A pair of Mazda's rotory engine cars became availible for road testing, a RX-3 coupe ( also in 4 door sedan ), and a 4 door wagon. The latter was the 1st wagon to use the wankel, and we judged it to be a good choice for buyers who wanted a small wagon with a little extra power. The coupe had good neutral handling characteristics, but a stiff, bouncy ride. The rotory engine was still controversial, giving poor fuel economy, an odd shudder on deceleration and regular alarming backfires.. ( taken from August 2002 Road+ Track )