2002 Acura RSX Base 2.0 DOHC

Summary:

Awesome

Faults:

Replaced motor mount on passenger side at 135000.

Replaced clutch at 125000.

General Comments:

Great car, I love it. It's a base model so could use more power, but around town, and even a spirited drive on a country road, is very satisfying.

Put together with the usual Honda quality. Owned 6 Hondas so far, and will never buy anything else besides a Honda or Acura.

Seats are comfortable.

Gas mileage is great, even when driven pretty hard.

Motor is tough as nails, as most Honda motors I've experienced.

Tranny is awesome; feels great shifting, and you never grow tired of the satisfying engagement of the shifter.

Only had two things break in 140000 miles; clutch, and a motor mount. Clutch I would say is normal wear for how I drive.

I use synthetic oil and change it every 3000 miles; great little motor, want it to last.

Insurance was little too much for me on a Type S. Also transmission problems on the Type S aren't present on the base. Even though I would love to have the Type S motor.

Now for the bad parts of the car, which honestly are hard to come up with.

Suspension is very tight; you will feel every bump and crack in the road, which for me is great, but for someone who wants a smooth ride, look elsewhere.

Leather is starting to wear on driver's seat pretty bad; it has had my rear in it for many miles.

Steering wheel wear at the top of the wheel.

Paint chipping on the front bumper is pretty noticeable; seems to have rocks gravitate towards the front end like a magnet.

To sum it all up, I love this car. It's quick, not fast but quick. No trouble pulling away from most people at stoplights, and passing is a breeze.

I want to keep this car for as long as possible, and unless Honda comes out with a car that really interests me (come on Honda, make me a CRZ Si) I'll probably replace this RSX with another when the time comes. I love my dc5!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th September, 2010

2002 Acura RSX Base 2.0

Summary:

SOLID. Feels like a proper entry level luxury sports car

Faults:

Gas cap comes loose sometimes, triggering the CEL.

Some seat wear.

A few rattles.

General Comments:

2002 Base RSX Automatic

Pros:

Handling is superb.

No body roll when cornering hard.

Automatic transmission – sport mode shifts fast and accurately.

Interior materials top notch.

Good low end torque.

Great styling.

Feels like a proper entry level luxury sports car.

Cons:

Headlights do burn our more frequently than one would expect. Switched back to stock halogen bulbs, and this has seemed to have solved the problem.

Base stereo mediocre at best. Had to install a small subwoofer to fill in the low end.

Automatic transmission could use a 6th gear.

Back seat could use an additional inch or two of head clearance – but not too bad for a two door sport coupe.

Would like to have seen more sophisticated electronics – i.e. dash readout MPG, avg speed, avg MPG etc…

Overall:

The car is SOLID, reviews are great, and the quality and reliability are what one would expect from Honda’s premium brand.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th February, 2010

16th Feb 2010, 20:40

The automatic transmission in auto mode could use an econo setting - where it shifts more readily into lower gears. Stock setup tends to leave it in lower gears and let it rev - which is a little annoying when commuting through Chicago traffic, not to mention it brings down the fuel economy. So a lot of times I find myself putting it into manual mode and shifting into higher gears to keep the rpm’s (and stress) down. Don’t get me wrong, I love the revy high-strung nature of the motor, just not all the time.

When I want to take it for a real spin, I put it into manual mode and hit the gas. During the daily traffic grind, I want subtle soft shifts and fuel economy. Fun when you want it, and a smooth ride to work when play-time is over - this is what the RSX base model was made for... almost.