Acura RSX information 

Car History : Acura RSX

The Acura RSX is a successful sport coupe that was introduced into the Acura lineup in 2002 to replace the previous model Integra. Owned by the Honda Motor Corporation, the Acura brand name has been Honda’s luxury and near luxury car label in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong since March 1986. The Acura RSX has always managed to stay on top in its very competitive sport coupe class by providing excellent performance with pleasing luxury and build quality.

Appreciated by both the car enthusiast and the gear head, the Acura RSX can be seen on the road as both a classy sport coupe or a track-ready canyon carver. The Acura RSX suspension employs MacPherson struts in the front and double-wishbone suspension in the rear. The 155 hp K-series engine proves to have significant potential for tuning, a trait shared with the B-series engines previously employed in the Integra and certain performance-oriented Civic models. Like both the previous Integra and current Honda Civic Si, there is a booming performance aftermarket industry for the car and a large following of faithful RSX owners.

Although the Acura RSX has been a strong seller for Honda since 2002, recently, Dick Collier (VP of PR at Honda Motor Co., Ltd) announced that there will be no 2007 RSX. Final units of the RSX have been slated to be built in the summer of 2006.

Reasons given behind the RSX model being dropped by Acura have been that it does not fit within the confines of Acura's re-structured market strategy. With the introduction of the similarly powerful and less expensive 2006 Honda Civic Si to the marketplace, Honda considers the new Si to be a more viable choice for performance minded young men, who are the most common buyers of RSXs.

It has also been speculated that a 2-door variant of the new Acura TSX will replace the RSX as their entry-level sports coupe. However, the rumored TSX coupe will be more luxurious, more expensive and more powerful than the RSX and will thus likely appeal to a slightly different market segment.

The Acura RSX is available in 2 trims: the base model and Type-S.

Acura Type-S :The Type-S includes sportier accessories and performance including:

* 201 hp K20Z1 motor
* 6-speed manual transmission
* Sport seats with leather-trimmed interior
* Titanium finished gearshift knob
* Acura/Bose AM/FM tuner, cassette, 6-disc in-dash CD changer, 7 speakers, including Richbass woofer audio system
* 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
* Body-colored hatch spoiler
* Sport-tuned suspension
* Billet-style exhaust outlet


Because of its desirability as a compact sport coupe amongst driving enthusiasts, the Acura RSX maintains a high resale value. Its reliability and superior make also allow it to keep it from depreciating.

According to ConsumerGuide.com, “fairly strong resale values keep secondhand prices of the Acura RSX on the high side.”

Second Generation (2005-2006) :

In the second generation of the Acura RSX, the 2005 Type-S engine was boosted from 200 to 210 hp thanks to more aggressive camshafts and a larger-diameter exhaust system. Also, the suspensions on both RSXs were retuned, firmer stabilizer bars were added, and ride height was lowered 7mm. The RSX was given better shoes with 17-inch wheels and bigger 215/45R17 Michelin tires for greater traction. And the steering system was given a quicker steering ratio with a stiffer column for enhanced feel and response.

The exterior was revamped with more aggressive styling by adding a more sporty front and rear bumper, redesigned headlight and taillight assemblies, a restyled signature 5-sided Acura grille, new side sill garnish, and four new exterior colors: Magnesium Metallic, Vivid Blue Pearl, Jade Green Metallic, and Blaze Orange Metallic.

Changes to the RSX interior included: more bolstered front seats, new chrome and titanium-looking accents, and meter faces changed from metallic to white.

The 2006 Acura RSX saw little changes. The color “Global Silver Metallic” was replaced by Satin Silver Metallic and because Acura started using new SAE testing procedures for hp/torque, the updated specs for the engine output were released as 155 hp (base model) and 201 hp (Type-S).