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When shopping for a used sports car, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. You can go rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, or front-wheel drive. Do you want to shift your own gears or have a slick DCT do the work for you? Do you want to feel the wind in your hair in a luxurious convertible or want the least amount of distractions in a bare-bones coupe? The choices are nearly infinite thanks to decades of trial and error, but we’d like to turn your attention to a model that often gets overlooked in this space: the Acura RSX.

Our version of the Honda Integra, the RSX, was sold from 2001 to 2006 in the United States, seeing moderate success as Acura aimed to differentiate itself fourth from its parent company. It shared a platform with the seventh-generation Honda Civic, and thus the same engines, gearboxes, and FWD drivetrain. It was a truly satisfying car, one that was only elevated further by its sporty Type-S variant, and over the years it’s become one of the best-used sports car investments on the market today. To highlight this, we’ll explore 10 different reasons why you should give the RSX another look.

1 Reliability

Although reliability isn’t the first thing you’ll consider when looking for a weekend car, it should be high on the list. The Acura RSX is a Honda product through and through and comes from a time when the company was making some truly stellar vehicles. This means that with the proper maintenance, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to expect the model to hit the 200,000-mile mark and beyond.

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The RSX’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine was not only a revolutionary one for the company, since it features electronically adjustable valve lift, duration, and timing, but it’s also become known as a highly reliable unit. Because of its Honda pedigree, repairs tend to be straightforward and affordable, making long-term ownership less of a hassle. These days you’ll find many options on sale with around 150,000 miles on the odometer, and if the car hasn’t been pushed hard over its life, it’s not crazy to expect about 100,000 more.

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2 Strong Resale Value

Despite being discontinued nearly two decades ago, the Acura RSX has held its value remarkably well. If you look online at websites like AutoTempest, Cars & Bids, and Bring A Trailer, you’ll see high-mileage examples near 200,000 miles going for around $6,000-$10,000 depending on the year and trim. Examples with around 100,000 miles and slightly under are going for $10,000 to $15,000, and very low examples only go up from there.

Part of its solid resale value is its luxurious nature, but it’s also because of its popularity among enthusiasts. As the demand for clean, unmodified examples continues to grow, the RSX has become somewhat of a collectible. Many buyers are willing to pay a premium for well-maintained, low-mileage RSXs, which means they are likely to not depreciate much further as the market for true analog sports cars grows.

3 The Type-S Brings The Excitement

If you’re after serious performance, the RSX Type-S is the model to seek out. The RSX Type-S is equipped with Honda’s legendary K20 engine, a high-revving 2.0-liter four-cylinder that delivered 200 horsepower for the first few years of the model before being bumped up to 210 horsepower. This engine, coupled with another superb Honda/Acura six-speed manual transmission, made the model a beloved favorite among enthusiasts who wanted a more refined FWD sports car experience.

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The Type-S features Honda’s signature VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) technology, but with upgrades to allow smoother torque delivery across the entire rev range. Additionally, this generation featured a switch to MacPherson struts in the front and trailing arm suspension in the rear, which may have seemed like a step back at the time if it weren’t for how well the entire package was dialed in. The result is a car that feels fast, responsive, and thrilling to drive, especially when VTEC kicks in. This is the one to get, and fortunately, there are plenty of used examples on the market to this day.

4 Lightweight and Nimble

One of the key traits that make the Acura RSX such a joy to drive is its lightweight construction. Weighing just under 2,600 pounds, the RSX is a genuine featherweight compared to the sports cars of today, and the Type-S version comes in weighing only about 100 lbs more. Combined with the new suspension and platform improvements that increase torsional and bending rigidity, the RSX goes exactly where you want it, when you want it.

Whether you’re navigating tight corners on a back road or weaving through city traffic, the RSX feels agile and planted. While not as inherently aggressive as the Civic Si at the time, the model attempted to toe the line between luxury and outright performance, and the result is something you wouldn’t mind daily driving to this day. They certainly don’t make them like they used to.

5 Great Aftermarket Support

If you enjoy modifying cars or simply want the option to upgrade your vehicle, you have another reason to like the RSX. If there’s one thing early 2000 Honda products have is extensive aftermarket parts availability. Thanks to the tuning culture of the late ’90s and the affordability Honda had to offer, everything adds up to the fact there are still a ton of upgrades available for just about anything you want to change on your vehicle.

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Don’t like the looks? There are plenty of body kits out there that will make the car look much more aggressive if you can’t find a factory A-Spec, that is. Suspension upgrades will make it much more responsive on the track, exhaust upgrades will give it character, and you can turbocharge, supercharge. Some have even given the model AWD. You’re only limited by your pocketbook and your imagination, so go wild.

6 Excellent Fuel Efficiency

One of the standout qualities of the Acura RSX is its impressive fuel efficiency despite offering excellent power. In the early 2000s, 210 horsepower was nothing to scoff at, especially in something this light, and it was only made that much more impressive by the fact the Type-S version was able to return 20 MPG City / 28 MPG Highway / 23 MPG Combined. Not good enough for you? You can always opt for the 160 horsepower base RSX and its excellent 24 MPG City / 31 MPG Highway / and 26 MPG Combined.

This meant the car was excellent as a commuter as well as a weekend warrior. Just make sure you use the correct fuel. The regular RSX takes 87 octane while the more powerful Type-S requires 91. What matters is that both models will return decent fuel economy to this day, giving you another reason to pull the trigger.

7 Attractive and Restrained Design

The Acura RSX may not have the flashy, aggressive styling of some modern sports cars, but its design has aged gracefully. From the very beginning, the model was graced with clean lines and a sleek coupe silhouette that struck a balance between sportiness and sophistication. Looking back at the RSX concept car, you can even see very little changed to the production model. Journalists and the public both loved the looks and, to our surprise, the company was saving the best looks for last.

In 2005, the model received a facelift that moved away from the bubble taillights and headlights to a cleaner look. This is the one we prefer, as we feel it gives the model the most cohesive overall appearance. It is reserved, but that’s what we appreciate about it, and if that’s not enough, there was even the A-Spec package, which made the car much more aggressive if not a bit dated by today’s standards.

The Acura RSX benefits from a vibrant and active enthusiast community. Whether you’re seeking advice on repairs, looking to buy or sell parts, or simply want to share your passion for the car, the RSX community is a great resource thanks to places like ClubRSX.com and r/RSX on Reddit. Online forums, social media groups, and local car clubs help keep the RSX spirit alive, offering a wealth of knowledge and support, while also inspiring others to push their projects further.

This strong enthusiast presence helps to keep prices consistent, as it means that demand for clean, well-maintained examples remains high. While this isn’t great news if you’re trying to find yourself a deal, it does mean that once you join the RSX club, the residual value and friendly community means you won’t want to leave.

9 An Useable Daily Driver

Very few sports cars these days are as enjoyable to drive around town as they are being pushed to the limit on a track, but once upon a time, the Acura RSX was one of them. Even in the car’s base trim, you could option the mode with a five-speed manual that helped to liven up the driving experience and make the most of its peaky power and nimble chassis, but the Type-S took that one step further thanks to improvements in performance in every way without sacrificing functionality.

Despite being a coupe, the model could still seat four, featured advanced safety technology like Vehicle Stability Assist, and its hatchback rear offered rather substantial storage space. It was a useable vehicle with a fun side, much like its grandson, the current Integra Type-S. Why have the perfect two-car garage when you can have the perfect one-car solution?

10 Limited Production Legacy

The final reason the RSX is such a good used sports car investment is due to its limited production. Only produced from the middle of 2001 to late 2006, the model was only on sale for a little over five years, and sales numbers in the US only reached past 30,000 once. This means buying an RSX not only gets you a premium car with an excellent chassis, but a rare premium car with an excellent chassis, and once again, opting for a Type-S model will only add to the rarity.

The car is slowly becoming a collectible, and any true automotive enthusiast is going to appreciate one that has been tastefully modded or even kept completely stock. While we never recommended buying a vehicle merely as an investment, we will say as a car to enjoy for a few years and then move on. It’s likely you won’t have a hard time making back your money.