Hi David, All!
Being based in the UK, I'm not sure what type of Honda the Acura RSX
Type "S" is, but unless it's a Civic Type 'R' equivalent it's
obviously nowhere near as sporting as a Rex. Question is, do you
really want a car as sporting as a Rex?
I don't know where the Integra R falls in the Acura/Honda family tree,
but it is definitely a sports car! Lotsa "factory" performance goodies
on it that would cost a bundle to retrofit.
It occurs to me that we may be talking about different cars here; the
Acura I have driven was a 2000 or 2001 Integra type R, the newer RSX-S
might be something else entirely . . .
The Scooby's all-wheel-drive also tends to understeer, but nowhere
near as badly as most fwd cars and it has the advantage of bullet-like
acceleration out of corners because of its massive traction and lack
of torque steer. (The awd is fabulous on dry tarmac and great in the
wet, but don't expect it to do much for you off road or in deep snow
because of the low ground clearance and unsuitable wheels and tyres.)
Here I will respectfully disagree, subject to the above caveat. In DS
trim, which allows the use of DOT approved racing tires such as the
Hoosiers or Kumho Victoracers, the Integra exhibited perceptibly less
understeer than my WRX wagon. I think what confuses the issue here is
that understeer feels different in an AWD car. A FWD car _feels_ like
the front is pushing to the outside when it lets go. The AWD (in the
WRX anyway) does not give the impression of push as much, rather all
four tires slide, while the car carves a nicely arced turn, the radius
of which increases as you add throttle. It feels fast, and is huge
fun, but eventually you come to realize that it isn't the fast way
around the course. I believe that a good part of the Integras neutral
handling can be attributed to the performance oriented suspension
package. These components are legal in "stock" class on the Integra,
as they are "factory equipped", whereas the same level of preparation
on my WRX would move the car into a "Prepared" (Duh ;-) class.
There are two additional issues with the WRX that make it a more
difficult car to manage when pushed to it's limits on an autocross.
The first is the notorious turbo lag, and believe me, the rex at
6500ft elevation is a real pooch until the turbo spools up. I know, I
know; exhaust changes, aftermarket BOV, yadda, yadda; we're talking
"Stock" class here. The second glitch is the WRXes (at least mine, tho
other drivers seem have the same gripe) reluctance to downshift into
first gear. Slow turns followed by fast slaloms are real tests of
patience; you want to downshift, but also hope to finish the day with
your first gear intact so you can drive home, and get to work on
Monday. Exiting the slow turn in second and working the clutch hard to
keep the turbo spinning seems to be the general response.
Oh, and you _can_ take the mighty rex offroad with a little care.
Obviously it's never gonna be a serious 4X4, but check out
<
http://chester.uccs.edu/wrx/offroad/> for some fotos. And since I
know someone will ask; Lincoln Gulch Road in the White River National
Forest east of Aspen CO, on a fishin' trip last fall. And the fishing
at the lake in the last foto (Grizzly Lake) was good, thanx. It snowed
a bit on the hike out.
One of the great attractions of the Rex is that it is still a genuine
drivers' car. Some find it quirky and demanding and learning to get
the most out of it - whether pushing or cruising - takes more than a
short test drive.
Absolutely true. The car is easy (maybe too easy) to drive really
fast. OTOH, it is very difficult to get that last 1% (the 1% that
separates the winners from the rest of us) out of it, for reasons
mentioned above. Even very skilled pilots have difficulties
maintaining consistency.
(I assume we're talking about the manual here....if
you want an auto, this isn't the car for you.)
I will mention that a WRX wagon driver who routinely finishes towards
the upper end of the DS class in our division drives an automatic; he
tells me that he keeps the gas pedal on the floor and uses his left
foot on the brake to modulate his speed. Whatever the reason, he gets
around faster than me by a fair bit.
Don't misunderstand; I love my WRX, but in all honesty I have given up
on it as an autocross car, and have gone back to driving my well
sorted old MR2 in CSP. I still consistently finish mid pack, but the
tail-happy little mister is simply more fun to autocross, and in the
end that's what it's all about.
ByeBye! S.
Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101
