-great handling
-good sports car value

-high maintenance ($7 spark plugs,priceless exh.sys)
-poor gas mileage (21mpg)

Bought used in '99.Runs great,very reliable.Have put 20k on car in last 2 yrs.Catyl.converter plugged about a year ago(cost $400 from midas,dealer wanted $2000!).Fuel injector sticks sometimes resulting in flooding.Rather than replacing at great cost(see above)I add injector cleaner regularly.This eliminated the problem.My point is,if you do your own work,this car can be good buy.Due to the outrageous prices Mazda dealers are charging to work on these cars,finding used parts is a breeze,because it is cheaper to junk them than to pay the repair bill!

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'73 RX2, '79 RX7 This 2nd gen. is more refined than earlier models.Not quite as sporty as the'79 but more practical.

these are good, reliable, and incredibly fast cars, just like any other car if you take care of it and give some T.L.C. and don't abuse it like a 'red-headed step child' and it will treat you like a good father.

not to good in winter, spool up time is a little slow but after first gear hold on to the wheel really tight if you are not used to real power

A little about my experience with RX-7s, I have been driving them for the 7 years and racing them for 6 years, and I have never had a problem with the fuel system, turbo mechanics, suspension, or drive train. you can put $5,000(+)/(-) into the car (ie. chip, upgraded intercooler exaust, and a new turbo, and nothing on the road can touch you, not even a 2000 C5 Vette.

My personal 1993 RX-7 Touring which I paid $13,000 since I purchased it in 1994 I have installed the MazdaSpeed Preformaice Chip which boosted the HP from 255 to 275, MazdaSpeed exaust 275 to 305, MazdaSpeed Stage 1 Turbo with blow-off valve 305 to 425 HP. Fully adjustable suspension, 17" racing 3 piece wheels from Racing Heart with Nitto 245/50/17 front and 305/50/17 rear.

The 1995 A-Spec that i race is the fastest car that i have gotten behind the wheel of, i have blown past 1995 911 twin turbos, 2000 C5 Vetts, 78 Panteras, 73 gt40's and i cannot be touched, even with 698 hp with 548 ft lbs of tourque.

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'95 Civic Si -vs- '93 Touring, '95 Civic is slow and cannot handle as well as the RX-7.
'85 Camaro Z28 -vs- '95 A-Spec, the cammaro is a dog, from a full stop the camaro was left in the rear view mirror of the A-Spec for a 1/4 mile.
'00 Vette -vs- A-Spec, the Vette does not have any chance.

-Looks, this car has looks that make you want to love and care for it like it was a living child.
-Lotsa power at high revs, and this engine likes revs
-Better on gas than many sports cars of its time
-Leather interior is very comfy and nice
-Handling is awesome
-The potential for fun and enjoyment is very large.
-Engine can be rebuild to like new after 150,000 kms for only $1400 US
-Purrs like a kitten, I will never forget when I first heard the engine's turbo kick in...mmmmm
-Engine simplicity, easy to learn how to rebuild yourself, has few moving parts (3-5 compared to 47+ in a reciprocating engine)

-Needs to be rebuild after about 150,000 kms - 200,000 kms which requires the replacing of apex/oil/water seals, some electronics, tubing, belts etc. but it isn't so bad, you can do as many rebuilds as you like due to the simplicity of the engine.
-Fuel costs are getting higher, making driving these cars a little harder.
-If you don't let your car idle for 5-10 minutes before you turn it off, the turbo will show signs of problems and possibly stop working (the bearing will seize up).
-Parts are getting harder to find, so don't wreck your car.
-Insurance is kinda high...but what can you expect from a sports performance hatchback? lol
-Engine burns oil and needs oil changes often (5000kms or 3000miles)
-Engine runs at crazy tempuratures, better get a better cooling system.
-Lights can get sticky (on my friend's car his light sticks 50% of the time.)
-If not properly taken care of and rebuilt when necesary, the engine can take some damage and can be costly to repair or buy new ($5000 CDN/$3300 US)

This car is great, I think all my above info explains my standings.

Its a great car to own for people who want to love and cherish until death do you part, but if you dont like high maintanence women, you won't like high maintanence cars...ok thats not true, you will love this car if you aren't lazy...but if you are lazy don't even think about getting one of these because without love this car will die.

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Toyota Corolla, Miata, Corvette, this car can outrace many cars without problems, but drag racing isn't really its high point as its torque curve isn't very steep at lower revs. Drag racing is all car and no skill. Track racing (not roundy round racing, roundy round requires very little skill) but track racing like the Lamanns and places like Laguna Seca raceway...that is where this car will shine and beat any other car in its class with someone who knows what they are doing behind the wheel.

Awesome handling - better than the NSX that I own now, in my opinion. Beautiful design - especially the double-bubble roof and sweeping door cuts. Very fast - great turbo rush.

Inherent design flaws to the engine clearly classify this car as a 'lemon'.
Bose acoustimass stereo sound quality is fairly dismal (all Bose seems to be...)

I read a lot of the reviews for this generation RX-7 and am quite perplexed. I absolutely recommend that you NEVER own one of these cars unless you are an adept mechanic AND have deep pockets. It is quite a shame saying this, too, as the car when runnin is phenomenal. My wife and I bought ours from the original owner (a woman who wouldn't even drive it in the rain!) with 36,000 miles on it in, I think, 1996. It was a completely mint, unmolested, never wrecked automatic transmission car. Thank goodness it had an extended warranty. Within 3 months of buying it, I got my first clue something was wrong when it died in rush hour traffic with the AC on. To make a long story short, this was only the beginning; it finally got so bad that hitting the brakes coming up to a stop light made the car die! I had begun researching on the net, and came across the scariest site ever (I don't know if it is still up or not) - the RX-7 Lemon site. I quickly learned that the third-gen RX-7 is a true lemon! The rotary engine seals are inherently flawed and the car should have been recalled. I finally managed to get Jay Marks Mazda here in Houston to run a compression test - to my shock (I knew what was wrong at this point) they said it was fine and that it just had an oil leak - it drank oil (and yes way more than normal rotary usage). I took it to Jeff Haas Mazda, another dealer here in Houston, who was astonished upon inspection that we could even drive it! One rotar had NO compression at all and the other barely enough to run the car. They replaced the engine and both turbos (also shot) under warranty - $7000. They also fought with Mazda North America for weeks to get them to cover it! A Mazda factory extended warranty is NOT worth owning. They have a horrible rep for paying dealers for repairs and do not compensate at anywhere near normal rates, thus dealers are resistant to doing warrantied repairs. If for any reason you doubt my horror story, please do your own research - just check the used ads on Traderonline - at least 50% of ads will mention that the car has a new engine. This is not normal people!

Sadly, I do miss it; it is a beautiful and fast car. I sold mine immediately upon repair while still under warranty with full disclosure to the buyers. I couldn't have slept at night selling that car to anyone if it hadn't still had a considerable warranty on it and a brand new engine and turbos.

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When it runs, it is awesome. When it goes, it is catastrophic. Save your money and buy a used NSX, Toyota Supra twin-turbo, or Nissan 300ZX. There is a reason those used RX-7's are so cheap!

This car corners like its on rails, Took a left hand turn at a triffic light at 50 mph, 225/50/16 Rears & 205/55/16 Fronts. Pushed the car to 150Mph. I've beaten Mustang 5.0, 944, 300ZX, etc. THIS CAR WAS SO MUCH FUN TO DRIVE UP TO THE POINT THAT A DRUNK DRIVER CRASHED INTO IT. GRRR!!! I've gotten laid so many times because of this car. I would recommand it to anybody who is looking for a cheap sports car. BEST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED.

My Turbo went out =( probably because I droved the car hard, never got it fixed because it was too expensive to fix Somehow, paying $1500 to replace a turbo on a car that I paid $6000 didn't make much sense to me. Maintainence on this car was expensive. Avg 13 MPG. NEARLY KILLED MYSELF IN THIS CAR CAUSE I WAS SO DAMN RACKLESS IN IT. I WOULDN'T RECOMMAND GETTING IT FOR A TEENAGER. THE TEMPTATION TO DRIVE LIKE AN MANIAC IS TOO GREAT. HEHE

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A CHEAP SPORTS CAR, THIS IS IT. BUT BEWARE, MAINTAINENCE ON THIS CAR IS EXPENSIVE. YOU WILL GET LOTS OF LOOKS, INCLUDING COPS, I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MANY TICKETS I'VE GOTTEN WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR. IF YOU CAN AFFORD THE 94 MODELS, GET THEM, THEY ARE WAY BETTER.

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1991 Nissan 240SX SE - Handles well but lacks in power
1997 Honda Civic EX Coupe - Reliable thats about it, boring to drive.
1990 Pontiac Sunbird - nothing but problems

Balance, looks, rarity

Initial cost (and insurance), reliability, weak a/c on early cars, LOTS of squeaks and rattles, can bite careless or unskilled drivers...

One of the nicest all-around modern sports cars you can buy; you can't buy anything new that has this much of a "light sports" feel in concert with so much performance capability. Beautifully balanced, rear-wheel drive with independent Torsen rear end and 50/50 weight distribution permits absolute control over the car's attitude. Beautiful feedback through the wheel and brakes. Terrific brakes with 4-circuit ABS, and a rock-solid pedal. Excellent acceleration in stock trim, will do 0-60 mph in just a hair under 5 seconds. Many of the suspension pieces are adjustable, with Heim joints all over the place (actually a reflection of the low-production nature of the car). So pretty to look at that I once got the first valet spot in front of a restaurant on Rodeo Drive when it was new (nobody even knew what it was in those days, but they sure liked it's looks)!

I owned this '93 for six years from brand new; it was my daily driver, and I put 90,000 miles on it. It was an early car, and I suffered through all of the development problems, like squeaks, rattles, and poor a/c (most of these were fixed by the 94's, and there were plenty of service bulletins). Overall, the dealer did a good job when needed, although skill on this model is probably fast-disappearing, as are factory parts. (They still sell this model in Japan, in case you didn't know; it hasn't changed all that much.}

This car will not blow away a C5 Corvette, nor a Porsche 911; neither will it outhandle them, although they are all different, and the Mazda has the most neutral and nimble feel of the trio (it is the lightest, at 2,850 pounds). Some reviewers list Vipers as "similar" cars; there is no similarity whatsoever between these models, as the Viper is aimed at a completely different driver. The engine had poor low-speed torque, and there is some turbo lag, even with the twin blowers; keep the revs up, and it pulls like a rocket. This car was not designed for drag racing (the guy who says a V6 Camaro will beat it must have had something wrong with his car; it will easily outdrag a V8 GM F-body) Most of the problems with apex seals had been solved by Mazda prior to the 13B-REW engine; while the rotary engine won't last forever, it will give you 100,000+ miles if you take care of it. It probably won't last if you try to get significantly more horsepower out of it, though. This car is pretty firm for street use, so aftermarket suspension pieces that stiffen the ride are going to be pretty uncomfortable. The factory R1 and R2 versions were considered brutal when new. The interior was not considered particularly cheap, although it was supposed to feel light and sports-car spartan. The paint on my example was flawless. The gearbox was a little choppy, but felt good.

If you are a teenager or young twenty-something buying one of these today, you probably don't remember the excitement of that era of production Japanese supercars. Cars like this and the Toyota Supra raised the bar for elemental sports cars. They were expensive when new (mine listed for 38 grand); I wasn't too worried about fuel economy. The RX-7 was the lightest, and, to my eyes, prettiest of the group. Oh, and you could fit 2 sets of clubs in it, too, and close the hatch. And the Bose factory sound system was pretty good for the time (the acoustical environment inside this car is a nightmare), although they had problems with the CD players (I went through 3 under warranty).

I finally got rid of mine because of parts availability issues, and concerns about potential major repairs coming up. If you buy one, don't hang boy-racer aftermarket crap all over the outside of it; just enjoy driving a beautiful modern classic. Be careful in the rain, though; it does get twitchy at the limit, particularly on worn tires.

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C4 & C5 Corvettes, 911 Porsche, Nissan 300ZX Turbo, Toyota Supra

The turning ratous on this car is phonmanal, 1/4 mile in 12.3 seconds, this is the strongest engine ever

Nothing, i drive it to much :-)

To happy and to long to explaine

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i have drove many many camaros, fords, honda civics, and preludes and this is the fastest and best i have ever drove

Handles like a go-cart, and look sleak in the metalic silver paint. The car moves like if it is possessed, and the interier is beautiful, simple but yet elegante. The car can take a beating and keep on ticking! And the engine will last for ever!

Hard to get proformance parts, but when you do get your hands on some, watch out, it was worth the hassle. Insuracnce is high but what do you expect for a sports car.

It's the best car I've ever owned! I've had two 84 GSl's And fixed one up and man this car is a rocket! And I smashed the second one and I just bought an 84 GSL-Se to fix it up to! Once you have one of these cars you'll never look back! My little bro is buying one to. I have a guy four doors down who owns 4 RX-7's But be willing to spend some money on it , but it will be worth it! And to ever owns one, well done and I hope you have many enjoyable years with it!

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Merkur XR4Ti, Toyota MR2, Nission 240SX, Mustang 5.0 done up to the tits

This car has power to get you in and out of traffic with power and excellent handling. An awesome turning radius. You could literally turn around in a broom closet without scuffing the paint. A fast car about a fraction of the cost of some of those pricier models.(In 1987, it listed for $22000 new!) A thrill to drive.

Cost of dealer parts
Tiring to get in and out of-especially errand running
Not a tall man's car(Headroom is cramped)
Car will easily flood if not warmed up properly(Mechanics joy!)
Wife not enthused about obsession with vehicle(Sound familiar married guys?

I enjoy the car and like to maintain and keep it clean as possible. It is not an everyday vehicle. It is alot like a small corvette in a way. The thing I like about the care is that there aren't that many around on the road these days so I feel I am preserving the RX-7 memory. Plus it is often the center of a conversation. Long live the rotary!

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Never tried any of the others because they were coffins with V-8 engines

- GREAT handling.
- Perfect ergonomics and an interior that fits like a glove.
- Classic, elegant styling.
- Rev-happy engine.
- Very good gearchange.
- Exclusivity. (especially if you're driving one in mint condition)

- Steering is heavy and imprecise if you don't have power steering. (it wasn't offered in Australia)
- Lack of low-end torque means that you can get caught out in the wrong gear at times.
- Expensive parts.
- Acceleration could be a little better. (mine has the 12A engine, because again, the 13B was not offered in Australia until 1986)

This car is extremely good value. NOTHING in its price range compares to its fantastic driveability. The handling is absolutely brilliant. Responds like a cat with minimal body roll. You'll find yourself taking the long road home, everyday. Also, in my opinion, a proper sports car has to have a great interior, and in this respect, the RX-7 certainly delivers. You sit very low to the ground, the pedals are placed perfectly along with the steering wheel, the gearstick is very close by and the dashboard instrumentation is very well marked. I also love the styling. It's definitely a good looker without going over the top. It doesn't need ridiculously large spoilers and pavement scraping bodykits to look good.

Now to the bad. The steering is HEAVY and imprecise at the same time. Why Mazda didn't go with a rack and pinion system instead of the recirculating ball is a mystery to me. Also, because the rotary engine is an engine that relies on high rpm's, low range torque is weak, which means hills are a little struggle.

However, overall, this has been a fantastic car. It's my first real car, but I have driven others and they just do not compare. I'll put it this way - if there's more fun to drive car in this price range in the market, then go buy it instead.

PS. The low reliability of rotary engines is a myth. As long as it has been serviced properly with regular oil changes, it will run for a very long time. My car has 240,000km on it (150,000 miles) and it still runs strong. Just check service history before you buy.

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- 1984 Toyota Supra
- 1984 Nissan 300ZX
- 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV6

The RX-7 is better than ALL of them.