Why (Not) the Acura RSX? Owner Reviews

Why the Acura RSX?

Exterior styling: Stylish, but discreet.

Reliability & durability: In three years of ownership, not a single issue at all. If it's anything like the other Hondas that have been in my family, it will basically run forever.

Handling: Drives like it's on rails, despite being "only" FWD. Responsive and communicative, but not jarring and harsh (on reasonable roads).

Powertrain performance: Not a torque monster, but the Type-S model really opens up at the upper end of the rpm range. More than enough power to break the law, but with decent gas mileage. And, of course, the silky-smooth shifter action.

Fuel economy: Not amazing, but pretty good for the level of performance.

Why Not the Volkswagen R32?

Reliability & durability: Although I bought this car when it was about five years old, I seemed to have inherited a host of minor problems that I've either had to fix myself or learn to ignore. Granted, some of these are likely the fault of the previous owner, but others are not.

Fuel economy: The car is quite powerful, but heavy. Gas mileage is more in line with larger performance sedans than other compact hatchbacks.

Color choices: If you like one of the four (great) colors, you're all set. If not ... tough luck.

Quietness: I don't mind the roar of the engine and exhaust -- in fact, they are some of the car's most well-known attributes. However, you should not buy this car if you want a calm, quiet drive.

Audio & nav systems: The factory sound system is incredibly underwhelming. I don't use it at all.

Why the Acura RSX?

Powertrain performance: 210 HP -- over 100HP per Liter. There just was no other car in it's price range for that kind of performance.

Fuel economy: 30+ mi/gal with the above performance. Unheard of.

Front seat room: Full racing seats that are adjustable for a 6' person to be comfortable. It's a small car, but I didn't feel cramped in the vehicle.

Why Not the Toyota Celica?

Powertrain performance: 180HP just wasn't enough.

Front seat room: I felt trapped in a box. It was just too tight. The door felt up against me -- too close.

Driving position & visibility: The visibility seemed to be less due to the frame design. I didn't like the location of the front blind spot.

Why the Volkswagen R32?

Cargo capacity & towing: The boxy hatchback design has a very tangible benefit: lots of cargo space. The rear seats fold flat, and although the trunk bed isn't very long, there's a lot of cargo volume.

Exterior styling: I love the understated, but slightly sporty styling of the R32. It blends in just enough that the car doesn't attract unwanted attention, but stands out from the countless other Golfs out there.

Powertrain performance: Of course, there can always be more power, but the R32 has torque in spades. Coming from high-revving Japanese cars (which are great in their own way), I'm always pleasantly surprised that I can pull uphill or accelerate from lower rpms.

Handling: AWD gives the R32 a handling edge over the other FWD hatchbacks like the GTI. Although the stock suspension is decent, most owners seem to get the most out of their R32s by upgrading to an aftermarket system.

Safety & braking: To match the big engine, the R32 has some big brakes. Although this means that brake jobs and parts are more costly, the huge front discs give you lots of braking power.

Why Not the Acura RSX?

Quietness: It's not intolerable, but this is obviously not a car designed with a quiet, peaceful drive in mind. Poor roads will make their presence known, and at high speeds, wind/tire noise can be a bit tiring.

Ride smoothness: On smooth roads, the car is a dream. On poorly maintained roads, it can feel like a chore because of the stiff performance suspension.

Rear seat room & comfort: The sloping back window means that rear passengers are deprived of quite a bit of headroom. I've given rides to several people who've lightly bonked their heads on the glass. Tall people shouldn't even try to sit back there.

Available features: I actually like that the car is very no-frills. Even the temperature control is a simple knob! However, people looking for fancy gadgets should look elsewhere; you couldn't even get a nav system in the RSX.

Why the Scion tC?

Exterior styling: I love hatchbacks that look like coupes. The tC was that, and for thousands less than the little competition.

Fuel economy: with 163hp, it got relatively decent fuel economy.

Why the Honda Accord?

Powertrain performance: Smooth shifting and good horsepower to weight ratio. Nice feature that holds the speed on hill descents (uses torque converter for "engine braking").

Handling: Good weight balance for a mid sized car. The steering ratio gives tight control while remaining comfortable -- it's not too aggressive. Body roll is minimal. Front wheel drive doesn't fight back in corners.

Why Not the Acura RSX?

Powertrain performance: Underpowered, even for a small car. I expect 200 HP these days and anything less feels mediocre.

Exterior styling: Hatchback. Just personal taste...

Interior styling: Seems too cheap to bear the Acura name badge.

Why the Acura RSX?

Interior styling: Interior is top notch, high quality materials surrounds you. This is what small cars today are trying to accomplish, and Acura had it back in 02! The seats are something of beauty, and hold you as good they look. Deep bolsters and good ventilated leather.

Reliability & durability: I did have a problem with the 2ed and 3rd gear grinding while shifting. Acura serviced under warranty and completely resolved the problem.

Exterior styling: Clean lines, classic Acura. The 05/06 model refresh did away with the cutouts on the headlights and taillights. I think this makes the exterior cleaner and more modern.

Powertrain performance: Excellent 2.0 liter. Sky high 8100 redline! 6 speed manual transmission. The motor loves to rev, it’s a blast to drive at redline.

Handling: Excellent handling with a slight hint of understeer if pushing hard with the motor. Very nimble and perfectly weighted steering feel. I just know how this car is going to react when tossed around, very predictable.

Why Not the Acura RSX?

Insurance & depreciation: Insurance is high for a car in this class. Mostly has to do with they type of people that purchase them. I think one report had this car as the second most deadly car, and it was not because it lacked safety features, it’s who’s driving it!

Rear seat room & comfort: The rear seat is not much use if the front passengers are over 6ft. Very little head/leg room. But you don’t buy this type of car to haul 4 people around. But in a pinch I’ve had 4 in there, and I’m 6’4”.

Ride smoothness: It rides like a sports car, you feel most of the irregularities in the road. This is great to help the driver gauge how hard to push the car, but can become tiresome for the daily grind.

Why the Acura RSX?

Handling: Stock suspension offers excellent road feel, and the steering is tight enough for precise control but is still pleasant to drive. Turns are easily made without excessive braking, since there is little body roll.

Powertrain performance: While it's not the most powerful car, the RSX is no slouch -- especially over 6000 rpm. It's tame enough when driven lightly, but the engine literally begs you to stomp on the pedal (and rewards you for it). All this for 25 mpg in the city, too.

Reliability & durability: In three years, I have never once had a mechanical or electrical problem with the car. No major maintenance is scheduled for 100k; I've just had to change the oil regularly.

Cargo capacity & towing: The rear seats fold flat for some serious cargo capacity; I've hauled everything from a reclining armchair to all of my worldly possessions in the trunk (literally, when I moved across the state) at some point.

Safety & braking: The stock disc brakes are grippy and linear, but not oversensitive. As for safety, I personally know two people who have totaled their RSXes and walked away from the wrecks without injures both times. Sure, they were lucky, but I'm still impressed.

Why Not the Acura RSX?

Insurance & depreciation: I don't know how many other factors were involved (such as my age), but I discovered that this car is not cheap to insure at all. My driving record has no serious marks against it, yet my insurance payments were higher than my lease payments for a while!

Audio & nav systems: The stereo system is passable, but audio quality not one of the car's strong points. For a system with a "subwoofer", it's sorely lacking in bass response, and the overall sound is fairly uninspiring.

Quietness: The car is noisy at highway speed; I have to really crank up the music to hear it clearly over the road noise. Phone calls and conversations are possible, but not comfortable. (Aftermarket tires may help with this; I still have the stock ones.)

Ride smoothness: The tradeoff for the great handling of the stock suspension is ride stiffness. In San Francisco, where streets are uneven, the ride can be quite uncomfortable at times. Potholes, patches, and cracks make themselves very obvious with the RSX.

Available features: Do you want a nav system? Bluetooth support? Premium audio? Power seats? None of these are even offered as options on the RSX.

Why the Acura RSX?

Reliability & durability: Honda reliability proven again! K engine proved itself and now used throughout Honda's lineup. Zero issues in the 107kmiles I've owned and driven, and that is with racing, SCCA, it for first 2 years of ownership.

Fuel economy: For a high revving, high output (for a 2L engine) sports car I've eeked out 34mpg on some trips. Around the city, stop and go and commuting I've never seen lower than 27. 28 is like a 95% of the time typical.

Powertrain performance: 210HP 8300rpm red line is responsive, loves to rev and scream oh so smooth. Shifter positions are clean and crisp.

Control design: Cockpit is perfection. Small diameter steering wheel for quick steering, center console curved toward toward driver, perforated leather bucket seats have good side bolsters that hold you secure in the twisties.

Cargo capacity & towing: Plenty of cargo space, as big a boot as a family sedan. AND ON TOP of that the rear seats fold flat and you have a TON of space. Bicycle, tons of boxes, you name it can lay down back there.

Why Not the Acura RSX?

Exterior styling: Got the tall body/door chunky look that most cars since around 2002 adopted. It stands a whole head or two taller than it's predecessor, the Integra, and completely dwarfs it with no interior room to show. Also styling a bit girly =0

Quietness: The Type-S falls short of sounding like a sports car. It's not got the growl of a real sports car, but it's got enough, especially cruising highway velocity, that it's going to annoy the casual driver. Occasionally has me looking for a 7th gear.

Rear seat room & comfort: Don't sit in the back, just don't. I'm a bachelor, and I might have one guest in the front with me. I pitty the few people who have had to sit back there. If you're over 4feet tall, your going to be miserable. What is that plastic thing in the middle!

Audio & nav systems: Tape deck.. really... reality check Honda this car was pushed out the door in 2005!!! At least give us MP3 or an Aux/input/ipod jack.

Handling: Don't get me wrong, with the right tires (those stock Michelin Pilots border on dangerous!). Proxes 4's allow this thing to hug the corners well. But that FWD, MacPherson strut setup oversteers too much to be good if you push hard or want to do SCCA.

Why the Acura RSX?

Exterior styling: Looks good, everyone likes it.

Handling: For a front wheel drive vehicle. I don't think any car I have driven can match up.

Fuel economy: If I stay below 68mph I can get 350 miles from 10 gallons of gas. 400 from 12 gallons. City driving 26mpg and I drive very fast.

Powertrain performance: It does what I ask.

Interior styling: Nice combinations of colors that do not clash, leather seats are top rate and very supportive.

Why Not the Acura RSX?

Rear seat room & comfort: Anyone over 5 foot will not fit comfortably behind the driver. Any one over 5'8" is too tall for rear roof line.

Cargo capacity & towing: there is a decent sized area in the back but the height of the hatch back cuts into the it too deeply anything taller than a foot will hit.

Insurance & depreciation: this car might as well be a porsche for what the insurance rate are.

Why the Acura RSX?

Reliability & durability: I have had the car for five years with no problems and very little maintenance.