seat is easy. Due to the high front seatbacks, rear-seat passengers can't see much out front without leaning inboard, but they can see out the side windows. A vertical compartment door opens to the rear seat area to allow the carrying of skis and such. The pillar-less door configuration allows loading of large, awkward items into the back seat area that simply cannot be handled by other sports cars and sedans. We were able to fit a desk stool (swopper) and a storage crate inside, without using the front seat, a very impressive feat for a sports car. but the rx-8 is best appreciated from the driver's seat. We like the stitched leather three-spoke steering wheel, both for its style and feel. Also nice were the drilled aluminum pedals and the solid dead pedal. Each knee is comfortably and firmly supported during hard cornering. the instrument panel seems to sacrifice efficiency for style. There are three big rings, dominated by the 10,000-rpm tachometer in the center, with a digital speedometer readout on the tach face. We miss having a separate analog speedometer. The two large outside rings include gauges for water temp, fuel and oil pressure. The instruments are illuminated with indirect blue lighting. the panel forward of the shift lever is trimmed in a combination of leather and high-quality vinyl and glossy piano-black plastic. The stereo and climate control knobs are integrated; redundant controls are on the steering wheel spokes. The air conditioning wasn't as effective as we would have liked, a common complaint about many mazdas. the available navigation system is dvd-based and features a dedicated, retractable seven-inch screen on top of the dash above the radio and climate controls. The soft triangular shape of the engine rotors are a design theme found throughout the interior, most noticeably in the stylish headrests and atop the shift lever. driving impressionthe mazda rx-8 handles like a true sport.
Pocatello, IDPocatello, ID at autoshopper.com