juani

iTrader: (15)

2 door cars sux!!!
get MAXIMA!
you'll appreciate for the room and comfort of THE MAX
oh yeah...did i forget to mention THE POWER??

DTR Maxima

considering a maxima SE and an RSX-S start at the same price, i wouldnt say that the maxima exhibits success. but it is more practicle and refined. but then again it seems like this guy wants something sporty, where as the rsx lacks torque and raw power, its far far far more sportier.

DTR Maxima

ofcourse i am not this guy, and i dont know whats best for him. although i have heard that the rsx-s and prelude are similar cars, and my uncle has a lightly modified prelude 5speed, 2000. i love to drive it, its a real change from my auto SE max. i do have the real power advantage, but i love how the engine screams to redline, and that huge pull around 6k rpm. but the problem is that under that 6k rpm theres not much there. but the shifter feels real tight, and most of all it hugs the ground, and handles great. no doubt sporier than a max, but off the line i rip him apart.

ChillWill2000

In like a year or 2 there will be a million ricers in their RSX. just like it is/was with the Integra.
The rsx-s dosent have the bal1s to back up the price and all the hype.

Id get the SS long before I payed that kind of money for something you have to keep near redline every gear all the time just to get to the power.

SkylineGTR

Some of you guys act like you need tons of torque to drive in traffic. Yea if your in 6th gear going 40mph trying to merge in front of another car, and it doesnt have enough torque to pull in 6th, you shoulda picked 5th. And I've never driven any car, that was too low on torque to drive in traffic, when the light goes green, and you arent racing, you generally accelerate WITH traffic, theres plenty of power in almost any car to accelerate with traffic. Just cuz the maxima has over 100ftlbs more torque, doesnt mean the RSX is gonna be holding traffic up with its low torque. I drive a 2k auto, and ive seen plenty of camaros ss, and when getting from point A to point B, they ALSO accelerate WITH traffic, they may have over 100ftlbs of torque on me, but we still moving at the same rate. In racing its different, but the whole point of torque is for higher gear accel, incase ur in wrong gear lets say, but then think, if youre racing, what are you doing in the wrong gear.

Romeo

yet you still dont have your f-body...

Craig Mack

I can still pretend, can't I?

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

Have you driven one?? I drve the GSR, which is pretty much the predecessor to the RSX-S. Turn on the AC in the city and the accerator pedal feels like it's in a coma. Yes, they can keep up with traffic, but you find yourself running up towards redline more often than you'd like to. I think "highly strung" would best describe the RSX character.

DW

slickrick

iTrader: (12)

lets all buy vans because we all go 5mph through every turn and dont need handling.

NeedaMax

Thank you all again. Some of you mentioned that Im probably considering the RSX because its a sporty car. There's some truth to it but the main reason I considered it was because it was the best car (IMO) in its class with a good price tag. If my brothers Max was a 6sp, this thread wouldnt be a "cant decide what to get" thread, it would be a "JUST GOT MY MAX" thread. What Im worried about is if I just go ahead and get my bro's auto Max, get burned by a RSX-S, and then kick myself in the *** for the next 4 or 5 years. I can take in the fact that the other guy was probably a better driver...i just wouldnt be able to take the fact that the RSX is faster and should've gotten that instead of the Max

Craig Mack

I think you are scared of torque. But hey, torque's not for everyone...people with heart or neck problems probubly should get a revv happy small displacement Honda. So I say go for it good sir.

multiplexor

i'd still go with the max... why? it's bigger... my friend got an rsx and it just feels too cramped inside. I like the fact that i can stretch out... and have space... plus you can make an auto maxima pretty quick. I'd also rather have a sleeper than a "HEY RACE ME! HEY YOU, POLICE!! YEAH! GIVE ME TICKETS!!!! NOW!!!" kinda car

It might not have the best handling. But do you see yourself racing your car on the track often? if ever? I no i probably won't ever... So I just did basic handling stuff to my max and that's that. Handles well enough for now.

oh... and V6 with a nice low stroke... makes the car sounds VERY nice

DTR Maxima

boys and girls i think hes made a decision

MaxAtack

Like everyone else here has said, get what you want. Don't feel obligated to take over the payments of your brother's max because he doesn't want it or can't afford it. I'm sorry, but I go by the motto, "you wet your bed, you sleep in it!" He got what he wanted in the beginning until he realizes now that he doesn't want it, so you should have the same opportunity to get what you want.

A friend of mine has the regular RSX and while I think its pretty good overall in build quality and performance, the one gripe I found and I know he hates is that there's very limited visibility from the rear side windows. If you have to make a lane change, you can't just depend on looking thru your sideview mirrors as that still leaves you open to "the blind spot." Just something to keep in mind during your test drive.

Good Luck!

Craig Mack

Guys...he wants to have to tell his friends he's flooring it, rather than planting them in the seats, and finding out for themselves. It's just something the Honda guys have to do, and if that's what he wants, then bygod let him be!!

Aphrodisiac

RSX small
Max big

me like big.

NeedaMax

Does the auto Max have that kind of feel to it (seat planting) as well or are you talking about the 6sp?

TheFerret

Max, definately. They have the Holy seat-plant ability, even with auto! If your worried about handling, DONT! with relatively inexpensive suspension work you can easily make your max pull more on the skidpad than a stock RSX-S. Also, the RSX is a very "boi-racer" car. Youll quickly find yourself on rice boards going "OMFG LOlOLolOLOLOL U SUK AND R NOT COL CUZ I HAV A RSX AN U DUN HAV 1 LOL VTEC RULEZ!!111!1!1!11!!!1" Also, there are all motor auto maximas running 14s, and honestly, do you need anything faster than 14s? Hell, low 15s even will destroy 75-80% of street racers out there. And, what about those situations where you need to take like 4 or 5 ppl in yer car, would you really wanna be all crammed up in a tiny *** rsx?

Bleh, i could go on and on about why the max is such a better descision, but im tired.... me seeepy.


Oh yeah... forgot to mention, last thing...

RSX-S 6 speeds suffer from "Exploding trans Syndrome" search the boards for the link to the rsx with the exploded trans, and it happens alot...

Sry, bedtime.... zzz

*goes to dream of owning a 1999 Maxima SE 5 speed with less than 40k miles in mint condition*

SR20DEN

iTrader: (7)

It's interesting how people still think there is sucha huge difference between the auto and 6speed on the VQ35. Has everyone forgotten that the quickest NA Maxima is a 2k2 Auto? (blubyu2k2)

Blu

iTrader: (63)

well almost Neils 13.6 will be tough to beat but headers w/ a real y pipe should do the job

Craig Mack

blubyu2k2 ran a 13.7-.8 with his 2k2 auto with a few bolt ons and slicks. What does that tell you?

blizz20oma

iTrader: (1)

Meanwhile an n/a RSX-S with a few mods can run mid 13s. But I guess because it doesn't have 300,000ft/lbs of torque, and you can still hear other things besides the exhaust roaring inside the cabin, it doesn't matter anyway. (I dislike the stereotypical 'honda ricer' kids as much as anyone else, but while I like torque and all, I also dislike those that push torque-only ideals on other people with no reasonable regard for their situation - ie, comfortable but well-performing daily driver. For the record, I'd love to mob an SS on the track ).

*sigh*...is going faster or getting burned by something else within a reasonable price range really the determining factor to buy a car? If so then maybe you SHOULD listen to Craig and get that SS...seriously.

The two are definitely different types of cars. Personally if you're looking for the handling/suspension/short gearing-side of sportiness from the RSX-S in the Maxima, I think you're going to be disappointed. If you meant "straight line drag racing" when you said sporty, and suspension/handling/nimbleness isn't really that important to you, you'd probably like the Maxima. The big/small distinction applies as well, and also the max being a tad more luxurious...but the interior on the RSX-S isn't too bad, and there's a few things on my max's interior that question the luxury appeal.

Honda resale value, service, fit & finish, build quality, etc range from slightly better to notably better than Nissan in the same categories GENERALLY speaking (the RSX tranny thing, yea...I think there should be a lockout to prevent that, but if you can drive, that whole missing gears blatantly thing shouldn't be a problem). So if that factors in at all....I doubt it though, because apparently most people are just concerned about speed, and the stereotypes of the other people that own the same car they have (telling someone not to buy a honda because of all the teenage honda ricers is just like telling someone not to buy a maxima because 80% of the people that buy them are 60-year old grocery-getting soccer moms, come on now).

I personally wouldn't get either, but I'd lean more towards the RSX-S than the 2K2...I dont need the space and have a slight bias for suspension/ride/etc over straightline speed, plus honda's reputation is slightly more comfortable than nissan's, at least to me. But compare whats most important to you and make your choice.

bamaslammer

Go with the MAX. There is no substitute for cubic inches.

Craig Mack

blizz20oma

iTrader: (1)

Then why do you just have a V6 under the hood?

Romeo

there's no substitue for inches in general...

Blu

iTrader: (63)

ohh really I spent $590 in performance mods for those runs. I wasn't aware a rsx-s could run mid 13's with a few bolt ons. Best I seen one run was a 14.3 @ 97 with intake, exhaust, ecu, pullies. What is considered few mods. Ohh and my launch is limited to 2200 rpm stalls too. Just curious thats all.

MaximaMoJo

The Max was never a car that I was interested in when looking. I was looking at a 2001 Toyota Celica GTS 6 Speed. It was a high rev sports car similar to the RSX-S. It's handling stock was awesome, I don't know if a Maxima could compare even with handling mods added. I chose the Maxima for these reasons:

1. Power, I mean raw power the kind that makes your head snap back.
2. Insurance, Although I could afford the Celica, the insurance I couldn't.
3. Space, I am a big guy 6' 265 lbs. I liked the room in the Max. I also liked the 4 doors. I owned a standard cab truck and got sick of only have two seats(realistically the Celica and RSX only have two seats).
4. Price, it was a good buy and was manual.

I bought a 5 Speed '99 Artic White Pearl Max with 37,000 miles for $13,000. I have not regreted owning the car ever. I know if I bought the Celica I would regret having to pay the insurance. My situation was definitely different, I don't know about you but Money was an option. I decided that I could spend the money I saved in insurance and mod the Max. I will tell you that everyone I showed the car to could not believe I bought it. They said it is a family car. That was before I took them for a ride.....LOL. It is just what you want. Do you want the sporty look but, have to push the engine hard to have power or do you want the "sleeper look" and surprise the hell out of people with the performance. It is a tough decision, for my circumstances the Max. The car payments may be similar but the insurance will not be. Depending on your age and record the insurance could be the deciding factor. As far as the Manual versus Auto, for me I only really want or need the Manual when I really want to push the car hard. This is only probably 25% of the time. Good Luck With Your Decision!

SkylineGTR

Well said!

SkylineGTR

slicks. the rsx runs similar times to the previous gen ITR, and with i/h/e/slicks, it should hit 13s, not sure about mid 13s, but definitely capable of 13.7-13.9, but the way u gotta launch it to run those times would simply be hell on the clutch and trans.

Frank Fontaine

This post is funny, but I think we all realize there's no right answer, it's up to the thread starter.

It's like saying what type of g/f do you want, tall with big ****, medium with small ****, short with medium ***, tall with small ***, it really is up to the individual. It's best though to realistically make a list of pros and cons, without rationalizing, and then take each kind for a hands-on test drive. Then adjust the list and repeat. It's fun to sample variety and eventually one should wind up with what they really want.

blizz20oma

iTrader: (1)

Either that or just pull the trigger, then blindly convince themselves that's what they really wanted/really loved all along

Blu

iTrader: (63)

Imagine if I could launch harder than 2200 rpms

maximum810

If you want a big 4-door that is more on the luxury side and has good straight away speed, get the max. If you want a car that's more refined as a sports car, mor fun, smaller, and more nimble....get the RSX-S. The only drawback I see about the RSX-S..as you can see from everyone else...is that once you get ANY honda product, you're labeled a ricer, and everyone else becomes a mustang owner. I love my 2nd max, but I regret not getting a sportier 2-door. Just think about how and where you're gonna drive, and what you'll be using your car for.

Craig Mack

Don't forget that when you do i/h/e on the RSX it's gonna fart and buzz like all hell. You will be pitied by most, and annoy all others with the nasty tone. The smallest engine I would ever do exhaust to would be a 6 cylinder.

NeedaMax

I wouldnt care if I got burned by a civic. Its just the fact that I've considered the RSX for a such a long time. Anyways, as of now, Im leaning towards getting my bro's MAX after reading through all the responses. I've read through the posts at clubrsx as well and it seems the majority of RSX drivers are in their teens. Im turning 25 next month but look 18 (from what 100% of friends tell me) and dont need teeny-ricer-hating cops treating me like one. Hopefully my bro has been keeping it somewhat clean so I can just take it to a detailer and have cleaned as good as new.


That cracked me up!! LOL. Like I said above, I read through the RSX forums and there are LOTS of posts like that.

96_vqmax

iTrader: (16)

Good pick and I think you will love the VQ35DE very much.

jakew8

automobile magazine just did a four seasons test on the rsx-s and they gave it 4.5 stars out of 5. that's pretty rare. they had no complaints except some of the steering buffs complained about the steering (not the handling/cornering, but the actual feel of turning the wheel). car went for over one year being driven constantly with $0 in maintenance. something to think about. if you haven't bought your max/rsx yet, maybe pick up the july (i think) issue and read the article.

MaximaMoJo

Hasn't the VQ been rated one of the best engines for something like 7 years in a row by JD Power?

jakew8

jd power doesn't do just engines. you're thinking of ward's auto world, which is sort of an insider's industry publication. here's the article. waw enjoy.