As a former valet, I've parked nearly every type of car out there from Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Jags down to Fords, Chevys, and cars I had to crank with a screwdriver. The RSX is an absolute dream for the price and the quality of car you get.

I bought this car 7 months after graduating from college, giving up the '74 Torino as my daily car. I was initially looking at the Volvo S60 T5 and then the Maxima SE. Still thinking that the payments would be high for my budget I was looking at the Toyota Celica GTS. After doing all my research I kept seeing the Acura RSX name appear and surpass the Celica in all the reviews by Car & Driver, MotorTrend, Road & Track, etc. I then started doing the research on the Acura. With this car you get the reliability and durability of a Honda with the performance and luxury of a more expensive sports car. The Type S is an inline 4-cylinder, 16-valve, DOHC, i-VTEC, 2.0 liter with 200 hp at 7400 rpm. The Type S doesn't even redline until 7900 rpm and kicks itself down around 8300 to protect the engine.

The RSX is Acura's replacement for the Integra which was based on the Honda Civic platform. This was the reason that Integras has one of the most expensive insurance coverages and theft rates. Cars were being stolen to swap parts onto Civics. My car came with a anti-theft security system with electronic immobilizer, electric radio lock, wheel locks, and a Lo-Jack tracking device.

My car had 4 miles on it when I bought it on a Tuesday and by Sunday I had 500 miles on it. That's how addictive this car is to ride. This car comes loaded with so many things standard the need to pay for over-priced options wasn't really necessary. On the Type S I got the 6 speed manual transmission, 6 disk in dash CD player with 6 speaker Bose system, leather interior, total of 5 cup holders, 2 accessory plugs, cruise control, moonroof and much more. The only option I got on my car was the titanium trim interior. It really stands out nicely on my silver car with the black interior.

As for handling, this car is amazing... one thing I hate is trying to kill a car by accelerating to interstate speeds on a short on ramp. My car easily hits 60 in 2nd gear, 80 in 3rd...and there's still 3 more gears to go! To get the good gas mileage (30+/mpg highway) I usually shift on up to 6th as soon as possible. Speaking of shifting, this car has an incredibly smooth short-shift that glides from gear to gear. The gear ratios on the Type S are: 1st (3.267:1) 2nd (2.130:1) 3rd (1.517:1) 4th (1.147:1) 5th (.921:1) 6th (.738:1) I still lurch a little bit between 1st and 2nd, haven't found the sweet spot between those 2 yet. Suspension is control-linked MacPherson struts in the front with a double-wishbone rear, definitely giving the sports car driving feeling.

Since I've always driven older, less expensive cars, this is my first car with climate control. This has to be one of the best ideas they've had for cars in years. The AC vents rotate 360 degrees giving you the ability to aim the air in any direction. It also has a micron air-filtration system built into the system. Nice for those like me with allergies.

Things I like:
Trunk space and accessibility - this car is really a hatch-back, so pop open the back and easy access to arrange and fill the trunk. Also, the back seats fold down giving even more room.
No wire antennae - my fiance drives a Saturn and her atennae is always coming loose and threatening to fly off while driving. I've also had them get bent up in car washes. The RSX's has the antennae printed on the back windshield so it blends in well with the rear defroster.
Interior design - beautiful with the honeycomb vinyl and the consistent red glow of all instruments and dials at night.

Things I don't like:
Headroom - my friends over about 6'2 have to lean the seats back to avoid hitting their head. People in the back seat don't have much headroom either from the back windshields fast slope and the sides of the body sloping in to the top of the car.
Blind-spot / Side visibility - I never trust mirrors due to the unforgiving blind spots that have almost caused several wrecks for me. Trying to take a quick peak out the back of the drivers side is nearly impossible. The only redeeming factor is that the back windshield is so large there's not much of a blind spot. Not one big enough for a car hopefully.
Possibly radiator fin damage - The bottom of the radiator is a little exposed in the front of the car without a protective grill. Both my fiance's parents and mine live down dirt/gravel roads. I fear that a rock could be thrown up and dent some of the fins on the radiator.
New: This week when I was listening to one of my opera CD's (don't laugh) I noticed that the volume just doesn't get quite loud enough to fully hear some of the quieter moments in the music...maybe a small amp would help

Bottom line: this car is incredible. If you want the most car possible under $25K the Acura RSX is definitely the route to take. I strongly recommend the Type S for the best driving experience.
Amount Paid (US$): 23000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: Type S