Jason

Why not beat the competition?

SPUDMTN

Ask Acura that question.

ABP-CL9-TSX

ehh.....not much of a change, just the front end and tails and parts of the interior.

JeffTSX

I like the old headlights better since the new ones look like an EL from the side. But I must say the dashborad looks pretty nice and so are the tailights. I wonder how will the new DC5R look like.

ABP-CL9-TSX

ehh.....not much of a change, just the front end and tails and parts of the interior.

Andynolife

i have to say the tailight and headlight r ugly ... comapre to the current one .. ~~ and love to see the new performance spec. those 04 Type-S buyers probably wanna burn their cars rite now .. haha
actually u can see it's hard to get more power from our K24A2 ... otherwise Euro-R will go with the 2.4 and not 2.0 .... while Type-S get the 10 extra hp ... i think it's wut it should have at the first place ... cuz it's really a luxo Type-R ....
but TSX is no Euro-R .... and the 2.4L is really doin its best job ... guys u got the same performance spec. as the jap Accord 2.4TL ... u expect more ? ... go mod the car .. yes i would love to see some hp gain but i kno i will be pissed if i see the 05 TSX has 210+ hp .....

Speed_Racer

any new colors?

cmf

I don't wanna burn my 04 Type-S. Actually, having seen these pics, the wait for the 05 model with the new facelift is not worth 10 ponies to me. I'll just drop in an intake and make it up there!

As far as ditching the RSX from Acura's line up......it'll never happen. That car is a seller, probably putting up the best number of sales against any other car in Acura's line-up. I think some have forgetten that Acura also makes the super sporty, super expensive NSX as well. You'll never see that go any time soon as well. Acura is not just a luxo-sedan seller.

jcg878

http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13116


I dunno, doesn't look like it's leading the pack to me, and sales are going in the wrong direction. As long as they continue to make $$ it'll remain in the lineup, but it needs help! I don't think this update will do much.

gocubsgo55

Acura won't ditch its first evedr car, the Integra. I agreed with you at a point as well, get rid of it or make a TL coupe (they eventually did, not anymore). But Acura isn't like the competition. A TSX coupe would be awesome, but it ain't happening any time soon (unless..).

The best reason for the RSX? It will give Acura owner loyalty. People will mostly love their car, and when the time comes to upgrade, step up to a TSX or TL. This really sets Acura apart from the rest. You get the same incentives as an RL owner with the RSX. Try getting that with a tC or Mazda 3.

phile

Likewise you get the same incentive as an RL owner with the TSX, which is a car more worthy of the Acura name than the RSX. Furthermore, the TSX's sales number has shown that it too can bring in entry level car buyers. IMO, the RSX no longer serves a purpose in the Acura lineup - either elevate it to a true luxo coupe/hatchback (Xenons, better tires, higher quality materials used) if it is to remain, or make it a Honda.

TypeRS

anymore changes, and Acura might as well just release an all-new RSX.

xizor

screw this updated RSX, just bring the DC5R over. Type-R would create a nice fanbase, even if it didn't sell too hot. While they're at it, bring the Civic Type-R, give people the cars they actually want.

SPUDMTN

All the RSX does is provide for a cheap car with a premium name. When the owners are ready to upgrade, sure they might go to a TSX or TL...but RSX (heck--even TSX owners) don't have dreams of TL's or RL's dancing through their head (as a popular post is showing). They dream of M3s and C55s and S4s.

And yes, you're right...the cheapness of the RSX does set Acura apart from the rest of the lux brands--it shows that Acura isn't serious about being a true luxury brand.

Sorry, but as great as the RSX is, it needs to be gone from the Acura brand...there's no place for it, as phile said. As of right now, it's only a thorn in Acura's side as they continue to move their models upscale. It either needs to be rebadged as a Honda, or it needs to move up as a TSX hatch or coupe (think 26-28k).

I guess I just need to remember that the RSX is actually a brain-child of Acura's "Dark Ages".

Lung Fu Mo Shi

I agree. The Civic Si here in the US (Si-R in Canada) was very lackluster. Tiny wheels, de-powered engine, and minivan styling killed it. In a year, dealers were going to settle for $15.5K on a $19.1K list price. Sad.

I know some of the reasons are emissions, etc., but look at "the glory days" of CRXs, Civic Si coupes, and Integra Type-Rs. Fun cars.

The RSX is still fun, and Acura is starting to bring that back spirit with the new TSX/TL/RL line-ups. Honda, however, seems to have lost touch. Yes, the Odyssey and Pilot are good. But the Civic Si sucks, there's no Del Sol, Accord V6 6MT Coupes are extremely rare, the original Civics are being passed over for Mazda 3, and the Element is just plain fugly
The only car that seems to be the "halo" car is the S2000, with the staples being the Accord, Odyssey and Pilot.

Of course, opinions are like a-holes, everyone has them.

I'd love to see a CRX replace what the Civic used to be. Beef up the Civic a bit to make it what the old 1987-1994 Accords were. Keep the Accord as the "big sedan" and dump the coupe. Offer the real Civic Type-R in the U.S., and a CRX Si. Potentially use the CRX platform as a convertible base to go head to head with the Miata. Restyle the Element's outside, while maintaining the inside room/cargo and make it the CR-V. Dump the CR-V, no one needs to mini-UTEs in the lineup. Keep the Odyssey right where it is, along with the Pilot and S2000.

That is an exciting, but very practical line up. Essentially move the whole Honda name "downclass" to re-address the cheap tuner/etc. market and address Scion. In addition there are only 5 platforms, including the S2000, listed above: CRX/Fit, Civic, Accord, Pilot. I think that also makes a total of 4-5 engine block choices, total, with few variants.

jcg878

The CR-V alone outsells almost all of Acura's lineup, and Element sales aren't too shabby. I think they'll keep both, and thank you for your suggestion

cmf

Several have mentioned dumping the RSX name and making it a TSX coupe, but make it cost 26-28K????? Does changing a name and adding 4-6K on top of a car price then make it true luxury? It would still be the same car, with minor changes, and not worth 26-28K.

Zoot

Why haven't they dropped the Type-S name?

phile

That's not exactly what I am saying, don't know about the others who voiced the same opinion.

I suggest abandoning the Civic platform altogether for the new RSX, use the Accord platform instead, use at least the 2.4L engine, better tires (probably the most important change), Xenons, better quality material (interior door pulls in the current RSX is the plastic aluminum kind - even a Civic has real chrome door pulls), gauges like the TSX, etc. The bigger price tag would reflect the higher quality of materials/features, it wouldn't be just to price it higher for the sake of making it look like a luxury car. You achieve two things with this: Acura no longer has a sub-20K entry level car (too low IMO for a luxury brand) and Honda can actually have a real; Civic Si without fearing that it's stepping on the RSX's toes, which is currently the case.

titan

Yeah... I think they went to calling their performance vehicles A-Spec, huh?

gocubsgo55

Look to anyone saying that Acura SHOULD do this, and SHOULD do that, I agree. The RSX isn't supposed to be there, but it is. The original Integra shouldn't have been in the Acura lineup to start, but it was. Yes it kind of ruins the image, but guys Acura isn't a BMW, MB, or Audi. The TSX SHOULD have been priced at IS300 levels if Acura was trying to be like all the rest. Why don't all Acura cars have real wood trim, auto-leveling HIDs, and Lexus-like materials? It's because Acura is Acura, they don't try to be like the others, which is just as good as it is bad. Instead of sucking up to the likes of BMW, they give you a competitor that trades the great materials with good materials, while giving you Honda mechanical quality instead of that oh so crappy (enter Gilboman) German mechanical quality (it is true Gilboman, please don't make a counter argument, unless JD Power, Top Gear, and Edmunds.com are wrong in your eyes...).

Acura really should better the materials of the RSX and make it a TSX 2+2. But for the guys saying they should better their image as a true Luxury brand, that would require better materials where it counts (why don't the TL and MDX have real wood?!). If I were Acura, this would be my lineup..

Acura TSX Sports Sedan/TSX Sports Coupe; 28-31k, 325i/ci competator
Acura RDX SUV; 28-31k, X3 competator
Acura TL Sedan/TL coupe; 33-37k, G35 competator
Acura MDX SUV; 38-42k, RX330 competator
Acura RL Sedan; 47-49k, GS300 competator
Acura CL Roadster; 47-49k, Porsche Boxster KILLER
Acura GL; 58-60k, Q45 competator

pretty nice lineup, and the RL, CL, and RDX will become reality. That's a start, but Acura needs more importantly then anything (including the V8 and RWD, which I really don't think are needed), better materials. REAL WOOD, what's wrong with that? If someone makes the argument "because they give you good value, unlike BMW, MB", you have just proven my point.

Sorry for the excessive length of this post, but I'm bored decided to come here and chat .

justinjsw

This is a recycled topic...but lets discuss. During the haydays of the late 80s, early 90s the Interga was king, the icon of the import 4 bangers, the movement of the 'rice mobile', the Micheal Jordan of the import scene. Well...that was than...this is now...like MJ as great as he was, time has passed him by. The Interga/RSX is only great in name but compare to whats available in the current market...its a lackluster offering by Acura. It leads no one in any department. The RSX needs to leave the Acura lineup for a very simple reason...they need to make it raw and fun again, hence a perfect fit for the Honda lineup. In the Honda lineup, they will be able to sell upwards of 100K+ units a yr instead of 28K units a yr while in the Acura stable. With higher production numbers, cost to produce will be lower. Honda can take more chances by offering more options and trims. They no longer have to offer it as an 'econo but now I have leather and climate control so im a semi-luxury lead in to another Acura kind of car'...they can produce it for what it was always meant to be. A pocket rocket.

The pocket rocket, king of the 4-bangers image is not what Acura wants. I hope.

Dan Martin

A lightweight, fuel-efficent pocket rocket is exactly what honda needs. I still think they should discontinue the RSX entirely and bring back the CRX.

phile

Chat is good

Regarding the TL's "wood" - if you've sat in the new TL, you can't tell that it's fake wood. That's what I mean by higher quality materials, not necessarily asking for real wood.

I too do not agree that Acura is trying to imitate the other luxury brands; in fact, I applaud them for that. It's one of the reasons why I can never see past Lexus as nothing more than a Mercedes-Benz wannabe. However, just because you don't directly compete with them doesn't mean you can't indirectly compete. I'm sure Acura's models overlap, if not compete directly, with other models from other luxury brands. And with that said, you can't come into the game not prepared. And the things that I listed isn't asking for too much - they're pretty much standard fare for every luxury brand out there.

dabuda

nice, luv those new headlights

gocubsgo55

I agree with everything you say. People say the TSX's wood is some of the best fake stuff around, but I was shocked to learn the TL had fake stuff too. But when the G35, ES330, CTS, and 300C all have real wood, a decent competator, the TL, also needs wood. But I was sitting in it the other day and noticed that although many parts are great, others were quite lackluster. Take the parking brake boot leather. It felt so cheap, our TSX's boot feels by far better. And the MDX? WTF is up with that? For that price, wood must come standard as in the RX330. Again, I'm not trying to bang on Acura, but for the premium price of these cars, I'd expect better.

But hey, Acura's sales aren't too shabby on either the TL nor the MDX for that matter, so why are they going to change a winning product?

justinjsw

Honda's way of saving our national forest??? :blaze:

gocubsgo55

phile

While the G35 does come with wood, you're overlooking the fact that the other components of the interior are pretty down market. The same can be said for the CTS and 300C. Only the ES330 has them all beat.

I see nothing wrong with the TL using fake wood as long as it looks real. That's why I have issues with the MDX and its fake wood. In fact, the original TL used real wood - but the car had a price tag of 35K.

Lung Fu Mo Shi

Exactly. The Civic is too damn big and "sedan-like" to be that car anymore. Hell, it's bigger and more powerful than my old 1990 Accord.

A 2 seater (plus the obligatory 2 rear kiddie seats) CRX weighing 2300 pounds with a 130 HP engine would rock. Drop in a 2.0L (if it'd fit) 160HP Civic Si motor and you have a fun damn car.

dzuy

i like the new look. we need the type r tho damn it.

LiQiCE

Couple of extra pics I found since the first ones unfortunately went down...

majin ssj eric

I'm pretty happy with all of the current Honda/Acura products with one major caveat: When are they going to wake up and mass produce a V-8?? If friggin Nissan can do it, Honda should too. And how about some RWD while they're at it?!?!

kurt_bradley

Not too worried about that one. Even before the RSX and I parted ways (sort of), I had gotten rid of the FD and swapped in the R one (at the same time of the Phantom Grip), Thrown out every piece of that thing's suspension, and had way more than 210 hp at a much higher redline. I do find it funny that this is Honda's way of trying to revamp the RSX's sales numbers. Not to mention that this change to the car comes less than a year after they chopped production numbers for the car. While it was wise at first, the RSX has been a painful car to sell the last year or so. I do like the new one, but I am definately sure that all the work American Honda has done with Acura's rebirth needs to also include making the RSX into a Honda Integra for the USDM. It's making the lineup lag in its efforts to be "premier." This brand no longer needs an entry-level car. I also feel that the TSX needs to stay put as an Acura. It fits into a segment that Acura needed to fill quite well.

kurt_bradley

Page 3 Owned!



Sorry, I had to do it. It never happens for me.

PinkyLV

I agree, however the "new" RSX is growing on me...the front end reminds me of the Prelude. I need to see this in person.

Black CL-S 4-Life

Too little too late for the RSX. Honda should have brought over the TypeR instead of this.

STL

Never, because they are forward thinking and likely focusing on developing a V6-and-IMA hybrid that will equal the performance of a V8 but spank it in fuel effeciency.

charliemike

Funny to think that 210hp doesn't sound like it's enough ...

But in that price range it's gotta be up there just behind the SRT-4?

lokman

With all the model changes in the past two years, the RSX is out of place in Acura's lineup - the TSX and TL took the brand more upscale, making the RSX look like it is holding Acura back now. The current RSX really belongs in the Honda lineup to fill the Prelude void. That makes the only coupe in Acura's lineup the NSX. They need at least a CL to fill that void in the lower/middle end, and ideally something at the higher end (S2K?), with a new NSX to act as a halo car. The new RD-X will help round things out but the lack of a coupe is disturbing, and it seems like no one has heard any rumours of one?