Contact Us Privacy Policy Site Map Home
New-Cars.com

      Car Reviews
      Truck Reviews
      SUV Reviews
      Hybrid Reviews
      Reviews by Make

   


      News Archive
      Buying a Car Guide

      2004 Car Reviews
      2004 Truck Reviews
      2004 SUV Reviews
      2004 Reviews by Make

2004 Mazda RX-8

2004  Mazda RX-8
 Links

2004 Mazda RX-8 - Specs
2004 Mazda RX-8 - Photos
2004 Mazda Reviews

2004 Mazda RX-8 - Price Quote

Visit Mazda for more information on the Mazda RX-8.


The 2004 Mazda RX-8 is a new sports car with a fair share of unique appointments. For starters, the RX-8 employs a rotary engine to handle the driving. It uses triangular-shaped rotors that spin inside oval-shaped housings as opposed to the conventional up-and-down motion of pistons in cylinders. And with four doors, the Mazda RX-8 is a roadster that also has interior room.

The Mazda RX-8 is based on the exemplary design of the old RX-7, a two-door speedster last seen in 1995. The new RX-8, in both name and design, is seen as the next step in the evolution of the sports car. Mazda went through great pains to hone the RX-8, and by all indications they have succeeded.

Available Models
The 2004 Mazda RX-8 is offered in a base model featuring several options packages.

Interior Features
The 2004 Mazda RX-8 seats four passengers. Up front you'll find the most amount of seating space, as a total of 42.6 inches of legroom is provided. In the rear, you drop about six inches of legroom.

The 2004 Mazda RX-8 has both front and rear bucket seats, giving everyone that cockpit feel. The instrumentation up front is easy to read and quick to pick out, with little clutter to detract from the driving experience. Standard features include cruise control, air conditioning, a tilt leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, power mirrors, windows and door locks, an AM/FM/CD player, a digital clock and illuminated visor mirrors.

There are a number of options available in groups that combine extra performance features with interior items. A stand-alone option is a navigation system.

Exterior Features
Larger than the RX-7, the Mazda RX-8 is perhaps more functional than its predecessor. It's about 5 inches longer than a similar-style car, the two-seat Nissan 350Z. The four-door setup includes rear doors, but they do not open or close independently of the fronts.

Performance
The rear-wheel drive 2004 Mazda RX-8 puts its unique engine to good use. It can be mated to either 4-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift feature, or 6-speed manual transmission. The 1.3-liter rotary engine produces 207 horsepower and 164 lb-ft of torque with automatic transmission, 247 horsepower and 159 lb-ft of torque with manual transmission.

The 2004 RX-8 has a stiff body construction featuring a strong, high-mount backbone for the type of rigidity needed for high-speed maneuvering. Mazda also offers a special sport package to increase the performance level of the RX-8. Automatics with this package receive traction control, an antiskid system, limited-slip differential, fog lights, xenon headlights, upgraded brakes and sport suspension.

Safety and Security
Mazda equips the RX-8 with an appropriate set of safety features to counter the type of power it can deliver. The standard package includes dual front airbags, front side airbags, curtain side airbags, antilock 4-wheel disc brakes and a tire-pressure monitor.


Fast Stats
Seats
4
MSRP from
$25,700
Engine
1.3L RENESIS
13B twin rotor
Horsepower
197 @ 7200 AT
238 @ 8500 MT
Transmission
4-speed auto
5-speed auto
MPG: City/Hwy
AT: 18 / 25
MT: 18 / 24

 Competing Model Reviews
04 Chevrolet Corvette
04 Chrysler Crossfire
04 Ford Mustang
04 Honda S2000
04 Pontiac GTO
04 Toyota Celica
 Other 2004 Mazda Car Reviews
2004 Mazda Mazda6
2004 Mazda Truck
2004 Mazda Miata
2004 Mazda MPV
2004 Mazda Tribute