SS 1LE or Civic Type R: What would you do, dad?

Jay Bee

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Hello everyone

I am currently at a crossroad. I own a 2017 SS 1LE. This baby doesnt get tracked or abused....actually, it doesnt even get used that much. Over the past 3 years, I have driven it a grand total of 8,000 miles. It didnt start this way though. The Camaro was never supposed to be a "garage queen". It seems that as my daughters keep growing, I keep gravitating towards my wife's Silverado for anything that has to do with getting out of the house. While this is not a bad combo (race car for Sundays, truck for everything else), it feels like a total waste. Also, cars are meant to be driven, and when not, are depreciating and asking for maintenance.

I still love driving that car. That 6.2L, that sound, that chassis and brakes. The shifter is precise and perfect. But then again, my oldest daughter doesnt fit unless she crosses her legs (at all times) and the baby doesnt like riding in it (my guess is she doesnt appreciate the dungeon-like accomodations). So it has become that dad only car, the car that I drive when Im by myself, on a sunny day, with nice weather. Its pretty much a motorcycle....but I also have a motorcycle for that.

The Civic Type R is the only car that Ive considered to replace my beloved Camaro. The looks are awesome (specially in Rallye Red!!!), Ive found one in my hometown for a fair price. I would also pay less that I am paying now each month. The Camaro has been great and extremely reliable, and it pains me to give up a manual, RWD, N/A V8 monster. That is why a Type R is the only car I am considering, its fast, looks agressive, It comes in a manual,can accomodate more people and trunk space is huge.

To the point then: Has anyone here been in this similar situation? I have read a lot of posts but most people Ive read are trading in a Civic Si or a similar car. Anyone out there traded a Camaro or Mustang, or ATS-V or something similar? If so, What has been your experience? Any regrets? Would you do it again? Maybe someone currently owns both?

Any input is welcome, even if you completely disagree with me, let me have it.
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NapalmEnema

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Get the type R- it will be a nice change of pace seeing the world around you instead of seeing everything through the slit modeled from a tank :)
 

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Do you have fun curvy roads near you or plan to track it? If not, I'd keep the Camaro. The 0-30 mph times will be a huge step down with a CTR. The CTR shines when you get it up to speed.
 

OneSickFK8

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Civic Type-R. This car is absolutely amazing.
 


zsak

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I had a atsv that was eventually bought back. The R is about 90% of the V. Main difference is the luxury and power. I miss the V time to time but the R is not too bad if you can deal with fwd.
 

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If you are not going to drive the Camaro then move on to something else. The CTR is a great choice if you want that type of car.

I moved from an F80 M3. Haven’t got the CTR yet so can only provide test drive impressions.
 

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I had a atsv that was eventually bought back. The R is about 90% of the V. Main difference is the luxury and power. I miss the V time to time but the R is not too bad if you can deal with fwd.
This. You will miss the Rwd ability to rotate the car with the throttle which is so much fun but the type R is pretty much the best high performance dad car out there. So practical and daily drivable it’s ridiculous.
 
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Jay Bee

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Thanks everyone for the replies. Seems pretty unanimous towards the CTR.

Hope to get even more replies.

If you are not going to drive the Camaro then move on to something else.
Thats exactly what Im thinking.

Type R...no further comments needed. Drive one, you will love it.
Wish I could drive one but the only dealer here wont budge.

I had a atsv that was eventually bought back. The R is about 90% of the V. Main difference is the luxury and power. I miss the V time to time but the R is not too bad if you can deal with fwd.
Interesting. The ATS-V is on the same chassis as the camaro (alpha platform), so they should ride similar. How well does the CTR feel on the road from the eyes of a previous alpha chassis owner?
 

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As far as handling and chassis dynamics they both are not too off. Both very stiff and hold the road very well. Mag ride on the V was amazing and I would say the R’s version is right up there granted the feeling from sport to R mode didn’t feel as extreme as in the V. The R from 2nd gear on seems just as fast as the V did. One big advantage the R has is the interior room. This thing is so much bigger and more useful with my kids in tow. One thing you will miss on the ss is the sound. Those v8’s have glorious music from the tail pipes.
 


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Your SS 1LE is by far the better of the choice you are suggesting.
Nothing beats a nice N/A engine (which you have). Steer clear of the inclination to Switch to a smaller CI motor that is turbo. I understand you just need more “space”. Perhaps a V6 step down to a Camry XSE? What I am eluding to is; if you want to keep the performance aspect you have in your SS then stick with it or choose something more similar.
 

Ctrnut

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Hello everyone

I am currently at a crossroad. I own a 2017 SS 1LE. This baby doesnt get tracked or abused....actually, it doesnt even get used that much. Over the past 3 years, I have driven it a grand total of 8,000 miles. It didnt start this way though. The Camaro was never supposed to be a "garage queen". It seems that as my daughters keep growing, I keep gravitating towards my wife's Silverado for anything that has to do with getting out of the house. While this is not a bad combo (race car for Sundays, truck for everything else), it feels like a total waste. Also, cars are meant to be driven, and when not, are depreciating and asking for maintenance.

I still love driving that car. That 6.2L, that sound, that chassis and brakes. The shifter is precise and perfect. But then again, my oldest daughter doesnt fit unless she crosses her legs (at all times) and the baby doesnt like riding in it (my guess is she doesnt appreciate the dungeon-like accomodations). So it has become that dad only car, the car that I drive when Im by myself, on a sunny day, with nice weather. Its pretty much a motorcycle....but I also have a motorcycle for that.

The Civic Type R is the only car that Ive considered to replace my beloved Camaro. The looks are awesome (specially in Rallye Red!!!), Ive found one in my hometown for a fair price. I would also pay less that I am paying now each month. The Camaro has been great and extremely reliable, and it pains me to give up a manual, RWD, N/A V8 monster. That is why a Type R is the only car I am considering, its fast, looks agressive, It comes in a manual,can accomodate more people and trunk space is huge.

To the point then: Has anyone here been in this similar situation? I have read a lot of posts but most people Ive read are trading in a Civic Si or a similar car. Anyone out there traded a Camaro or Mustang, or ATS-V or something similar? If so, What has been your experience? Any regrets? Would you do it again? Maybe someone currently owns both?

Any input is welcome, even if you completely disagree with me, let me have it.

I Cross shopped both cars back in '17. Based on the flexibility alone I went with the Type R. I am very happy with the R and a few mods took it from really good to incredible. My biggest concern was the wheels which I did switch out. Otherwise I am happy to have an almost 400whp car that also does under 9l-100km in fuel economy which I think is about 26 MPG(mind you i am guesstimating this number). I love the big trunk and comfort, I do not think you will be disappointed if you make the switch.

The 1SS is most certainly a very capable track car and great on the roads. You do have on challenging decision to make. Either car will make you happy.
 

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Your SS 1LE is by far the better of the choice you are suggesting.
Nothing beats a nice N/A engine (which you have). Steer clear of the inclination to Switch to a smaller CI motor that is turbo. I understand you just need more “space”. Perhaps a V6 step down to a Camry XSE? What I am eluding to is; if you want to keep the performance aspect you have in your SS then stick with it or choose something more similar.
You are recommending a Camry XSE as a fun dad car over the Type R? Have you driven a Type R or own one? Camry is much heavier, less usable space in the trunk / hatch, worse torque/power curve, pretty meh 0-60 performance as well.

Get the Type R. Very usable space, daily drivable in all seasons (change the tires), track on the weekends if you'd like, decent fuel economy, and with some very inexpensive mods you're at 350-375 whp reliably (I'm FBO + tune daily driven for 30K+ miles with just routine maintenance).

Not to mention, the Type R resale value / depreciation curve is looking pretty good right about now and it comes with a fantastic 6 speed gearbox.
 

HiSpdTouring

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If you are not going to drive the Camaro then move on to something else. The CTR is a great choice if you want that type of car.

I moved from an F80 M3. Haven’t got the CTR yet so can only provide test drive impressions.
I think that you would absolutely love it. Best combo of power, brakes, suspension in harmony with each other. I just feel that everything works and don't to think about build quality and reliability. I've had several European cars and the M3 is a dream car of mine to have but wouldn't want to deal with the issues and build quality that you can expect from a European car. Don't get me wrong you can either get a really good one or a bad one. That being said I think that you can rack up the mileage fast in the CTR and will just look good as new.
 

CivilciviC

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Often times people bring up RWD and the ability to hoon the car... I’ve owned a supercharged Miata and a modded 370z Nismo, and I was terrified to let the back end slip out. The most I’d do is a mild twitch of the rear, but anything beyond that, unless you’ve practiced quite a bit, may end up being a very expensive repair bill. I can’t imagine having a new 40-50k car and swinging the ass end of it. There’s been way too many mustang crash videos (amongst countless others) which suggest it’s a really bad idea.

I’ve never really understood the sport of drifting either. It’s one thing if you’re sponsored and have plenty of cash coming in to support a team. But an individual driver, burning through pricey tires on purpose seems like a bad idea. I also see plenty of cars around town with the associated “drift tax” on them- body damage is common.

If that is your thing- you probably won’t want a CTR.

If you want a comfortable car with room to haul stuff, and the ability to take corners at ridiculous speeds, the CTR is for you. If you want straight line enjoyment, I wouldn’t bat an eye at the CTR. The FWD is a limiting factor that we just can’t really get around. Who cares if your car makes 500hp, when the front wheels are spinning through the first four gears.

Honda never intended the CTR to be a traffic light-to-traffic light race car. What it loses on acceleration from 0 mph, it quickly makes up in faster braking and faster cornering speeds compared to its competitors.

I can’t speak for the Camaro, but one thing with the CTR is that it always feels engaging. Not to mention the shifting feels precise and very satisfying.
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