Posts tagged sport compact

Like it or not, this is the muscle car of the future.  When the Playstation Generation hits forty and goes looking for that car they always wanted when they were young, stupid and broke, the 2002 Acura RSX will be one of those on the list.

That’s hard for some sports-car purists to swallow, because the RSX, like many Acuras and most Hondas, doesn’t have much in the way of a personality.  The quirks and nuances that endeared thousands of drivers to MGs, Mustangs and Alfa Romeos are all but absent in the latest version of Acura’s low-priced sports car.  It’s even hard to give it a nickname; when this car was called the Integra a year ago, the car guys who were “in the know” shortened it to the hip, “Teg.”  With the 2002 redesign however, the name went as well in favor of an alphanumeric combination that‚s more similar to the rest of the Acura stable.

The name’s not all that’s changed.  New from the ground up, the RSX features a refined design and a sophisticated suspension.  Acura may have managed to scrub almost every last vestige of personality out of this car, but what’s left is a driving experience that’s almost like a video game.  The high-performance Type S model takes up where the Integra GS-R left off.  Fans of video games like Gran Turismo III and Need for Speed will feel right at home driving the baby of Acura’s family.

At a glance, the RSX looks kind of like an upside-down shovel, with a distinctively beaked nose and a body that’s arched like an angry cat.  The glassed-in, rounded headlamps are similar to the unique quad projector lamps of the Integra, a design trick that may have single-handedly started the current round-headlight craze.  The body is smooth and uncluttered, almost to the point of being uninteresting.  Look closer, though.  It’s clear that Acura’s stylists weren’t asleep at the wheel when you take a closer look at elements like the complex body lines surrounding those headlamps.  The wheels look too small, but a large percentage of RSX buyers are likely to install larger performance wheels anyway.  The RSX is available only as a handy two-door hatchback.  Our potent Type S test car was indistinguishable from the standard RSX–only experienced spotters would notice the bigger 16″ wheels and subtle Type S badges.  Those wheels, by the way, look too small for a proper performance car, but Acura probably figured most Type S owners would change them anyway.

What’s it like inside?  Acura has improved upon the plastic-on-plastic look of the Integra with this car.  All of the ancillary controls are high up, Honda-style, and within easy reach of the driver.  The gauges have a cool metallic gray backing, and they’re lit up in red at night.  The cockpit wraps around the driver, but it’s not so snug as to be claustrophobic.  The seats are very snug, and the heavy bolstering ensures that you’ll stay in place when the RSX is in combat mode.  The hatchback is of course a helpful thing when it comes to making the RSX a car you can live with on a day-to-day basis, although we found the cargo cover to be a needlessly complex affair.  That’s a very minor complaint, considering the RSX’s purpose in life.

That purpose is, of course, performance.  Unlike parent company Honda did with its Civic last year, Acura did not forget about the legion of import hot-rod fans out there who eagerly awaited the replacement for their beloved “Teg.”  The RSX Type S features a 200 horsepower, 2.0 liter DOHC engine, whose 7900-rpm redline results in seriously high-strung performance.  Honda’s race-developed I-VTEC variable valve timing system allows the RSX’s engine to pull strongly all the way to redline just like an Indy car.  The downside is a comparatively low torque rating of 142 lb/ft., which demands that the RSX be given high revs before anything interesting happens.  Once revving, it puts down the power with deceptive ease, but the car doesn’t seem to be having much fun along the way.  A similarly equipped Integra Type R or Honda S2000 sings a much more joyous song at high rpm.  The RSX Type S comes with a six-speed manual transmission as standard equipment.  The six-speed transmission’s well-spaced ratios serve the high-strung engine well, but the RSX sometimes balks at rapid downshifts.  The performance is in no way a letdown, it’s just that the RSX feels more like a driving tool than a playful buddy.  Despite its heavy performance bent, it’s possible to take an RSX shopping without feeling like you’ve got a tiger on a leash.

That feeling of effortless performance is heightened by the suspension.  The MacPherson struts up front are supplemented by control links which boost cornering ability, and double wishbones in the rear do the same.  The Type S improves on the handling of the base RSX with stiffer springs and additional strut bars, to tighten the suspension for track duty.  On the road, the Type S is blessed with lightning-quick reflexes that enable it to keep pace with any of its competitors in the suddenly very crowded sport-compact market.  Cars like the Ford SVT Focus and Subaru WRX may have more personality than the RSX, but they won’t have an easy time outrunning it.  And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2002 Acura RSX Type S,  which we tested.
Length:     172.2 in.
Width:        67.9 in.
Height:        54.7 in.
Wheelbase:    101.2 in.
Curb weight:    2778 lb.
Cargo space:    17.8 cu.ft.
Base price:    $23,170
Price as tested: $23,650
Engine:     2.0 liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder
Drivetrain:     six-speed manual, front wheel drive
Horsepower:     200 @ 7400
Torque:     142 @ 6000
Fuel capacity:    13.2 gal.
Est. mileage:    24/31

7/2009 update:  Muscle car of the future?  Well, kind of.  Seven years down the road, sport compacts are firmly established as a venue for hot-rodding, though they usually call them “tuner cars” these days.  The RSX remains one of the more sought-after platforms, even a few years after its demise, so it’s uncommon to find an unmolested one in the used car market.