Storage wise there is a ski pass through, but the rear seats do not fold down so your cargo carrying opportunities are fairly limited to eight shopping bags and a bag or two of produce. The trunk has a high liftover with a small opening and when you use the remote to open the lid it just

2005 Mazda RX-8 (photo: The Car Family)

barely lifts making it a problem to get your finders underneath without getting them dirty or even damaging a nail. However, it is much better than the Mazda 3. Additional storage areas are in the center console, doors, and the backs of the front seats. The cupholders are above average in usability, but could be made deeper.

The instrument panel is a problem for me. There is a digital speedometer read out, which is easy to glance at as you frequently are going above the speed limit in a car of this nature, but the indirect lighting and smallish fonts make it difficult to read. The tachometer goes to 10,000 rpm and is very entertaining to watch as it closes in on that mark. The rest of the muddled instrument panel is too busy and the radio controls can be confusing for a while. They are not intuitive.

I love the Mazda's easy to grip emergency brake and the texture of the leather stitched steering wheel. The wiper control and headlights stalks lack feel and it is difficult to find the correct notch. The doors don't require a large space to open so you don't have to worry when you come back to your car and find someone has parked closely to this Mazda. The seats were easy to adjust, but I wished for both tile and telescoping controls on the steering so that I could find a better fit. The aluminum brake, clutch, dead pedal, and accelerator pedals were attractive, but the rest of the

2005 Mazda RX-8 (photo: The Car Family)

interior was rather bleak. My greatest complaint was the air-conditioning that was barely adequate even at the highest settings. I also noticed this about the Mazda 3 we recently tested.

I found the RX-8 both friendly and eager to please. It would be perfect for someone who had to give up their two-seaters sports car for a family or for those who really enjoy the art of driving well. The price is responsible and gives more evidence that Mazda is quietly producing some of the most driver oriented vehicles around with it stable of Mazda 3, 6, and RX 8 all exhibiting the potential for even greater performance.

Young working male's view: Nice looking with a touch of spice, but a lacking in the type of storage room I need are my takes on this Mazda. The glove compartment is too small, the colored inserts on the interior too compulsive, and the Bose stereo is very limited in range and reception. No doubt it is fun to drive and certainly is not a poser when it comes to performance, but to me it was neither fish nor fowl. I would go with the Mazda 6 or even the Mazda 3 hatchback and have a fun car with more room.

Family conference: This is a good buy, if you want a sports car. The Mazda 6 is a better buy if you want a sporty sedan and it costs about the same. Regardless, if you don't test drive a RX-8 and hear and feel the rotary engine you are missing a real treat. It is not for everyone, but is going to make you a better driver and you can take four adults and two golf bags with you. For a list of all vehicle websites go to http://www.reacheverychild.com/business/index.html