Back in the 1960s, true driving enthusiasts had an interesting array of vehicles to choose from, and nearly all of them were designed and built around the singular goal of offering thrilling performance in a no-frills package. Manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo, MG and Lotus put together basic little cars that utilized high-revving engines and lightweight nimble platforms. The results were fun-to-drive cars that were relatively affordable, albeit decidedly lacking in creature comforts.
As the days of flower power faded into the disco era, the combination of increased government safety regulations and waning consumer demand all but killed the genre, until sharp-thinking engineers at the Japanese "Big Three" resurrected it with practical and sporty little rides like the Acura Integra, Mazda Miata and Toyota MR2. The introduction of the stripped-down Acura Integra Type-R in 2000 with a high-revving VTEC four-cylinder finally lent the platform the street cred and respect it deserved as a true performance sports car, and two years later Acura introduced an all-new version of the Integra renamed the RSX. The car sold well and was much loved by the automotive press, including our own editorial staff, who crowned the Acura RSX the victor in a sport coupe comparison test.
Fast-forward two years, however, and the car was facing stiff competition from a bevy of sources, many of which were more affordable than the $24,000 Acura RSX Type-S. Acura knew it had to take action in order to hold onto its slice of the budget performance pie, so the Acura RSX and its hyperactive RSX Type-S sibling both underwent a midcycle freshening that has resulted in what we believe may be one of the best budget performance cars available today. The result is the 2005 Acura RSX, and the 2005 Acura RSX Type-S.
Walking up to the new Acura RSX Type-S, it doesn't look much different than the previous model. The taillights have taken on a blistered appearance and are no longer framed by cutouts in the rear bumper (now a smooth surface). Additionally, a sleek little spoiler now resides on the deck lid. A new muffler and oversized tailpipe poke out the bottom of the bumper and were obviously chosen to emulate the "tuner" look, and lower body cladding gives the car a lowered look. The front-end redesign looks very aerodynamic, as an Acura family grille is now nestled in the center of a front spoiler that sweeps close to the ground for a racy look. The Acura RSX boasts new headlights; they integrate triple-beam projectors into a sleek new triangular lens arrangement that ties in nicely with the redesigned front bumper. The overall look is aggressive and sporty, without crossing into overdone or garish territory as many of the import racers do.
While the subtle body mods add to the car's overall appeal, the big news for 2005 is the changes under the car's skin. The 2.0-liter four that made the Acura RSX a revered name in import racing circles receives a new intake system, new high-performance camshafts and a larger exhaust pipe. This effort results in a 10-horsepower boost over last year. The Acura RSX Type-S backs up this high-tech little jewel of a motor with a six-speed close-ratio manual transmission that offers quick, responsive shifting. The final drive ratio was also raised for '05 to provide quicker acceleration. Sport compacts aren't just intended for dancing the stoplight tango, however, so the suspension was worked over to make the already-nimble car a true apex-carving performer. Firmer springs and dampers combined with a front strut tower bar and rear performance rod tie things together, while reduced ride height helps lower the car's center of gravity for a more stable feeling in the turns. Acura claims that it worked hard to ensure that the RSX's handling ability was significantly improved without sacrificing ride quality.
On the road, the first thing we noticed is how smooth the new shifter is and how easy the transmission is to operate. The clutch is also very buttery soft, as it never lets your leg get sore and makes finding the friction point a breeze. This is arguably one of the nicest transmission/clutch setups we've sampled as of late. We noticed that there wasn't an armrest on the driver's right side, which is a bit awkward. While we found the Acura RSX had plenty of headroom for our 5-foot-11 frame, someone taller might find it a bit tight.
We also noticed that the car can get pretty loud inside. Substantial road noise comes through the floor from bumps and ruts in the road, and the engine is loud, though only on the street with the windows rolled down and the motor winding up into the upper-rpm range. On the freeway in sixth gear it really isn't an issue. Other than the noise complaint, driving this car is a very rewarding experience.
Torque steer is a minor issue when you pull out hard, but otherwise the Acura RSX Type-S is very well balanced. Steering feel is outstanding, with loads of road feel that allows the driver to translate what the car is doing at all times. The suspension is amazingly nimble, without being oversensitive or twitchy. Even on the slalom course at the racetrack, we were able to push as hard as we could and it continued to grip like super glue. We noticed almost no understeer, and if pushed beyond the adhesion limits of the tires, the car exhibits just a hint of oversteer, but it's totally controllable.
In addition to the well-tuned suspension, the little 2.0-liter VTEC four is surprisingly powerful. Most of the engines in cars of this class don't have much low-end thrust to speak of, yet the Acura RSX Type-S has a very broad and impressive torque range. The transmission is set up perfectly, and all the gears feature very tight ratios so you can bang through them without missing a beat. However, the engine has enough torque that when cruising down the highway at 80 mph in sixth gear at 3,500 rpm, there's enough power that you can jump on the gas and actually pass someone in sixth. Granted it's a shallow ratio, but that is still impressive performance nonetheless. When running hard at 5,000 rpm, the VTEC (variable valve timing and lift) "comes alive" and the RSX Type-S starts making power like a vehicle transformed. Redline is set at 7,800 rpm, but we never managed to hit the rev limiter.
The reality is most of the ultrahigh-performance vehicles currently sitting on showroom floors are either priced beyond reach for the average consumer, or are so impractical that they just flat-out wouldn't work as a daily driver. The new Acura RSX Type-S offers a return to the sports car motoring mentality of the 1960s, when light weight, nimble suspension and stellar road feel were more important than gigantic, fuel-slurping engines and massive, asphalt-churning tires. The tiny VTEC four-cylinder provides more than enough power to push the little car through the turns, it makes glorious noises when wound up to redline. It can even pull down mileage numbers in the 30s on the highway. Best of all, this modern interpretation of the classic canyon carver doesn't require the owner to make sacrifices like the early bare-bones sports cars of old. The golden age of automotive performance has arrived, and the 2005 Acura RSX Type-S proves that speed freaks on a budget can indeed have their rice cake and eat it, too.
As the days of flower power faded into the disco era, the combination of increased government safety regulations and waning consumer demand all but killed the genre, until sharp-thinking engineers at the Japanese "Big Three" resurrected it with practical and sporty little rides like the Acura Integra, Mazda Miata and Toyota MR2. The introduction of the stripped-down Acura Integra Type-R in 2000 with a high-revving VTEC four-cylinder finally lent the platform the street cred and respect it deserved as a true performance sports car, and two years later Acura introduced an all-new version of the Integra renamed the RSX. The car sold well and was much loved by the automotive press, including our own editorial staff, who crowned the Acura RSX the victor in a sport coupe comparison test.
Fast-forward two years, however, and the car was facing stiff competition from a bevy of sources, many of which were more affordable than the $24,000 Acura RSX Type-S. Acura knew it had to take action in order to hold onto its slice of the budget performance pie, so the Acura RSX and its hyperactive RSX Type-S sibling both underwent a midcycle freshening that has resulted in what we believe may be one of the best budget performance cars available today. The result is the 2005 Acura RSX, and the 2005 Acura RSX Type-S.
Walking up to the new Acura RSX Type-S, it doesn't look much different than the previous model. The taillights have taken on a blistered appearance and are no longer framed by cutouts in the rear bumper (now a smooth surface). Additionally, a sleek little spoiler now resides on the deck lid. A new muffler and oversized tailpipe poke out the bottom of the bumper and were obviously chosen to emulate the "tuner" look, and lower body cladding gives the car a lowered look. The front-end redesign looks very aerodynamic, as an Acura family grille is now nestled in the center of a front spoiler that sweeps close to the ground for a racy look. The Acura RSX boasts new headlights; they integrate triple-beam projectors into a sleek new triangular lens arrangement that ties in nicely with the redesigned front bumper. The overall look is aggressive and sporty, without crossing into overdone or garish territory as many of the import racers do.
While the subtle body mods add to the car's overall appeal, the big news for 2005 is the changes under the car's skin. The 2.0-liter four that made the Acura RSX a revered name in import racing circles receives a new intake system, new high-performance camshafts and a larger exhaust pipe. This effort results in a 10-horsepower boost over last year. The Acura RSX Type-S backs up this high-tech little jewel of a motor with a six-speed close-ratio manual transmission that offers quick, responsive shifting. The final drive ratio was also raised for '05 to provide quicker acceleration. Sport compacts aren't just intended for dancing the stoplight tango, however, so the suspension was worked over to make the already-nimble car a true apex-carving performer. Firmer springs and dampers combined with a front strut tower bar and rear performance rod tie things together, while reduced ride height helps lower the car's center of gravity for a more stable feeling in the turns. Acura claims that it worked hard to ensure that the RSX's handling ability was significantly improved without sacrificing ride quality.
On the road, the first thing we noticed is how smooth the new shifter is and how easy the transmission is to operate. The clutch is also very buttery soft, as it never lets your leg get sore and makes finding the friction point a breeze. This is arguably one of the nicest transmission/clutch setups we've sampled as of late. We noticed that there wasn't an armrest on the driver's right side, which is a bit awkward. While we found the Acura RSX had plenty of headroom for our 5-foot-11 frame, someone taller might find it a bit tight.
We also noticed that the car can get pretty loud inside. Substantial road noise comes through the floor from bumps and ruts in the road, and the engine is loud, though only on the street with the windows rolled down and the motor winding up into the upper-rpm range. On the freeway in sixth gear it really isn't an issue. Other than the noise complaint, driving this car is a very rewarding experience.
Torque steer is a minor issue when you pull out hard, but otherwise the Acura RSX Type-S is very well balanced. Steering feel is outstanding, with loads of road feel that allows the driver to translate what the car is doing at all times. The suspension is amazingly nimble, without being oversensitive or twitchy. Even on the slalom course at the racetrack, we were able to push as hard as we could and it continued to grip like super glue. We noticed almost no understeer, and if pushed beyond the adhesion limits of the tires, the car exhibits just a hint of oversteer, but it's totally controllable.
In addition to the well-tuned suspension, the little 2.0-liter VTEC four is surprisingly powerful. Most of the engines in cars of this class don't have much low-end thrust to speak of, yet the Acura RSX Type-S has a very broad and impressive torque range. The transmission is set up perfectly, and all the gears feature very tight ratios so you can bang through them without missing a beat. However, the engine has enough torque that when cruising down the highway at 80 mph in sixth gear at 3,500 rpm, there's enough power that you can jump on the gas and actually pass someone in sixth. Granted it's a shallow ratio, but that is still impressive performance nonetheless. When running hard at 5,000 rpm, the VTEC (variable valve timing and lift) "comes alive" and the RSX Type-S starts making power like a vehicle transformed. Redline is set at 7,800 rpm, but we never managed to hit the rev limiter.
The reality is most of the ultrahigh-performance vehicles currently sitting on showroom floors are either priced beyond reach for the average consumer, or are so impractical that they just flat-out wouldn't work as a daily driver. The new Acura RSX Type-S offers a return to the sports car motoring mentality of the 1960s, when light weight, nimble suspension and stellar road feel were more important than gigantic, fuel-slurping engines and massive, asphalt-churning tires. The tiny VTEC four-cylinder provides more than enough power to push the little car through the turns, it makes glorious noises when wound up to redline. It can even pull down mileage numbers in the 30s on the highway. Best of all, this modern interpretation of the classic canyon carver doesn't require the owner to make sacrifices like the early bare-bones sports cars of old. The golden age of automotive performance has arrived, and the 2005 Acura RSX Type-S proves that speed freaks on a budget can indeed have their rice cake and eat it, too.
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