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2003 Acura RSX User Reviews

2003 Acura RSX Review Ratings

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Average Ratings from 33 reviews

  • Performance:4.3 out of 5 stars4.3 out of 5 stars4.3 out of 5 stars4.3 out of 5 stars4.3 out of 5 stars 4.3 / 5
  • Appearance:4.4 out of 5 stars4.4 out of 5 stars4.4 out of 5 stars4.4 out of 5 stars4.4 out of 5 stars 4.4 / 5
  • Build Quality:4.7 out of 5 stars4.7 out of 5 stars4.7 out of 5 stars4.7 out of 5 stars4.7 out of 5 stars 4.7 / 5
  • Overall:4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars 4.6 / 5

Review Highlights Click to filter reviews below

PROS
"ride" 17 reviews
"fuel economy" 15 reviews
"power" 13 reviews
"handling" 11 reviews
"speed" 7 reviews
CONS
"power" 8 reviews
"transmission" 2 reviews
"fuel economy" 2 reviews
"small space" 2 reviews
"seat" 2 reviews

User Reviews

Displaying 1 - 10 of 33 reviews 1234 Next
Joshua writes:
2003 Acura RSX Type-S Review
Appearance:
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Pros

Looks good, drives good, and its made by Honda, so you know it will last good.

Cons

Needs just a little more power in my poinion.. I think 260 would be nice.

155

Arura Rsx Type-s 2003 — Great overall car right out of the box. Great for anyone looking to get into better than average performance. The Type-S is able to reach 140 mph in its stock form. This car stock is better than pre K20 Civic SIs. The Good: -Close the sunroof and feel the car get slicker as it loses resistance climbing ever higher towards its top speed. -The Stock 6 disk CD changer and cassette by BOSE complete with 8" Sub that mounts in the hub of the spare tire. -Leather interior, 6 speed manual, steering that tightens as you go faster, and wipers that do the same. -No more timing belt - K series uses a chain that doesnt have to be replaced for the life of the engine. The Less than Good: -The cable shift is a little finicky - just by itself - Honda did better with the cable shift 5 speeds. -2nd gear in the tranny tends to grind if your not careful how you shift. (2nd gear kits are available aftermarket.) -Spark Plugs are expensive - the correct ones last forever but will run you over $15/each. -CV Drive Shafts are impossible to find Aftermarket - be ready to get OE parts from Acura/Honda dealers. (hopefully this changes before long)

Primary Use: Sport/fun (spirited driving, track racing, off-roading, etc.)

3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Larry writes:
2003 Acura RSX Type-S Review
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Pros

Best car I have ever owned, now has 139,000 miles, drives like a car with 40,000. Handling, power  (for a 4 cylinder) amazing.

Cons

Clutch master cylinder failed after replacing car shifts perfectly no more grinding or third gear problems.

45

Great Sporty Car — I have seen a lot of reviews on the RSX type S the major complaints seem to be the 6 speed transmission, shifting and grinding. My car had this similar problem when I purchased it. I changed trans fluid with Amsoil Product, which did seem to help a little, but after reading about the clutch master cylinder problems I purchased an after market Master cylinder, had it installed, and all transmission problems GONE! This car also still has the original clutch that does not slip and works fine. Only other thing replaced on the car have been oxygen sensors and catalytic converter. Also have installed Acura A Spec suspension, lowers the car about an inch and handles fantastic, it does ride a little firmer which I prefer anyway I am 61 years old and absolutely love this kids car LOL

Primary Use: Sport/fun (spirited driving, track racing, off-roading, etc.)

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Eric writes:
2003 Acura RSX Coupe w/ 5-spd Review
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Pros

Great cargo space, zippy enough without being overpowered.

Cons

okay build quality, might even be a little underpowered.

45

Decent All Around For A Coupe — The first 5-speed I've owned. I can wring some power out of it if I need to, but its not as quick as it should be off the line. And, after spending a few years in Boston has accumulated its fair share of dents, which show quite noticeably. I like the zeroed-out gauges and the red lighting, but the build quality leaves a little to be desired. The car has a deep-seated rattle somewhere in the dash, I can't pinpoint it either, and its been there for years. The drivers-side power window motor has always had issues too, and the fuel-gauge never seems to tell me how much gas I actually have in the tank. (During the course of a day it might go from reading 1/4 of a tank to E with the fuel light on, after about 10 miles of driving). Oh, and the seat-belt retractors have worn out due to the seat-belts hanging on the bucket seats when you unfasten them. It does feel like a luxury car though sometimes, the leather wrapped steering wheel is nice and so is the leather trim and seats. One thing this little car has is a lot of cargo room for a coupe. I've fit more crap in there than I thought on more than one occasion. On the performance side, the 2 liter, 160 HP inline 4 does a decent job. I can pull it past 100 without much effort. The car is a bit too heavy for the engine though. No mistaking this for anything but a slightly higher displacement 4 cyl. Even power delivery all the way up to red-line though. I feel any change in weight though, which means the engine is producing just enough power, and might actually be a little underpowered. It is fun, the small steering wheel gives precision to your driving, its quick and responsive with some serious road feel and feedback. Its never too easy to turn the wheel, so it doesn't feel lazy or slow. The transmission is good, easy to find the right gear and although the friction zone is a little strange, you get used to it. Gas mileage is decent, yet pretty poor for the city, or it could be my driving. Either way, I'd almost rather have a Honda Fit or just ride my motorcycle more places! :)

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Mark writes:
2003 Acura RSX Type-S Review
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Performance:
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Pros

Great performance at a great value

Cons

Problems relating to the mods that I installed...like having no suspension left because its been lowered 2", etc.

35

Acura Rsx Type-s...great Little Car! — As a stock car, its great. Its reliable, fun to drive, comfortable, everything you want in a car. With the mods I put on it, that isn't the really case anymore. Ces't La Vie But even with the Mods, the gas mileage is great, the performance is pretty good. 0-60 comes in about 6 seconds, stops on a dime, and the handling is superb. All in all, I would definitely own another own another Acura!

Primary Use: Commuting to work

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Luke writes:
2003 Acura RSX Coupe w/ 5-spd Review
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Performance:
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Pros

Alot of fun for a great price.

Cons

Really only for 2 people comfortably

35

Worth More Than You Pay. — Great turning radius, good accel, quality interior, decent gas milage for the style, alittle cramped minimal back seat room. plenty of cargo room. Very well priced. a lot of fun to drive. Sturdy suspension, good visibility. Very much worth it.

Primary Use: Sport/fun (spirited driving, track racing, off-roading, etc.)

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Kevin writes:
2003 Acura RSX Type-S Review
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Pros

Engine, Seats, Steering feel, Brakes, good gas mileage, huge cargo area

Cons

No power under 5000 RPM, sometimes doesn't go into 3rd gear easily

75

Great Little Sporty Car — Great engine, great steering feel, great seating position and ergonomics. Amazingly fun to drive. Sad they discontinued it.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Matt writes:
2003 Acura RSX Type-S Review
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Pros

well above average in every department

Cons

None really.

45

Solid Little Coupe. — Front-wheel drive and plenty practical while very sporty. While it is not a mid-engine supercar, it is really fun to drive fast. The car is also really kind to every-day activities like parking, sitting in traffic, buying stuff, putting stuff into your car, and even taking friends places. It's not luxury sedan, but has room for a couple of average sized people in the back. The regular RSX is quick and the RSX Type-S is fast. However, the regular old RSX tends to feel faster around town since it's engine is geared for more torque- so you get more ooomph from the engine right away. That means no waiting for the power to build with the rpms. However, IF you get the Type-S, it rewards you with intensely high revs and great handling. The Type-S also has a really fun and friendly gearbox and clutch that just beg to play. Both are great, but I would opt for the Type-S.

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Allison writes:
2003 Acura RSX Review
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Allison
115

Fun And Peppy Car — I leased the RSX-S for three years and absolutely loved the car. Externally it's beautiful: very sleek with clean lines. The deep metallic blue color was especially striking, and always stood out in a crowd. Inside the car had great leather seats and a modern silver with red backlight instrument cluster. I wish the US models came with heated seats, but it appears that only the Canadian models had that feature. I also didn't like the bucket seats - it was impossible to reach into the back seat to grab something. But I think the bucket seats add to the sportiness of the car. The engine was really exciting, and I'm not one to normally get excited about engines. It revs up really high, especially when you have the stick-shift model that I had, and it was a lot of fun to drive. I think the RSX is a great quality car. It's a relatively affordable car that you can feel cool driving up to any club or restaurant's Valet service.

Owner for 3 years, 0 months

Miles Driven per Year:5,000

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Hern2116 writes:
2003 Acura RSX Type-S Review
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Pros

Good car, fast, reliable. Never had any mechanical problems with it. You can customize this car in pretty much any way you want. The type s is the way to go if you want to purchase a RSX.

Cons

Doesn't really have much room in the back seats.

Hern2116
25

I Love This Car, But Its Time For Me To Get A Sedan. — I love this car and would recommend it to any one who wants to have fun and go fast. It is good on gas and is very easily modified to be a great racing car or show car. It is very versatile and doesn't have to be a street car, it can be a good commuter car.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

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chrismrose writes:
2003 Acura RSX Coupe w/ Leather Review
Back Seats:
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Pros

Good power and great gas mileage.

Cons

No room in backseat.

chrismrose
20

Fun To Drive — Excellent handling and power with great gas mileage to boot.Probably gets around 34 miles per gallon on the highway and about 39 in the city. Not much room in the backseat though.The front seats have good support. Road noise is minimal at 60mph. There are no major blindspots

Primary Use: Commuting to work

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Similar Cars Compared to a 2003 Acura RSX

2003 Acura RSX 2003 Honda Civic 2004 Acura TSX
2003 Acura RSX, 2005 Acura RSX Type-S picture, exterior
2003 Honda Civic, 2001 Honda Civic EX Coupe picture, exterior
2004 Acura TSX 5-spd picture, exterior
Cost $8,130 Average Instant Market Value $6,819 Average Instant Market Value $10,483 Average Instant Market Value
Gas Mileage (highway) 30 35 32
Horsepower 160 115 200
Cargo Volume (cu. ft.) 16.0 13.0
Front Leg Room (inches) 43.1 42.5 42.40

Reviews From Other Years

2006 Acura RSX Reviews

Pros And Cons By jdavis26

Has great acceleration and always climbing. Spacious front seats, smooth handling pretty good gas mileage if driven appropriately, has pretty good stock power runing 200 hp at 7800rpm. Cargo capacity ... Read More

A Good Car If You Looking For Something Quick But Not Fast And That Looks Good By Kevin

i like this car alot but havent had it long so i will say more when i get a better opinion of the car, so far 02 sensor was bad after the cat and everything else is ok to me. Read More

Read all 36 2006 Acura RSX reviews

2005 Acura RSX Reviews

Sporty And Reliable By emmie1005

Maintenance costs are average, except my driver's side power window died and I was told that it would cost $350 to fix it. They said the parts for the Type-S window motor & regulator would cost about ... Read More

Jdm By Danfly123

i love this car, its sporty mean while its a everyday car and it only has 62000 miles and it runs like new! if you love sporty cars i recommend you to take a look at my car you will love it!(; Read More

Read all 30 2005 Acura RSX reviews

2004 Acura RSX Reviews

I Love To Drive This Car! By Badger446124

This is great daily driver,great gas milage,and it has his and hers sport shifter,it has give me no trouble and is very dependable,its security system is a little sensitive but it was well worth the m... Read More

Excellent Craftmanship By Badger446124

The best car ive ever had.it has had zero problems,just regular stuff,it runs strong and handles like a dream,gas milage improved to 33 mpg with cold air kit.kenwood sound system with navigator make i... Read More

Read all 41 2004 Acura RSX reviews

2002 Acura RSX Reviews

Good Daily Driver Car By OudomP

This was my first brand new car that I've ever bought. after 280,000 miles and 10 years of ownership, this car is still going strong like day one. Maybe simply because I have used Mobile1 Synthetic ... Read More

Fun, Affordable, Quick Little Acura By jaredtaylor

Great car, purchased in Nov 2001 and driven until Aug 2012. No major maintenance problems or issues during the 120k miles I racked up on it. Sad to see it discontinued, but wouldn't be surprised to ... Read More

Read all 57 2002 Acura RSX reviews
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