The newly retired Acura RSX was only made from 2002 to 2006. Though this was a short run, it was a fun and fast time for this sporty coupe. The RSX is Acura's only compact sports car, as compared to the much larger and much pricier NSX. Over the years, the RSX has won numerous awards including becoming one of Car and Driver's "10 Best Award".
Two types of the RSX were made, the base and the Type-S, which added a generous kick with an extra 46bhp bringing the grand total to 201 horsepower. Both the base-type and the type-R RSX's are scheduled to go at least 100,000 miles before needing their first "real" tune-up. With competitors such as the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Toyota Celica, Mini Cooper, and New Beetle, it's a wonder why two of these cars are no longer in production. The Toyota Celica has ended its production in addition to the RSX calling into question the sales of sports coupes.
The RSX was made to replace the Acura Integra as their new sports car, but it's life was cut much shorter than the eight-year production of the 'teg. The RSX was "the last model in the Acura lineup to get the five-sided grille, integrated headlights and tailights, and prominent nose badge that markd the offerings from Honda's premium division. Conversely, it is the first front-drive Honda vehicle to have its engine rotated to move the exhause manifold closer to the catalyst, and the only Acura to adopt the MacPherson strut front suspension." This race-inspired firecracker will be sorely missed but Acura doesn't seem like the type of company to let many years go by before unveiling a new sports coupe.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Ack Attack Post 1: TSX
According to Car and Driver magazine, Acura's TSX model is a repeat winner of the Best Sports Sedan title. Though Acura introduced the TSX to the market in 2003, it has won numerous awards and remains relatively unchanged over its years of production.
The TSX was meant to be a crossbreed between the Acura RSX (which is no longer in production) and the TL sedan. The TSX sedan is in the market as a competitor with the BMW 3 series which generally runs at about $33,000 as compared to the TSX's cool 26,000. Other front-runners in the sedan competition are the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-class.
There is a choice of two different transmissions for the TSX: a 5 spd AT or a 6 spd MT; which cost exactly the same. The 2.4 L 205 horsepower and 164 @ 4500RPM of torque give a quick kick to this unsuspecting sedan, allowing for the integration of the sporty RSX to be seen and felt. The TSX has a five star frontal crash rating and has a four star rollover rating. In fact, it won the "Insurance Institute For Highway Safety's" "Best Pick" in frontal impact.
One of the newer luxury features added to the TSX is the power memory seats, so when you find the perfect position, you can maintain that wonderful spot. This seating position can be assigned to the car keys, allowing the car to sense which driver will be entering the car so their seat position will be ready the moment the get in. A "Multi-Informational Display" (MID) is a new addition to the TSX. The MID sends alerts to the driver when things such as fluid and filter changes and tire rotation need to be taken care of. It also provides an odometer reading, "ambient temperature, [and] oil-life percentage." A "talk" button has also been implemented into the TSX, allowing the driver to control the audio, CD player, "climate control, [and] navigation...without ever taking your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road."
The TSX was meant to be a crossbreed between the Acura RSX (which is no longer in production) and the TL sedan. The TSX sedan is in the market as a competitor with the BMW 3 series which generally runs at about $33,000 as compared to the TSX's cool 26,000. Other front-runners in the sedan competition are the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-class.
There is a choice of two different transmissions for the TSX: a 5 spd AT or a 6 spd MT; which cost exactly the same. The 2.4 L 205 horsepower and 164 @ 4500RPM of torque give a quick kick to this unsuspecting sedan, allowing for the integration of the sporty RSX to be seen and felt. The TSX has a five star frontal crash rating and has a four star rollover rating. In fact, it won the "Insurance Institute For Highway Safety's" "Best Pick" in frontal impact.
One of the newer luxury features added to the TSX is the power memory seats, so when you find the perfect position, you can maintain that wonderful spot. This seating position can be assigned to the car keys, allowing the car to sense which driver will be entering the car so their seat position will be ready the moment the get in. A "Multi-Informational Display" (MID) is a new addition to the TSX. The MID sends alerts to the driver when things such as fluid and filter changes and tire rotation need to be taken care of. It also provides an odometer reading, "ambient temperature, [and] oil-life percentage." A "talk" button has also been implemented into the TSX, allowing the driver to control the audio, CD player, "climate control, [and] navigation...without ever taking your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)