Acura RSX (All years/types)

acuraman15 · December 2004

I am presently advertising in the Auto Trader. I live in Missouri and I believe that this is not a good time of the year to be selling a car. It is winter time and holiday time. Most people are probably thinking about spending money on the holidays. I am definitely not willing to trade my car in and give it away, there's no reason to. I am trying to buy a 2001 Honda S2000 from a private party as a pleasure vehicle and just keeping my car for every day. To be honest, when I went back to the Acura dealer to look at the '05 RXS, I kinda lost interest. I will keep you posted. Have fun.

acuraman15 · December 2004

oops, sorry spelling... I mean RSX. Don't get me wrong, I still think the new RSX's are awesome, but I have an opportunity to get a S2000 with 9000 miles on it.

beowulf7 · December 2004

You're right that right now is not a good time to sell a car. You'd do best around the springtime.

An S2000 sounds nice. It would be your pleasure vehicle, like you said, so you don't have to worry about bad weather driving. The newer S2000 is even better (e.g. 240 HP vs. 220 HP), but it may be way out of your budget.

Enjoy the S2000 if you get it, but do realize that it is a high maintenance car, from what I've read. For example, I've read that the tires need to be replaced every 10-15 kmi. EEK!

acuraman15 · December 2004

Thanks for the information on the S2000. You are right about the tires, but as far as the other maintenance goes, it is no worse than my Integra GS-R. Here is my theory, please let me know if you understand and agree with it. If I buy a '05 RSX, then I will lose about $4000 the minute that I drive it off of the lot. Then, the fact that I put on a ton of miles driving back anf forth to work, in about 4 years from now, it will be worth about $9000, like my car is now. I figure, if I bought the 2001 S2000 with 9000 miles on it, drive it as a pleasure vehicle, in about 4 years it will still be worth something because I still will have low mileage on it. Just a thought, maybe I am looking at this the wrong way?

akl88 · December 2004

...is the Magnesium Metallic color for the 05 the same color as the Desert Silver from the 02-04 yrs.? thnx

amandagsr · December 2004

It definitely be cool to do that. Not that I have the money but it'd be nice to see what other people have done if I ever think about doing anything. I also have a friend with a type-s who has some mods on his car, he'd probably be into that. Where do you meet at?

beowulf7 · December 2004

I see your logic. I think a car only loses 10% when driven off the lot, so in the RSX's case, it would be just over $2k.

After 4 years, yes, the car would be worth a little less than half, esp. if you put a lot of miles on it. A used S2000 becoming "more used" wouldn't depreciate as fast, so you are correct on that.

However, remember that a new RSX will be fully covered under warranty, whereas a used S2000 will not have any warranty, unless you buy special coverage. Granted, Hondas are pretty reliable, so it isn't likely that the engine will die on your, but YMMV.

beowulf7 · December 2004

Mag Met is a different color than DSM, so it doesn't make sense for those 2 colors to share the same color code.

beowulf7 · December 2004

Many folks from the car club meet in various locations. For example, during the spring - fall time frame, we met at Fuddrucker's in Turnersville on Fri. evenings.

One guy in Central NJ held "mod meets" where we helped each other install mods and also, to check out each others' rides to get ideas.

If you're interested, send me an e-mail and I can give you more details. My e-mail addr. is (my username) at email dot com.

hpmctorque · December 2004

I didn't read through all the RSX messages because it would take too long. Therefore, I probably missed the explanation, but would someone be kind enough to explain why the old double wishbone front suspension, as in the Integra and other Honda/Acura products, is so highly regarded, compared with the current Civic/RSX setup. Also, what are the real differences one experiences behind the wheel, in terms of, say, nimbleness, steering feel, or any other relevant attribute? And finally, if the double wishbone design is inherently superior, why has BMW not adopted it, given the priority that company places on driving dynamics?

Thanks in advance.

nippononly · January 2005

my local dealer made it into 2005 with a half dozen of those leftover '04s with the red tags hanging from the rearview mirror. :-(

They now have the '04s and '05s sitting side by side, and I am so glad I got an '04. The front and rear ends both look better to me on the '04. I don't like the new base model rims either (too much like those complicated alloys on the late 90s Integra LS), although the 17"ers on the type-S look great.

Funnily enough, they still have '04 TLs as well. I thought that model was selling like hotcakes.

ag127 · January 2005

Okay, I finally bit the bullet and purchased a 2005 rsx type-S today. I love the car, but my lingering concern is security. I keep hearing that the car is so popular with thieves. And the guy at the dealership was really pushing lojack. I live in a city; at home my garage is locked, but at school I park in an open garage. I'd love some input from other owners: has security been a concern for you? If so, what have you done about it?

nippononly · January 2005

I haven't been too worried. I don't think this model will be as much a magnet for thieves as in past years. I park mine on the street in San Francisco several nights a week until after 11:00, and haven't really worried about it. It's been a year so far, no problems yet.

ag127 · January 2005

thanks, that makes me feel better.

and so far so good with the rsx (type-s, silver, black interior). i just love to drive it, but i'm easily impressed: my last car was a 20 year-old volvo, so you can imagine the difference in power and handling. still, after 190,000 miles with the volvo, this little acura has a tough act to follow in terms of longevity and reliability...

nippononly · January 2005

"this little acura has a tough act to follow in terms of longevity and reliability..."

If older Acuras and Hondas I have owned are anything to judge by, it should be more than up to the challenge! :-)

beowulf7 · January 2005

What helps the RSX as a theft deterrent, besides the stock immobilizer/alarm system, is that the RSX parts aren't as swappable w/ Civics as the Integras were.

If you're concerned about theft, perhaps go w/ a reputable aftermarket alarm system, such as Viper or Clifford. Many of the higher end alarm systems have a pager that lets you know if something's happening to your car while you're not in it.

nippononly · January 2005

with my sister yesterday - she is looking for an inexpensive compact, so we checked some different cars out, and I encouraged her to check out the RSX just because it has a cheap lease - well she tossed out all the others as soon as she drove the RSX! Now it is this car or nothing for her - the Mazda3 and Jetta were simply no competition, nor was the Honda Civic. I think I have made a convert! :-)

efranklin · January 2005

Last month I bought a silver '03 Acura RSX, just the standard model there were no Type-S models within 200 miles from where I live! So far I love it seems to have much more get up than my previous car which was an Accord, not only that but in the area I live it seems as if you see thousands of accords but only a RSX here and there, which is great. Anyway I was just wondering how much of a difference in terms of performance and power is the standard RSX vs the Type-S. I have noticed that the Type-S only has about 35 hp more. So is there really a huge difference between the two? And if so are there any suggestions on what kind of Mods I can make to spice up my RSX to the standards of a Type-S?? Thanks a lot.

joshs · January 2005

I have a type-S, and while there does seem to be an extra punch of power at the high RPMs, the real differences to me are the suspension setting and the 6-speed (vs. 5-speed). Given that some people in this forum think the type-S rides too roughly, you might prefer the suspension that you have. If you like the way your RSX handles, and if you like the shifter you have, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

bobst · January 2005

We have a red 2003 base RSX which I absolutely and positively love.

According to the chart in the sales manual, the base model has both more horsepower and more torque below 5500 rpm. Above that, the Type-S has more.

nippononly · January 2005

the base model also has taller gears in 2 through 4, so the 'S' may pull more strongly by a tad even at revs below 5500. Personally, I love my base model - great gas mileage and still plenty of ability to have fun.

They made the 'S' stronger for '05, and the improvement in road noise suppression is noticeable (in base and 'S'), if still not great.

zombo · January 2005

A few weeks ago I went out to Montclair Acura to test drive a base RSX.It was easily one of the worst test drives of a new vehicle I've ever taken! The salesman who went with me refused to let me take the car about 4 miles away to an interstate to test high speed cruising and acceleration.Going around downtown Montclair from stoplight to stoplight speeds seldom got over 40 mph and when I attempted to accelerate a little the salesman said SLOW DOWN THE ROAD IS WET!How they expect someone to buy from such a pathetic road test is beyond me! I felt cramped in the car anyway and had to recline the seat way back because of the sparse headroom-you'd think Acura would offer this car without the sunroof for taller people.

Anyway from what little I could tell from such a limited drive was that it was only a little quicker than my Matrix XR 5 speed and had some type of noise coming from the hatch area as well.I was impressed if a bit skeptical of the 10k mile oil change interval and it's smooth precise shifting from the 5 speed.I decided to pass(just as well because the SOBs offered me 2k below Kelly Blue Book on a trade) and got back into my Matrix,whose interior seemed huge by comparison.Since then I've had a short shifter and sway bars installed in the Matrix and it now has a huge improvement in shift action and handling!The RSX -a great looking ,great shifting,low maintenence sport coupe,but not for those tall of stature unless you don't mind driving halfway laying down.

beowulf7 · January 2005

Well done on converting someone! Are there any 2004s available that she can lease or just 2005s? I'm assuming she's going to get a base since she wants something inexpensive. If she gets M/T, she can save even more $$.

My mother did some carshopping back in the fall. She wanted a compact sedan, so that meant the RSX was out. She did test drive the TSX, which she loved, but it was too expensive for her budget. She wound up getting a fairly loaded Toyota Corolla, which she enjoys driving.

beowulf7 · January 2005

I haven't driven the base RSX, so I can't compare the 2 directly. But I can say this. For 2002-2004 models, there's a 40 HP difference between the 2 trims. For 2005, the gap widens to 50 HP.

For normal "non-spirited" driving, the difference in performance probably wont' be noticeable. But I guarantee that if you take the Type-S north of 5500 RPM, it will blow past the base. Not everyone drives that enthusiastically, but it's nice to know that it's capable of accelerating like that when you need to.

There are other differences besides performance like the others mentioned, such as 6-CD changer, standard leather, etc., but none of that really impresses me. The Bose system stinks and the leather for 2002-2004 (I have a 2002) is supposedly not of the same quality as the 2005 Type-S.

nippononly · January 2005

oh yeah, she is getting a 5-speed for sure, and the only question remaining is if she can get leather seats on this promotional lease, which she would really like.

The lease isn't bad: $2500 down, $199/mo payments, 3 years and 30K total miles. That is for a base model, stick or auto (leather is a question). And that is for an '05.

When we were looking around at Acuras, the couple of places we went had run out of '04 RSXs, so maybe they are finally all sold out there.

nyccarguy · January 2005

you shouldn't put money down on a lease (in the form of a cap cost reduction). All it does is lower your payment. Since you have no equity in the car when leasing, if the car is stolen or totaled within the duration of the lease, that money is LOST. The same goes if you pay your taxes on a lease up front.

nippononly · January 2005

yeah, I know, and if she goes ahead I will be encouraging her to up the payment and reduce the up front cash. I was just quoting the terms the way they were laid out in the paper.

nippononly · January 2005

S/C instead of NA (the pure method), base price $22K, sloppy shifter and cheap plastic interior.

Cha-ching, RSX wins, end of story. :-P

nitromax · January 2005

fear the cobalt

Fear the maintenance...

...embrace the extended warranty.

LOL

good luck

akl88 · January 2005

The Magnesium Metallic looks quite similar to the Desert Silver of the 02-04 RSX.

akl88 · January 2005

^^^^In my opinion it does^^^^

beowulf7 · January 2005

I haven't seen MM in person - just pictures of it on the Web. And from what I've seen, it might be kind of similar to DSM, but DSM definitely has more tan/bronze/sand-color in it, whereas MM is just gray.

beowulf7 · January 2005

Sounds good. Leather is nice, but it's higher maintenance and can be uncomfortable in extreme temps. I agree that she should try to keep her down payment low. Is 30 kmi. enough for her? I assume she lives close to work. Good luck to your sister!

nippononly · February 2005

thanks a lot, and................she has done it! Proud leaser (is that a word?!) of a new silver '05 RSX base 5-speed, with black leather. She got them to include it on the promo lease, and ended up with a payment of $213 plus taxes etc after $1500 down. 3 years, 36K total miles. The promo lease did not have a 10K/year option. I mentioned that the leather will need occasional specific care, so she understands.

She took it out for a 100-mile drive on the first day, and loved it even more than she thought she would. So she is happy. Originally she said there was no question she would be returning the car after the lease was up. Now all of a sudden, there is talk of maybe buying it at the end. :-)

beowulf7 · February 2005

That's great! Congrats to your sister and hopefully she'll have a blast in it. Heck, she should post her experience here. I'm sure you told her about Edmunds and some other RSX forums. Is she going to mod her a bit?

BTW, she's not a "leaser"; she's a "lessee". I know it seems like a weird word, but that's the official term for someone who leases.

nippononly · February 2005

My sister is the type to try and squeeze 25 hours into every 24. So I don't think I will have much luck in convincing her to post here, but she is enjoying every minute of the new car, and says it blows away her old car. Considering that her old car was a CRX SI which she has given to me so that I can drive the pair back to back, I would have to agree. The only thing I would wish for is a little more of the CRX's raw connectedness in the RSX, but that is just a sign of the times. You can't get that type of driving experience in anything any more, except maybe a Lotus Elise. And I am not sure how long I would last trying to commute in the Lotus! :-P

BTW, how kosher is it to mod a car you are leasing? I have never leased so I don't know. Do you have to bring it back to stock condition when you are going to turn it in at lease end?

beowulf7 · March 2005

That's cool that she's really enjoying it. Sure an Elise would be nice to drive, but it's really small and light.

Yeah, I can imagine her busy schedule, but it shouldn't take too long to post a line every here and there. Heck, I'm only here once or twice a month lately.

You're allowed to do "light" modding to a leased car, esp. if it adds value to the car. For example, my previous car was a 1999 Acura Integra LS (5-speed M/T), which I leased. I added an alarm system/keyless entry to it and tinted it. Acura didn't question me about it, and I even gave them my original Viper alarm box and instruction manual. I'm assuming they took off the tint, which was a pretty crappy job since I did it myself, LOL. (On my current car, the RSX, I had the window tint professionally installed.)

Also, your sister can do more major "mods", such as sound system, tires, wheels, etc., but just make sure she keeps the original parts so that they can uninstall the mods and reinstall the OEM parts.

akl88 · March 2005

the 17" Machined Finish 10-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheel on their RSX? Does it look nicer than the 16"? Anyone have a photo of it on their RSX?

zak_auto · March 2005

Has anyone else been disappointed with the stock tires that came with their RSX? I have an '03 Type S. I was surprised that the stock tires were only R rated. I had a 2000 Integra GSR that came with V rated tires. Once I broke the RSX in and started driving it a little more aggressively I used to get a little worried about the tires that came with it. They didn't feel stable in aggressive cornering. I'm ready for new tires so I'm looking at the Toyo Proxes 4. Has anyone tried these tires on their RSX? I'm in Massachusetts so I want high performance all season tires. We recently had a winter that started in October and finished in April.

zak_auto · March 2005

I have a lot of experience with Acura theft. I had a 2000 Integra GSR. I had 2 attempted thefts. The kill switch that came with the car stopped both attempts. Unfortunately I had to pay a $500 deductible the 1st time. The 2nd time the car was almost stolen I had it towed to the local dealer for repairs and thiefs broke into the lot and stripped the car clean. My insurance totaled the car because it was cheaper than trying to replace all the parts. I now have a '03 RSX Type S and I haven't had any theft attempts yet. The car has an alarm and a kill switch. I also use a Club as a visual deterrent. The Integras were really popular theft cars because the parts fit on Civics. The RSX isn't popular for that yet.

nippononly · March 2005

from what I heard, the RSX was specfically engineered so as not to share a lot of parts with the Civic, in an attempt to reduce theft. But my recollection is fuzzy.

On an '03 RSX-S, the stock tires were Michelin HX MXM4's, which are V-rated, so I am not sure what you meant by R-rated? And as for those tires, I think there is pretty much universal agreement among owners that they suck in almost every respect, although I can see from my own that they excel in one area - treadwear. Mine, at 20K, still look almost new. Of course, in a performance car, this is NOT what you would want to maximize!

I had Toyo Proxes on my old Integra, and they were OK, but nothing special as far as perfomance goes. Someone in here recommended Continental ContiExtremeContacts for the RSX, but I don't know if they are all-season.

michiganman · March 2005

The stock Michelins suck, no doubt!

zak_auto · March 2005

I checked my tires for the specs after becoming concerned about them and I thought I saw a letter "R" for the speed rating instead of a "V" which is what I expected. I'll have to check again. I do know that the stock tires that came with my Integra GSR were much better than the ones that came with the RSX. I unfortunately have close to 50,000 miles on my 2 year old car and the original tires are almost worn out. Time for a new set.

nippononly · March 2005

the "R" is probably for the "radial" designation, not the speed rating.

nitromax · March 2005

I'm in Massachusetts so I want high performance all season tires. We recently had a winter that started in October and finished in April.

If I were you, I wouldn't waste my money on all-seasons....ESPECIALLY if you live in snowy areas.

All-seasons have a harder rubber compound which gets even harder in cold weather.
(obviously, harder means longer lasting but less traction)

Buy a good set of snow tires (Blizzak or Arctic Alpin) for the winter months and then you can buy a REAL set of summer performance tires.

All seasons are always going to have "middle of the road" performance.

zak_auto · March 2005

Because Massachusetts has such unpredictable weather I want the all seasons. I'm going with either Pirelli PZero Nero M&S or Toyo Proxes 4. I've been reading a lot of reviews, forums, etc. and both tires are highly rated. It'll come down to price and availability.

nitromax · March 2005

Because Massachusetts has such unpredictable weather I want the all seasons. I'm going with either Pirelli PZero Nero M&S or Toyo Proxes 4. I've been reading a lot of reviews, forums, etc. and both tires are highly rated. It'll come down to price and availability.

I live in Mass too. I lived in NH when I bought my RSX in late 2001 (

The weather is not that unpredictable.

my suggestion: By a second set of rims OR put your summers on a nice new set and use the OEM rims for winter tires.

With two sets of wheels, you can have your tires changed in under an hour in your own driveway.

Consider this. My RSX with snow tires handles snow better than my AWD Impreza with all-seasons.

zak_auto · March 2005

I meant the winter is unpredictable in MA. We never know when the snow will start or end or how much we'll get. Shoot, we're gettin' 4"-12" tonite depending on elevation in Western MA. The $1000 I'd spend on 4 more rims & tires would pay for a nice carribean weekend getaway during a typical N.E. winter. Plus, I don't feel like taking up a bunch of storage space for 4 extra tires & rims. If that configuration works for you that's great. It's an inconvience for me. I'd rather have good all seasons.

beowulf7 · March 2005

Yes, you are correct in that the Integra and Civic shared a lot of parts, which was a big reason that Integras were often stripped/stolen.

The RSX does not share as many parts w/ the Civic and I'm sure Acura was thinking about that when they designed the RSX. Shareable parts reduces costs for Honda/Acura, but I'm sure they found a happy middle ground (i.e. enough sharing between the 2 but not so much that thieves can easily swap RSX and Civic parts).

beowulf7 · March 2005

I agree. Hey nippon, it was me who suggested the Continental ContiExtremeContact tires - not from personal experience - but from what I read on tirerack.com. There was another make/model that recently interested me, but I don't remember right now. If one does a search for ultra high performance all seaon tires that fit the RSX, you'll find about half a dozen or so tire brands - all of which would probably be much better (and often cheaper) than the stock Michelins.

Acura RSX (All years/types)

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