UPDATE: I have had this car for about a week now, and there are a few things I'd like to update. If you haven't read the review yet, go ahead and skip this.

This car gets decent gas mileage for a sporty car, I averaged 25mpg, doing probably 60/40 city/highway, and driving rather aggressively almost 50% of the time. Being in the front of the car feels great, there is so much room! And the 8way adjustable driver's seat and tilt steering column makes sure you will find the perfect driving position, not to mention the seats almost embrace you as you sit down and prepare yourself for your journey. I haven't had any particularly long drives in it, but sitting in the seats for an hour or two is no bother.

I have noticed a few more little things about the car which bother me. First off, one time when I was turning the steering wheel to the right at a low speed in 2nd gear, I heard a popping sound. I have no idea what it was and it has not happened again. I went online and did some research and it turns out that it's probably due to the struts - doing what, I don't know. Also, there are little groans and vibrations coming from the front left air vent area, the rear hatch, and the center dash (by the radio) at times, although these could just be attributed to the car being used. Overall, I'm still very satisfied with the car and honestly, little things like this don't bother me when we're talking about a performance car. Maybe down the road my perception will change, but for now, it's ok.

One last thing. Last night, as I was driving the car and thinking about my Civic, I realized that if I had modded my
Civic properly, it'd be just like this car. If I had done an engine swap, properly tuned the suspension, upgraded the interior and gotten an aftermarket bodykit, the car would probably feel like the RSX-S. After making that realization, I fell in love with the car even more!

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Let me start off by saying: The Acura RSX-S is a wonderful little car! I just got this car about 4 days ago and this is my 2nd car, the first one being a '96 Honda Civic EX coupe. I liked my first car a lot, driving it around town, revving up the engine, and basically being a teenage pest. Now, years later, after my Civic has basically been driven to death, I've stepped up to the RSX. Of course, being the broke, recent college grad that I am, I had to go for a used one ('02 with 63k miles).

If any of you have ever driven a Civic before, especially the Si version, you'll feel right at home in an RSX-S. The feel of the cars is very similar, albeit the RSX is better in every category. Straight-line performance, cornering, braking, etc. all feel very familiar, yet highly refined and tuned. You'll understand once you're behind the wheel. The car is great for zipping in and out of traffic, there's ample torque (at least compared to a civic!) for regular driving, and when the need arises, punching that 8k redline is a joy in of itself! The steering is very quick and responsive, just enough assist with very good road feel. When attacking on/off ramps or curves on the road, the car almost feels like it's on rails. Braking, however, could be a bit better, as it felt somewhat spongy or weak at times, but that could be because my car is used.

Inside the car, you'll find many luxury features, including: in-dash 6disc CD changer, climate control, power everything, leather upholstery, leather wrapped steering wheel, a short-throw 6spd shifter, and lil nooks and crannies everywhere. The instrument cluster and the trim on the inside are also very sporty and refined looking, you'll love it! The only gripe I have is the lack of a center armrest, but it's a small price to pay for such an awesome car. I don't use the backseats or the trunk very often, so I can't really comment on them except that they're functional. Also, the stereo is rather weak. There is almost no perceivable bass. It's a bit better if you're playing CDs instead of using the radio, but it's definitely not up to par for an Acura or any car within this price range IMO.

Finally, now we get to the biggest gripe I have about the car. For some reason, when shifting into 3rd gear, the stick will pop out after you release the clutch, resulting in a grinding noise! At first I thought I was mis-shifting, but then I did it a few more times, and ONLY in 3rd gear. I've never had this problem in any other manual car before, so I figured it must be something with this car. I went online and did a little research, and lo and behold, indeed, many RSX-S's have this problem of 3rd gear popping out. I've found a trick for minimizing the pop out - after shifting into 3rd, wiggle the stick up some more to feel a "2nd click" to let you know that you're actually in gear - this works about 90% of the time, but is time-consuming as you can imagine, esp if you're speeding. ;)

Overall, I love this car! This is a HUGE improvement over my Civic. I look forward to driving the car almost everyday and I always take the long road. Even though there are a few things about it which bother me (3rd gear, no armrest, weak stereo), I still love it. The 3rd gear problem I hope to get rid of by either taking it to the dealer or changing to a different manual transmission fluid (other people have had mild success with either).
Amount Paid (US$): 13000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: Type-S