Preliminary Research! (Acura RSX content)

Long story short, I think I've got a job opportunity. But it'll be a 80mi round trip commute (and I'll be making a lot less than I was), so I've been searching for something newer/more reliable/yadayadayada than my Corrados for a DD.

If I snag the job, I'd have about $7K at my disposal. I started looking at Civics and Accords on CL, but soon noticed that non-S RSXs were available for right around the same prices.

Thoughts? And also, IIRC the magazine had an RSX buyers' guide, but I can't recall which issue. Anyone remember?

April 2013 issue Volume 30 Number 2

look at EP civic Si as well - it'll be the same car essentially with a bigger hatch area. Prices might be comparable or perhaps lower, as the ricers didn't like that civic generation very much.

I had an 02 for 178k miles and loved it. In that time I had to replace both o2 sensors and the tps. That's it. Comfortable car for eating miles, and mileage was in the low 30s. Throw a little suspension in it and you will be quite happy.

There's no way I'd long distance DD an RSX. That lack of a center armrest kills that car for anything more than local around town driving.

The crappy driver's seat totally spoiled the car for me. My butt & back apparently just wasn't shaped right for it, so I couldn't spend more than half an hour in it before my back started killing me. I had the same problem with my daughter's Civic, so it might just have been me. The suspension seemed to settle in nicely at about 80, and it would just eat up the miles. The mileage was pretty good, even at high speeds. It was reliable as a hammer, too, other than water constantly getting into the tail lights. If the seats had been better, I think it would have been a great highway commuter.

In reply to Bobzilla:

Even if the one that Bobzilla rode in somehow did not have an armrest, that is an easy fix. I will say that you should definitely sit in it and think about the seats. I haven't ever really been happy with any Honda seats other than an S2000. The seat part of it seems too short and cuts off circulation in my legs.

And I guess that this is all fairly easily remedied by a couple hundred dollars and a Recaro.

My problem with them was the seat bottom was too flat, so I tended to submarine under the seat belt, even with the seat back set vertically in airliner seat position. After an hour or so of using the dead pedal to push myself back into the seat, my lower back would be killing me. I tried a Miata-style foamectomy, but there isn't enough cushion in the seat bottom to remove enough material to have much of an effect. Recaro would've definitely fixed the problem.

bravenrace wrote: In reply to Bobzilla:

That's a long since discontinued accessory. They weren't that common, they were really expensive ($400 IIRC) and they didn't sell.

<--- worked Acura parts the last 9 years.

Bobzilla wrote: There's no way I'd long distance DD an RSX. That lack of a center armrest kills that car for anything more than local around town driving.

Lack of center armrest has never bothered me for driving distances so I would say it depends person to person.

http://www.jjproducts.net/jj_products_htm/products/Acura/AcuraRSX/

My son has one and does exactly what you want to do with it. It has been reliable, gets great gas mileage, and he loves it. You do pay a premium for it though.

I've had a lot of Hondas. Never had one with an armrest. And the Fit is the only one that has cup holders. LOTS of 'em!

I know nothing about RSXs, but good luck with the job prospect!

In reply to Bobzilla:

They're all over Amazon and Ebay, and while I can't find the link for it at the moment, I bought an aftermarket arm rest for my CR-V from a company that has them for everything imaginable. The point is that the lack of an arm rest is no reason in itself not to buy an RSX. Personally, I have no use for one in a manual trans equipped vehicle anyway.

And hell yeah, hope I'm toasting to your new job this weekend, fgc.

Hope it works out for you!!!!

I know of a cremepuff RSX-S in that pricerange (maybe a bit above). It's my MIL. Higher miles but it's been babied its whole life. If interested I can get more info. I've enjoyed the few times i've driven it. The engine is amazing, makes good noises gets about 33mpg (on premium). Nice interior quality and I found it comfortable.

Leaving this here:

bravenrace wrote: In reply to Bobzilla: They're all over Amazon and Ebay, and while I can't find the link for it at the moment, I bought an aftermarket arm rest for my CR-V from a company that has them for everything imaginable. The point is that the lack of an arm rest is no reason in itself not to buy an RSX. Personally, I have no use for one in a manual trans equipped vehicle anyway.

Good for you. For something that I'm driving highway miles, it becomes a necessity for me and the wife. Driving 30 miles of twisty back roads, I can understand. 80 miles of highway? berkeley no. I didn't realize the aftermarket had stepped up and offered armrests.

I just don't like the feel of the RSX-S. I don't like feeling that if I want the sensation of speed I have to wind the piss out of the engine. I'm sure they're perfect for some people, just not for everyone.

BTW, is there problem? I have yet to see you not get E36 M3ty over any post I make lately.

Zomby Woof wrote:

Love that color.

They look best with the 5-spoke TSX accessory wheels.