You may not know it from the flashy body work or the aggressive exhaust note, but the 2009 Mazda RX-8 is quite practical as far as sport cars go. The 2009 RX-8 is powered by Mazda’s rotary 1.3 liter 232 horsepower engine. Fuel economy on the RX-8 ranges from 16 MPG in the city to 23 MPG on the highway.