At a starting price of $26,990, the CSX is the entry point to Honda's upscale brand. The biggest difference between the base model and the Type-S is found under the hood. In all but the Type-S, the 2.0L four puts out 155 hp at 6,000 rpm instead of 197 at 7,800, torque is the same at 139 pound-feet (although at 4,500 rpm instead of 6,100) and the engine's compression ratio is 9.6:1 instead of 11:1, which means it doesn't require premium octane. The manual transmission also loses one cog. While the obvious net result is less performance than with the Type-S, the CSX has more than enough jones to keep up with the flow, and it is more livable in day-to-day driving situations, with adequate power in the lower ranges to keep the engine from bogging while stuck in heavy traffic. Plus, even though the five-speed manual doesn't have the same snick-snick shift actuation of the close-ratio six-speed, it's still about as foolproof as they come. (A five-speed automatic costs an extra $1,300.)
Surprisingly, there's not that much difference in fuel economy between the two engines. I averaged 9.4 litres per 100 kilometres in the tester during a fairly even mix of highway and suburban driving, which was only 0.3 L/100 km better than in a Civic Si (same engine as in the Type-S, remember) I had driven several weeks earlier.
All CSXs are fitted with a four-wheel independent suspension. Only on the Type-S, though, is the suspension sport-tuned, meaning stiffer springs, firmer damping and more tightly controlled suspension movement with up-sized stabilizer bars at both ends. So, the handling is not quite as sharp in the base CSX as it is in the sportier sibling. It's still pretty good, though, with not too much roll. Plus, the ride is a little easier on the passengers, being firm enough to provide a sense of the road conditions without the penalty of harshness when the tarmac is in poor shape.
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