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Acura RSX (All years/types)
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Comments
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!
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.
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.
Thanks in advance.
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.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
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...
If older Acuras and Hondas I have owned are anything to judge by, it should be more than up to the challenge! :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
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.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
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.
They made the 'S' stronger for '05, and the improvement in road noise suppression is noticeable (in base and 'S'), if still not great.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
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.
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.
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.
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.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Cha-ching, RSX wins, end of story. :-P
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Fear the maintenance...
...embrace the extended warranty.
LOL
good luck
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. :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
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.
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?
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
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.
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.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
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.
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.
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).