2007 Mazda RX-8

A six-disc CD changer becomes standard on the Touring and Grand Touring, and a Performance package provides a new option for the Sport.

One striking feature on the 2007 Mazda RX-8 is the aluminum, rear-opening back doors. They allow easy access to the back seat but don’t detract from the RX-8’s unique and sporty styling. If you select an RX-8 with an automatic transmission, you receive 16-inch wheels; 18-inch wheels come with the manual transmission.

Standard equipment on the Sport includes 16-inch alloy wheels with 225/55R16 performance tires, variable intermittent wipers, a rear defogger, and power mirrors.

The Touring adds the following standard equipment: 18-inch alloy wheels with 225/45R Z performance tires, a power glass sunroof, fog lights, xenon HID headlights, and a universal remote transmitter. The Grand Touring upgrades to power heated mirrors.

The interior of the Mazda RX-8 feels roomy yet functional. Gauges and controls seem well-situated and easy to operate. The sport front seats prove well-bolstered to keep you in your seat. The back-seat area offers ample legroom for average-sized adults, unlike the back seats of most sport coupes.

The rear seat does not fold down, but it does have a pass-through to the trunk via the rear center armrest, making it easier to transport long items. The trunk has a cargo capacity of 7.6 cubic feet.

Standard features for the 2007 Mazda RX-8 include a driver’s seat with height adjustment, cloth upholstery, sport front seats, a folding rear armrest with a pass-through, power door locks, power windows, rear ventilation ducts, cruise control, a front console with storage, retained accessory power, electric power steering, a leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel with audio and cruise control functions, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, a 12V power outlet, interior air filtration, air-conditioning, a tachometer, external temperature display, and a 100-watt audio system with AM/FM/CD and six speakers along with a radio data system.

The Touring adds alloy and leather interior trim, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and a 300-watt Bose premium audio system with AM/FM and a six-disc CD changer plus nine speakers and a subwoofer.

The top-of-the-line Grand Touring adds heated driver and passenger seats with height adjustment, an eight-way power driver’s seat, and leather upholstery.

Options include a six-disc CD changer and a navigation system with an LCD display screen.

The Mazda RX-8 represents the only rotary engine vehicle in production. The rotary engine remains small at 1.3 liters, but it generates ample horsepower: 212 hp with the automatic transmission and 232 hp with the manual. It sprints from zero to 60 mph in seven seconds with the manual transmission. The 2007 Mazda RX-8 offers a pleasure to drive. The suspension feels taut but not overly so. Steering seems superb, and handling on the corners proves excellent, due in part to the RX-8’s light weight. The one disadvantage the RX-8 concerns its less than impressive fuel economy.

The Sport offers a performance package which adds 18-inch wheels and performance tires, xenon HID headlights, fog lights, a sport-tuned suspension, limited slip differential, and larger front brakes.

Standard safety equipment for the 2007 Mazda RX-8 includes four-wheel ABS, tire pressure monitoring, side-impact airbags, and side-curtain airbags. In government crash testing, the RX-8 earns four stars for both frontal- and side-impact crash tests.

Additional safety features include electronic brake force distribution and a remote anti-theft alarm system with an engine immobilizer.

• Access to back seat via rear-opening doors
• Supportive front seats

• Fuel economy
• Small trunk

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