Will this 2004 Acura RSX score a coupe coupe for $8,900? – Jalopnik

Although it doesn’t have as memorable a name as the previous Integra, the current Nice Price or No Dice RSX is just as nice a car. Let’s see if this neat coupe is worth its asking price in dirty money.

Is it okay for a car to lie to you? When they were first offered for sale over two decades ago, Dodge’s Neon SRT-4 was claimed to produce 215 horsepower from its 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. When some suspicious owners tested that claim by putting the cars on a dyno, it was discovered that the engine actually made much more than that number. Since it appeared completely stock except for a cone filter intake, the 2003 Dodge Neon SRT-4 that came our way yesterday might be old enough that average wear and tear has taken its toll on that surplus power. Still, there seemed to be plenty of life left in it, and for $8,700, many of you thought this was a reasonable opportunity to partake in that vibrancy. A solid ‘Nice Price’ win of 60% was the result.

Today let’s compare and contrast. This 2004 Acura RSX is the same age, size and price as yesterday’s Neon. The difference between the two is the number of doors, the Dodge’s hairier personality, and the Acura’s much more inviting interior and overall build quality. Which car would you rather have?

Acura introduced the RSX for the 2002 model year as both a continuation and a replacement of the Integra. The name change was prompted by parent company Honda’s concern that individual model names (Legend, Integra, etc.) were taking up more space with consumers in the marketplace than the brand as a whole, Acura. In what, in retrospect, was a very stupid move, the company threw out all the model names and replaced them with an alphabet soup of three-letter identifiers. The Integra nameplate recently returned to Acura’s US lineup, paired with a rather nice small four-door sedan based on the Honda Civic. The rest of the model range, however, consists of the larger TLX and a range of crossovers, all called “something-DX” without apparent rhyme or reason.

This RSX is more similar in intent to the original Integra than the current car, although the model range dropped the four-door model from the earlier range. It should be noted that this isn’t the hotter Type-S model either, as it lacks that car’s 200-horsepower engine and six-speed manual transmission. Instead, this RSX is a base car, making do with a 2.0-liter K20A3 four with Honda’s intelligent variable valve timing (iVTEC), which helps the DOHC engine produce a still-respectable 160 horsepower and 142 pound-feet of torque. Here it is linked to a five-speed manual transmission that drives the front wheels in traditional Honda fashion.

This is a first generation RSX, i.e. before the 2005 refresh, and as such it is the nicer car. In another questionable move, Acura dulled the RSX’s styling with that refresh, removing the cutouts in the front and rear bumpers where the headlights and taillights nestle, respectively. Despite the somewhat institutional color combination of Taffeta White (yes, that’s the name of the color) and Titanium, these elements give the car some character. That was lost in later editions.

According to the ad, the bodywork under the white coat is in excellent condition and has a completely accident-free history. The five-spoke alloy wheels also appear to be in excellent condition and feature new-looking Michelin meat. In addition, the green valve stem caps ensure that these tires are nitrogen-rich!

The cabin appears to be in equally good condition, reflecting the car’s fairly modest 120,000 miles. There is some visible wear on the driver’s seat cushion, but on the plus side, all seats are covered in perforated leather that is available as an option. Everything else seems standard and stock, except for the stereo main unit, which is a single DIN Sony. This is an old enough car to be mostly analog, so there’s not even a small screen in the dash and the HVAC is completely manual. The car has power windows and locks, so driving it won’t quite feel like Fred Flintstone is your neighbor. A clean title and a recently passed smog test are additional features.

As we discussed at the beginning, this RSX and yesterday’s Neon are chasing the same seas in terms of intent and current price. Both are compact cars with a sporty character. To be fair, though, there are some substantial differences between the original build quality and the current state. At $8,900, the Acura is a few Benjamins more than the Dodge, but the nicer interior and likely more refined Honda character may be worth the extra cost.

What do you think? Is this apparently very well-maintained RSX worth the $8,900 asking price presented in the ad? Or is that too much to ask for this Integra wannabe?

You decide!

Los Angeles, California, Craigslistor go here when the ad disappears.

H/T to Fauxshizzle for the hookup!

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