Finally Test Drove a Type R - Comparisons

[BoostedSiCoupe]

so many ctr fan boys in the si forum nowadays.

the performance of the R is great, but the price tag bings it down to me. also its ugly looks.

but thats a preference thing. i dont like 4 doors, and i usually dont like hatch backs. also in this case i hate the spoiler.

but really for people to keep posting in si forums about how much better the ctr handles and performs over our si is getting really stupid. all i can really say to those people is: no shit sherlock.

Sponsored

 

[Deleted member]

I don't think you understand how BIG of a gap 20+ MPH's in a corner is.

As for your points,

The CTR makes some degree of down-force at some speed. I don't recall Honda ever stating how much down-force or at what speed it occurs.

As for this hypothetical race, who cares?

The OP drove both cars and gave his impressions on the handling and you said there's no way the two can be that different and that it must have been driver error. I don't think anyone was saying "the CTR can take this corner at this exact mph and the Si can take the corner at this exact mph". The Si handling is quite good due to its light weight but it's not even remotely close to the CTR's handling- I would say it is normal to notice a large difference in how the two handle and not driver error.

so many ctr fan boys in the si forum nowadays.

the performance of the R is great, but the price tag bings it down to me. also its ugly looks.

but thats a preference thing. i dont like 4 doors, and i usually dont like hatch backs. also in this case i hate the spoiler.

but really for people to keep posting in si forums about how much better the ctr handles and performs over our si is getting really stupid. all i can really say to those people is: no shit sherlock.

I'm probably one of the most biased Si fanboys on this forum and have argued many a time that the CTR isn't $10k better than the Si. That said, this is a CTR and Si comparison thread so you're gonna find people discussing the performance of the two cars here. I think coupe looks way better than hatch and wish they made a widebody CTR coupe.

 

[davemarco]

I also found a used one to drive recently. I agree, the transmission was the thing that stood out. It was about as close to perfection as I’ve experienced. Lived up to the hype for me, which wasn’t the case when I drove the Golf R.

Yeah... no.

The CTR obviously handles better with its superior suspension and tire setup, but it is nowhere near that big of a gap. This tells me either something is wrong with your car, or more likely, driver error.

Easy there, champ. There is nothing wrong with my car, and there's little driver error involved with turning a wheel and stepping on the throttle. There was no left foot breaking, trail braking, or any other techniques at play. But yes, the difference is that large. How much of that is due to the upgraded suspension/chassis and how much is due to the vastly better rubber, I couldn't say.

 

[davemarco]

so many ctr fan boys in the si forum nowadays.

the performance of the R is great, but the price tag bings it down to me. also its ugly looks.

but thats a preference thing. i dont like 4 doors, and i usually dont like hatch backs. also in this case i hate the spoiler.

but really for people to keep posting in si forums about how much better the ctr handles and performs over our si is getting really stupid. all i can really say to those people is: no shit sherlock.

These are objective comparisons for the curious. There's no bashing or otherwise involved. You are, of course, free to not participate in the discussion if that would be your preference.

Also, regarding fanboy, please note that I've been an active, constructively participating member of this SI forum for far longer than you. This is a great place for constructive discussion and comparison. We'd prefer to keep it that way, and would welcome you to participate with us accordingly.

 

[davemarco]

The OP drove both cars and gave his impressions on the handling and you said there's no way the two can be that different and that it must have been driver error. I don't think anyone was saying "the CTR can take this corner at this exact mph and the Si can take the corner at this exact mph". The Si handling is quite good due to its light weight but it's not even remotely close to the CTR's handling- I would say it is normal to notice a large difference in how the two handle and not driver error.



I'm probably one of the most biased Si fanboys on this forum and have argued many a time that the CTR isn't $10k better than the Si. That said, this is a CTR and Si comparison thread so you're gonna find people discussing the performance of the two cars here. I think coupe looks way better than hatch and wish they made a widebody CTR coupe.

I agree - I think that my coupe looks better than the hatch as well. I too wish that the CTR would be available in a coupe.

I do personally like the look of the CTR, but I know that it's polarizing. Fortunately, looks are not part of a performance comparison.

 

[davemarco]

So Dave.........do you think the Type "R" is worth $10,000 more than a SI??

10 large can buy you a LOT of fun mods!

Good question. As a function of pure monetary value, maybe yes, maybe no. If I were to add up all of the parts required to turn an SI into an R, I'd say that it's pretty close. For me, it's more a function of longevity. Yes, PRL has successfully run their big turbo kit without issue for about a year now. Would the stock internals continue to hold up after 2 years? 5 years? IIRC, on MAPerformance's big turbo build thread, they'd mentioned that while the stock internals were holding up, they had begun to notice some metallurgic evidence indicating significantly increased engine wear. They also managed to snap an axle under the increased power, as I recall.

Ultimately, to be safe and guarantee that you won't run into issues with a big turbo kit, you'd have to do an engine build. You could skip this, but honestly you'd be rolling the dice on your engine. You'd also be wise to start upgrading the brakes and suspension components to manage that power. Clutch is, of course, mandatory. I could probably afford all of that for $10K and have money leftover (though engine builds can be very pricey). However, my personal level of risk aversion is such that I don't want to deal with the issues that I could run into with effectively having someone perform open heart surgery on my car.

All that said, my original goal was not to comment on the value proposition of the R or whether anyone else should switch. Just wanted to provide a subjective performance comparison for anyone who might be looking for a comparison between a tuned, basic bolt on SI and a stock(ish) R. Just one data point, but happy to offer the service nonetheless.

 

[BoostedSiCoupe]

These are objective comparisons for the curious. There's no bashing or otherwise involved. You are, of course, free to not participate in the discussion if that would be your preference.

Also, regarding fanboy, please note that I've been an active, constructively participating member of this SI forum for far longer than you. This is a great place for constructive discussion and comparison. We'd prefer to keep it that way, and would welcome you to participate with us accordingly.

how long a person has been active on this forum is irrelevant to the topic. we all know the type r is a better performing car than the si - its supposed to be.

is it 10k better? not everyone is sold on that.

 

[aldo]

I like the OP post, he owns an Si and I appreciate the comparison. but I disagree with some of the points he brings up specifically the Type R is light years better than the Si.These are both 4 cylinder civics, same model year, both front wheel drive, more similar than dissimilar. I think the OP wants the Type R very bad and is trying to convince himself and pull the trigger, and take the hit.

 

[davemarco]

how long a person has been active on this forum is irrelevant to the topic. we all know the type r is a better performing car than the si - its supposed to be.

is it 10k better? not everyone is sold on that.

No one here has commented on any value proposition. This is one person's subjective performance comparison based on a test drive of an R versus an SI. There is no further purpose beyond that.

Whether you've realized it our not, you've stepped way outside the scope of our discussion and have made personal attacks on your fellow members (fanboys to you). If you don't want to take part, no one is forcing you.

 

[davemarco]

I like the OP post, he owns an Si and I appreciate the comparison. but I disagree with some of the points he brings up specifically the Type R is light years better than the Si.These are both 4 cylinder civics, same model year, both front wheel drive, more similar than dissimilar. I think the OP wants the Type R very bad and is trying to convince himself and pull the trigger, and take the hit.

If you've also driven both, I would welcome your counter comparison. Please feel free to post your impressions here.

EDIT: I also think that there may be a bit of a "telephone" game going on here. I would say that I do believe that the handling on the R is way better than even the SI's great handling. The clutch and flywheel are also way better - in fact, I believe that this was the only area where I used the words "light years" better. I'm going to stand by that one, since the clutch and flywheel on the SI are absolutely terrible.
Beyond that, I think my comments were rather tame in comparing the two cars.

 

[BoostedSiCoupe]

No one here has commented on any value proposition. This is one person's subjective performance comparison based on a test drive of an R versus an SI. There is no further purpose beyond that.

Whether you've realized it our not, you've stepped way outside the scope of our discussion and have made personal attacks on your fellow members (fanboys to you). If you don't want to take part, no one is forcing you.

when you make a thread telling people how much the ctr tops the performance of the si, one has to wonder what your goal of doing that on a si forum is. we all know its a better performing car than the si, do you need more validation from us to buy it?

 

[thatlilwhiteone]

yeah the type r is 10k better than the si, i can tell that without even driving one. I wouldnt get one because I dont like 4 doors and it out my price range.

 

[aldo]

The OP will be taking a real big hit going from a 2017 Si to a Type R, easily $15K maybe $20K to make that move to a brand new Type R, in my book the Type R is definitely not worth it

 

[davemarco]

Team, the purpose of this thread is to provide a subjective comparison between the two cars based on a recent drive. Many people with SI's have never gotten to drive an R, and my hope was to provide them information on what's different and in what ways. These were questions that I had previously had, and at that time there was no resource available.

If that doesn't interest you, please feel free to move on. I promise that you won't hurt my feelings if you do so.

 

[davemarco]

The OP will be taking a real big hit going from a 2017 Si to a Type R, easily $15K maybe $20K to make that move to a brand new Type R, in my book the Type R is definitely not worth it

Yep, I most certainly will. Again, not really looking to sell others on the car or comment on the value proposition. This is (or was, sadly), a driving impressions thread.

Sponsored