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Acura RSX (All years/types)
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Most CD players (well, at least the Integra's stock player) retain in memory where the CD was stopped (either shutting off the radio or the car), so that when you turn on the car and player again, it picks up exactly from where it left off. Thus, if you stopped it one day then continue listening to that CD again another next day, you'd know precisely how long into that track it is.
I wouldn't think it's expensive or difficult to display the running time. After all, the first generation home CD players showed the running time. (Some even showed time left to end or track, total time into the CD, and/or total time left on the CD. My antiquated, 10 year old home stereo CD player does all this.) Maybe I'm the only one who would find this useful, but I just wanted to find out if the RSX's stock CD player displays the running time.
I'm the type who likes to keep things simple and hates "too much information". Maybe it's because I'm a programmer by trade and get enough of that at work :-D
For example, a nearby town installed new crosswalk signals that, instead of just flashing a red hand, count down how many seconds before the cars are gonna start running you over. To me, it's unnecessary; if the red hand starts to flash, don't enter the crosswalk!
Another thing is how some cable stations now have a bar across the bottom telling you what movie you're watching (like you need to be reminded during the entire 2 hours), or during commercials have sub-commercials telling you to go to the product's internet site. Ugh.
But then I'm getting off-topic ;-)
Another use I thought of when having a second-by-second count of the current track is to find out the length of the current track. Not all CDs list the playing time of all its tracks, so you can skip forward by a track, then search backwards until you get to the end of the previous track. Thereby, you'd know how long that track is.
Now my turn to get way off topic. It's funny you mentioned the count down timer to tell you how much longer you have "before the cars are gonna start running you over". I've kind of wished that normal traffic lights had a timer. All too often on a high speed road, the yellow light is not long enough. So you get caught in between: should I gun it and hope to pass the light before it turns red or should I slam on the brakes and hope to stop before crossing the intersection? If there were a timer, then as you'd approach a green light, you'd know exactly when the light will turn yellow (and consequently, red). I realize that can introduce all sorts of problems (the F1- and Nascar-wannabe drivers would have a field day with the timers), but it's an interesting concept to consider.
We now return to our regular scheduled program: Acura RSX (2002).
The salesperson asked me if I wanted to get on 'The List'. "List, what list?", I replied. "We have a waiting list for the RSX Type-S and we only sell it for MSRP", he said. He then pulls out an actual list of people who are in line to buy the car at list price. And none of them test drove the car. I was totally blown away. People are actually buying cars at MSRP without test driving them! In this economy?! WOW! I would have understood it, if it was an MDX, but this is an RSX, a new Integra, a bread and butter car for Acura. One would think that car buying would be scarce these days especially after the reports of consumer confidence being sharply down. I guess the price is really steep for those people who want to be the first in their neighborhood to have the latest car. I guess I'll have to wait a while and try to test drive the WRX instead.
VW has boosted its 1.8-liter turbo's horsepower to 180 and torque 174 lb-ft.
http://www.autoweek.com
Tougher competition for RSX, isn't HP war great?
The RSX-S is a very nice car with an outstanding engine, but I think that the Prelude drives and rides loads better (and it's quieter, too), and doesn't make you pay for leather and climate control. And it sure doesn't look like a Civic.
The reason waiting lists are present for the RSX is because it is a new vehicle after the last one went for seven years without a redesign. The 6th gen Civic in late '95 had exactly the same response when it came out. Yes a Civic! But after about 4 months, you could buy one for well under list.
First off, SUVs are less safe than cars due to their ground clearance and tendency to roll over. If you are comparing it to SUVs, then the RSX is definitely ahead. I have seen many winter storm accidents in the snow/rain where at least 50% of the SUVs involved ended up upside down, whereas the cars involved rarely ever ended up upside down. Fact is that if you end up upside down, you chances of living are very slim. I can tell you horror stories about helping carry dying bodies from turned over SUVs, after getting out of my car which didn't turn over in the pile up, etc. I am sure that 3 of the 4 bodies that I've helped carry (to this day) ended up, or were already, dead. Let me tell you, this is horrible (you wouldn't even want to imagine what I've seen).
As for the RSX, I don't know too much about it's safety, since I haven't heard of crash tests... But, looking at the way it's constructed (and what I've read of how it is constructed), it's looks very solid and promising. My cousin and I ran a body shop once upon a time (and let me tell you, I have some experience with knowing what will and won't hold up in a crash), and the vehicles we did were Insurance company repossessed ones due to severe crashes. Also, I've seen the entire enterior torn out of an RSX (done to replace wiring due to theft), and there are impact beams where you would never imagine. The most significant was the huge impact beam that runs the width of the car that is located in front of the rear seat bottoms. This thing is massive, very impressive, and all new when it comes to impact beams. The car seems to have been made, from the ground up, with safety in mind. In fact, I think it is too safe (for my tastes), they could have cut back and gave more interior room, and niceties. For example: if you open the sunroof (the one thing that detracts from safety in it's entirety), it actually only opens half way. The glass is actually twice the size of the opening viewed from the inside. I hate this fact. Why couldn't they give us a big sunroof like other coupes/hatchbacks (Mercedes C-coupe comes to mind). What Acura wanted, is the look of a nice sunroof, but the safety of a tiny porthole, which we got. At least they didn't go to the extreme of not offering one (Subaru WRX comes to mind).
'06 Civic LX coupe
'11 BMW 335i coupe xDrive
'13 Honda Accord sedan (wife's car)
As for resale value-
The only VW Golf and Civic that I found to be even similar in price were a 1999 VW Golf GL which had an original MSRP of $15,425. A 1999 Honda Civic LX had an original MSRP of $15,245.
The trade in value given for the VW was $12,950.
The trade in value given for the Honda was $12,050. The VW has $900 more in resale than the Honda, considering that it only costed $180 more to begin with.
However, it depends on the model year, also.
A 1998 VW Golf GL had an MSRP of $15,955.
A 1998 Honda Civic LX had an MSRP of $15,145.
The Golf has a trade in value of $10,950 while the Civic's is $10,450. This time around, the VW costed $810 more than the Civic, but its trade in value was only $500 more.
Just looked up the stats, and the Civics are selling as well as the Camrys. The closest competitor to the Civic is the Focus, which had about 10,000 less units sold. With all those sales number, it's hard to believe that Honda is still a small automotive company.
My friend and I saw the new RSX by the mall one day and it instantly caught our attention. So we booked a test drive.
I really liked the look of the car. However, after I sat in and test drove I was less impressed. I don't have many complaints about the ride. The shifter feels great. To keep the fun going, you cannot let RPMs drop below 4000 because then there is no response when you hit the gas. The steering and handling was nice as I was doing 120km/h in two turns.
However, my major disappointment is the interior. It really feels cheap. I know that it is very relative and subjective thing. I was comparing it to the VW, which I test drove two weeks before the RSX. The plastic in the RSX just doesn't cut it. The climate controls, although nice, could use some refinement. The worst part for me was easily the door handle. Cheap plastic painted so it looks like metal. In GTI, it is metal! Also, I personally take my very first impressions about a car according to the sound that the door makes as you close it. There's nothing like a German car's "thump". Solid, smooth, and precise. The RSX was far from that. I expected something more of an Acura than Honda feeeling inside. I know, they're same, but if you have a luxury brand, keep it that way! The exterior looks great and I hate to admit it but it is more sporty looking than the GTI.
However, when I get my car later this year, or early next year, my money is going to the 2002 GTI 1.8T with 180hp, 174lb/ft of torque (its full amount available at 1900rpm!!!).
That's all.
Even entry luxo TL uses fake wood trim, whereas other makers don't.
But I think what they lack in substance they make up for in performance. The RSX may not be the fastest car in the world, but when you rev that engine, you gotta admit that it's pretty fun to drive. Cousin has an Integra and it's still fun to drive after all these years.
Does anyone know if anything can be done? The rattles are very annoying and appear even when going over minor road imperfections. I guess this is because the suspension is fairly stiff.
If the dealer can duplicate the rattles, chances are they can be corrected.
Strange someone complains about the plastic in the interior. Proof that you can't be everything to everyone. This months R+T liked the plastic they said "it's unique design ad texture add to the "tomorrow's design today" look of the car.
And as far as lower end torque is concerned that's also a matter of preference. I like my power up where I would have always expected my Hondas to make it. Up high. I have driven the RSX and had no problem with the power delivery. Again it's a matter of preference.
Let's compare the two though. Acura has a timing chain and Honda engines are known for thier longevity with minimum care. The VW has a Turbo with it's prerequisite limited lifespan if it's not warmed up and cooled down carefully. The VW does have the German solid door slams but then again there are many Honda/Acura that have gotten by for many years and miles without the "german sounding" doors. Not to mention gas mileage, accessory longevity, resale. It's all a matter of preference in the styling dept but you gota admit the Golf has looked more or less the same for over a decade now. But hey at least it sells well in Europe huh?
Rattles: it is widely known that the rear speaker covers in the RSX are slightly loose in many delivered to date. Solution: pry off very carefully with a screwdriver working from the top slot down to the bottom and install six pieces of foam or felt adhesive (dime or penny thickness) near each of the post holes. Snap the covers back on: noise gone. Also rattles: the seat belt cllip against that little plastic protrusion on the belt if no one is in the passenger seat to wear it and as in many sports cars anything you may be carrying with you which isn't cushioned by a seat: cd jewel boxes, cassette boxes, tic-tacs, etc.
If you look long enough and carefully enough at any car you will not find a perfect one because they are still designed and assembled by human beings and limited by inherent factors: price and application for example. It's how well that they meet the design goals and limitations; or exceed them; that determine the value of the car in the buyer's opinion.
On the last auto show I tried "slamming the door " experiment on many cars including all European, Japanese and American luxury makes. In the Acura model lineup I tried this on TL and Integra and I found them lacking the "solid thud" sound. This did not happen on other Japanese luxury makes including Lexus and Infiniti.
If you want a expect a solid thud coming from the sound of a door when you close it, maybe you've been slamming it too hard all these years.
The RSX is a light car- its doors won't be as heavy as other cars to illicit that "thud" sound, anyway. It doesn't mean that the car isn't as well built as any other.
My take on Acuras in general is that there is not much of brand differentiation between Acura and Honda as it is between Lexus and Toyota. Lexus takes care of these subtleties very well. Even the base IS300 is considerably different than its comparable Toyota offering, the Celica. If you slapped a Honda badge on a TL or RSX it wouldn't be out of place in a Honda showroom. Even though Integra had an Acura badge its interior did not have a luxury car look. It was sporty but not luxurious.
Even on its list of twinned vehicles, Edmunds lists the Camry and the ES300, but leaves out the Accord and TL.
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/46969/article.html#List
I just feel there is not much brand differentiation between and Honda and Acura models especially in the case of TL and Integra. I haven't had the chance to look up the RSX closely. I've just seen one on the road. But I hope Acura has done something to justify the badge on RSX.
Kartez-How's this for justification? Take a Civic, throw a bunch of pretend luxury at it, install an engine with less character than the Integra's B18C (but it sure is smooth!) under the hood, and bump the price up few thousand dollars. Wham! Instant Acura!
But come on...we all know Honda/Acura are not the only ones guilty of this.
Just look at the new Camry & ES300- they're visually identical from the front (I'm pretty sure the underpinnings are too), and yet the ES300 costs at good $10,000 more.
I'm still not convinced that the RSX offers enough of a performance advantage over the GS-R to justify the price increase. Road & Track's full test clocked the RSX-S at 6.7 seconds in the 0-60 test, only half a second quicker than a '99 GS-R. Shockingly, the braking performance was actually worse in the RSX-S (crap tires)!
For the $3000 difference, you could do some mods on a GS-R that would give WRX drivers serious fits.
I think Acura decided to make a bigger margin on the RSX than they did on the GS-R, and figured the market would be happy to bear it. Acura might just discover that wasn't the brightest idea.