Mazda RX-8 vs. Honda Civic
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Mazda RX-8 and Honda Civic contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Mazda RX-8 and the Honda Civic.
In comparing the Mazda RX-8's and the Honda Civic's specifications and ratings, the Mazda RX-8 has the advantage in the areas of typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars, interior volume and base engine power. The Honda Civic has the advantage in the area of fuel efficiency. Based on this comparison of the Mazda RX-8's and the Honda Civic's specifications and ratings, the Mazda RX-8 is a better car than the Honda Civic.
Pricing: A used 2011 Mazda RX-8 ranges from $2,000 to $17,738 while a used 2011 Honda Civic is priced between $4,974 to $13,191.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Mazda RX-8’s base engine makes 232 horsepower, and the Honda Civic base engine makes 140 horsepower. The RX-8 is rated to deliver an average of 18 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 372 miles. The Civic is rated to deliver an average of 29 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 449 miles. This gives the Honda Civic the fuel efficiency and maximum range advantage over the Mazda RX-8. Both models use gasoline.
Passenger Space Comparison: The Mazda RX-8 has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front head room, front shoulder room, front leg room, rear head room, rear shoulder room and rear leg room. The Honda Civic has the advantage in the area of cargo space.
Safety Ratings: The Honda Civic has an average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$26,795
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
N/A
Category Starting MSRP Range:
N/A
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$15,605
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Compact Cars)
$16,486
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Compact Cars)
$14,945 - $20,045
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$10,064
Price Range:
$2,000 - $17,738
Category Avg Price:
N/A
Category Avg Price Range:
N/A
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
1
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
79,154
# Good or Great Deals:
0
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$8,989
Price Range:
$4,974 - $13,191
Category Avg Price:
(Compact Cars)
$8,366
Category Avg Price Range:
(Compact Cars)
$6,438 - $12,602
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
170
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
131,293
# Good or Great Deals:
53
Mazda RX-8 Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
Not available
Safety:
Not available
Honda Civic Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
9.4 / 10
Reliability:
9.1 / 10
Retained Value:
9.1 / 10
Safety:
10.0 / 10
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Mazda RX-8
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
N/A
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
N/A
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Honda Civic
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
N/A
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
N/A
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
3.1
Typical Category Recalls:
N/A
Category Range for Recalls:
N/A
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
18.9
Typical Category Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
5.1
Category Range for Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
1.1 - 20.1
Mazda RX-8 Rankings
Not yet available
Honda Civic Rankings
Ranking
1 out of / 43Ranking
1 out of / 43Ranking
1 out of / 43Ranking
1 out of / 21Ranking
1 out of / 13Ranking
3 out of / 43Ranking
10 out of / 43Ranking
12 out of / 43Ranking
23 out of / 43Ranking
36 out of / 43Available Body Styles
Coupe
Available Body Styles
Coupe, Sedan
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline, Hybrid, Natural Gas
Mazda RX-8 Trim Levels
Grand Touring, R3, Sport
Honda Civic Trim Levels
DX, EX, EX w/Navi, EX-L, EX-L w/Navi, LX, Si, Si w/Navi, Si w/Summer Tires, GX, LX-S, VP
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
3 years / 36000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
5 years / 60000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
3 years / 36000 miles
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
3 years / 36000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
5 years / 60000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
232 hp @ 8500 rpm
Torque:
159 foot-lbs @ 5500 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.076 hp per pound
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
140 hp @ 6300 rpm
Torque:
128 foot-lbs @ 4300 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.054 hp per pound
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
1.3 liters
Engine Configuration:
Rotary
Number of Cylinders:
2
Transmission:
Manual
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
RWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
16 / 22 / 18
Range (city/hwy):
270 / 372 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
1.8 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Manual
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
26 / 34 / 29
Range (city/hwy):
343 / 449 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Quad Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Available
Heated Seats
Available
Keyless Ignition:
Available
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Voice Recognition:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Bench Seats:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Paddle Shifters:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Parking Sensors:
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Available
Keyless Entry:
Available
Power outlet:
Standard
Quad Seats:
N/A
Bluetooth:
Available
Heated Seats
Available
Keyless Ignition:
Available
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Voice Recognition:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Bench Seats:
Available
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Paddle Shifters:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Parking Sensors:
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Safety Features
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Backup camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Safety Features
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Backup camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.2 inches
Front Leg Room:
42.7 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
54.8 inches
Rear Head Room:
36.8 inches
Rear Leg Room:
32.2 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
54.9 inches
Cargo Space:
7.6 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
89.0 cubic feet
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38 inches
Front Leg Room:
42.6 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
53.9 inches
Rear Head Room:
35.1 inches
Rear Leg Room:
30.3 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
52.1 inches
Cargo Space:
11.5 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
83.7 cubic feet
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3065 lbs
Width:
69.7 inches
Height:
52.8 inches
Length:
175.6 inches
Wheelbase:
106.3 inches
Ground Clearance:
4.7 inches
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
2588 lbs
Width:
68.9 inches
Height:
55 inches
Length:
175.5 inches
Wheelbase:
104.3 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
18.0 x 8.0 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
P225/45R18
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
15.0 x 6.0 inches
Wheel Type:
steel
Tire Size:
P195/65R15
Exterior Colors
Black
Sparkling Black Mica
Red
Velocity Red
Silver
Liquid Silver Metallic
Blue
Not available
Exterior Colors
Black
Not available
Red
Not available
Silver
Alabaster Silver Metallic
Blue
Royal Blue Pearl
Interior Colors
Black
Black
Gray
Not available
Interior Colors
Black
Not available
Gray
Gray
