rsx or suv

I'm fixing to get my first vehicle and I have a price limit of about $17,000. If I get a car, I'm leaning towards an RSX however I'm not fully sure that I want a car. This vehicle will have to last me through the rest of high school and most of college, so once it's purchased there's not really any going back. I love the RSX and don't think I would get tired of it but I just wonder if by the time I'm in college if I'll be looking back and wishing I had gone with something more "practical" such as an SUV. Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

well man... it just depends on what you like i guess. One good thing about and RSX is that they hold there value really well.. so if you think you need an SUV when you go off to college than you can sell it and get alot for it. I was looking at used RSXs and they were only about 2k less than brand new ones.. so thats just something to think about.

Well SUV's guzzle gas, suck at every performance aspect (excluding the SS, SRT-10 and Lightning which are expensive performance pick-ups), never used for going off, road, but they're high on the ground and they can carry crap. RSX has less space but it pretty much beats the SUV in every other aspect. However, test drive both and see.

I vote RSX.

get something different....like a Scion tC

I dunno about you, but I think SUV's are hardly "practical"

I second the Scion tC movement.

Well, another thing you might need to consider is how tall you are. My bro-in-law wanted to get an RSX, but since he's 6'2", he didn't have much clearance and kept touching the ceiling any time he went over a bump. So he decided to go SUV.

He's really not liking the gas prices right now, though. If you're getting an SUV, I would wait until August/Sept. since I think Ford is getting the hybrid Escape out then.

Many people 6'5" and even 6'7" have fit in the RSX.....

And the Escape Hybrid is horribly expensive. I see no point in buying it - unless you use that for decades you're spending more.

Height was definately an issue I considered. I'm 6'0" and when I test drove a Celica the same thing happened with my head over bumps. However, the RSX seemed fine.

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go with the RSX over the SUV.

Thanks for everyone's input and if anyone has some specific SUV (in the same price range) that they think is better than the RSX feel free to post it and what you like about it over a car.

Many people 6'5" and even 6'7" have fit in the RSX.....

And the Escape Hybrid is horribly expensive. I see no point in buying it - unless you use that for decades you're spending more.
True, true, but he's actually bigger from the torso up, so sitting in the seat kills his head. He has to slouch in order for the ceiling not to hit his head, which is not very comfortable for him.

Yeah, hybrids generally run about $5k more than the regular gas counterparts. But you do get to take off about $2k off your taxes the first year, in the US, for an energy saver auto. And you won't be spending as much money in the long run for gasoline. So overall, if you keep it for 5 yrs, you should more than make up for the price difference.

Well, I was looking at the Ford Escape 2.3L and they seem to get 23-25mpg. I'm sure the hybrid will get around 30+ mpg. So, in essence, you'll save about $.32/mile --> 1 / 7mpg * $2.25/gal. Take the 12k standard miles per year, and you get a savings of $3840/year. Over 5 years, this comes out to $19,200. So, yes, they are more expensive, but you'll end up saving money for another vehicle after 5 years.

Hmmm, I remember reading an article saying that the Hybrid used 1K less (about 800USD) per year using the average mileage per person, and that the price meant that the car would have to be kept over a decade to break even, its like 40,000 Canadian for the Hybrid (30,000USD).

Well, today my mom and dad purchased a red '02 RSX-S for me so obviously I went with the car. Thanks for everyone's advice.

Lucky guy, hope you have fun with the car. Its quite a quick one :smokin:

Wanna race? :evillol:

Hmmm, I remember reading an article saying that the Hybrid used 1K less (about 800USD) per year using the average mileage per person, and that the price meant that the car would have to be kept over a decade to break even, its like 40,000 Canadian for the Hybrid (30,000USD).
I was unaware that the hybrid cost that much. I thought it would have been in the 25k range. Well, I just know that I like my TypeS and probably won't ever buy an SUV.

I could also be wrong about getting 30mpg on the hybrid, so I guess if it only does 3-4 mpg more than the regular car, then just cut my figures in half. But I really think it should get at least 30. I mean the civic hybrid gets 45-50, whereas the best mpg civic, the HX, gets 36-44. So expecting a 6-7 mpg increase shouldn't be too far off? :)

Are my calculations off somewhere? :uhoh:

Wanna race? :evillol:

HELLLLLL no, lol. My insurance is already too high as it is. Right at $700 every six months, liability only.

That tends to put a nice dent in a 16 year-old's paycheck. But, parents paid for the car, so not complaining.

suvs are well, raised station wagons with big wheels imo... it is just the way car compainies advertise them as a guy car... but guys dont want to be seen in station wagons... so wut do they do? they call it an "suv" if u havent noticed, the newer suv's are getting lower... and they are basically turning back into station wagons... thats just my opinion... station wagons are practical, suv's are not... it seems to me like america is making the same mistake they did in the 70's with the gas crunch... they had all these huge dislplacement v8 cars... well now they are sticking them in suv's and with rising gas prices, suv's are now starting to get less and less desirable.... i think honda and toyota are pretty smart with their hybrid prius and insite... well i guess i got off topic there, i think its a good thing u went for the rsx... honda/acura's hold their value, also like toyota/lexus... and its also fun to drive, gets better gas milage, and u can fit 4 people in it... it may not be 7 or 8 people, but at least its not a 2 seater right?

Ghetto- I agree. I know some people actually need the large displacement engines for towing/hauling etc. For the most part, though, SUV's are impractical. Models like the Volvo Cross-Country, for example, are just as handy and get better mileage. What drives me insane are the 4'5" housewives rumbling around in H2s...

What drives me insane are the 4'5" housewives rumbling around in H2s...

hahahahaha. why is it that more women drive the H2 than men?

It makes them feel "safer". I'm glad someone feels safe, because it scares the shit out of me...