laser ed

just took a CIVIC TYPE R for a test drive and it was as good as the first time i drove the scooby, cant believe the pool this thing had and how high you can rev it (just over 8000) and when the power band kicks in it is awesome. you could have some fun with one of these. any one ells tried one, what did you think???

alwong

I test drove and they are very good. The only problem is you need to continously high rev it to pick up. The power surge is so high up the rev band.

laser ed

alwong you are right the power band is high up the rev range but with a de-cat and induction kit it is meant to be allot better. i might have to do some homework heer.

lucky_strike

Hi ya

Went from a Scooby WRX MY02 with PPP to a new CTR. Yes the vtec was good, a fantastic engine but a couple of things bugged me with it.

Road noise....I thought the road noise on the standard Scoob tyres was bad but the Civic was much worse (IMHO), engine noise also more noticable - especially on the motorway 'cos it is revving much more than the Scoob at cruising speeds.

But handling (in the DRY) and the way the motor sounds was fantastic, look under the engine bay the the engineering that has gone into the engine is brilliant, quality and pretty much bulletproof by all accounts.

I do a lot of motorway miles and didn't really factor in enough the need to be in the vtec zone to get it to shift (even though everyone who's driven one will comment on it). It really is only low/average performance until you hit the 5900rpm (or similar) cam shift and it all goes mental, but thats a sixth to forth down change on the motorway really. Oh, I really did like the super sweet gear change.

In the end I only kept it a couple of months, the road noise, lack of performance out of vtec and shakey handling in the wet was too much for me...missed 4wd damp/wet performance too much in the end as well as the back of the seat shove from a car with a bit of boost.....went for an Evo 8 260.

If your driving needs suit the CTR I'm sure it will good value for you - what about the Clio 182, cheaper and gets close to the same reviews for performance and handling?

Dark Blue Mark

ITR *feels* much quicker IMO. Got bored of it very quick, just too raw for me as a daily drive.

MB

Dai-Tec

Not sure about that one.

As for Clio 182, you might like to consider an older Integra DC2 as Mark has suggested - thats if you don't mind a used one.

If your not sure about the power band, you can always buy a Kpro ECu that allows you to lower your VTEC change over point and gives more torque mid range.

Another thing about these is that you need to really *try* hard to make it go fast and that can sometimes be tiring if you can't be bothered.

As for road noise, I commute about 70 miles down the M1 in mine often and its not too bad, I have taken the Tanabe exhaust I had tho!

crofty

QUOTE: cant believe the pool this thing had

A pool in a Civic type R whatever next

Emms

The road noise in a CTR is easily sorted by getting shod of the Bridgstones and putting on a set of Toyo's. The wet handeling is much improved as well. Mind you any FWD car with 200 bhp is gonna be twichy. But then who whoons it about in the wet...

other than Scooby drivers....
oh and Evo drivers.....
and and....

Agree with Dia however (G. of CTR forums wife here m8 hello ). The you do actually have to drive the civic, where as when Im in my Scooby I seem to spend most of the time just hanging on.

richs2891

They are great cars and definately a bargin, not expensive to run at all.
Not as easy car to drive as a Scoob, you have to concentrate a lot more in a CTR to get the best out of it, not a jump in and drive fast car like the Scoob.
The lack of traction in the wet can be very annoying, tried differerent tyres and still caught me out.
Sold it last week in preparation of my third Sccob arriving !st March.
Dai tec what are you doing on this forum- got fed up of the civictype-r one !

Richard

Mad Gypsy

Never been in a CTR, but have been in an ITR and thought it was sh1te. At the time I had a lightly moded STi Type R and that felt like a 7 series in comparison. The ITR remains the most uncomfortable car I've ever been in. That includes my current 996 (with 10mm lower sports suspension) a GT3 clubsport or my Type R. It was fookin slow to, had all the torque of a tesco's trolley and was even worse than the scoob for interior. The only thing it had going for it was looks, and the CTR doesn't even have that!

CTR's always try it on though! The results are truly laughable!

Would choose a classic WRX any old day of the week over a new CTR bread van.

TheBigMan

Gypsy by name; gypsy by nature.

Diablo

LOL

So you didn't actually drive one

ITR's are mot meant to be comfortable. And having owned both an ITR DC2 and an MY99 Scoob, the honda has the better interior.

Give me a DC2 Integra R and a tight, twisty road or track and you'll think your 996 (even with its sports suspension) has something wrong with it.

Of course they are not "that" fast in a straight line, they have "only" 190ps.

Are you honestly complaining that a car which has a lightened and stiffened shell, no sound deadening material, thinner glass and revs to nearly 9000 rpm is "uncomfortable" ...

D

Senior_AP

Classic post wasn't it.

No torque - yep but they were designed like that.

Not comfortable - Yeah good point, cos I though the car was supposed to compete with a 3 series in the compfort stakes.

Crap interior - I drive looking out the windscreen, not admiring the dashboard.

Loud - yes, they are. They didn't "forget" the sound deadening!!

Dai-Tec

LOL no mate, just like to go on other forums to do some reading

Was thinking about changing cars you see but not so sure now!

Good luck with ya new scoob.

gso

i really wanted to buy a CTR.... had my mind set on it, liked the way it looked (from most angles) had the money ready...went for a test drive...

Was so dissappointed...I really didnt like any of it by the time i walked out the door.... having to drive like a nutter to get any performance out of it, crappy (IMO) interior no aircon the list goes on... What i did like though was the handling and the gear change

When i went to drive a scoob i was expecting to be dissappointed (I never though one could be better than honda).... as soon as i set off i knew i could live with the interior... and as soon as i pressed to "go" pedal i had a grin on my face... one week later i was in my scoob, no regrets!

my 2p!

Smudga

Spot on M8 had one agree totally. Best point to point car and the most fun you can have with your clothes on CTR is for hairdressers by comparason

Dai-Tec

simple matey, u prefer turbo cars with lazy power and so do i!

Wish

iTrader: (2)

My Nan loves here Civic too. Great for shopping trips.

mattvortex

just to add my thoughts on this debate, i have owned a near standard uk imreza turbo (1998) for 3.5 years now and actually test drove a ctr a couple years ago after reading all the hype in the motoring press. found the ctr dull to drive after impreza. its steering is lifeless and by that i mean you dont know what the wheels are doing. all the performance is too high up the rev range which is frustrating and didnt even like the dash mounted gearchange.(nice alloys though) i think the clio 182 fills the hot hatch brief much better. the ctr just felt like a nippy mpv!

CTR

Had a CTR after me Scoob, and I loved the engine and gearbox, and position of gearstick. You either love or hate the revving thing. Doesnt quite give you the nice shove in the back the Scoob does, but dont think there was much in it between a classic turbo and CTR once on the move.

I like the CTRs engine so much, I want another one, the engine that is

R.B

Just ordered a civic type r for my missis they are nice cars and she might get a go in it too

rb5 286

iTrader: (2)

i test drove a CTR last year and i thought that it was ok

but i wasnt impressed with the fact that u had to be in the high rev range for it to give you the full power.
the noise was gorgeous tho and handling wise i found good in the dry on some good twisties but being front wheel drive had some serious moments with understeer.

the funny position of the g/lever was actual very good as u had less distance from shift to steering wheel.

Also t/drove the S2000, found this much more fun, again same issues with the high revving for power but the noise agfain, even louder then the CTR with the roof down.


would never find myself getting either to replace the RB5 tho

terryb

I owned a CTR before the P1 (which of course are leagues apart in terms of performance), but before buying the P1 I test drove a bugeye shape WRX (which is on similar power terms to the CTR - in fact the WRX has more power). But I was VERY disappointed with the WRX; it felt soft, refined and not as quick as the CTR (when on the move) - it also tramlined really badly. The CTR is much more focused; it feels really planted on the road at high speed and the sound is awesome. As for having to rev it high - yes you do but it revs so easily that it doesn't feel like you're straining the engine.

I once had a bit of a play against a sapphire cosworth on a dual carriageway and there was absolutely nothing in it between us at higher speeds - which I was very proud of in the CTR.

As for the steering having a lack of feel - this is exaggerated by the motoring press as they test cars every day for a living - in the real world the CTR feels fine. Mind you throw in greasy, bumpy, twisty roads in the equation and the CTR wouldn't be very good at all.

rb5 286

iTrader: (2)

i must say that everytime i see one, in white black or red I think what a stunning looking car, i love the big multispoke wheels and the black model always looks like the paint is still wet its that shiny.

IMO i'd have to disagree, when i test drove it, I felt that the engine sounded like it was being pushed to far but maybe I just wasnt used to that as I've always owned turbo perfornce cars.

but after t/driving an RX-8 for 3 days and revving it up to 10,000 rpm I would disagree with what I though back then. these jap NA engines are awesome and such fun

kammy

Jap engines are amazing. My 16 year CRX 16v still freely revs to 7k plus and runs spot on. If only they knew back in the day how to stop rust
Kam

Mad Gypsy

Having raced my friends ITR in both my STi Type R and my 996, I can but laugh at you.The turn in is good in the ITR, but you can't come out of a corner in an ITR ANYTHING like the way you can in a 911. No torque, no power and FWD, how do you keep up? You wouldn't.

My friend can't enter corners as fast in his ITR either (I do have better brakes granted). by the time we come off a bend, I've done serious damage to him, the race is over.

The cornering speed in a 911 with sports pack is awesome, better than my STi by far. I can stick with a friend of a friends Evo VIII FQ330 on the A350 (Poole to Blandford and a perfect example of the 'twisties' )

No I didn't drive the ITR, but have been in it when it was driven hard several times, once when he tried to race an E36 M3, the M3 chewed him up and spat him out (it was on a straight).

As for the interior, they're both crap so whatever

I could understand all the "lightned and stiffened shell, no sound deadening material bla bla bla..." if it was in a hardcore car that was FAST, but it's not, it's SLOW and can match my 996 in absolutely no department.

pauld37

Boy racer

kammy

ITR are over rated. My bros got one, and admits his old-old GT-turbo would really kicks its behind, prety much im all areas (performance wise). Still damm impressive for an N/A 1.8. Another thing while im at it- if its soo hardcore why did it get elecy windows, central locking, air-con etc? Never understood this.
Kam

The_Titanium_Knob_Man

Some of the posts regarding the ITR being 'overrated' and slow are just ridiculous. If you are comparing a 190 bhp integra to a 300+ bhp M3 in a straight......guess wot.... the M3's faster.......ooo now that's a real surprise!

So you didn't get on with a stripped out, high revving, loud, uncompromising, amazing cornering (for FWD) coupe........the fact that you had to compare to a 300+ bhp RWD M3 and porsche 911 to say how ****e it is, kind of negates your original point .......and probably indicates the exact opposite.

I mean its scary that people that make stupid statements like that are actually allowed to vote........

So u didn't like it..... .........next interesting post please

Dai-Tec

Seriously... WTF!!1 How the f*ck can you compare a Porsche to an Integra Type R???

If your talking NSX Type R then yeah maybe, but a ~£10k 1800cc Honda against a ~£60k how ever many cc Porsche? Get some sense PLEASE