Acura RSX (All years/types)

airpenny1 · June 2001

Have you ever taken a look at a GTI interior? IMO, it looks a lot better than the RSX interior.

iatacs19 · June 2001

I hope the wait is not too long for the cars to start selling below MSRP, paying MSRP is just not a reality these days and the dealers should know that, but time will tell...

only1harry · June 2001

Those times by MotorTrend are estimates and given by Acura. Acura/Honda or any manufacturer always gives out very conservative performance figures. I 'll bet any amount of money that the RSX is a sub 7sec. car. C&D already said expect it to be around 6.7s and I have no reservations at all about that. The base Prelude is 3,000lbs with same HP & a little more torque. It does it in 6.8 sec. The RSX type-S is supposed to be just under 2800lbs. I think 6.6-6.7 is very realistic.

mitsugst · June 2001

You're right on the money. My thoughts exactly.

ecarmack · June 2001

Unfortunately, I feel redeemed. I just read in the "Lunch Ride" section at roadandtrack.com that an editor said the RSX looked a bit like a Cavalier. I was just hoping I was nuts. Anyway, perhaps I will be able to overlook the plain styling once I drive it, and some reviewers have said it looks better in person. We'll see next week.

ron825 · June 2001

I can tell you that the RSX looks better in pictures than in person. The best look is the rear 3/4 view of the car. I went to see it at the NY auto show and I thought that it looked like a feminine Civic coupe with circular headlights. But, seeing as how it's loaded with all sorts of luxury and performance goodies for $23k, I'd get one...unless Toyota adds more power and luxo to the Celica in the near future.

boomn29 · June 2001

From Car and Driver:
"Honda will introduce a high-mileage, hybrid gasoline-electric Civic next year and drop the Prelude"

I guess Honda is depending on the RSX sales to make up for the old Prelude sales....

What are your thoughts?

lakers_shaq · June 2001

I think it's a good move by Honda to axe the money losing Prelude. RSX will easily dwarf the Prelude (only 2,000 sold annually) and the dwindling Integra sales. I am shopping for a sports coupe and would never consider the Prelude or the Integra anyways(already owned an Integra, don't want one again), but I would definately consider the RSX.

As with Odyssesy, MDX, TL, Accord, CR-V and Civic, I think Honda has another winner with the RSX. I just hope the dealers don't ruin it like they did with the CL.

himiler · June 2001

No big surprise there. It makes good financial sense for Honda, and the RSX-S looks to be a much better package/value than the 'Lude became. However, I think that the targeted buyer for the RSX-S might be a different demographic than the most recent Prelude buyer. The Integra might have been perceived as a "kid's car", but the RSX will have less of an "entry-level model" feel to it. Ultimately, though, there were so few Prelude buyers that any crossover sales from one car to the other might not be noticed.

I will miss the Prelude, though. I owned an '87 Si and an '89 Si--both were great cars.

Crevels · June 2001

My salesman just returned from the Acura Ride-and-Drive promotion and had official pricing from Acura on the RSX Type-S. $23,650 (including destination charge). Didn't ask the price for the base model. Said that cars should begin showing up on dealer lots within the next 2 weeks.

phaedrys · June 2001

My only question is will they have some sort of add-on center armrest. I know it seems petty, but if I'm going to be driving long distances, I want to be comfortable.

sgrd0q · June 2001

RSX-S is $23,650 - just put a deposit down on a black one. Dealer said RSX is $22,630. Kind of hard to believe it as the two should have a bigger price difference. Maybe he was trying to sell the S. Anyway the delivery will be next Friday July 6 - they won't let them go out of the lot before then - I was told that was the official opening day.

himiler · June 2001

for the content and performance. Probably a ~$1900 markup over invoice--lots of room to haggle. But, it's running up into the WRX's price territory. And the WRX has a center armrest. (I feel your pain, Phaedrys!) If only my GS-R didn't run so well...

Congratulations, sgrd0q! Please let us know about the car and your dealer experience.

I'm looking forward to flogging a Type-S on 07/06--my birthday (the big 3-0)!

sgrd0q · June 2001

RSX-S is $23,650 - just put a deposit down on a black one. Dealer said RSX is $22,630. Kind of hard to believe it as the two should have a bigger price difference. Maybe he was trying to sell the S. Anyway the delivery will be next Friday July 6 - they won't let them go out of the lot before then - I was told that was the official opening day.

tommyp13 · June 2001

One of my concerns with the new car is rear seat comfort. I think that I read that the headroom is 4" shorter than the Integra, which was a little cozy to begin with.

I'm really looking for a hatch that will seat 4 people. The GTI is almost there, but it's a little too boring, and some of their annoying problems concern me.

Believe it or not, I'm leaning towards the new Mini - from what I hear, it actually has a fair amount of passenger space.

So, sorry for the rambling. Anyone sat in the RSX's rear seat yet?

himiler · June 2001

No, I haven't sat in the RSX yet, but you can pretty much be sure that if your friends are of the post-pubescent kind, they won't be happy in the back seat. Try a WRX wagon instead.

As for the Mini, Car & Driver called the back seat "emergency quarters for masochists." Don't go there.

only1harry · June 2001

should be at least $2300 because I believe that's what it is with the GSR which stickers for about $22,700 (of course noone has paid that for at least 5-6yrs). I think I 'll wait at least another year and maybe I 'll try and get one for around $22K. That would be a really fair price for a Type-S.

lakers_shaq · June 2001

According to the commercial I saw, the official arrival date for RSX is July 2nd. I guess the dealer said the 6th to make u feel special.

Is the $23.6K including leather, sunroof and other goodies? If not, I think the CL-S sounds like a better deal. I've seen some sell at $26K.

If there's no arm rest available from Acura, I'm sure there's aftermarket kinds that attaches to the seat itself. But it might not work if the seats don't come with factory brackets installed on the side.

himiler · July 2001

Could it be that you are as distracted by your font size and color as I am annoyed by it?

The price given was MSRP for the RSX-S, which includes as standard equipment the leather, the sunroof, and the "other goodies." This price also includes the destination fee.

gf10245 · July 2001

The rear seat headroom is actually much better than the specs make it seem. I sat in it and felt that I was about the limit that it could handle with any comfort and I am 6'11". I didn't slouch at all, though I did have to put my head just aft of the roof liner... The way the seats are designed, it seems that it is designed to have your head under the window anyway.

The roof liner has a kind of "bump" that sticks down (maybe for the hatch hinges). The measurement must go from seat to that bump, even though it would be awkward to have your head there anyway.

Overall, it felt more comfortable to me than the Integra hatchback, in which I had to clouch and still hit my head on the glass.

Anyone taller than me would probably be uncomfortable though.

sgrd0q · July 2001

PRICE: The price of the RSX-S is $23,650. It includes all - perforated leather, BOSE stereo, sunroof, six speed manual transmission, even destination charge. I saw a couple of RSXs on the dealer's lot and they were just over 21K (I think without the optional A/T for RSX but with perforated leather).

HEADROOM: I sat in the driver's and front passenger's seats and the headroom is considerably more than the Integra. I am 6'1 and fit comfortably with the seat back straight up. I didn't sit in the back, but it looked bigger too.

himiler · July 2001

Except a center armrest, double wishbones up front, and a limited-slip differential. Sorry, Acura, but I'm not impressed.

boomn29 · July 2001

You can now build and price the RSX online at www.acura.com!

I built a Type S with fog lights, rear spoiler, and side molding for $25,900.
The base Type S was $23,600, but that is w/o any spoilers, wheel locks, fog lights, etc. Including tax, you are talking about $27k (before haggling)

That's 2 grand higher than the GTS is... (23,900)

himiler · July 2001

And plenty more than a WRX wagon! Does anybody other than Acura think that fancy-pants interior is worth THAT much dough?

Where did you see side molding? There's only wheel well trim and door edge gaurds offered, no side molding. Maybe you mean the side underbody kit?

boomn29 · July 2001

Side molding - side underbody kit --> something like that.

You could easily option it out for another couple grand I would say - nothing I would want personally, but there are a LOT of options I did not select.

airpenny1 · July 2001

I was at the mall yesterday, and I saw some guy drive by in a blue RSX. How could he have gotten an RSX before the official release date?

sgrd0q · July 2001

He was probably a dealer. I have all the paperwork taken care of, but the dealer won't let me drive my RSX-S off the lot before Thursday. I think they are pretty strict about the official release date.

mitsugst · July 2001

Test drove one today. I love every aspect of it. The Dealers get all the cars with no "options" on them, all they get is a exterior and interior color, with or without "type-S," with or without Automatic, with or without leather (type-S only comes with leather and only the 6-speed). The "options" are all dealer installs. Yes, that means all cars have one and only one price from the factory. Total Prices are as follows (MSRP + Destination of $480), for any color scheme:

RSX $20430
RSX with Automatic $21330
RSX with leather $21430
RSX with leather and Auto $22330
Type-S $23650

I signed up for a Type-S (without a deposit, he never mentioned it), firepepper red, titanium interior. Mine comes in within a month, he showed me production date to be 6/4/01, and he expects delivery to be already underway from Japan (sticker said 95% materials from Japan!Assembled in Japan!). He showed me, off a list, that two black type-S and one white type-S were already spoken for, out of a total of about 15-20 type-S's. I inquired about Dealer gouging and he said they have a no-gouging policy, first-come first-serve. Although, they may ask you to agree to not sell it within the first 6-months (to keep people from trying to make a profit). So all cars are being sold per the price above (MSRP + Destination cost).

Here's my plan for the options I want. I will go onto www.clubrsx.com (they order factory options carrying acura logos for authenticity), order all my options, and install them myself (or maybe my choice of mechanic). The must have, for me, is the full body kit with the rear spoiler (a total of 4 options from the dealer). The dealers total price installed is $1724, although the web site has it for $1282.40.

The total for my RSX is then 23650+1282.40=$24932.
That's under my $25K limit. Not bad for the looks, handling, and acceleration I want.

As for the Acceleration, in my test drive, I drove it hard with the dealer clenching the dash and I felt that it was as fast as my Turbo Eclipse (which is 0-60 in 6.4 sec)... it felt as fast, the celica didn't, the new eclipse didn't, the IS300 didn't, the WRX (never mind), so that means it's definitely under 7 secs (yeah, I've test drove them all). I estimate a 0-60 of at least 6.6 sec. Any challengers of that? I didn't think so. Then again, that's just my opinion.

driver36 · July 2001

mitsugst

I am wondering why you said "WRX never mind"??? Have you test drive the car yet? If you keep the rpm in the sweet spot, it drives like a mad dog. And looking at the RSX with such low torque
at 142 lb/ft vs WRX 207 lb/ft. I am just find hard to understand why WRX dismissed so easy.
I guess I must take a test drive the RSX-S to make comments on these two cars!

Hope you find the right car

boomn29 · July 2001

Hey, don't forget to add in taxes and a possible extended warranty and such.

I would think that would bring you well over your 25k barrier! Taxes would run like $1500!

ecarmack · July 2001

August Car and Driver has 0 to 60 at 6.1 secs.

mitsugst · July 2001

driver36

The WRX did feel as fast when I test drove it, and even felt faster. We all know the 0-60 times of that. It's just to ugly for me. Exclusivity, great, but I still have to deal with the looks. The RSX is no looker either, so I'll get some exclusivity with it too.

As for the torque, yeah I'm really disappointed, 142!?!?! that's some civic class number right? Although, when I drove it, I really didn't notice. I drove it for the second time today. I borrowed it for a full hour this morning, to show to my girlfriend. She really liked it, unlike the WRX. She also confirmed that it felt as fast, or even faster than what I own now ('95 Turbo Eclipse). And look at that latest post, 0-60 in 6.1!!! What was Acura talking about, 7.2?!?!? I'm heading to the news stand tonight to read the Car and Driver review!

Now, if we talk handling. I've heard that Celica's and Integra's run circles around WRX's at the auto crosses. I felt the same way about the WRX, when I tested it. It lost it's grip too early, while the RSX holds stong.

Atlas, what about that EVO VII? Will Mitsu ever bring it to challenge the WRX, and blow its doors off. Mitsu dealers say it won't happen for AT LEAST another year (about the time the Sti MIGHT come in). Forget it!!! Who's wants to wait and trust dealer speculation? Neither Mitsu Corp nor Subaru Corp will confirm that those will ever make it!

Mitsu has lost my respect (stop calling me for all the dam recalls you idiots! I've had it with you guys!) I bought my Eclipse new (104k miles ago), and I can tell you a few stories that'll make your jaw drop.

driver36 · July 2001

I do agree that the WRX just too ugly. RSX looks a lot better than the Subies and yes I have heard that the GTS handles better than the WRX too in some other articles. I will test the RSX sometime this weekend and see if I like it. I might bring one home right on the spot.

The Mits used to build good cars but lately is not up to the par.

Happy car hunting.....

driver36

lakers_shaq · July 2001

Some say the RSX resembles the Cavalier.... but the WRX looks identical to a Hyundai Sonata! Ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly. Did I mention ugly?

himiler · July 2001

Fine, so the WRX is no looker. But you might want to lighten the tint on those shades before you say it looks like a Sonata. After all, I've never seen a Sonata that'll show its tail lights to the RSX on a twisty, rain-slicked road like a WRX can.

The RSX does NOT look like a Cavalier. It looks like a Cavalier that habitually over-eats.

lakers_shaq · July 2001

WRX looks more like a Sonata than the RSX looks like the Cavalier. Anyone who thinks RSX resembles a Cavalier should go get LASIK eye surgery. If anything, the RSX resembles the Chrysler 300M, very similar headlights.

Since it rains here about 10 days out of the year, I'm sure that AWD, wet traction will come in very handy (ha!). Not to mention the lower MPG and higher maintenance that comes with it. And the only twisty roads here if you're rich and have a home in the hills. Gee, point me to the nearest Suburu dealer!

NOT!

himiler · July 2001

If I have the surgery, your posts will only become more painful to read.

"Settle down, Beavis!"

ecarmack · July 2001

I checked today and one local dealership did not have one in yet. I'll have to give it a few days. Long live Chris Farley!

eman5 · July 2001

Any of you mechanical cognizenti out there care to explain the performance advantages of the Type-S over the base RSX's engine? Does 141 vs 140 lb-ft of torque make a difference? How do 40 additional horses matter if they don't generate substantially more torque?

My faded memory of high school physics has me thinking torque's more directly involved with acceleration than HP. I'd appreciate anyone's bringing me up to speed on this issue...

pere_ubu · July 2001

..."no double wishbone up front". Geez, will you guys quit griping about the new suspension on the new Civic and RSX. It apparently doesn't matter that Honda and Acura tuned the MacStruts so that they work just as well as the previous dbl wishbone - it's just GOTTA have that front double wishbone to make it a real car...Man.

As my friend who drove my Civic around and had a blast says after I told him about the complaints on these boards : "I'll take room and comfort over being able whip around a corner at 50 mph, anyday." And then later on, he proceeded to whip around a corner at 50 mph pretty well without much of a problem after all.

But, oh...it doesn't have that front double wishbone. Must be an inferior car.

pere_ubu · July 2001

My local Acura dealer had a base model RSX (automatic) with a final sticker price of over $23,000. Is the price gouging starting again (ie. Honda S2000)?

tommyp13 · July 2001

The rear seat room was totally nasty. If you're looking to have someone over 5' in the rear seat at any time, I'd recommend looking elsewhere.

I was very unimpressed. The rest of the car was very nice, but I just couldn't get over that damn bump which intrudes on where your head is supposed to go.

rmtrader · July 2001

Check out www.acura.com as there are new updates on the RSX...i.e. price, full specs, video, etc. It's definitely worth a look.

himiler · July 2001

You're missing the point entirely. Honda spent so much time tuning the struts so that they would perform as well as the wishbones--BIG WHOOP! Just think about how the how great the Civic/RSX would've handled if Honda had spent as much time re-tuning the wishbones.

It's simple physics, gentlemen. With a strut-type suspension, vertical wheel travel (going over a bump, suspension compression under high cornering loads) always causes wheel deflection, which reduces the tire's contact patch. Double wishbones maintain the optimum contact patch under all conditions. Take a peek at an open-wheeled race car, if you need a visual.

It's all about money--Honda wants to sell a product that costs the minimum $$ to design and manufacture. Meanwhile, instead of spending the $$ where the car could actually benefit from it, we're treated to--Oooooo! Fully automatic climate control! And--Oooooo! Perforated leather seating!
Not to mention the crappy Bose stereo. And the price goes up accordingly, becuase of the "higher content" of the car. Sorry, but I'm not buying into this line of reasoning.

The control arm suspension on the Civic and Integra made them standouts in a crowded field. Now they're just two more small cars.

lakers shaq: Would you please ask your girlfriend to put her shirt back on?

slick_shifter · July 2001

Hey all;

I'm seriously considering the RSX or RSX-S as my next car in the next couple of months. Anyhow, I was wondering if anyone knows if the prices have been set in Canada yet. I know there are different packages available in Canada compared to the US (base, premium, type-S). There is nothing on www.acura.ca. I'd like to know the MSRP before I go walking into the dealer.

Thanks.

only1harry · July 2001

6.1s 0-60 exceeded my expectations! The WRX is only 3/10's faster with all that torque and 27 extra HP. The fastest I 've seen it on a road test for the WRX was 5.8sec. I 've also seen other tests of 6.1 and higher so maybe a good driver in an RSX can match or beat an average driver in a WRX.
Whoever read the C&D article: What was the 1/4 mi. times, skidpad and slalom speed? Did they do a full road test?

lakers_shaq · July 2001

MotorTrends review of RSX.

Road & Track's review of RSX.

himiler · July 2001

So where's the friggin' center arm rest? If Acura is looking to make the RSX a standout for its "luxury" features, why was something so elemental to extended driving sessions omitted?

Unlike yourself, lakers shaq (that's a very creative username, by the way), I drive for a living. While expensive niceties such as climate control and leather seats may impress you, they do nothing to enhance the driveability of the car, which is my primary concern.

If you will take the time to read post #146 again (sound out the words, if you have to), you will see that I was not decrying the RSX being "decontented." Rather, I was making the point that it's the wrong kind of higher content being added.

Would you seriously rather have leather seats and a Bose stereo instead of a limited-slip differential and a front wishbone suspension? If so, Buick makes some cars you'll really like.

boomn29 · July 2001

I know who a lot of people are saying the RSX looks like the cavalier. I kinda agree.

IMO, it looks very similiar to the Chrysler NEON. Really! Check out the headlights and front end....

Those gauges (straight off of the Celica GTS) still piss me off. Make your own!

ecarmack · July 2001

I believe the link above is to the June "First Drive." The August issue (came in the mail a couple days ago) has a more comprehensive review.

1/4 Mile RSX: 14.8 sec @ 95 mph

For Comparison:
1/4 Mile GS-R: 15.6 sec @ 90 mph
1/4 Mile Type R: 15.2 sec @ 93 mph

Skidpad: .86 g

Once again, Honda breaking seems on the weak side at 188 ft 70-0 (Celica GT-S is around 168). Bose stereo said to have clean sound but lacks volume. Could use better tires.

"It is extremely stable and sure-footed on the road, and most of the time you need 90 mph to feel as though you're making appropriate progress." Overall, a positive review including the four counterpoints.

Acura RSX (All years/types)

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