Why I purchased a Type-S:

Before the RSX Type-S, I owned a Mazda Protege ES-GT. I liked the car because it handled well in most circumstances, was somewhat practical, and reliable. But I wanted something faster, with a stronger chassis, and that had style to make the teens turn their heads when I passed them in their highly modified 89 Civic.

Face-off with other models in this category:

Before purchasing the RSX I also tried out the Subaru WRX, with it's extremely powerfull 220HP engine. Great car as well, but since I travel a lot (over 25,000 miles a year), I found this car to have a Rally-type soul that I didn't like at first hand. Other stuff I didn't like about it was the spungy clutch, hard suspension, poor sound system, frameless door windows, and engine sound.

The Mercedes C230 coupe was another contender, but I simply could not stand the Mercedes salesman's upper scale approach. The price was also sensibly higher, since options like power sunroof and metallic paint were quite costly.

Thumbs up:

The RSX Type-S I loved immediatly because it made me think of the 86 Honda Civic I owned years ago. The Civic, and other small japanese hatchbacks in those days, were underpowered (1.3L 70 HP 4 cylinder engine), fragile, unsafe, noisy, uncomfortable, and some didn't even have a radio as standard equipement! But us teens loved them because of their good road feedback, handling, inspiring drive, easy-to-use gear box, and great gas mileage! The RSX Type-S is every thing those cars lacked, and more.

This is a car that makes you feel like you're a driving ace, because of it's very forgiving gearbox and suspension. During my first drive session in the Type-S, I easily made the tires scream in 3 first gears. The RSX Type-S reminds me of the Yamaha R6 sportbike I owned last year. Smooth and high reving engine that you'll want to rev up and past that 8000 RPM red line everytime you hop in. The aerodynamics are so great you can hardly hear the wind blow over your head at 85MPH. Even at 100MPH, the car stays well planted on the road.

Driving input is terrific, as the stering wheel gives you lots of info as to what is actually hapening below you. The car will go exactly where you want it to go, provided the pavement is in good condition. Recently I was almost beaten on a green light start by a modified Sunfire, because the pavement was in very bad condition (with bumps, pot holes, and oil). The standard Michelin tires are of average quality and screem quite often, even when braking. Lots of dedicated web sites can help you find the adequate tires best suited for your driving style.

The car interior is fantastic, with everything beeing at the right place (meaning: driver oriented). The leather seats are very confortable. Last month I traveled 800 miles in one day, and never got uncomfortable. The automatic climate control feature is fun at first hand, but after 3 months in the car I prefer setting it up manualy. It seems that the system allways turns on the air conditioning, even in cold weather - a nice feature when it's damp, but useless in dry weather. This obviously has an impact on gas consumption. The Bose 6 CD in-dash player sound system is farely good. In fact, this is the first car radio I'm not thinking of replacing. The subwoofer could use a little more power.

Thumbs down:

The RSX isn't perfect, mind you. The engine must be reved up high to reach that promised 200HP. Under 3500RPM, it doesn't give you much power and torque. Over 90 degrees in a damp and low pressure atmosphere, engine performance is notably decreased. You can feel the V-tech opening up at around 6000RPM, so that meens higher decibels and gas consumption. At highway speeds, there is more that enough road noise that enters the cockpit. The trunk area could be redesigned to fit more luggage. The rear seats are too cramped (head room) for tall people. The exterior paint is very thin and scratches easily. And although it's well equiped for the price, fog lights (400$), a rear spoiler (400$), a telescopic stearing wheel, and a central armrest aren't even standard equipement.

But overall I love this car, and I recommend it to you without hesitation, given it answers your needs, bacause of it's comfort, performance, reliability, and fun factor.

N.B.: Please don't forget to rate my opinion!

Amount Paid (US$): 19985
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: Type S