Driving impressions-Acura RSX TypeS
09-05-2005, 05:55 PM
#31
Thread Starter
Today I went to take a look at the MINI. It is one of the other cars on my short list that I'm considering replacing my TL TypeS with. My wife Liz and my son Adam came with me.
The only MINI that I'd consider is the Cooper S with the six speed transmission. And luckily the dealer, Morristown MINI had one to test.
Liz had thought that she might want a MINI when we bought the Civics. She thought the car was cute, and was the perfect size for running around town. She decided on the Civic instead when she decided that it better suited her needs, but she still thought the MINI might've been a good choice. I was especially interested in her opinion because of this, and because she never test drove the MINI.
The dealership was nice enough and a salesman gave me prompt attention. I was absolutely straight with him and explained that there were a few cars in the running and the MINI was one of them. I told him my parameters, and the other cars I was considering. He agreed that they were all good choices and of course, he thought that the MINI was the perfect car for me.
He photocopied my license, we all piled into the car and off we went. Adam and the salesman in the rear, Liz in the passenger seat and I was driving. I turned off the radio and opened the windows. That's how I like to drive.
The seat was comfortable and adequately adjustable, but the seating position felt a bit odd. I felt that I was sitting at an angle, with my feet closer to the center of the car than they should be. This was not a big deal as it was easy to get used to, but it did feel strange.
The gauges were unique. Unique in that the tachometer was made to look like an add on and mounted to the steering column. The speedometer was big, but located in the center of the dash. In a strange way, it reminded me of the gauge cluster in my MG-TD which was also in the center of the dash. As soon a I looked around, I knew that the car was British. I don't know why, but I did. This gauge set up is one of a few configurations depending on the options ordered. More on that later.
The car started right up, but sounded like a very small engined car. I released the brake, put the car in first and off we went. I pushed the car hard, and enjoyed it. It reminded me of the bug eyed Sprites and MG Midgets of the 1950s/1960s. The ride was very active, but very positive in a fun kind of way. The brakes were good, but not as good as the RSX-S and nowhere near as good as the S2000. The clutch felt good and the shifter, while not an S2000 shifter or even an MGB shifter was adequate. The steering was fine. It was responsive with reasonably good feel. The thing I didn't like was the lag on acceleration. The car is supercharged, but on acceleration the car felt turbocharged. There was a distinct lag. I didn't like that at all. If I decide to further consider the MINI and find this lag on the next test, I will not buy the car.
In general, the ride was responsive, firm but active (perhaps a bit too active) and it was noisy. There was as much, if not more body lean than in the RSX-S, and in general, I prefer the ride of the RSX.
When we got back into the showroom, the salesman asked me to sit with him for a few minutes to "build" the car I wanted. It seems the MINI is sold as a bare bones car, and the customer can add an extraordinary amount of options. By time I finished with the options, the "cheap" car that I thought I was looking at turned out to be $24,500. Same as the RSX, and the options were very much the same as come standard on the RSX.
In private I asked Liz what she thought of the car. Immediately, without even the slightest hesitation she said, "I hate it. Please don't buy it. I'm glad I got the Civic." When I asked her why she said that it is too small, to confining, uncomfortable, and didn't have a good ride. She said more, but you get the idea.
Adam didn't like it either, and since he thinks it is the car he is going to learn to drive on in 5 years, he doesn't want me to buy it either. He prefers the RSX.
I liked it. It was a lot of fun to drive. But I didn't like it enough to buy it as a daily driver. Given the choice between the MINI and the RSX-S I would choose the RSX. I was very put off by the lag on acceleration. I also, like Liz, felt that the car was confining. As I said before, the S2000 fits me as if it was molded to me. The MINI feels tight. I can't imagine how it feels for a bigger person if it feels that way to us. Those of you who have met us know that Liz and I are very small people.
There are one or two more cars that I want to consider. I want to look at the new Mitsubishi Eclipse, the Honda Civic Coupe with the 5 speed transmission (possibly the new 2006 SI), and possibly the Volkswagen. Of those the only one that really moves me is the Civic (and possibly the SI). The RSX is looking real good to me.
An aside to all of this is that the people at the dealership are very nice. My salesman and the salesmanager both spent some time with me, even after I told them that I'm not buying today. The salesmanager is about my age and we spent some time talking about older sportscars. We both had a good laugh when I told him that I, "won't hold the fact that the MINI is made in Britian or owned by BMW against it." Very nice people. If I were to buy the car, I'd definitely buy it here.
The only MINI that I'd consider is the Cooper S with the six speed transmission. And luckily the dealer, Morristown MINI had one to test.
Liz had thought that she might want a MINI when we bought the Civics. She thought the car was cute, and was the perfect size for running around town. She decided on the Civic instead when she decided that it better suited her needs, but she still thought the MINI might've been a good choice. I was especially interested in her opinion because of this, and because she never test drove the MINI.
The dealership was nice enough and a salesman gave me prompt attention. I was absolutely straight with him and explained that there were a few cars in the running and the MINI was one of them. I told him my parameters, and the other cars I was considering. He agreed that they were all good choices and of course, he thought that the MINI was the perfect car for me.
He photocopied my license, we all piled into the car and off we went. Adam and the salesman in the rear, Liz in the passenger seat and I was driving. I turned off the radio and opened the windows. That's how I like to drive.
The seat was comfortable and adequately adjustable, but the seating position felt a bit odd. I felt that I was sitting at an angle, with my feet closer to the center of the car than they should be. This was not a big deal as it was easy to get used to, but it did feel strange.
The gauges were unique. Unique in that the tachometer was made to look like an add on and mounted to the steering column. The speedometer was big, but located in the center of the dash. In a strange way, it reminded me of the gauge cluster in my MG-TD which was also in the center of the dash. As soon a I looked around, I knew that the car was British. I don't know why, but I did. This gauge set up is one of a few configurations depending on the options ordered. More on that later.
The car started right up, but sounded like a very small engined car. I released the brake, put the car in first and off we went. I pushed the car hard, and enjoyed it. It reminded me of the bug eyed Sprites and MG Midgets of the 1950s/1960s. The ride was very active, but very positive in a fun kind of way. The brakes were good, but not as good as the RSX-S and nowhere near as good as the S2000. The clutch felt good and the shifter, while not an S2000 shifter or even an MGB shifter was adequate. The steering was fine. It was responsive with reasonably good feel. The thing I didn't like was the lag on acceleration. The car is supercharged, but on acceleration the car felt turbocharged. There was a distinct lag. I didn't like that at all. If I decide to further consider the MINI and find this lag on the next test, I will not buy the car.
In general, the ride was responsive, firm but active (perhaps a bit too active) and it was noisy. There was as much, if not more body lean than in the RSX-S, and in general, I prefer the ride of the RSX.
When we got back into the showroom, the salesman asked me to sit with him for a few minutes to "build" the car I wanted. It seems the MINI is sold as a bare bones car, and the customer can add an extraordinary amount of options. By time I finished with the options, the "cheap" car that I thought I was looking at turned out to be $24,500. Same as the RSX, and the options were very much the same as come standard on the RSX.
In private I asked Liz what she thought of the car. Immediately, without even the slightest hesitation she said, "I hate it. Please don't buy it. I'm glad I got the Civic." When I asked her why she said that it is too small, to confining, uncomfortable, and didn't have a good ride. She said more, but you get the idea.
Adam didn't like it either, and since he thinks it is the car he is going to learn to drive on in 5 years, he doesn't want me to buy it either. He prefers the RSX.
I liked it. It was a lot of fun to drive. But I didn't like it enough to buy it as a daily driver. Given the choice between the MINI and the RSX-S I would choose the RSX. I was very put off by the lag on acceleration. I also, like Liz, felt that the car was confining. As I said before, the S2000 fits me as if it was molded to me. The MINI feels tight. I can't imagine how it feels for a bigger person if it feels that way to us. Those of you who have met us know that Liz and I are very small people.
There are one or two more cars that I want to consider. I want to look at the new Mitsubishi Eclipse, the Honda Civic Coupe with the 5 speed transmission (possibly the new 2006 SI), and possibly the Volkswagen. Of those the only one that really moves me is the Civic (and possibly the SI). The RSX is looking real good to me.
An aside to all of this is that the people at the dealership are very nice. My salesman and the salesmanager both spent some time with me, even after I told them that I'm not buying today. The salesmanager is about my age and we spent some time talking about older sportscars. We both had a good laugh when I told him that I, "won't hold the fact that the MINI is made in Britian or owned by BMW against it." Very nice people. If I were to buy the car, I'd definitely buy it here.
09-05-2005, 06:12 PM
#32
The 2006 Civic Si sounds very promising; I REALLY like what I'm seeing. There was a very nice writeup in our local paper's Cars section a couple days ago. That's out soon, so it might be a good contender.
I like your writup of the MINI test drive - you're motivating me to go try one out (not that I'm buying anything soon..)
JonasM
I like your writup of the MINI test drive - you're motivating me to go try one out (not that I'm buying anything soon..)
JonasM
09-05-2005, 06:31 PM
#33
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by JonasM,Sep 5 2005, 10:12 PM
The 2006 Civic Si sounds very promising; I REALLY like what I'm seeing. There was a very nice writeup in our local paper's Cars section a couple days ago. That's out soon, so it might be a good contender.
I like your writup of the MINI test drive - you're motivating me to go try one out (not that I'm buying anything soon..)
JonasM
I like your writup of the MINI test drive - you're motivating me to go try one out (not that I'm buying anything soon..)
JonasM
You should test drive it. Its really a fun car. Its not exactly what I want for my daily driver, but it is a fun car to drive.
09-10-2005, 07:28 PM
#34
Thread Starter
Lexus ES330
Before I start, I have to make it clear that I had no intention of buying the Lexus. I really didn't even want to test drive it. It doesn't appeal to me in the least. Still, before she broke her heel, my mother bought one. It has been sitting in her garage with a grand total of 553 miles on it. So today, during our visit, I decided to take it out for a test. The nice thing about testing my mother's car is that I don't have to listen to a sales pitch.
When you first get into the Lexus you are amazed by the level of luxury. The leather, the fake wood trim, the switches and buttons, the new car smell and the panache that comes with the name Lexus. Remarkably, from the outside it looks like a Toyota Camry's big sister, but on the inside it is quite the luxury car. As you would expect from any Toyota product, the fit and finish is excellent. What is remarkable is the electronic gadgets in the car. There are seat warmers, seat coolers. A button to adjust the pedal height, a navi system that is tied to the radio and a cd changer. A mirror with a built in compass and a trip computer that can calculate mpg, vehicle range, expected time of arrival and probably file your taxes. All amazing stuff.
The problem is that this isn
Before I start, I have to make it clear that I had no intention of buying the Lexus. I really didn't even want to test drive it. It doesn't appeal to me in the least. Still, before she broke her heel, my mother bought one. It has been sitting in her garage with a grand total of 553 miles on it. So today, during our visit, I decided to take it out for a test. The nice thing about testing my mother's car is that I don't have to listen to a sales pitch.
When you first get into the Lexus you are amazed by the level of luxury. The leather, the fake wood trim, the switches and buttons, the new car smell and the panache that comes with the name Lexus. Remarkably, from the outside it looks like a Toyota Camry's big sister, but on the inside it is quite the luxury car. As you would expect from any Toyota product, the fit and finish is excellent. What is remarkable is the electronic gadgets in the car. There are seat warmers, seat coolers. A button to adjust the pedal height, a navi system that is tied to the radio and a cd changer. A mirror with a built in compass and a trip computer that can calculate mpg, vehicle range, expected time of arrival and probably file your taxes. All amazing stuff.
The problem is that this isn
09-11-2005, 04:16 AM
#35
A bit off topic, but one of the things I found so cool about the +1's BMW is that when you put the car in reverse and start to back into a parking place, the right side mirror turns downward so you can see where you are in relation to the curb/parking space line. I'm so used to cars with no frills on them - this really impressed me! 
09-11-2005, 05:34 AM
#36
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by MsPerky,Sep 11 2005, 08:16 AM
A bit off topic, but one of the things I found so cool about the +1's BMW is that when you put the car in reverse and start to back into a parking place, the right side mirror turns downward so you can see where you are in relation to the curb/parking space line. I'm so used to cars with no frills on them - this really impressed me!
When we bought our TL we were amazed by the gadgets, including the "dipping" passenger side mirror that you mentioned. The first time I saw it move I had the same reaction that you did.
The Lexus has all of that and more. It's too bad it's not a drivers car but it is a gadget lovers car.
09-17-2005, 09:02 PM
#37
Thread Starter
Liz and I stopped at our local Honda dealer today to pick up two oil filters. It's time to change the oil on our Civics.
While there we saw the new 2006 Civic. Honda hit a home run with this car. We saw and sat in a 2006 4 door Civic EX. I'd have taken it out for a test drive, but it was an automatic and I'd be interested in the five speed manual. I am taking one for a test drive next week, when they get it.
The car resembles the Acura TSX to the point that if I didn't know better I'd say it was modeled after it. It is beautiful, inside and out. I am adding it to my list pending my test drive (the regular Civic sedan and the SI). More after the test drive.
While there we saw the new 2006 Civic. Honda hit a home run with this car. We saw and sat in a 2006 4 door Civic EX. I'd have taken it out for a test drive, but it was an automatic and I'd be interested in the five speed manual. I am taking one for a test drive next week, when they get it.
The car resembles the Acura TSX to the point that if I didn't know better I'd say it was modeled after it. It is beautiful, inside and out. I am adding it to my list pending my test drive (the regular Civic sedan and the SI). More after the test drive.
09-18-2005, 03:43 AM
#38
Keep us posted Rob.
09-18-2005, 04:54 AM
#39
I drove an LX 5-speed a couple days ago, and I really liked it. If my current Civic gives up the ghost before I'm planning on a replacement, then the new Civic is a contender.
(I'm thinking that the new Jazz will probably fill that spot if needed though.)
JonasM
(I'm thinking that the new Jazz will probably fill that spot if needed though.)
JonasM
09-20-2005, 06:32 PM
#40
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Central CT
Posts: 3,371
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
After reading this post it seems like you're still interested in the RSX. I don't know how you feel about aftermarket parts on a new car, but Revo makes an entire shifter assembly for the RSX. It really makes quite a difference. I had one on my previous civic 01' and I would have to say it rivaled my S for shifting. The cost is around $150-200ish. Just thought you might be interested.