BTW- C&D did a "Cheap Speed" shootout w/
Acura RSX Type-S
Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged
Dodge SRT4 ACR
Saturn Ion Red Line
Subaru Impreza WRX
Which do you think won?
What makes this car a Goliath beater is that it's an 8100-rev-ripping steroidal slot car on weekends and an intellectually sophisticated upscale six-jewel commuter on weekdays. Plus, when your neighbor asks what car you bought, it sounds way cooler to say Acura than Dodge—another reason why Acura's offerings so firmly hold their resale values.
Acura's recipe is worth copying. The engineers created the lightest and lowest car in this group, then added the highest-revving engine but with the least vibration, which they then mated to a six-speed box that shifts so fluidly that it's like working the Tiptronic levers on a Porsche 911. It feels as if the shift linkage, the throttle, and the short-stroke clutch were magically interconnected and giving one another instantaneous instructions and heartfelt advice
In this quintet, the Acura proved the most neutral in the hills and was the only car whose tail could be rotated with a dash of trail braking, thus avoiding the dreaded plow endemic to everything else in this group. On the skidpad, the RSX beat all comers.
What's more, its trunk is the largest—okay, so it's a hatchback, but it's hard to tell from most angles—and the RSX simply embarrassed the pack with its built-in-Japan fit and finish. The dash is covered in a fetching rubberized grain that resembles expensive fabric, and the standard perforated-leather seats look like those in the tip-of-the-flagpole RL. The tiny, leather-wrapped wheel is just the right thickness and is as gratifying to grasp as a new Rawlings softball. Even the door inserts are swathed in delicate, pale cow skins, lending the cockpit a bright, luxurious feel.
Why don't the rest of the cars in this group offer cockpits as airy and fun? Why don't they offer decklid spoilers as subtle and tasteful? Around town, the RSX is so agile, so light on its feet, so neatly balanced, so crisp at step-off that we voted it Most Likely to Carve Traffic into Invisibly Thin Slices. Close your eyes, and the RSX Type-S is like driving a Honda S2000. Okay, so maybe you shouldn't close your eyes too long. Just long enough to sign a check for $24,240.
The Verdict: A showcase of engineering, style, speed, and grace. Luxurious cockpit, world's slickest front-wheel-drive shifter, balance and agility of a ballerina.
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/9845/cheap-speed-round-23.html
Also, for fun:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/10495/sport-acura-rsx-challenge.html
Acura RSX Type-S
Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged
Dodge SRT4 ACR
Saturn Ion Red Line
Subaru Impreza WRX
Which do you think won?
What makes this car a Goliath beater is that it's an 8100-rev-ripping steroidal slot car on weekends and an intellectually sophisticated upscale six-jewel commuter on weekdays. Plus, when your neighbor asks what car you bought, it sounds way cooler to say Acura than Dodge—another reason why Acura's offerings so firmly hold their resale values.
Acura's recipe is worth copying. The engineers created the lightest and lowest car in this group, then added the highest-revving engine but with the least vibration, which they then mated to a six-speed box that shifts so fluidly that it's like working the Tiptronic levers on a Porsche 911. It feels as if the shift linkage, the throttle, and the short-stroke clutch were magically interconnected and giving one another instantaneous instructions and heartfelt advice
In this quintet, the Acura proved the most neutral in the hills and was the only car whose tail could be rotated with a dash of trail braking, thus avoiding the dreaded plow endemic to everything else in this group. On the skidpad, the RSX beat all comers.
What's more, its trunk is the largest—okay, so it's a hatchback, but it's hard to tell from most angles—and the RSX simply embarrassed the pack with its built-in-Japan fit and finish. The dash is covered in a fetching rubberized grain that resembles expensive fabric, and the standard perforated-leather seats look like those in the tip-of-the-flagpole RL. The tiny, leather-wrapped wheel is just the right thickness and is as gratifying to grasp as a new Rawlings softball. Even the door inserts are swathed in delicate, pale cow skins, lending the cockpit a bright, luxurious feel.
Why don't the rest of the cars in this group offer cockpits as airy and fun? Why don't they offer decklid spoilers as subtle and tasteful? Around town, the RSX is so agile, so light on its feet, so neatly balanced, so crisp at step-off that we voted it Most Likely to Carve Traffic into Invisibly Thin Slices. Close your eyes, and the RSX Type-S is like driving a Honda S2000. Okay, so maybe you shouldn't close your eyes too long. Just long enough to sign a check for $24,240.
The Verdict: A showcase of engineering, style, speed, and grace. Luxurious cockpit, world's slickest front-wheel-drive shifter, balance and agility of a ballerina.
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/9845/cheap-speed-round-23.html
Also, for fun:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/10495/sport-acura-rsx-challenge.html
