I love the idea of a new sporty RSX, question is, will it handle my daily utility needs? Am I gonna be able to bring a full load of groceries home? How about dealing with larger items? I've heard that the rear seatbacks don't fold-down, but then tonight I located materials that said otherwise, which is it? (Looking at new '04s.)

Tell me some experiences on what the car can handle. Also, what about taking some passengers along for the ride. It's definitely got the shortest rear seat, but I'm willing to say that it's my comfort that comes first!

Keep in mind that I'm comparing this guy to the GTI and Mazda3. Thanks for any stories, and sorry if this isn't performance-oriented. Who knows, maybe I'll be asking about how to super/turbo-charge my engine soon enough...

--Diamond

 

My sister in law has a 2k3 Type S and its her daily driver. That car gets used more often for grocery shopping and such else than my brother's Accord. Rear seats are really small, but other than that I think the car has sufficient cargo space for short and long trip.

 

Me and my ex have taken her 03 Type S to Vermont on ski trips with tons of ski bags and luggage and had a 6'-2" guy in the backseat on a 4 hour drive and we encountered no discomforts or complaints.

 

The rear seats do fold down. There's TONS of cargo space. (Unless, like me, you're hauling around two twelve inch subs in a large bandpass box with an amp and a cap in the trunk...)

As far as the comfort of the rear seat -- I've never sat back there myself, but I've had passengers say they actually think the back seat is more comfortable on long trips than the front passenger seat!

 

i've never had a backseat passenger, nor have i ever been a backseat passenger in an RSX, but my bf and i have taken my RSX-S to the beach for several long weekends, and i'm sure it would do fine with groceries as well, there really is a good bit of cargo space in the back and the seats do fold down. mine is my daily, going to work, school, shopping, etc no complaints!

 

We carry around a 90# White German Shepherd in the backseat of our RSXTypeS, not a problem except for her white hair. Groceries we can usually put in at least a couple hundred dollars worth without problems, and we also have two collapsable coolers for carrying the perishables.

 

The RSX actually has a lot of carrying room. With the back seat down I've fit 2 mountain bikes in the hatch.

Camping this weekend I fit all of the gear for my girlfriend and I in with room to spare.

People are always surprised how big the hatch is.

 

LOL binarystatic. Who knows, maybe I will upgrade the stereo.

I appreciate all the responses. I've confirmed with Acura (and obviously, everyone here) that the seats do fold down. I can't even remember where I read otherwise anymore.

It's good to hear all the examples. I've always been extremely impressed with how well my Focus ZX3 handles cargo, and from what I've seen and heard, I think the RSX will be quite comparable (bicycles, 90# German Shephard, passengers + luggage). Honda_Pilot: You actually took three people and ski equipment (ski's especially) on a long trip and were comfortable?

I still don't think the backseat is terribly comfortable - I have sat there, and I know that at 6'2" you gotta duck. But for someone my size and under (5'9"), it might be doable.

What do you guys think about the two competing models I'm comparing with? Based on this thread I will probably eliminate the GTI, but the Mazda3 is still a good value (at 19k it's more than 4k cheaper).

 

Going from my rsx to my G35 really makes me miss the room I had. I think the rsx is a pretty good car for everyday things like going to the store and bringing back a few bags of groceries and taking trips and having a place to put your luggage. I think you would be happy if you decided to get the rsx. Besides just the car its self, Honda/Acura is a great company. You can't go wrong.

 

BTW forgot to mention that we have traveled and had our Lab Sara (RIP) who weighed 85#, Luggage and dog food, bowls, extra water (for humans and dog) for up to two weeks.

Last year when STARR our Shepherd was a puppy we carried her cage in the car set up so that she rode in it, with the 1 backseat folded down. It was a small puppy cage approximately 20"T x 20"W x 26"L