Is the Mazda RX-8 suitable for a learner driver?

Hi, I am about to buy my first car and I have my eye on a Mazda RX-8 that my neighbour is selling, but I'm not sure if I should make an offer because I hear insurance is going to be an issue and I'm not sure if they're suitable for learner drivers.

What do you think?

Matthew Okpo (Dublin)

Mar 2014 Filed under: learner

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Expert answer

Hi Matthew,

Wow, that's a brave decision. First off, the RX-8 is and always will be one of our favourite cars - light, agile, fun and with that screaming rotary engine up front. It's a gem of a car, and pretty reliable too.

Now the bad news. It's going to cost you a fortune to insure. You say you're starting to learn driving, but you don't specify your age. If you're under 25 you may well find it impossible to get any cover, but if you still live at home you may be able to do the old named-driver-on-your-parents-insurance trick. Even if you're over 25, as a first time driver your insurance is going to be well and truly loaded - the RX-8 is a proper sports car (and occasionally tricky in the wet) and most insurers will not be keen on insuring a novice on such a car.

Assuming though that you can sidestep those hurdles, go for it! If you start your driving career with an RX-8 you'll be getting off to a terrific start. One word of advice - invest in a high performance tuition course to help you better understand the ins and outs of driving a fast, rear-drive car. It'll make you a better driver anyway and it could save your life.

Let us know how you get on

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe