Life With a R? What is it really like?

[JESFromASC]

I'll do my best to keep it short.
58 years old.
Plenty of track days in a very tweaked (track only) Miata [ VIR, RA, AMSP, Barber].
Done some SCCA hillclimb racing.
Miata went away last year this time and I'm looking at the new "R".
BUT ---
A few concerns:

1) South Carolina roads are in terrible condition. Just how much of a pot hole does it take to say goodbye to one of those beautiful rims and tire? Can you even clear the rain gutters we have along our busy main roads?

2) Can you really live with this car as a "daily driver?"

3) Unlike the Miata this will replace my 2007 Rabbit and have to play house nicely - can it do that? Could the wife drive it in a pinch? Could I pick up my frail old Mom in it? Or will it jar their teeth out and scare them?

Anyway - anyone have an R long term and can either dissuade me from buying one (which would really be OK) or convince me it is a gentle sociopath that only shows its true colors when asked too?

TIA

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[DuneShoot]

2) I daily drive mine and love it but only owned in for a month. As you said it is a gentle sociopath until you step on it.
3) Anyone can drive one. May be harder to get out of. I use an elbow on the left door frame area and the other arm/hand on the wheel to swoosh myself up and out.
Has plenty of clearance for rain gutters depending on depth. Could always take them at an angle if needed.

My 'old' daily was a lifted 2016 Tacoma. Driving it now feels like I'm going to tip over on corners and the steering feels like a 30 year old truck, sloppy.

Buy it, drive the hell out of it

 

[TypeSiR]

...
1) South Carolina roads are in terrible condition. Just how much of a pot hole does it take to say goodbye to one of those beautiful rims and tire? Can you even clear the rain gutters we have along our busy main roads?

2) Can you really live with this car as a "daily driver?"

3) Unlike the Miata this will replace my 2007 Rabbit and have to play house nicely - can it do that? Could the wife drive it in a pinch? Could I pick up my frail old Mom in it? Or will it jar their teeth out and scare them?
...

1.) You can get a set of 35-profile tires to protect the stock rims on the cheap. Or get a set of 19" or 18" with 35/40-profile setup for better comfort but that'll set you back $1800 and up.

2.) Yes, it has a comfort mode and four seats in hatchback form, so it's pretty versatile as a DD.

3.) Stepping out of my Miata and into the CTR, it rides like a Lexus even in R mode. But that's just because my ND has a stiff suspension and it's noisy from the factory. So the CTR is actually very comfortable (in any mode) from my perspective. It's fine as a passenger hauler when I put it in comfort mode.

Good luck.

 

[Hondaman_MI]

I'll do my best to keep it short.
58 years old.
Plenty of track days in a very tweaked (track only) Miata [ VIR, RA, AMSP, Barber].
Done some SCCA hillclimb racing.
Miata went away last year this time and I'm looking at the new "R".
BUT ---
A few concerns:

1) South Carolina roads are in terrible condition. Just how much of a pot hole does it take to say goodbye to one of those beautiful rims and tire? Can you even clear the rain gutters we have along our busy main roads?

2) Can you really live with this car as a "daily driver?"

3) Unlike the Miata this will replace my 2007 Rabbit and have to play house nicely - can it do that? Could the wife drive it in a pinch? Could I pick up my frail old Mom in it? Or will it jar their teeth out and scare them?

Anyway - anyone have an R long term and can either dissuade me from buying one (which would really be OK) or convince me it is a gentle sociopath that only shows its true colors when asked too?

TIA

I moved to the Greenville, SC area a month ago from MI. Roads are better than Michigan, but yes I agree...they are in poor condition overall. I'm loving SC in many ways, and I'm happy with my move and new job, however with 7% income tax, property tax on cars, plus the $250 infrastructure fee...roads should be in good shape. I soon have to pay a $550 tax on my car, even though I already own it, that's one thing I don't like about SC. I've seen Type R's around here, if it's what you really want, go for it! Your mom probably wouldn't like it, with the fastback design, and how low it is, it's not a comfortable car for older passengers. My mother in law struggles getting in and out of my Civic.

 

[Strick]

If you let your wife drive your Type R, you may have trouble getting the keys back. When my wife gets back from shopping, she always has a Type R tale to tell, always something positive.

At a red light, a dump truck pulled up to her right, on the door was a sign saying "DIRT BOYZ", the driver hung the upper half of his body completely out the open window to shout: "I love your car".

When she was gassing up at a large self serve station, and the pumps have an intercom system if you need help, suddenly the pump starts to spontaneously speak: "Lady, I love your car".

We've had several passengers with disabilities, and they needed a bit of help getting in and out, but were completely comfortable once seated, and they enjoyed the ride. The Type R might give your old Mom a thrill and a new lease on life.

 

[Mcclaughry95]

1 year and 46k miles perfect daily driver on my 58 mile commute. 700 mile trip to Chicago with my 60 year old mother and 700 miles back and she had zero complaints with her back issues.
Oddly enough she likes the car more then I do. Fiance loves to drive it minus the illegal mods that get police attention.

 

[GreaseCrow]

If you let your wife drive your Type R, you may have trouble getting the keys back. When my wife gets back from shopping, she always has a Type R tale to tell, always something positive.

At a red light, a dump truck pulled up to her right, on the door was a sign saying "DIRT BOYZ", the driver hung the upper half of his body completely out the open window to shout: "I love your car".

When she was gassing up at a large self serve station, and the pumps have an intercom system if you need help, suddenly the pump starts to spontaneously speak: "Lady, I love your car".

We've had several passengers with disabilities, and they needed a bit of help getting in and out, but were completely comfortable once seated, and they enjoyed the ride. The Type R might give your old Mom a thrill and a new lease on life.

I could only hope my girlfriend one day appreciates an R when I have the chance to get one. Sounds fantastic haha.

 

[jimmyreal]

I could only hope my girlfriend one day appreciates an R when I have the chance to get one...

I mean, plenty of fish in the sea, just talk to a few, fortune favors the bold.

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