Funny you should mention the RSX and the GTI. I had an 01 GTI VR6 before I got my 03 RSX. The seats do fold down. I am not sure who told you they won't . The room is plenty for groceries even without folding the seats down. However, with the seats down you can actually put mid size mountain bikes or a big screen TV even. The GTI had about the same amount of trunk space IMO. The differences were very minimal.

 

Thanks for all the stories, definitely getting some good advice on the car from everyone involved.

Still looking for a verdict on the Mazda3 competitor. It does not compare with the RSX in terms of fun-to-drive. I'm sure of that before I test drive. I'll probably hit the Mazda dealer later this week. I feel it's important to at least check out the competition.

Anyone have any firsthand experience to share?

--Diamond

 

Well, I've moved twice with my RSX and I'm doing so again right now. Back seats down, hatch cover off, and it's been amazing the amount of stuff that'll fit in there. With the exception of huge objects like a couch and a workdesk, I've been able to move all my crap each time in just three trips.

If you're gonna be going to the Mazda dealership, I'd suggest checking out the Mazda6 5-door hatch too. Even with the V6 it's still in the Type-S price range. The Mazda6's are amazing, both in style and in build quality. It is bigger than the RSX, but it's still a pretty compact sedan. Personally, I'm sold on the 6. I'll be trading my 02 RSX end of this year for the V6 5-door. The RSX is incredibly versatile because of it's hatch, but if you need a usable rear seat, it sucks unless your friends are all 5'5" or shorter. And even then, the RSX rear suspension is so stiff and the roof is so low that it's not comfortable at all. Even short passengers will hit their heads and feel every road jolt.

However, neither Mazda will touch the RSX in terms of fun to drive, so if rear seating isn't a big deal, imo the only other car on the market to look at right now is the Scion tC.

 

like many people i went from a 3rd gen integ to the rsx
imo the hatch is a lot larger and deeper
the rear seats are a pain unless your short but what do you expect from a sport compact....i have moved and taken around a lot of stuff in my rsx

 

Thanks Troopa-R for attacking the Mazda comparison issue. I'm hoping to do a test drive of both the 3 and 6 today or tomorrow. I appreciate your honesty, especially in a forum dedicated to Honda/Acura. You've got guts.

--Diamond

 

I thought I'd update all of ya. I hit Mazda yesterday (<BAM!>), and test drove the 3. Unfortunately, they didn't have ANY sticks in stock! So I had to drive the auto (with manu-matic whatever). I imagine the stick will be similar to my Focus, however they did mention that tho the body / chassis are from the Euro Focus, the engine / transmission are Japanese. Oh well.

Anyway, the 3 rode nice. It would definitely be an upgrade to my Focus. Unfortunately, there is no availability on them (they're selling well, with low stock as it's new). So, negotiation room was tight. That's a big downer since I know already from some preliminary negotiations that Acura was willing to move quite a bit from the $23,865 retail.

The other problem, it felt just like my Focus. It feels like I'd be stepping into the same car with some minor upgrades here, and some minor upgrades there. Acura would at least be a new car. :ugh:

My friend I was with also test drove the 6, which had lots of negotiating room, but too much sticker, and too much car. Not interested at all. He was at the point where his 6i with options was cheaper than my loaded 3s. Not interested anyway.

I'm starting to reconsider everything. I did love the RSX but the rear seat is a major downer. I've got some decisions to make...

--Diamond

 

I was that 6'2" guy...IT WAS ME!!!! Yeah, you do have to duck, luckily Honda_Pilots EX was the shortest chick ever, so she had her seat like all the way up. And we had a ski rack from my civic adapted on the top of the RSX, so out ski's weren't inside.

 

Out of curiousity -- you keep mentioning how bad the back seat is in the RSX and how that's what's really holding you back from getting one -- so what is it you need a large amount of back seat room for anyway? If it's just for lugging friends around in then why is it such a big deal? You're not going to be sitting back there yourself are you?

I'm not trying to flame, just curious. Personally I got the car that I wanted since I'm the one who paid for it and has to live with it on a daily basis. If a friend doesn't like my back seat they can either get over it or drive themselves around...

 

Bad backseat makes for you being less of a taxi, also we don't allow anyone in on the driver's side, that way we don't have to adjust the seat.

 

This was essentially my attitude when I bought the RSX 3 years ago, but experience with the RSX has shown me that it's an added hassle not being able to put people in the back seat. Maybe it's just "poor, starving 20-something in California" syndrome, but more often than not, my friends and I carpool in order to save on gas and to use carpool lanes (which are 3+ occupants). I do use my car to drive people around, and so do my friends. It's inconvenient and it's rude to always be mooching off other people for rides. While the taxi analogy may be true, the backseat is also a very valuable resource for utility and convenience.

I love my RSX. But having riden (slept) in the back of my own car on a road trip, it is not comfortable, and I wouldn't subject anyone I know to that either. But again, that's just me. 3 years of driving the RSX have made me understand that I need a 5-door, even if some other people don't. Like you said, we're the ones that live with it on a daily basis. As my daily driver, the RSX wasn't meeting my needs on a lot of levels because of the backseat.