Used 2004 Mazda RX-8 Consumer Reviews
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Fun to drive
riqqie, 11/02/2012
2004 Mazda RX-8 Manual 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 6M)
27 of 54 people found this review helpful
This car is great. It is amazing to drive. It grips the road and corners like a dream. It isn't the fastest car from a stop, but it more than makes up once you get moving. If you plan on buying though, do some research. The rotary engine should not be driven like a normal piston engine. It requires high rpms to run correctly. If you try to baby this car, you will have problems (carbon build-up, flooding). The best advice Ive seen about this vehicle is drive it like you stole it. BTW, get the manual transmission, it gives you a lot more horsepower than the automatic version. Make sure you check that the engine recall was taken care of before you buy and you shouldnt have any problems.
How to Make A Rotary Last, and Last, and Last!
Gary Itano, 11/20/2015
2004 Mazda RX-8 Automatic 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 4A)
7 of 14 people found this review helpful
My '04 RX-8 (after 5 RX-7s, since '84) just turned 143K original miles with the last 60+K as track-only, since being replaced in '06 with a Prius daily driver. So, rotary reliability is entirely dependent on NEVER bogging the engine (detonation breaks the rotor seals in an instant) and routinely redlining the motor to minimize carbon build-up. Other than routine maintenance and strictly maintaining fluid levels, that's all one needs to know about keeping a rotary healthy. Looking forward to seeing a 1.6L with improved torque and direct injection for better mileage and emissions. Btw, be sure to look up the maintenance sheet that guarantees FREE LIFETIME REPLACEMENT BRAKE PADS (at least for the 1st gen RX-8s), as the pads last for about 4-6 track days (front brake rotors lasted to 130K after 40K of extreme "use"). It turns out that the RX-8 brake rotor/pad chemistries are ideally engineered for optimum braking, fade resistance and durability, so no need to seek after-market solutions. Oh, and be sure, if at the track, to turn DSC off, to gain another 5+% better braking and 3% acceleration (absolute necessity when entering Laguna Seca turns 2 & 11 or Auto Club Roval turn 3!).
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2004 Mazda RX-8 for sale near you
3 of 19 listings
- Automatic CoupeMSRP: $6,000459 mi away
- Automatic CoupeMSRP: $12,900464 mi away
- Manual CoupeMSRP: $8,975468 mi away
See all 19 listings
Ugh, this stupid car!
Hannah, 12/23/2005
2004 Mazda RX-8 Manual 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 6M)
3 of 5 people found this review helpful
Ok, I'm 16; got this car for my birthday, have guarded it with my life and taken excellent care of it. But no matter what it always stops running -- has been towed twice because it quit in my drive way. So many recalls it's not even funny, airbags went bad, along with its computer. Oh and it rattles so bad. Its currently for sale because I want a vehicle that will start anytime.
DO NOT BUY REPLACED 2 ENGINES
Jessie, 07/29/2009
2004 Mazda RX-8 Manual 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 6M)
3 of 5 people found this review helpful
This is th absolute worst car I think of all time. I bought this car brand new in 04 and it has been nothing but problems. I have replaced 2 engines and that is just the beginning, everytime I turn around something is wrong with it and it cost a pretty penny to fix everything. This car makes awful rattleing noises, it breaks down on me while driving on the road about once a week, whick is very dangerous in traffic. The dealership has been absolutely no help and often have to argue with them. The problems are never ending! It pretty to the eye and thats bout as far as it goes.
Rotary Engine-MAJOR PROBLEMS
raya4, 12/19/2014
2004 Mazda RX-8 Manual 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 6M)
13 of 29 people found this review helpful
I bought the car on a whim because of how much fun it was to drive without doing much research. After buying the car almost EVERY mechanic I knew told me that I made a terrible choice. These rotary engines in these cars suck. My engine blew at 80k miles and mine lasted longer than most. Buying this car was a waste of money.