Acura RSX

2006 Acura RSX

2006 Acura RSX

The Acura RSX is a successful sport coupe that was introduced into the Acura lineup in 2001 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.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Acura RSX Review.

Recent Changes

Although the Acura RSX has been a strong seller for Honda since 2001, 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.

Styles and Major Options

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

Base

2006 Acura RSX i-VTEC engine

The base model comes standard with:

• 155 hp K20A3 motor
• 5-speed automatic/manual transmission
• Sport seat with cloth-trimmed interior
• Dual trip meters
• Power moonroof
• AM/FM tuner, in-dash CD player, 6 speakers audio system
• Power windows, door locks and hatch lock
• Cruise control
• Remote entry system
• 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels
• All-Season steel-belted radial tires

Type-S

2006 Acura RSX Type-S interior

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

Pricing

Today's actual prices by city can be found at CarsDirect.

Trims
Base 2dr Coupe	Type-S 2dr Coupe
MSRP
$20,325	$23,845
Invoice
$18,553	$21,758

Gas Mileage

EPA Estimates for various trims of the Acura RSX are as follows:

Trim
4 cyl., 2L, Manual (5-speed), Regular gas	4 cyl., 2L, Manual (6-speed), Premium gas	4 cyl., 2 L, Auto (S5), Regular gas
MPG
27/34	23/31	25/34

Unique Attributes

The K-series engine features intelligent VTEC or (i-VTEC), which electronically adjusts valve lift, valve timing and cam timing, giving the 2.0 L engine a flatter torque curve and smooth power transition relative to previous VTEC implementations which only adjusted valve lift and valve timing.

Generations

When designing the RSX, Honda chose to base it on an entirely new platform, rather than incrementally re-engineering the previous Integra/Civic platform. This new chassis would also be shared with the 2006 Civic. This was a significant change from the previous 1998 revision of the Integra, which had only been a minor refresh. In addition, this platform was the first entirely new entry-level chassis Honda had debuted since 1994. Owing to its more capable and luxurious nature, the Acura division chose to market the vehicle as the Integra's replacement, and badged it as the RSX. Touting the vehicle's more upscale feature-set and more luxurious amenities, Acura hoped to use the RSX to help garner more brand recognition and respect from older, wealthier buyers who tended to see the company's offerings, especially the Integra, as sporty and reliable, but not as mature or luxurious. Outside of the U.S., where the Acura division did not exist at the time, Honda chose to continue selling the model as the Integra, and continued to aim the car at younger men who wanted something nicer than a Civic Si or Subaru Impreza without having to spend considerably more money.

Changes from 2004 to 2005

- Revised suspension tuning for increased handling precision and a smoother ride

• Ride height reduced by 7 mm
• Optimized damper and spring settings
• Firmer stabilizer bars (front and rear for Type-S, front for RSX)
• Bushings at suspension installation points were optimized
• Inversely wound front coil springs

- Refined steering system for enhanced feel and quicker response

• Quicker steering ratio
• Stiffer steering column
• Pump flow increased by seven percent
• Kickback reduction valve

- Optimized braking system for enhanced stopping power and feel

• Pedal stroke decreased
• Master cylinder diameter increased
• Brake pedal to rigidity increased

- Larger diameter 17-inch alloy wheels and 215/45R17 all-season high-performance tires

- Body rigidity increased 15 percent in front and 21 percent in the rear through the application of reinforcements at key areas

- Vehicle noise and vibrations reduced

• Engine damper added to front subframe to reduce engine rocking and vibration transmitted from the engine to the cabin
• Insulation material added at key points on doors and roof to reduce road noise
• Side-mirror gaps sealed and weather strip added

- More aggressive exterior styling

• New front and rear bumper designs
• Redesigned headlight and taillight assemblies
• Restyled signature 5-sided Acura grille
• Redesigned side sill garnish
• Four new exterior colors: Magnesium Metallic, Vivid Blue Pearl, Jade Green Metallic, Blaze Orange Metallic

- Freshened interior design

• Deeply bolstered front seats with thicker cushions
• New chrome and titanium-look accents
• Meter faces changed from metallic to white

RSX Type-S Additional Enhancements:

- Engine intake and exhaust modifications that boost the horsepower of the Type-S model to 210 at 7800 rpm (revised to 201 hp), compared to 200 hp at 7400 rpm on the previous model.

• High performance camshafts to improve engine breathing
• Air intake duct enlarged for increased air flow
• Larger diameter exhaust pipes to increase exhaust flow
• Catalytic converter optimized to reduce exhaust backpressure

- 6-speed transmission optimized with a lower final gear ratio for quicker acceleration and carbon synchronizers replacing brass on 5th and 6th gears for a smoother shift feel

- Larger diameter front strut tower bar

- Bushings replaced by bearings on strut mount

- Larger diameter 17-inch alloy wheels and 215/45R17 all-season high-performance tires

- Deck lid spoiler

Worldwide

In North America and Hong Kong, the Acura RSX was marketed as the replacement for the Acura-badged version of the Integra, however Honda continues to sell the vehicle as the Honda Integra in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere. (previously, the Acura nameplate appeared only in North America, elsewhere in the world the same models are sold as Hondas).

It is available in base and "Type-S" trim levels in North America, and a "Integra iS / Integra Type S" and "Type R" version sold Japan and Oceania. However, to add to the confusion, the "Type R" sold in Oceania is very similar to the "Type-S" sold in North America, and the Integra line naming in Oceania have recently been realigned so it's similar to North American conventions. In other places, (eg. Hong Kong, Singapore) only the base version is available.

The Honda Integra Type R, sold in Japan, Australia, and some other markets, has reduced weight, a 220 PS / 164 kW / 217 hp K20A engine (Japan-only; Oceania models have an engine similar to the Acura RSX-S), as well as a limited slip differential (LSD) and stiffer springs and shocks, Brembo brakes, 17" rims on Bridgestone Potenza tires, Recaro suede seats, body trim, and more.

Design quirks and oddities

Refer to any pop-culture tidbits about the vehicle in this section.

Awards

The RSX was listed among Car and Driver magazine's 10 Best list for 2002 and 2003.

ohn Lingenfelter Memorial Trophy

Won the "Cheap Speed" comparison in Car & Driver in which it was pitted against the Dodge SRT-4 ACR, Subaru Impreza WRX, Chevrolet Cobalt SS, and the Saturn ION Redline.

Won Spike TV's "Autorox" car awards show for tastiest tuner.

Listed as one of Spike TV's top 52 cars of all time.

External Links

• Official Acura RSX site
• Club RSX
• CarDomain Acura RSX rides
• Acura RSX image gallery

This page uses content from Wikipedia; see Acura RSX, which includes these contributors.