I have a base model and it gets a lot of compliments. Nobody cares or notices that it's not a Type S. Just put window tint, air intake, wheels and a loud stereo, good to go lol
I bought a base 5 speed 2 years ago. Haven't regretted it once ever. Just needed love and now it's running well. Getting it k24 swapped soon and also doing all the body work to make it look factory fresh again
Type S is overall a better vehicle, lets start by the chassis, the body however is the same, BUT its reinforced from factory with lighter weighing parts from factory based on alloy used on manufactured parts, also its body rigidity increased overall abt 15% due to the type S due to application of reinforcements in key areas, also the Type S also has more mounting points for bracing. Moving on to suspension im not 100% sure but and the Type S sits a little lower than the base so suspension springs could be more advanced than those of a base. Also Type S does have thicker sway bars, and front strut mount. So your performance in handling will be slightly better for reducing the body roll of the car. Now for powerplants these cars used 4 types of k20s, but i wont get into detail for the type R as its not appropriate to cover what its contents are you can do that research. But lets start with the base. k20a3, obv a 2.0 na k series that also comes in a 04 civic si if i remember correctly but overall i believe is exactly alike in tuning etc... the 160hp is def nothing to be upset about i mean your practically in an si civic but it definitely doesn't compare to the k20a2 which is the 02-04 type S have, this block can handle more due to its designed and alloy used on the block so ppl tend to buy this model in specific for tuning they have a good 200bhp which is very exceptional for this chassis. however this changes with the 05-06 type S where they produce 210hp from its k20z1 block, this block uses type R cams so they can rev a bit higher than the other type S and much higher than the k20a3 which hits 7200 rpms vs 8560 rpms. big difference but still the k20a2 is more "tunable" if you will. I wouldnt say that the base isnt a bad car but certainly not to be compared to with the type s its just outmatched completely and an overall nicer quality produced vehicle. if you want a MORE casual daily def go for a k20a3 model that comes in both pre face lift 02-04 and face lift 05-06 model of the rsx base trim they do come with an auto transmission after all. but the type S is more superior all in all. Oh forgot to mention trans mission is meh in the type S not the greatest, the 02-04 type s has a lower final drive from the type s which has a higher final drive which is better & also base comes with a 5mt so its nice to have that extra gear in a type S. NOW for budgeting the Type S is being taxxed asf rn so if u want an rsx no shame in a base model to have, but for tracking unfortunately im disagreeing with u here lol but type S is gonna be the better option obv, i understand theyre more sought after so theyre more 'rare' but thats the price of having the spec you want, def dont get scammed tho i will say that.
I bought a base facelift for $4900. Type s where I am are all 10k or more, closer to 15k without rust and I'm not huge on the pre facelift and basically everything Acura and Honda is rusted to shit where I am. I agree on most shit but you can make a base handle just as good as a type S with a few mods. As far as power, I'm torn between what I want to do, I'm not a power chaser. I just like shit that sounds good and also pulls alright, I'm tempted to either find a GReddy turbo or do the k20a2 head swap. I'm aware the k20a3 internals aren't as strong as the k20a2 right? But with just a head swap and the Hondata ecu you think the k20a3 can handle the 8200rpm limit + VTEC? Or just turbo my base k20a3, even if I'm making like ~ 230whp I'd be real happy. It's not always about having the top trim level, it's about the build. Look at John lapids eclipse from the first fast and furious movie, it's just a base model fwd non turbo, sometimes we just don't have the money, I know I didn't have 10-15k to drop on a 20 year old Honda in life right now. But eventually once I'm done with my RSX build I'll get into a proper JDM icon
Another biiiig thing is that the base RSX has the type S oil pump already. If you want to swap heads and then boost, or just straight boost the base model then it's "safer" to do so. The base RSX bottom end is slept on a lot.
Got my 05 Type-S almost a year ago and I got lucky with it. Needs some cosmetic work but it runs great with 44k miles now and when I purchased the car it only had 32k miles.
I wound up buying a 96 integra with a b18b1 and a five speed. Was cheaper than either rsx, and cheaper to modify. Piecing together a turbo setup and will hopefully have a fun, reliable daily.
