I have had an 05 that the previous owner had done a fair bit of work to. Considering how much I love my 8 and the questionable history of the engine in pre-08 models, I decided to test drive an R3 to see how much I would like it.

The first thing I noticed is how snug the Recaro seats are. I'm 5'6" and weigh 140. Wow... I can't imagine someone with a wider frame being terribly comfortable. Second, the seats are manual adjustment only and you can only slide them forward and back. The seatback only tilts forward and back as well, making it hard for me to get as comfortable as I would like.

The second thing I noticed was the redesigned dash. It now slants upward for easier visibility and access. Not a radical change, but a welcome one. MP3 and Bluetooth support are welcome additions.

Now comes the interesting part... the drive.

The first thing I noticed is that the steering feel is lighter and a bit softer. It's not earth shatteringly different, but not as tight as my 05. The clutch pedal is night and day. The R3 is light as a feather though I didn't feel the engagement point as sharply in my car. That's probably due to the tweaked clutch pedal that I am so used to.

The biggest change is the transmission. Holy crap. The throws are a bit shorter, the engagement is crisper, and the tranny just feels... smoother. This is what we should have had from the beginning.

The suspension is softer than my 05. Again, the work done to mine has a lot to do with it. The R3 will certainly be more comfortable as a daily driver, though I love the way mine is set up.

It also appears that Mazda has improved the noise isolation since the engine isn't as loud inside the cabin. I can still hear it, but it's not as intrusive, especially at high RPMs. A welcome improvement.

The 19" wheels it rides on are not harsh at all. Even on bumpy roads, everything was well damped without sacrificing too much road feel.

And the brakes? They feel the same as my 05, though there's no more squeal.

Beyond that, it's the same car we know and love.

If you're in the market for an 8, the newer models seem to improve on all the little things that folks complain about on the 04-07 8's: more reliable engine, vastly better transmission, improved audio system, bluetooth, and a quieter cabin. The only negative I could find was the slightly more damped steering feel.

Despite all the positives, I will be sticking with my 05 Shinka. It has had too much work done to it for me to spend another $15 to upgrade to for an 08, especially considering that I would have to spend $3-5k to get the suspension to the same level.

Those are just my impressions from an extended test drive. Discuss amongst yourselves...

 

My used 09 R3 is my first RX. I did test drive a new 2010 3 months ago that made me fall in love with it.

Coming from standard sedans the car feels as expected to me. Tight responsive steering, very stable in the corners the seats are PERFECT for my 5'9'' 180lb frame. On mine i think the clutch and shift linkage could probably use some adjustments, but not sure.

I don't remember there being a major difference between the new the new and 24000 miles. Seems the previous owner(s) took reasonable care and didn't mod it.

I'm very happy and will recommend this car to anyone that can handle the care the engine requires.

 

I sat in Deminic's car last weekend and after a few minutes of bliss in the Recaro's I took notice of the dash. The subtle differences are very nice

 

my R3's brakes squeal like a bitch
as for suspension, idk what kinda road you have there. but in Nebraska, its very bumpy and most people wont like it.