I was in decision between an 04 and 05 RSX-S for several months now. My local dealer just got in 2 RSX-S's this past weekend.
There has been a lot of people that say they like the 04 styling better, but I definitely disagree. The 05 is very nice looking once you see it in person.
Front: I like both old and new headlights about the same. The body is nicer on 05.
Sides: About the same. No change, maybe a little lower on 05.
Rear: I like the new tail lights quite a bit better. The standard rear lip is a very nice touch. I did not want a 'full' spoiler, so this is a great middle point. The body of the rear looks extended lower. I do not know if it in fact is, but sure looks better. There is a black piece in the middle of the rear bumper. It could look silly depending on color. I am getting a black car so this wasn't of much importance to me.
Interior: Not much has changed. I prefer the 04 gauges. The 05 ones have black numbers, but do light up red. The doors have leather on them that looks more like the seats. That is all I can think of.
Wheels: The new 17"s looks great. The car is less 4x4-ish now, although many thought the new wheels would make this worse.
Overall: The new look is sleeker, the old is possibly more 'racy' simply due to the headlights. My vote goes with 05 on appearance.
Driving: Keep in mind I drove an 04 about 1.5 months ago so someone else might be better to judge. I drove mainly on the highway due to congested weekend traffic by the dealer. It doesn't feel much different. i-VTEC crossover feels smoother. Redline has been increased to 8100 if you didn't know already. The car is possibly a little quieter as well. I read that someone else thought the same. It is definitely quieter than my 97 Prelude. This is one of those cars that you have to watch your RPMs. It seemed to rev up fairly quickly due to the new final drive and maybe from other changes as well. As far as the suspension I cannot comment since I only did highway driving.
Me: I put a deposit down on a black 05 Type S that will hopefully come in this week. I will post pics as soon as I get it.
Me: I put a deposit down on a black 05 Type S that will hopefully come in this week. I will post pics as soon as I get it.
Awesome man, let us know when you get it. Be sure and post pictures.
__________________ Arctic Blue Pearl RSX Type S
i-VTEC do you? Check out my ride
AEM CAI - JDM Type R Intake Manifold - Hondata IMG - JDM Type R Cams - DC Sports SS Race Header - Greddy Evo II - Hondata K-pro (Untuned) - Progress Coil Overs - Progress Front Sway Bar - Progress Rear Sway Bar - JDM Type R Headlights - JDM Type R Valve Cover - VIS OEM Carbon Fiber Hood
Give me a couple weeks and I can give you a full analysis.
not to bring back a post, but any updates? I was thinking of trading up my lude to an '05 type-s
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'05 Acura TSX 6-spd
'95 Prelude VTEC Milano Red
'03 Suzuki GSX-R 600 (Yellow/Black)
'99 Prelude 5-spd (Sold!)
'98 Civic EX Coupe (Gave it to my sister)
'96 Yamaha YZF-600R (totalled 11/26/2004- OUCH!)
i test drove one a month ago.....steering is a lot better than before, the car seems to be a bit more responsive..the cabin is a LOT quieter than before..so the radio actually sounds pretty damn good and you can hear your passenger speak on the freeway...
power...couldnt really tell a difference then again my car isnt stock so i guess that could be a huge reason
I like my car a lot. I do not notice as much understeer as in the Prelude. This is not a huge difference. The RSX is also easier to toss around. I like the gearing being so tight. The RSX is easier to stay in (i-)VTEC. 5th gear in the Prelude is nearly identical to 6th gear in the RSX, so there is more room to play around with the middle gears. The RSX feels slightly stronger and it should be. It has 15 more hp with 200 lbs. or so less weight.
I've only had one all out test with some real hard driving on some back roads. I need to do this again before I have to swap on snow tires!
The Acura has a more luxury feel to it. The climate control which I like much better than I thought I would. The seats, instrument panel, stereo, etc. are all improvements for me.
Overall, the RSX is not a whole lot different than my 97 Prelude. It is an upgrade, but not a huge one. The aftermarket is stronger for the Acura and this car I will probably mod more, due to more money these days. All I have on the lude was a CAI. I will work on some suspension stuff first on the Acura.
I hope this helps. I am happy to try to answer any other questions either in this thread or through PM.
The difference in styling of the '04 & '05 RSX-S isn't a big leap like a total redesign was from Integra to RSX. From a distant it looks like an RSX. The things like higher redline, bigger wheels, lowered ride height, and a horsepower bump are things we didn't see at all during the 3rd generation Integras model run. LOL...I think Honda changed the rear hatch release in the final years of the 3rd gen. Integra.
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