RSX-S The drivers car

W

wizardofahs

New member
I just detailed one of these for a friend, and since i didn't charge him much, he let me drive it. I must say... wow. First off i'm comming from the view of my normal driver being a Civic SI, sporty, but only $18,000. The RSX-S is amazing. The interior is all leather with a really slick console, amazing sound system, It is really slick looking. The handling is amazing. That car stuck to the road like it was on tracks, it had a really nice 'feel' to it too. The steering wheel was pretty stiff, which i like. The shifter was really short, but was very easy to use and felt really good. The 6 speed factor is really nice. Basically it felt like a really nice car. The speed was awesome too. Maybe not like a vette, but at 5280+ feet altitude, it still had plenty of power. A lot of torque (again i'm coming from a civic si, 1.6 liter with no ft/lb of torque) to get off the line. Maybe not like a viper, but really good for an affordible car. It was also incredibly smooth, i took it up to 80 but could hardly tell. It didn't have much trouble getting there. The i-vtec was pretty awesome. You could definatly hear the two stages kick in. 8,000 rpm redline is again a plus. Really fun to drive car. I can't believe that that car is only 3 grand more than mine... talk about a value.



It's probably not for everyone, but for anyone looking for a nice sports car that has potential, that you won't mind using as a daily driver, check out the RSX-S.
 
I agree that they are nice cars to drive. The handling is great and the motor is really innovative. However, the styling leaves me cold. I wouldn't have one in my driveway based solely on the looks. I've seen some that look alright, but it took about $8000 bucks worth of body kits, wheels and suspension upgrades to make it look that way.



Maybe I'm just bent because they replaced the Integra with the RSX so I'm dragging my feet on accepting it. It can grow on you though. Kinda like cancer. ;) I've got respect for the car and I don't bash it too much, but its just definatly not the car for me styling wise. I'll stick to my teg. I'm excited to see the TSX come out next year. I think I'm going to look into getting one of those and its basicly just the type-S sedan version from the looks of it.
 
I agree with the styling, stock they don't look too great, but with the Acura body kit package option and rear spoiler they look fairly decent. Though another big plus is that performance package that Acura is offering soon. It's like $4.5k from what i hear, and mostly just suspension upgrades, but man with how that handles stock, i couldn't immagine it with all that. Plus people are doing only a cold air intake and a reprogramed ECU and putting down 198 hp to the wheels. So basically for under $30k you can have a pretty sweet car that is quick, handles like an italian sports car, and turns heads.
 
I'd rather take my $30 grand and get GSR with $18 grand and then spend the rest on making it badder than any Type S ever dreamed. :D Most import tuners still hail the GSR motor as the one having the most potential for power out of all the Honda motors. I guess I just like having a car that doesn't need thousands of dollars of modifications to be quick and good looking. You are in the same boat. You've got the best Civic ever made. The new one is just plain scary. Honda seems to want to make all their compact cars to look like the Focus or something. blech!
 
the RSX was the replacement for the prelude and the integra (car and driver called the prelude the "best integra ever made :rolleyes: ) . I prefer how my prelude looks over the RSX :D but i have to admit, i-vtec is simply a marvel in itself. when you can get 20whp from just an intake, it is impressive.



I am also looking forward to the TSX, since that is what appears to be the reincarnation of the prelude, except with four doors. It comes with ATTS which is a pseudo-LSD, and came in the original Prelude Type SH.
 
My previous car was a 2nd generation Integra, IMO the best looking of all the Integras (except for the 3rd generation Japanese version--which had the "old style" retangular headlights instead of the spider-eyes US versions--in the slick 3rd gen body).



I waited and waited and waited for the 4th generation Integra, but it never came. I was all but planning to buy one when it came out. Given that they had 7 years or so to develop a brand new car, I was REALLY disappointed that the RSX wasn't radically different.



Taking a cue from the new breed of rear-drive Japanese cars, I strongly feel the RSX should have had rear drive and a modern, sporty body. The current body looks about 6 inches taller than it ought to be. My wife's '01 Civic looks better, and even that one p***** me off because it is proportionally WAY too tall. Now I want to replace that vehicle with a Mazda Protege 5, but that's another story...



Anyway, I'm getting fed up with cars trying to look like SUV's by getting taller and taller. Nothing is sexier than low and wide, even in a sporty car or sedan. But that's not what designers are giving us right now.



BTW I never have driven an RSX. I'm sure it is great and everything, but I just can't condone the exterior styling efforts.
 
I agree with everything you said! I was basically expecting a S2000 layout with a 4 seat coupe body.
 
Nagchampa said:
I agree with everything you said! I was basically expecting a S2000 layout with a 4 seat coupe body.
Click to expand...



Nagchampa, you are SO RIGHT! All they had to do was use that amazing S2000 platform. Funny, even though Honda cars started the whole import tuner craze, the company "doesn't get it" in terms of marketing to this demand. They've been watering down their Civic and other cars in spite of it all.
 
I belive that the TSX is more akin to the European Accord Type-R, rather than a 4-door version of the RSX Type-S. The TSX does have an available 6-speed, but it has a larger engine than the RSX. 2.5 liter vs. 2.0 liter.



The TSX does look good. There was one on display in Detroit at the auto show. Very Sharp:xyxthumbs
 
Its definatly more like the Accord than the RSX. It just sorta looks like a 4 door RSX at first. Well, just at first and then you see the back end and then you think you are looking at a Camry or something. lol I still think its going to be a really nice car. I want one.
 
Jngrbrdman said:
I agree that they are nice cars to drive. The handling is great and the motor is really innovative. However, the styling leaves me cold. I wouldn't have one in my driveway based solely on the looks. I've seen some that look alright, but it took about $8000 bucks worth of body kits, wheels and suspension upgrades to make it look that way.

Click to expand...

I agree, I don't like the "arrowhead" styling of the front either. I like the old prelude styling better. Even so I love everything else about it (handling, etc) and might have bought one if it weren't for the WRX. The S2000 platform would have been great on that car. Although for an everyday driver rear wheel drive is tough in the winter.
 
Personally,



I love the styling of the Type R and GSR...the RSX is just ugly to me. It doesn't have the power to weight that the GSR or Type R does either...I've driven against both of them on the track...I hate driving against GSR's and Type Rs...I love driving against RSXs because I can pass them so easily...:cool:



Jarrad
 
As a current owner of a 2001 Acura Integra Type R, I find that the braking performance of the RSX Type S to be downright abysmal. Road & Track (among other enthusiast magazines) measured the 80-0 braking distance for the RSX to be a whopping 260 ft. That's significantly worse than even a Toyota Camry (241 ft), PT Cruiser (232 ft) and Saturn LS2 (245 ft).



The braking performance of the RSX pales in comparison to its rivals like the Toyota Celica GT-S (212 ft).



Honda/Acura's corporate disregard is disturbing to all who are fans of the company. It's not just the RSX that has horrible braking performance. The Honda Pilot had the worst braking distance in a Car and Driver comparison test this month (April, 2003 issue). The Acura MDX fared poorly in other comparison tests as well.



What's wrong with Honda? Why have they ignored braking performance in their new models?



OK :) end of rant.



Dean



MyTypeR1.jpg
 
Love the car Dean, probably one of few cars that I would buy and keep stock, I could never mess with Honda's magical suspension on the real Type-R.



I do agree with you on the brake issue; both Hondas I have owned have had terrible brake performance, my friends two Accords were the same. My 1986 MR2's brakes made the brakes on the '02 Si that I test drove seem like four wheel drums. Not impressive in the least.
 
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