Less-then-perfect cockpit
It's pretty tight in there. Headroom is just sufficient for me, but not for some of my colleagues. The DVD player for the navigation system is located between the rear seats, since there isn't any room in the dashboard; my kids didn't stop playing with it. Four adults can actually sit in the RX-8, although rear occupants won't have much room.

As with most sports cars, the interior of the RX-8 is cramped.

The back doors are practical or a nuisance, depending on where you are. In my parking lot, no problem; there's ample room for opening the front and rear doors wide and sit the kids in the car.

However, in tighter spaces, like in a shopping-center parking lot on Saturday, getting in and out from the back of the RX-8 is a pain; we're squeezed between the open doors, trying to pull out the kids from the rear seats while being careful not to bang the doors on the car right beside us.

In addition, the latch located on the top of the door frame that is used to close the rear door is perfectly placed for you to bang your head on while you try to climb into the back seat. And the front door needs a good swing to close shut, which feels like you're climbing into your winter beater.

Once closed, the front and rear doors created a large B-pillar; while driving, the passenger-side pillar is not a problem, but the driver-side one creates an important blind spot. The rear-view mirror is very close to our face and can become irritating for some, as one of my colleagues complained about it.

Competition
The 2007 RX-8 GT has a base price of $40,395, and my test car is equipped with the power sunroof ($1,000) and the navigation system ($3,000). Add 105 bucks for the metallic paint, and the total climbs to $44,500. The navigation system is pretty expensive, and you must also order the sunroof if you want it. Here's a quick look at other coupes that offer room for at least 4 people:

Audi TT 2.0T, 200 hp, $50,600
Infiniti G37, 330 hp, $47,350
Mitsubishi Eclipse GT-P, 263 hp, $34,298
Nissan Altima 3.5 SE with premium and navigation packages, 270 hp, $38,498
Pontiac G6 GTP with leather, sunroof and 6-CD changer, 252 hp, $35,830
Volvo C30 T5 with sport packages, sunroof and navigation, 227 hp, $41,445

It still looks fresh and young, but competition does not look bad either.