Refined i-VTEC engine, it's SWEET! Style Great interior for the price! Fun to drive! GAS MILEAGE, 33hwy/25city

Bose system is weak, ok speakers, bad sub-woofer. Leather seats are showing signs of fatigue already, stretched out under me arsh already! Nothing else yet!

This would only classify as as initial quality review, I've only had the car 1 week. However, at this point I love this car, it has 34k miles, previous owner drove like crazy. I narrowed my car search down to the Subaru WRX and the RSX. It was basically a toss-up, both cars are amazing for the price; where one is weak the other is strong and vice versus; e.g., the Subaru is faster, but it's UGLY and the interior is very outdated and cheap looking. The RSX is easy on the eyes and the interior is great, nice layout, cool knobs, easy climate control system, great red-light look, GREAT FUEL ECONOMY, leather is ok not great, but better than the cloth in the Subaru. I expect this car to have much better re-sale and quality over the long haul, I've had 3 Honda's in my life and they were all bullet-proof! Don't get me wrong the WRX is a rocket, but the Acura has a much more refined feel.

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'98 Civic '88 Integra '95 Accord

Quality Reliability Interior design High resale value

Stereo Tires Chopy ride

Fun to drive, great sport seats, good acceleration with the base model (not as good as the Type S). It has 4K miles and 0 problems so far. If you have 3K more on your bank get the Type S.

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VW Golf (good) VW Jetta (bad) Honda Civic (good)

High-reving allows for greater power band. Sounds great when in low or high rev. Very responsive to throttle engagement. Great racing inspired bucket seats and steering wheel. Absolutely wonderful look.

Only thing I dislike are the OEM tires that Acura has placed on the car. They are Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 Grand Touring All-Season Tires. Although they work well for normal driving conditions, they are not well suited for fast and aggressive driving. Being a "stoplight gunner," I often chirp the tires when accelerating. Also, cornering could be faster with a better grip tire than with these OEM tires. All in all, an average tire for an exceptional car - it doesn't fit.

I have a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S (with the underbody spoiler kit, upper body spoiler, titanium shift know and titanium interior trim) and have to say that this is an absolutey wonderful sports coupe. The close shift 6MT is an absolute pleasure to use. The responsiveness of the iVTEC on the intake and exhaust is not only noticeable but exhilirating. I always get excited when I rev. towards 6000 RPM for the second stage to kick in on the iVTEC. It takes a while to get used to the high-reving engine process and how to shift properly, but once you do, it is an absolute blast to drive.

Fast, quick, refinement, reliability, handling

The Bose sound system sounds clear but is not loud whatsoever. You can hardly hear the subwoofer unless youre playing a heavy bass song

I love this car,it will keep up with or beat most cars around. To the people who say it's a rough ride, it IS a sports car. Noisy? It's a sports car. What it has is speed acceleration refinement and honda reliability. I was going to buy a toyota celica gt-s but when i compared them for what you get for the money, this was the right choice.

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Ive driven a 01' honda civic si, the rsx type-s walks all over it.

Leather seats. Nice dash layout. Nice paint job.

No AWD Build quality is suspect - lots of rattles. Rough ride. Underpowered.

I thought I had scored a great "performance" car for a good price with the RSX until I drove a friends WRX. Two months later I sold the RSX and bout the WRX. What a difference. WRX soooo much faster and quicker off the line. AWD system lets me drive with confidence in all kinds of crappy road conditions. The two cars are basically equivalent in price. WRX has superior horsepower, quickness, traction, steering, and fun factor. RSX has superior seats in terms of material, (but I actually find the seats in the WRX more comfortable). Some would say the styling of the RSX is easier on the eyes - but that is subjective.

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Subaru WRX Volkswagon GTI

-Very fast -Cockpit-like interior -Momo designed Steering wheel -6 Speeds! -Attention getter -Excellent handling

-Tires a little too timid -Bose sucks -Would've liked the 20 extra HP of the Type R

Taking care of this car is foremost for me. I previously had a 1998 Civic EX, and was interested in the new Accord Coupe V6, the new Civic Si, and the Mazda 6S. After driving the above mentioned, I went to drive the RSX. Oh my. Where the Accord had brutal V6 pull, the RSX had brutal iVTEC pull. Where the Civic Si was nimble with good handling, the RSX was nimble with great handling. Where the Mazda 6 had aggressive looks, the RSX had aggression and style. This car is the best buy for the ca$h--you won't be disappointed. There isn't a day that goes by that when another RSX owner rolls by, a glance and either a smile or a wave occurs.

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Honda Accord V6 Mazda 6s V6 Honda Civic Si

Performance, room, styling, sound.

Stereo

Perfect reliability, excellent performance, great room for a sport coupe, excellent mileage.

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none

-smooth, iVTEC engine -HID lights -growling engine sound -sexy headlights -not too pricy -FUN

-a bit of the past integra sportyness is lost

As a employee at Thomas Acura in Covina, I have test driven the RSX type S and really loved it. I am not the best manuel transmission driver int he world, but the gears, in my opinion compared ot the civics and integras i have driven, slid much easier into place. Its very luxurious inside, yet maintains that in-a-rocket-feel. I must admit, at first i did not like the look of the "new integra" and had nostalgia for the good ol' stlye, but the RSX grows on you and really does have a hot body style all of its own.

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when i get the $$$ i am purchasing this car!!!

Great engine that's both powerful and economical, 6 speed transmission, firm and TIGHT ride and handling, surprising level of refinement, Fast enough for most, great value for the $$$, especially when compared to Celica GT-S

Hard to shift sometimes, lack of LSD, Torque steer, LARGE turning radius, Dumb kids want to race you all the time, Rice Boy image, No heated seats or mirrors, Bose Stereo

If you are looking for a car that is somewhat practical but also fun to drive, then RSX Type S is a real contender. It has a screaming engine that is happy when revved and handling is on par with offerings from other manufacturers. Stock tires just don't have much stick to them though. Transmission is also another thing I am having a hard time with. While throw is short and crisp, for me the 3rd gear is giving me problems with occassional grind and sometimes refuses to shift into. An Acura dealer told me this is normal for the new transmission and should go away when broken in. My Type S has about 7000 miles on it by the way. I noticed many people are having same or similar problems with the transmission so I tend to think the Acura is right on this. The refinement of the RSX is incredible for the price. The ride, noise, and general tightness of the car suggests more $$$ than what I paid for. The refinement is most obvious when you drive fast, when you notice that you are going way faster than how the car feels. Driven right, this car is fast, but it's not a car for those who love stump pulling torque of muscle cars. If you love that 7800rpm redline V-Tec scream, then you will love it. Even with all the go this car has, it is easy on gas. The Bose stereo included as the standard stereo for the car, despite its name, is only about average. Its subwoofer is especially disappointing with frankly BAD performance. Acura TL has a much better stereo system. Another thing I do not like about owning this car has to do with the image. Despite its refinement and buyer segment this car is being marketed for, it still has that "Riceboy" image. a lot of kids in their civics and eclipse would want to race you if you buy this car. All in all however, if I didn't have the 3rd gear problem, I would say this car is close to perfect for many buyers looking for a cheap sports coupe.

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1999 Honda Civic EX, 2000 Honda Accord LX, BMW 323, 1986 BMW 318i, 2002 Celica GT-S(test drive), Subaru WRX(test drive), VW GTI 1.8T(test drive)

This car feels like a precision instrument. The leather steering wheel is nice and small, the shifter feels like a rifle bolt, and the Bose sound system furnishes decent audio. The headlights are strong at both high and low settings. Front leather bucket seats are very nice.

The Bose sound system, though high in audio quality and craftsmanship, is not as powerful as it could be. Cabin noise level is quite high, although this may be simply a sporty-car characteristic instead of a weakness. Rear window is high and small, so you basically have to drive the RSX like a truck, using your side-mounted mirrors. Aopart from these negatives, however, I am wild about my RSX Type S.

This car is unmitigated fun to drive. It is powerful if you aren't scared to wind the engine through those crisp-shifting six gears. The car is supple, and although the suspension produces a stiff ride, as a former owner of a '69 BMW 2002,I would rather feel the road anyway. Fit and finish are excellent,the climate control is effective, and I've gotten as much as 34.3 MPG on a 250-mile trip.

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1991 Honda Civoc DX (auto.), 1992 Honda Accord LX (auto.), 1994 Honda Accord LX (man.), 2000 Honda Civic Si.