The term rotary piston engine can have several meanings:
Piston for sure gets better milage unless you have a V8 or higher. Rotary drinks its gas.
piston
The Wankel rotary engine is a differing type of engine as opposed to the standard piston engine. The Mazda line of cars is the one that uses this type of engine.
The current rotary engine displaces 1.3 liters. 1.3 liters in a rotary is approximately equal to 2.6 liters of piston engine
If you are speaking of the 13B N/A, the pistons that actuate the 6th port sleeves operate via vacuum from the "Pick up Tube" on the catalytic converter on the Exhaust piping. Either you have a rotary engine or a piston engine.
Rotary means going around, like in a Wankel. Reciprocating means going back and forth. like in a ordinary piston engine.
The crankshaft and connecting rod (or piston rod).
It connects the piston to whatever the design calls for the piston to push or pull on. In a combustion engine, the piston rod connects the piston to the crankshaft, turning linear reciprocating motion into rotary motion.
Rotary or Wankel engine.
No, they have standard dual overhead cam, piston engines, at least from 90-05.
For it's size no but when compared to a piston engine with the same power, yes. Almost all Mazda rotary engines will get around 22 on the highway but only around 15-16 in the city. Not great for a small car like the RX but it is not a gas guzzler.
A piston is a moving part that allows air and fuel to flow in, and pushes exhaust out. It's a combustion chamber...want to do away with them just get a Rotary Engine.