Five will not fit in this cabin, and that is nothing but good news. Freed of the fifth-body obligation, Mazda’s interior designers have been given free reign to conjure up four cosy (or claustrophobic, depending on your outlook), individual chairs make both front and rear passenger environments feel dramatically different to anything else with similar accommodation.
There are some compromises, though. The driver sits too close to the pedals, with the wheel too far away. Long-legged front-seat occupants will also spoil things for the two rear chairs, but if they sacrifice a little room, both back chairs are comfortable.
What a shame that the driving position is so flawed when the dash architecture, instrument binnacle and materials used belie the bargain price tag. The integrated analogue rev-counter and digital speedometer is a total success. In fact, the only quality gripe we have is with some flimsy plastics that have been used in most exposed areas.
Generosity is obviously the new black in Hiroshima: the RX-8 is loaded. Climate control is standard, and leather trim, 18in alloys and a CD changer are thrown in, too.
But the money you save on options will go in fuel, we can’t see many people regularly bettering the 22.5mpg average we posted over 900 miles.