My Quirks with Honda/Acura
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My Quirks with Honda/Acura I'm a fan of Honda Motor Co. Love my Civic. I love several of their other models. But there are some things Honda does that really irks me. Anyone else? I'm bringing this up as an Automotive dialog, not a flame or anything. I think Honda has some really great ideas and then there are some not so great ideas...
What is it with Honda and 6-Speed Manual Transmissions? None of their cars break the 300 HP mark, yet they insist on 6-Speeds. Look at the RSX, TSX and S2000. They're little 4 Cylinders!? Wouldn't a 5-Speed be much more efficient? I'm hardly ever in 6th in my M3, and I have a 3.2L Inline-6. The RSX, TSX, S2000 all have dinky little 4's. I'd be so focused on up/down shifting that I'd get into an accident!
Front Wheel Drive - Why? The only cars Honda/Acura make that don't have FWD are the NSX and S2000. FWD makes for huge turning radiuses. That;s alright in a car like a Civic or RSX, but an Accord? I'm especially surprised from Acura, bangin' a U-Turn in a TL is probably the same as in a tugboat! Not to mention the fact that Acura is Honda's 'Luxury' brand. I'm sorry, I can't think of a car as a Luxury car if it's got a cheap FWD drivetrain. Lexus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Infiniti (if memory serves me right) don't make ANY FWD vehicles(except SUVs but those aren't cars)
NSX - 290 HP!? $90k pricetag?
What is it with Honda and 6-Speed Manual Transmissions? None of their cars break the 300 HP mark, yet they insist on 6-Speeds. Look at the RSX, TSX and S2000. They're little 4 Cylinders!? Wouldn't a 5-Speed be much more efficient? I'm hardly ever in 6th in my M3, and I have a 3.2L Inline-6. The RSX, TSX, S2000 all have dinky little 4's. I'd be so focused on up/down shifting that I'd get into an accident!
Front Wheel Drive - Why? The only cars Honda/Acura make that don't have FWD are the NSX and S2000. FWD makes for huge turning radiuses. That;s alright in a car like a Civic or RSX, but an Accord? I'm especially surprised from Acura, bangin' a U-Turn in a TL is probably the same as in a tugboat! Not to mention the fact that Acura is Honda's 'Luxury' brand. I'm sorry, I can't think of a car as a Luxury car if it's got a cheap FWD drivetrain. Lexus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Infiniti (if memory serves me right) don't make ANY FWD vehicles(except SUVs but those aren't cars)
NSX - 290 HP!? $90k pricetag?
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Rep Power: 0 It's funny how someone makes a comment and everyone's gotta be the tough guy and flame. TMrakip simply stated his goddamn opinion! Please people relax. People act like they f**ken work for Honda! Defend Honda all you want, but I wonder are you getting paid as a spokesperson for honda
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Rep Power: 0 Does anyone have anything constructive to say? Please find me a Luxury car with FWD, other than anything Acura makes. I was interested in buying an Acura for a family car, and was disappointed by what I found. Captain, got anymore of you're cool-guy message board pictures? They amuse me 
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Rep Power: 0 Hey TM it seems that people can only talk **** instead of giving a real reason that they don't agree with you. There is no fwd luxury cars that I know of aside from acura. They are all either rwd or awd. The only thing I disagree with you on is turning radius. I have to say that most fwd cars I've driven have a very tight turning radius and have never had a problem with u-turns and such.
Re: My Quirks with Honda/Acura
Constructive? Okay, here:
"What is it with Honda and 6-Speed Manual Transmissions? None of their cars break the 300 HP mark, yet they insist on 6-Speeds. Look at the RSX, TSX and S2000. They're little 4 Cylinders!? Wouldn't a 5-Speed be much more efficient? I'm hardly ever in 6th in my M3, and I have a 3.2L Inline-6."
Do you understand anything about gear ratios and acceleration?
"The RSX, TSX, S2000 all have dinky little 4's."
Dinky little 4? Okay, idiot
"I'd be so focused on up/down shifting that I'd get into an accident!"
Wow, maybe you should learn how to drive you moron. If you need that much concentration to shift gears, you DO NOT know how to drive stick.
"Front Wheel Drive - Why? The only cars Honda/Acura make that don't have FWD are the NSX and S2000. FWD makes for huge turning radiuses. That;s alright in a car like a Civic or RSX, but an Accord? I'm especially surprised from Acura, bangin' a U-Turn in a TL is probably the same as in a tugboat! Not to mention the fact that Acura is Honda's 'Luxury' brand. I'm sorry, I can't think of a car as a Luxury car if it's got a cheap FWD drivetrain. Lexus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Infiniti (if memory serves me right) don't make ANY FWD vehicles(except SUVs but those aren't cars)"
Cheap FWD, righttt. Also, Lexus does make a FWD car, the ES. Don't think of Acura as a luxury car then, I don't care.
"NSX - 290 HP!? $90k pricetag?"
Overpriced, yes, awesome? yes.
"What is it with Honda and 6-Speed Manual Transmissions? None of their cars break the 300 HP mark, yet they insist on 6-Speeds. Look at the RSX, TSX and S2000. They're little 4 Cylinders!? Wouldn't a 5-Speed be much more efficient? I'm hardly ever in 6th in my M3, and I have a 3.2L Inline-6."
Do you understand anything about gear ratios and acceleration?
"The RSX, TSX, S2000 all have dinky little 4's."
Dinky little 4? Okay, idiot
"I'd be so focused on up/down shifting that I'd get into an accident!"
Wow, maybe you should learn how to drive you moron. If you need that much concentration to shift gears, you DO NOT know how to drive stick.
"Front Wheel Drive - Why? The only cars Honda/Acura make that don't have FWD are the NSX and S2000. FWD makes for huge turning radiuses. That;s alright in a car like a Civic or RSX, but an Accord? I'm especially surprised from Acura, bangin' a U-Turn in a TL is probably the same as in a tugboat! Not to mention the fact that Acura is Honda's 'Luxury' brand. I'm sorry, I can't think of a car as a Luxury car if it's got a cheap FWD drivetrain. Lexus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Infiniti (if memory serves me right) don't make ANY FWD vehicles(except SUVs but those aren't cars)"
Cheap FWD, righttt. Also, Lexus does make a FWD car, the ES. Don't think of Acura as a luxury car then, I don't care.
"NSX - 290 HP!? $90k pricetag?"
Overpriced, yes, awesome? yes.
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Lexus, 2 of their current models are FWD. Cadillac has been making FWD cars for years. Infiniti makes FWD cars. .....
as far as how a FWD car handles..... Well alot of that deals with the driver. cause I have no problem taking corners with my little civic. Now if you are use to driving a RWD car then you will have problems with a FWD platform, because they react differently in the corners. and Turnign radious.... That is a vieichle design issue not a Drive train issue, and perhaps a driver issue as well.
Why make FWD cars..... they are cheep to build and they are more inherently safe for "Average Joe" drivers wich make up 99% of the people on the road.
so, if you are bitchin about how a FWD car handles then its probably because you dont know how to drive a FWD platform. sure there are some handling issues on with FWD mainly dealing with corner exits and weight distribution but those can be counterd by driving style, especially if its on the street. So really the only issues a FWD platform has is with racing, on the street its actually the safer design.
Oh ya heres some #s to back that up.
turning radius
FWD 2003 accord 18.1Ft
FWD 2002 RSX 19.0FT
FWD 2003 Mini Cooper S 17.6Ft
FWD 2002 Celica 18.1 FT
FWD 2004 Scion xA 17.4Ft
RWD 2002 NSX 19.0 Ft
RWD 2002 C-class Mercedes 17.6 ft
RWD 2003 E-Class Mercedes 18.7 Ft
RWD 2002 lexus GS 430 18.6 Ft
RWD 2002 BMW M3 18Ft
average turning radius
FWD:18.04 FT
RWD:18.38 Ft
so it looks like on average that RWD actually has the larger turning radius......
as far as how a FWD car handles..... Well alot of that deals with the driver. cause I have no problem taking corners with my little civic. Now if you are use to driving a RWD car then you will have problems with a FWD platform, because they react differently in the corners. and Turnign radious.... That is a vieichle design issue not a Drive train issue, and perhaps a driver issue as well.
Why make FWD cars..... they are cheep to build and they are more inherently safe for "Average Joe" drivers wich make up 99% of the people on the road.
so, if you are bitchin about how a FWD car handles then its probably because you dont know how to drive a FWD platform. sure there are some handling issues on with FWD mainly dealing with corner exits and weight distribution but those can be counterd by driving style, especially if its on the street. So really the only issues a FWD platform has is with racing, on the street its actually the safer design.
Oh ya heres some #s to back that up.
turning radius
FWD 2003 accord 18.1Ft
FWD 2002 RSX 19.0FT
FWD 2003 Mini Cooper S 17.6Ft
FWD 2002 Celica 18.1 FT
FWD 2004 Scion xA 17.4Ft
RWD 2002 NSX 19.0 Ft
RWD 2002 C-class Mercedes 17.6 ft
RWD 2003 E-Class Mercedes 18.7 Ft
RWD 2002 lexus GS 430 18.6 Ft
RWD 2002 BMW M3 18Ft
average turning radius
FWD:18.04 FT
RWD:18.38 Ft
so it looks like on average that RWD actually has the larger turning radius......
Last edited by Zzyzx; Dec 17, 2003 at 08:10 PM.
