2002 NSX Review - Motor Magazine Australia

NeoNSX · 27 December 2002

Read <A HREF="http://carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/reviews/reviewstory.asp?ID=4262">Aug 2002 Honda NSX Review</A> Here!


With comments like "[the nsx] should have bowed out gracefully five years ago" you might want to check this out so you can flame the editor.

I would like to apologize on behalf of all Australian's for this article.

This is why i chose to read NSXPrime over buying an aussie magazine.

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NeoNSX
If the Matrix is real, then the NSX is just a figment of your imagination.

[This message has been edited by NeoNSX (edited 27 December 2002).]

nicholas421 · 27 December 2002

i dont get it. his review was mostly praise. his only gripes seem to be the high sticker price and the "bulbous" instrutment knobs.

Zanardi 50 · 27 December 2002

Well, at least the photos are nicely done.......

Tony Montoya · 27 December 2002

I thought it was a fair review. The only points he missed is that an NSX is better than an entry level Porsche 911. I would rather have an aluminum car than a steel car and safety is not a huge issue with an NSX, they are strong cars.

D'Ecosse · 27 December 2002

For all its stirring lines, blistering straightline performance and corner carving skills, the Honda NSX is a supercar long past its used-by date.

Let me undertstand this leading statement:

1) Looks great ("head-turning" quoted in article)
2) awesome performance ("blistering" - says it all)
3) Fabulous Handling ("NSX will hang on tighter than a Pit Bull with lockjaw")

but added together = equivelant of yesterday's supermarket produce?

Huh????

JaguarXJ6 · 27 December 2002

Hysterical article! I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

Glenn Butler had his senses pretty overwhelmed and I think he has failed to grasp that what makes a car as like the NSX so great will continue to make it great long after decades of technological improvements come and go.

Why even bother to review the NSX at all? By just reading some of the praise, and feedback through our own senses, is all we need to know.

Sunny

MAKO · 27 December 2002

Good review. To this board however I'm sure it seems heinious given the natural bias.

To me though it's pretty spot on. The comment about the pricing versus a C2 is fairly accurate (if judged by MSRPs), although the performance differances between it and a 2002 NSX are much closer than the writer makes it appear.

The NSX's interior is archaic, no point debating that. However, no one is buying/driving an NSX for what it offers in terms of its cabin. If those are priorities to a buyer, then I'd suggest another car for them like a Lexus SC430, or something similar. The NSX is a true sports car, not a sports-gt cruiser than tries to be a jack of all trades to everyone.

In terms of EBD and stability control systems not being offered on the NSX, again I'd look to its purpose. Sure it'd be great to have a nice stability control setup for when the rears are worn a bit and a freak shower hits. EBD on the other hand we can do without for the most part thanks to the great 4-channel ABS system that's already in the car.

Otherwise it's a good article. The NSX is overpriced if judged by its MSRP, but we all know that anyone who does his research wouldn't pay more than $75k for a brand new one at a dealer, period. (If you did then my response is that you either had throwaway money or couldn't be bothered with grinding away with the dealer). There are even a couple board members that bought their Zanardis for $75k or less, and that was a limited 50 unit run, lol

If judged at $75k, the NSX appears better to me due to only having three real competitors (Z06, Carrera C2, M3) but it would still be impossible to judge it as a "value" pick amoung that strong group.

The NSX is a great car. My advice would be for the majority of board members to stop wishing for another next generation one that would be out of their budget anyway, stop crying when magazine reviewers bash it for being old, and stop worrying about whether other sports car owners give it enough respect. Instead go drive it and enjoy life.

NeoNSX · 28 December 2002

I agree with D'Ecosse's comments... the ed. says it's good, but doesn't want to appear a honda-lover. (there's an attitude in australia that only REAL cars are holdens & fords... *yawn*)

This web review is a very condensed spin-off of the review published in their magazine Aug2002. It was about the NSX and a Porsche, so I bought a copy of it. Anyway, the magazine reviewer was a Porsche guy and hence soooo biased.. the NSX never lived up to his expectations.

This ticked me off so much so that I complained, AND THEY PUBLISHED MY LETTER IN THE NEXT EDITION!!! Woohoo! No joke!

If anyone's interested i'll scan the original magazine review (about 8pages, nice photos) so u guys can read it for yourself...

*lol* nobody was gonna badmouth my baby and get away with it...

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NeoNSX
If the Matrix is real, then the NSX is just a figment of your imagination.

[This message has been edited by NeoNSX (edited 28 December 2002).]

PHOEN$X · 28 December 2002

Damn Aussies...

Originally posted by NeoNSX:
This ticked me off so much so that I complained, AND THEY PUBLISHED MY LETTER IN THE NEXT EDITION!!! Woohoo! No joke!

Nice going, MadMax I mean NeoNSX! I thought you'd go with the shotgun approach though

Please post you letter and other responses!

ramrod · 29 December 2002

The article was clearly edited to subdue the glowing praise this car truly deserves, and likely received in its first draft. I suspect the editor of trying to prevent heartburn letters from drivers of lesser marques, of which there are, after all, far more than those of us blessed to own the NSX...

As for the comment about NSXs being too pricey, yeah, maybe a 911 is a little cheaper (for a base model), but they also depreciate *much* faster, their interiors really do suck, and only a Vette suffers from lower build quality and reliability. And since when did a Vette have a drop dead luxo-touring-electro-widget interior. Frankly, I think the NSX interior is far superior to either, especially at the higher velocities when your mind better be elsewhere. The M3? Nice car in and out, no doubt, but you're still driving a sports coupe and you still see yourself coming and going.

Which leads to the issue of rarity. The day I picked up my '00 Silverstone NSX-T I swear I must have seen 20 Vettes, a dozen or so 911's, at least 5 Vipers (!), and after 10 years in Atlanta I don't even take note of BMW's anymore (unless they have two wheels). BTW, that was 9 months ago and I've actually seen more Ferrari's on the roads here than NSXs since then.

What a ride. Beautiful, fast, RARE. Although I do occasionally think about converting the car to cash and buying the QQQ's, I always immediately banish such banal and ludicrous thinking from my mind by the time I've made 3rd gear after leaving my driveway.

Just my 25 cents...

Auraraptor · 29 December 2002

As for the comment about NSXs being too pricey, yeah, maybe a 911 is a little cheaper (for a base model), but they also depreciate *much* faster, their interiors really do suck...

haha...I hear that! 996=froggy bubble

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Resident E38er

-97 NSX "Nina" #183

NeoNSX · 29 December 2002

Originally posted by Auraraptor:
haha...I hear that! 996=froggy bubble

really? Haven't driven a porsche so i wouldn't know. Are their interiors really that bad?

the interior to the new Carrera GT looks awesome... the speedo looks like an LCD screen (really L337!)

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NeoNSX
If the Matrix is real, then the NSX is just a figment of your imagination.

NeoNSX · 29 December 2002

996=froggy bubble

really??? Are porsche interiors really that bad??? i've never driven one so i don't know.

ramrod: that 25cents are worth $25.

PhoeN$X: Welcome back L337 dude... i spared him da shotgun approach after he printed my letter.

Besides, i dun use shotguns (haven't u seen The Matrix?)

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NeoNSX
If the Matrix is real, then the NSX is just a figment of your imagination.

NeoNSX · 29 December 2002

Forgot to add i'm going away for a couple of days, so i will scan and post the magazine review + my letter when i get back.

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NeoNSX
If the Matrix is real, then the NSX is just a figment of your imagination.

nsxtasy · 29 December 2002

Originally posted by NeoNSX:
really? Haven't driven a porsche so i wouldn't know. Are their interiors really that bad?

Yes, dreadful. Unless you really enjoy looking at hieroglyphics.

NSX-GUY · 30 December 2002

Originally posted by MAKO:
The NSX's interior is archaic, no point debating that.

If judged at $75k, the NSX appears better to me due to only having three real competitors (Z06, Carrera C2, M3) but it would still be impossible to judge it as a "value" pick amoung that strong group.

"NSX's interior is archaic" Could you 'splain, Ricky ??? Seriously though, I've owned both cars. I found absolutely no problem with the NSX. Everything appeared to be logically presented and easy to reach (a true Honda forte. They practically invented the term "ergonomics") If anything, IMO, it's the Porsche interior that's archaic. Small buttons and hard to reach/decipher. (Won't stop me from trying to find that '01 TT I'm looking for though)

I don't know if I'd consider the M3 a true competitor with the NSX. The addition of 2 back seats really puts the M3 in a (albeit slighty) different class.

M3 is quite a bit more practical (although I could get my golf bag in the trunk of the NSX and once that's accomplished, who cares ? (grin)).

And, having had both, I can tell you that my grin was much wider getting into and firing up the NSX than it is now with the M3. The M3 is a great performer, does everything right and has room for 4 (styling is just so-so though. But it just doesn't thrill me.

NeoNSX · 1 January 2003

have posted magazine review here:
http://www.nsxprime.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/007490.html

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NeoNSX
If the Matrix is real, then the NSX is just a figment of your imagination.

Tom Larkins · 1 January 2003

The 911 interior is terrible, I know ! The list is too long to go over but their is more plastic crap in the base model than a 350Z. To upgrade from that will cost you dearly. Leather upgrade ($3300), Porche crests for seats, wheels & mats ($1100), on & on it goes, which is the biggest complaint from prospective buyers. No flames of P owners please if any here, but this article is clearly wacked!

Spencer · 1 January 2003

Two points.

#1. Exclusivity. I've owned both, and I don't know how anybody can start to compare the exclusivity and sheer "cool" factor of a handbuilt, aluminium-bodied, TRULY limited production car...to that of the longest running production sports car. To be blunt, Porche has produced tens of thousands of these things since 1964...and the funny part is...the come in both the "rarified super-exotic" league and also in the "local rusted out beater" category. Who the heck wants that? "Gee, Dear...look at that neat car next to us...is that a POS owned by a local college kid or a supercar?" Bottom line: I know we're not in this for the looks (well, maybe sometimes) but spending those $$ on a car that the average person cannot tell the difference really is assinine.

#2. The Interior. There is a finite end point to effective, ergonomic, TIMELESS interior design...and guess what? The NSX meets the criteria. Anybody carping about its "lack of modernity" is basically lamenting the fact it does have the latest "in" fad (that will look dated and stupid in 5 years.) As evidence, I offer a 1985 Corvette that I once owned with the neato multi-colored LCD dash...remember those?...looked like a pin ball game. Yeah sure, it was real "modern" then, but now looks about as dated as a white disco suit.

I rest my case.

blurr · 2 January 2003

Originally posted by Spencer:
The Interior. There is a finite end point to effective, ergonomic, TIMELESS interior design...and guess what? The NSX meets the criteria. Anybody carping about its "lack of modernity" is basically lamenting the fact it does have the latest "in" fad

Not all NSX interior gripes are over some recent fad. There is room for improvment. I don't think I have even seen a casette tape in 3 or four years.

NeoNSX · 2 January 2003

funny u guys talk about LCD dashboards...

check out this related thread about the Porsche Carrera GT dash: http://www.nsxprime.com/ubb/Forum9/HTML/001584.html

"it was real "modern" then, but now looks about as dated as a white disco suit."

*lol* but the white disco suit still digs it with the chicks if you know the moves...

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NeoNSX
If the Matrix is real, then the NSX is just a figment of your imagination.

NeoNSX · 2 January 2003

Originally posted by blurr:
Not all NSX interior gripes are over some recent fad. There is room for improvment. I don't think I have even seen a casette tape in 3 or four years.

a CD player should be minimum.
an mp3 player should be offered as an optional extra. 8)

2002 NSX Review - Motor Magazine Australia

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