What’s A Nice Car Like You Doing In A Place Like This? 1995 Eagle Talon vs 2003 Acura RSX

Should it matter where a car comes from, if it’s something you really want? Say, for example, you find a cool sporty coupe, something you don’t see very often anymore, in seemingly good condition. Do you care that it’s being sold by one of the seedy, sketchy dealerships that invade Craigslist like a plague of locusts? That’s what we’re finding out today.

The vote tally on yesterday’s Japanese sedans surprised me. It was about the same 2:1 difference in votes as the difference in horsepower between the two cars, but in the opposite direction. The slowpoke Mazda 626’s clean-as-a-whistle presentation and low mileage were enough to overcome the Nissan Maxima’s horsepower advantage. I honestly didn’t think the Mazda stood a chance.

I know I’d take the Mazda, because there is no way I’m going to voluntarily subject myself to a transversely-mounted VG30E. The one in our old Pathfinder was hard enough to work on. Besides, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed an appreciation for comfy, slow cars like that 626. And hey, it’s faster than a 240D; what more do you want?

I hate buying cars from dealerships. It’s not necessarily their fault; we’re just speaking two different languages, and it’s often hard to get them to shut up enough about their end to get a word in edgewise. They’re concerned about the sale, and I’m concerned about the car. I don’t want to hear them blather about its features, or its book value; I’m trying to listen to that funny growl and figure out where it’s coming from, and how much it’s going to cost to fix. I’ve gotten some good deals from dealerships before, even some really seedy-looking ones, but I’ve gotten burned plenty of times too, so I tend to favor private sellers. Sure, they’re still trying to make a sale, but at least they have a vested interest in that particular car. To a dealer, it’s just an inventory item.

That’s what makes it so frustrating when I find cars like the two I’m about to show you, that look cool and fun, but have the kind of ads that just make me recoil in horror. It could be worth an hour or so of frustration dealing with some jackass with an office in a trailer to drive off in one of these, or it could be a costly mistake. Let’s take a close look at them and see which one looks less sketchy.

1995 Eagle Talon TSi AWD – $3,995

Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 2.0-liter DOHC inline 4, five-speed manual, AWD

Location: Burlington, NJ

Odometer reading: 180,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

For a car built in a town called Normal, this car is anything but. Starting in 1990, the Diamond-Star Motors factory in Normal, Illinois, became synonymous with sporty, fun-to-drive cars that almost anyone could afford, available in a wide variety of flavors: Mitsubishi Eclipse, Plymouth Laser, and Eagle Talon. The Laser didn’t stick around for the second generation, when the DSMs (as they came to be commonly known) got sleeker, wilder, and faster. This Talon TSi is the top-of-the-line DSM, a car coveted by enthusiasts, which makes me a little suspicious of its asking price.

For the twelve people out there who don’t know, what makes this car so special is its drivetrain. It’s powered by a Mitsubishi-built 2.0-liter turbo four that makes 210 horsepower stock, and is capable of a whole lot more with some modification. Shifting is done via a five-speed manual, and all four wheels receive power through a really slick AWD system. It’s quick, it handles well, and it’s actually really pleasant to drive, unlike some other fast cars from the era. The seller says this one “runs and drives great,” though of course they don’t elaborate, and if you’re expecting any maintenance records, dream on.

Interior quality was never a DSM strong suit; I remember taking apart the dash and center console of an Eclipse my wife used to own, and finding nearly every clip and fastener holding it together was broken. And I broke one myself, as careful as I was being, so I don’t blame whoever took it apart before. This one looks pretty good, though I can hear the center console rattling through this photo. But it’s got nice leather seats, and you don’t buy this car for interior appointments anyway. You buy it because it’s fun to drive.

Outside, it’s surprisingly stock-looking; a lot of these got modified six ways from Sunday. It isn’t lowered, and it has the stock wheels. It does have that stupid fart-can muffler, but you only have to put up with the noise from that long enough to drive it to a shop and have a real exhaust put back on – which we also had to do to that aforementioned Eclipse. I think this one has the same muffler on it, actually.

2003 Acura RSX – $4,995

Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter DOHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD

Location: Milwaukie, OR

Odometer reading: 205,000 miles

Operational status: Ad doesn’t say, but we’ll assume it runs fine

This car had some enormous shoes to fill; its predecessor was a legend. Well, actually, it’s predecessor was an Integra, which was more legendary than the Legend. But I digress. The Integra was another darling of the tuner crowd, praised for its good performance and modifiability at a good price. Honda moved upmarket with the Acura RSX (which was still called the Integra in other parts of the world) and it wasn’t nearly as revered. It is, however, a nicer car than the Integra.

The engine in the RSX is well-known to Honda fans: it’s the K-series inline four that everyone swaps into “lesser” Hondas. This is a relatively tame version, producing 160 horsepower, and it’s mated to a five-speed manual, as it should be. The dealership selling it is too busy blathering on about their buy-here-pay-here program to actually say anything about its mechanical condition; they only say “buy with confidence,” which I assume means it runs. Would it kill them to actually include a few words about the thing they’re trying to get money for?

We’ll just have to assess its condition for ourselves, then, based on what we see. It has leather seats, but a seam is split on the driver’s seat, and it has what looks like sweat stains. The steering wheel and shift knob both show heavy wear, which you’d expect at this mileage. It has an aftermarket stereo that looks cheap; I’m guessing it’s a replacement for a better stereo that someone kept when they traded in the car. All in all, it’s not terribly inspiring, but I’ve seen worse.

Outside, it’s losing some clearcoat on the horizontal surfaces, but it looks undamaged. I’m reasonably sure those are not the original wheels, but I’m sure someone who knows Acuras better could say for sure. At least it isn’t lowered.

I really wish we had more information on these two. Both ads have that annoyingly long list of keywords at the end, and say precious little about the cars. To find out what you need to know, you have to go look at them in person, and once you’re on the lot, you’re on their turf. They’ll talk your ear off to distract you from whatever issues the car may have. It’s off-putting, and it’s meant to be, to rush you into a decision you may regret. It’s predatory, and it’s sleazy, and I can’t stand it. But neither of these cars is easy to find, so if you want one, you may have to deal with it. Which one of these would be worth it to you?