Great Clutch and Shifter Extremely comfortable for such a small car. Bulletproof mechanicals Best interior design in class

Stereo is weak, lacks bass and volume Could use an arm rest in center console Leather on passenger seat back keeps pulling away at headrest. No good for families, back seat is useless. Suspension tuning great for spirited driving, but gets tiring on long trips.

This car really is close to perfect in this class. It is stylish, comfortable, and a real kick to drive. There is not a car in this class that can accomodate a person my size as well as this car does, as I am 6'-4". Owned a 2001 Prelude previously, and there was no comparison comfort wise, so I traded it after only 10000 miles on my RSX. I also drove the Eclipse and Celica when I bought my prelude, and they were even more uncomfortable for me! The clutch/shifter are easilly best in class, it is easy to drive modestly or quickly. I love the interior design. Everything is easy to use, the guage cluster is real cool, and the steering wheel is perfect. The leather seat is wide enough to accomodate my large width, and is extremely comfortable on long trips. All in all, this is the only choice in the two door hatch class. Could go faster in a WRX, but don't get the style and quality.

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Honda Prelude, Toyota Celica, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Honda Accord Coupe V6, Ford Focus, Acura Integra

Handeling. Style. Manual Transmission is tight, accurate, very fun to shift; better shifting than anything else in the class. Stereo sounds ok, very nice dash layout. Very easy to read the cluster. Climate control system is a no brainer, so easy to use. This car corners like it's on rails.

Leather is showing wear on drivers seat after 14 months. Stereo needs more BASS! Stock tires are not great.

Awesome little car! Fast, fun, handles great. Once you learn to rev the engine past 6000 RPM you'll be rippin' around the streets. Bullet Proof engine! No Problems at all, I've driven 10,000 miles in 5 months! Bought it with 34k still feels like it's brand new.

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Drove many WRX's and Vibe/Matrix GT's. WRX is faster, but worse in every other way. I thought the RSX had the whole package. Vibe/Matix are dogs compaired, and the quality was lower on those too.

Acura reliabilty, engine, transmission, technology, pleasing sounds, performance, etc...

Needs larger wheels. Dashboard and knobs could be done better - more pleasing to the eye.

I read many of the reviews posted here and elsewhere prior to actually test-driving the Type-S. I am in the market for a new car and I narrowed my choices down to the Subary WRX and the RSX. As with many of the other reviews, I drove both vehicles at length and each car has its plus/minuses. The WRX has nice power, good handling and is an all-weather car. I expected to be blown away by it, but I wasn't. The engine, even at full throttle and boost, does not sound good at all. That is in direct contrast to my 1991 Audi 20v turbo which sounds great despite its age. It's not a question of the exhaust note; the actual sounds coming from under the WRX hood are uneventful. The feel of the shifter and pedals, although very good for heel/toeing, are light years behind the RSX. With that said, it is hard to beat the WRX for overall performance and its affordable price. The bottom line: I just couldn't live with this car. The type-S far exceeded my expectations. Simply put, the engine, transmission, and overall feel is one of the best, bar none. The engine sings a wonderful tune and the car is light enough to throw around with minimal understeer. I was surprised at the lack of torque steer, and the front end had minimal drift even under hard accelleration during tight moderate speed turns. As with most Acura/Honda products, the car is pleasant to drive on daily commutes, providing good fuel economy and reliability. When its time for spirited driving, wind the needle past 6,000 rpms and then you'll know the magic of the engine. The car also has an impressive list of safety features best explained in the sales brochure. I will be buying a type-S and this will mark my return to the Japanese marque after having owned German cars for the last 10 years. Test drive one and you'll feel all the intangibles that can't be explained in a review. I have owned and driven many cars from the lowly Chevy Cavalier upto and including Ferraris, Porsches, Mercedes AMG's and purpose built cars for road racing. The type-S is a great car worthy of respect.

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Numerous Audi Quattros, Porsche 914, 911, 911 Turbo, Ferrari 308/328, Honda Accords, Civics, Mustangs, Firebird Formula, Mercedes AMG, and numerous SUV's.

Vtec engine. Responsive shifting. Comfortable seats. Easy to read red illumination panels. Dials for a/c and heat are laid out well.

-Needs larger mags (17" or 18"). -Sound system is average. -Nothing to hold onto to close the hatchback. -Needs just a touch more leg room in the front.

I have recently purchased the five speed 160HP Premium model. The handling is very responsive. This car corners like it is on rails, and has enough power to keep me satisfied that this is a "sports car". The leather interior and dial layout of this car makes it appear like it is in a higher price range. Quiet ride at all speeds with the windows and sunroof closed. Great value for the dollar. The 2003 models are still being made in Japan (peace of mind).

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1993 Honda Prelude SR 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT (not THAT similar)

Vtec engine. Responsive shifting. Comfortable seats. Easy to read red illumination panels. Dials for a/c and heat are laid out well.

-Needs larger mags (17" or 18"). -Sound system is average. -Nothing to hold onto to close the hatchback. -Needs just a touch more leg room in the front.

I have recently purchased the five speed 160HP Premium model. The handling is very responsive. This car corners like it is on rails, and has enough power to keep me satisfied that this is a "sports car". The leather interior and dial layout of this car makes it appear like it is in a higher price range. Quiet ride at all speeds with the windows and sunroof closed. Great value for the dollar. The 2003 models are still being made in Japan (peace of mind).

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1993 Honda Prelude SR 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT (not THAT similar)

Interior smooth ride lots of room race car appeal

Could look a little sportier The back end could be shorter

My best friend bought this car and as soon as I got in it I fell in love. It has a deadly interior and a rich feel to it.

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mustang intergra

Appearance, inside and out. i-VTEC engine. Acura quality Performance. Sun-roof Favorite feture: sport shift automatic

Larger blind spot than my mustang. Needs bigger wheels and better tires (aftermarket is always there)

I really wish I would have waited another year to get a new car. If I would have done that I would have bought the 2002 RSX insted of my 2001 Mustang. The RSX sport shif automatic is great. My Mustang is an auto because I can stand shifting all the time. The ride in the RSX is firm and the seats a very supportive. A very comfortable ride.I'm about 6'2" and I can fit in the back, not very comfortably but I can get back there. Its unique looking and you won't see 15 of them on the way to the grocery store like a mustang. It handles very well. I really didn't "get on it" all the way, but from what I did, the engine is very responsive. I am very impressed with Acura's 2.0. It seemed just as quick as my brothers GSR. I'm looking to sell my mustang and buy a RSX as soon as possible. If your in the market for something sporty and fun, the RSX is it.

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1991 Firebird V6 1994 Mustang V6 1994 Integra GSR 2001 Mustang V6

-Looks -Interior -Performance(All aspects of) -i-vtec(It sounds sooo good) -Quality -Projected resale value

-Tires -Could go for some light weight 17's as 16's look small from some angles

I can't say enogh about this car. 100hp/L 7900 red-line, 6 speed, leather, she has all i need. Quality is exemplery, good mpg (out of i-vtec) and well, simply great performance. I would also like to say that the dealership was awsome. When i bought the car i was invited to a local race track by acura to learn the basics of racing. Truely amazing; by far teh best vehichle i have ever owned.

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2002 jetta 1.8T 1994 Integra SE

Engine, interior, sound system

STUPID RATTLES!!

This car is great!! You have the power when you need it and the best fuel economy for it's power.

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96 Honda accord

Well built Best maintenance record of all manufacturers No turbo Lots of options for the price pocket rocket

Small fuel tank

For the price I do not believe this car can be beat. I test drove the WRX, Celica GT-S, and Jetta 1.8T, and in comparison, the only car faster is the WRX. The Toyota was overpriced, and the Jetta was overpriced and VW dealers seem to have the habit of offering gimmicks and playing games. The WRX is cheap looking and has a poorer maintenence record by far. The RSX is my getting to work car and for tooling around, and it is more than adequate for this. I've had a few teens pull up next to me in their ghetto civics, and due to their poor driving skills and lack of power they were sorely defeated. Don't get me wrong this is no ZR-1, but the HP's, torque, and normally aspirated (no lag) engine, makes this car a fun drive. The fact that Acura's report fewer maint. problems per 100 cars than any other manufacturer, was my main reason for selecting this car. If you want a fun, well built, low-priced vehicle, this is your car.

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Suburu WRX VW Jetta 1.8T Celica GT-S Hyundai Tiburon - don't waste your time