RSX Type S owner, need your opinion!

DGS · Nov 16, 2003

Hey, I was here some time ago, when I was comtemplating between the SVT and the Type S. I ended up getting the Type S, and while happy with the car in many ways, I'm also just as unhappy with the car in many ways. The handling and acceleration are great, but the car feels like its missing substantial value considering what you get with the SVT Focus. For some reason, that hasn't been sitting well with me. So here is the situation.

According to Black Book value, I'm $1,500 upside down on my 2003 Type S. Thankfully, Acura's keep their value very well. Tommorrow I'm going to check out a 2004 5 SVT Euro Package, in black. The 5 door is originally what I wanted anyway. The sticker price on the car is 23,115, but you get SO much for that price. 17" wheels, Recaro seats, HID's, heated seats and mirrors, awesome sound system, power driver seat, and audio controls on the steering wheel. You get none of those even as an option on the RSX. The dealership is willing to negotiate on price, and they told me even without me coming in, they would be willing to knock $1,000 off the price of the car. The salesguy told me after I come in, and test drive it (which I'm doing tomorrow) he is sure the sales manager would be willing to come down even more on price. That is pretty amazing, considering it an 04, and it is the only 5 door Euro Package in a 100 mile radius.

So guys, what do you think? I like the RSX, but damn, I feel like I'm missing out on the money I paid. The value for the SVT can't be beat. I'm worried about problems (DSI cable, flyweel, surging etc) and I know it's not as fast, plus the gas milage isn't as good and the turning radius is a bit wide. If you guys were in my shoes, what would you do? Would you keep the RSX (which has been problem free), or would you trade out and get the SVT with the deal I'm getting on it? I know this is an SVT board, but try to give me your unbiased opinion. BTW, this car is strictly going to be a daily driver, no time to hit the track.

askjeffro · Nov 16, 2003

The $1000 dollars they are willing to take off is a fatory rebate, so don't let them make you think thay did that because they are nice, everyone gets it.

Something else you might want to concern yourself with is that the SVTF doesn't hold value nearly as well as your Type S, so make sure you are willing to accept that.

For 2004 SVT has had 2 years of feedback to improve the cars, they def. will be more robust then the early gen cars. Also keep in mind there are a lot of current owners who have had no problems. Goddluck.

dazednconfused75 · Nov 16, 2003

All I can say is that I've had mine for well over a year and still find excuses to drive her.

BadBadSVT · Nov 16, 2003

I love my SVT Focus. It is such a good car and for only $15,800 i got mine fully load a 2002 and it was brand new 14 miles on it. I would also make sure that 5 door SVT Focus Come in EURO Package i don't think they do but i maybe be wrong and when i went to the sema show i n Las Vegas i talk to SVT and they said that the 2004 SVT Focus is coming out in like march or april so it maybe just a 2003 SVT Focus with out the REACORS seat but go down there and take so pic's and put them on the site ans im sure someone one this site well tell you what year it is. But i hope you get and good luck.

Luciano

DGS · Nov 16, 2003

askjeffro, so, everyone get's the $1000 huh? Even on a brand new car, I didn't think the 04's had any kind of rebate? Well, if that is the case, how much more do you reasonably think I could talk them down? I think invoice on the car is $21,300, around there, do you think I could get them down to invoice on an 04 5 door Euro Package? I think the Euro Package SVT would hold it's value better than all of the other SVT's, but I could be wrong. I'm not buying it for an investment anyway, and hopefully I could get 5 problem years out of the car, at which point the value wouldn't matter anyway, it would be paid off.

Also BadBadSVT, it is definitely an 04 5 door Euro Package. The 04's are out already. But like I said, it is the only one in a 100 mile radius, so there isn't just a ton of them out there. I would probably be getting the first one if I end up buying it.

Virtual_Insanity · Nov 16, 2003

DGS,
That is a difficult decision to make but personally I have had little problems with my 2002 SVTF in the first year of ownership and just flat out enjoy driving it all the time.I do believe that Ford is offering some sort of rebate on the new 2004 SVTF's but I am not sure of the amount so make sure that is taken off at the bottom of the negociated price that is from Ford directly not the dealership.Also I believe the dealership gets a holdback amount from Ford selling their car in stock as opposed to dealer locate without a car swap.Also you are in the driver seat don't let the dealer pressure you to buy as you can always say no and walk away if the deal isn't what you want.As far as reliability the SVTF continues to improve since when it was first on the market.Another thing you might want to do is check out fordvehicles.com for the latest rebate offers in your area or call Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673 and ask to see if the have one and how much for the 2004 SVTF.Good luck with your difficult decision and keep us posted.

DGS · Nov 17, 2003

DGS,
That is a difficult decision to make but personally I have had little problems with my 2002 SVTF in the first year of ownership and just flat out enjoy driving it all the time.I do believe that Ford is offering some sort of rebate on the new 2004 SVTF's but I am not sure of the amount so make sure that is taken off at the bottom of the negociated price that is from Ford directly not the dealership.Also I believe the dealership gets a holdback amount from Ford selling their car in stock as opposed to dealer locate without a car swap.Also you are in the driver seat don't let the dealer pressure you to buy as you can always say no and walk away if the deal isn't what you want.As far as reliability the SVTF continues to improve since when it was first on the market.Another thing you might want to do is check out fordvehicles.com for the latest rebate offers in your area or call Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673 and ask to see if the have one and how much for the 2004 SVTF.Good luck with your difficult decision and keep us posted.

But what would you do? I'm trying to get a feel for what people would do if in my shoes. What pushed me into thinking seriously about this, was taking my RSX on a road trip this past weekend with my woman. It was a rough experience. The car is okay for the first few hours, but then it became bad. Wind noise is bad, the suspension in really stiff so every crack and bump in the road became like torture, the seats are really stiff too, so my butt went to sleep and my legs became numb, plus everytime you hit a bump you feel it in your spine. The steering on center is not good either, so you constantly have to make small adjustments to your steering to keep the car going straight. The reliability and the power of the Focus concern me, but it seems like it would address all of my other issues. I remember being very underwhelmed with my test drive of a 3 door SVT about a year ago. It just felt incredibly sluggish. But, I remember everything else was killer: the seats, the stereo, the steering and braking, and the awesome creature comforts. Now with the European 5 door, it just seems so tempting.

So again, what would you do? I could probably get them to knock off $2000 from the MSRP, and then I could roll my negative equity back into the Focus, and the car would still be less then my RSX was. Would you do it?

TippsTheFoo · Nov 17, 2003

I'd do it for an '04 Euro 5-door.

DaveSVT03 · Nov 17, 2003

Tough decision. I think the SVT Focus is a great car, but so is the Type S. If you buy new cars every 2-4 years I think you should keep the type S because of the trade-in value. Any new car will lose some of the initial excitement - are you sure you would be happy with the Focus. If you take the hit financially on the trade in it will be a lot harder to get out of the Focus in the first couple of years.

Anyway I love mine and agree that it is a better value.

Oh and just out of curiosity I checked Edmunds a couple of days ago and they were reporting $750 rebate on the 04 SVT.

Good luck.

DAve

SlickShoes · Nov 17, 2003

Well, I know exactly where you are coming from... but from the other direction. I've been eye'ing the RSX-S and the '04 SRT4 w/ LSD closely. Both make great power, have excellent potential, and the RSX has the legendary Honda reliability. But as much as the number seem to point me to those cars, I just completely forgot about them every time I step into my car and drive away. Though the numbers might not be there in some cases, there's just something about the SVTF that screams fun. If you love to drive, there are very few other cars (especially anywhere near this price range) that can compete on this level.

The only other cars I get into and feel something even sort of similar is with BMW's (M series, 330's, etc). BMW's to me are also a helluva lot of fun, but I can get 2 or 3 SVTF's the way I like them, for the cost of a single M3 built the way I want.

But, if I were in your shoes, I'd hold off for another year. You'll probably be able to break even after another year, and hopefully we'll have some more info on the '05 SVTF which according to SVT personal at SEMA, "will not disappoint". Factory boosted 2.3L Duratec???

DGS · Nov 17, 2003

Well, I know exactly where you are coming from... but from the other direction. I've been eye'ing the RSX-S and the '04 SRT4 w/ LSD closely. Both make great power, have excellent potential, and the RSX has the legendary Honda reliability. But as much as the number seem to point me to those cars, I just completely forgot about them every time I step into my car and drive away. Though the numbers might not be there in some cases, there's just something about the SVTF that screams fun. If you love to drive, there are very few other cars (especially anywhere near this price range) that can compete on this level.

The only other cars I get into and feel something even sort of similar is with BMW's (M series, 330's, etc). BMW's to me are also a helluva lot of fun, but I can get 2 or 3 SVTF's the way I like them, for the cost of a single M3 built the way I want.

But, if I were in your shoes, I'd hold off for another year. You'll probably be able to break even after another year, and hopefully we'll have some more info on the '05 SVTF which according to SVT personal at SEMA, "will not disappoint". Factory boosted 2.3L Duratec???

Interesting info on the 05 SVT. Hadn't thought of that. So, it seems like the general concensous is, the value is better on the SVT, but wait another year until depreciation levels off, and the 05 SVT is out. I can live with that. Hopefully a more powerful SVT is more than just a rumor. More hp and torque, plus possibly an lsd, is the only thing that holds the SVT from greatness. As it is right now, I don't know of any other car sold in this country that gives you the same features as the SVT for the price.

Well, I'm still going to take the 04 for a test drive tomorrow. I will keep your opinions in mind when I'm at the dealership. Who knows, if I show enough disinterest, I may get some kind of smoking deal. I think Ford is the most aggressive dealership at getting a sale. They have been advertising 2003 Mach 1 Mustangs in the paper for $23,000! Those cars were at MSRP just 6 months ago for $29,000. I will definitely let you guys know what happens when I get home tomorrow.

Virtual_Insanity · Nov 17, 2003

DGS,
1. If you are really unhappy as you sound like you are with your current RSX Type-S I would recommend going for the 2004 SVTF as it seems to offer more for you personally then the RSX Type-S.
2. I went to the Auto Show yesterday and looked at all of the new 2004 compact sport cars currently on the market.I sat in each one to get idea how it would be but I kept thinking that I already owned the best for me and that is my 2002 SVTF because it suites me fine for overall performance and value for the money.After I left there I got in my SVTF took a look around and smiled and sped off in to the sunset.

3. Finally if you do not feel that the deal you get when you test drive one tomorrow then like someone else mentioned above wait until the 2005 SVTF comes out being that there might be some more performance to be added.Once again good luck and keep us posted.

PAN360 · Nov 17, 2003

Some Days Are Better Than Others

To sum up a few key thoughts about my feelings for this car I say this:

Inconsistent performance in the acceleration dept.. You're right, the car does feel sluggish on occasion. Gotta have something to do with atmospheric heat or pressure, I guess.
Consistent comfort and good looks make it pretty easy to forgive the vehicle if it doesn't always feel as peppy as it should. I have to admit that the car does feel peppy and even downright fast at times. If you question the credibility of my opinion of speed know that I drove an '88 5.0 litre mustang for fifteen years; I do know what pep is.

I don't see Acura on the rally circuit. The focus is essentially rally inspired. I really believe that Ford has turned a corner in the reliability dept. with this car. Some may call me naive but I really haven't had any serious problems with this vehicle. Yet.

Take a good hard look and go with your first impression.

kevinb120 · Nov 17, 2003

Re: Some Days Are Better Than Others

the 1000 is a national rebate, it will help your negative equity, you can also try to hold out for a few more bucks on the trade. Go in late on a saturday night or end of the month, always the best time buy a car. Dealers make stupid deals on the last day(we have made our money by then, the last day is usually for numbers, bonus's, bragging rights). Retail is 23045, invoice is 21552 on euro 5 doors. i would negotiate to 500 over invy, they gotta make something, there just isnt a ton of dough in markup on foci. An excursion is a differnt story....

kevinb120 · Nov 17, 2003

Re: Some Days Are Better Than Others

by the way dgs, what company you work for?

DGS · Nov 19, 2003

Re: Some Days Are Better Than Others

the 1000 is a national rebate, it will help your negative equity, you can also try to hold out for a few more bucks on the trade. Go in late on a saturday night or end of the month, always the best time buy a car. Dealers make stupid deals on the last day(we have made our money by then, the last day is usually for numbers, bonus's, bragging rights). Retail is 23045, invoice is 21552 on euro 5 doors. i would negotiate to 500 over invy, they gotta make something, there just isnt a ton of dough in markup on foci. An excursion is a differnt story....

Yeah, the car just came in today, it was actually in transit. I didn't have time to test drive it, but they did say they would do $500 over invoice. I think they want to be pretty aggressive on this deal, because they also inferred they would pay off my RSX so I don't have to roll any negative equity into the Focus. I'll take a test drive on Thursday to see if this is really for me. I'm less concerned now about straight line speed, and more concerned about overall package than I was when I bought my RSX. Still, I know people here have been getting the SVT for under invoice, I'm thinking $500 over invoice on this car would still be $22,000. Do you think its worth that much money? With T/T/L the car will be around $23,500. I probably wont be able to get them down below invoice on an 04 Euro Package. I guess the test drive will really determine if I want the car bad enough. I was kind of hoping my monthly payments would go down, but it seems like the SVT will cost me the same every month as my RSX ($400 a month). I doubt the insurance will be any cheaper either (I pay $100 a month for my RSX).

Why did you ask where I work?

ylrZX3 · Nov 19, 2003

Re: Some Days Are Better Than Others

DGS - I seriously considered the RSX-S before I bought my SVTF. I liked a lot about the S. I didn't like the interior room, but loved the light color and interior finish. After a while the styling looked too canned (subjective).

I have been glad about the SVT instead of the S but IMO heres what you want to be aware of.

Make sure the drivers seat fits you, the model you are considering has great seats, right?

As mentioned earlier, the resale value is disappointing, but part of the poor resale is the 02s were released so late they should have been 03s

The car doesn't get much respect.

I put a JRSC on it and it has NO pep problems. Am I glad I went with my SVTF? Yes.

bsohn · Nov 19, 2003

Re: Some Days Are Better Than Others

the 1000 is a national rebate, it will help your negative equity, you can also try to hold out for a few more bucks on the trade. Go in late on a saturday night or end of the month, always the best time buy a car. Dealers make stupid deals on the last day(we have made our money by then, the last day is usually for numbers, bonus's, bragging rights). Retail is 23045, invoice is 21552 on euro 5 doors. i would negotiate to 500 over invy, they gotta make something, there just isnt a ton of dough in markup on foci. An excursion is a differnt story....

Click to expand...

Yeah, the car just came in today, it was actually in transit. I didn't have time to test drive it, but they did say they would do $500 over invoice. I think they want to be pretty aggressive on this deal, because they also inferred they would pay off my RSX so I don't have to roll any negative equity into the Focus. I'll take a test drive on Thursday to see if this is really for me. I'm less concerned now about straight line speed, and more concerned about overall package than I was when I bought my RSX. Still, I know people here have been getting the SVT for under invoice, I'm thinking $500 over invoice on this car would still be $22,000. Do you think its worth that much money? With T/T/L the car will be around $23,500. I probably wont be able to get them down below invoice on an 04 Euro Package. I guess the test drive will really determine if I want the car bad enough. I was kind of hoping my monthly payments would go down, but it seems like the SVT will cost me the same every month as my RSX ($400 a month). I doubt the insurance will be any cheaper either (I pay $100 a month for my RSX).

I just have to put in my 2cents I don't think you will be disapointed with the Euro.. I have an '03 Euro and have to say that it is the best car i have had.. It makes you want to drive it. Hopefully though the one that you are looking at already has the Engine Computer Update to YRFO done as that makes a world of difference in drivability, I just had mine update last week and it just transforms the car. More Linear Power, More Torque at the low end, and in my case Much Much improved gas milage (an increase in Range of about 50 miles so far an increase of about 4MPG)

The Seats well they are Very Very comfortable, and the HID are well brilliant.. I didn't get as good of a deal as many others have recieved on the price but I don't really care because the car is well worth the $20,000 I paid (with a $2,000 ford rebate) of course when i got it the Euros just came out and there were only 2 Yellow ones in So-Cal.

I think you will be very happy with the overall package.

Brion Sohn

kevinb120 · Nov 19, 2003

Re: Some Days Are Better Than Others

[quoteWhy did you ask where I work?

[/QUOTE]

there are some companies on the national x-plan network(ups, fed-ex, sun microsystems, home depot, hertz, hewlett packard, ect ect ect) Its a discounting program for companies that use ford vehicles in their fleets.

RSX Type S owner, need your opinion!

DGS

askjeffro

dazednconfused75

BadBadSVT

DGS

Virtual_Insanity

DGS

TippsTheFoo

DaveSVT03

SlickShoes

DGS

Virtual_Insanity

PAN360

kevinb120

kevinb120

DGS

ylrZX3

bsohn

kevinb120

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