Motor Trend Hot Hatch Comparo - Surprise!!

Z06_Pilot

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What gets me about this guy and a lot of reviewers (and definitely the public in general), is that every "tacked on" piece of the car was done for functional purposes specific to track use, and they have no clue. When you design something in a wind tunnel, it may very well not be the most gorgeous bodywork (unless it is a $500k + super car), because it's designed to be functional. I'm at the age where I could care less what people think, but I do care about people understanding the facts before forming an opinion (and no, there is no such thing as "alternative facts"). His total lack of understanding of how the aero pieces on the CTR work in concert with each other either for downforce, cooling, or other reasons bugs the heck out of me. I personally like the lines of the CTR BECAUSE they are functional lines. Just irks me when folks are gabbing about "what's up with this gigantic wing"? "what are these bumps on the back of the roof all about"?
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23Red

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And people act like the CTR is the first car ever to use a huge wing or vortex generators. Subaru and Mitsu did it years ago.
 

Pzb

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C'mon, that is the ONLY excuse left for the owners and fanboys of other cars . . . . lol Oh, and the subjective looks, I guess.

Let them have at least that. . . .

hahaha
I’ve heard the same story....
I personally despise Doug DeMuro, and his rant on the Type R is one of the main reasons why. If it were just opinions backed by facts I wouldn’t care. But his opinions are based on incorrect assumptions, such as all of the aero Honda added is purely for show while not doing anything (which Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained pointed out is completely false). His reviews seem biased in a lot of ways, and I have no idea why he’s so popular.

Then again, I don’t understand why many car YouTubers are popular but I digress...

Back to the subject, I cannot remember the last time the Type R lost a comparison test to another hot hatch (or “hot sedan”) since it came out. It’s definitely a class leader in how hot hatches should be built, and the wins it picks up is a testament to it.
The Japanese have always been on the forefront of over the top styling. This is what used to drive the Japanese car culture. You can never have enough...it’s about expression. You have two types of styling. Smooth, flowing lines or sharp, defined edges.

Type R styling will stay relevant for along time.
 

Z06_Pilot

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I’ve heard the same story....


The Japanese have always been on the forefront of over the top styling. This is what used to drive the Japanese car culture. You can never have enough...it’s about expression. You have two types of styling. Smooth, flowing lines or sharp, defined edges.

Type R styling will stay relevant for along time.
you have a good point. I saw a segment on Top Gear where Rory went to Japan, outside Tokyo, in the middle of the night, to check out the underground Japanese car culture. They had Lambo's with neon lights all over and under them, and strange things like two different cars mashed together (the front and rear end from two different cars). So much over-the-top insane styling, it made my eyes hurt....Every culture has their "thing" and this is theirs from an automotive perspective.
 

Zeffy94

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As least the Type R and other 10th gen Civic models stand out - surely people cannot want to be as bland and low profile as a Toyota Corolla / Camry (excluding the latest gen)??


Just about every comment section on YT about the CTR is filled with hate. It's mostly the mob mentality and I bet most of them secretly wish they had one lol
I think the “ricer Civic” stereotype also fuels the hatred for both Honda and the Civic. Everyone seemingly thinks a Civic is just some ricer car. These are the same people probably driving Toyota Corollas with CVTs (or not even being old enough to drive). The car community on YT is toxic and it’s a reason I despise most car YouTubers.
 


Pzb

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As least the Type R and other 10th gen Civic models stand out - surely people cannot want to be as bland and low profile as a Toyota Corolla / Camry (excluding the latest gen)??




I think the “ricer Civic” stereotype also fuels the hatred for both Honda and the Civic. Everyone seemingly thinks a Civic is just some ricer car. These are the same people probably driving Toyota Corollas with CVTs (or not even being old enough to drive). The car community on YT is toxic and it’s a reason I despise most car YouTubers.[/

All I know is there are only a few cars which really catch my eye on the road and the CTR may top them all.
 
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J35W2

J35W2

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There is so much wrong with what Doug Demuro has to say in his review. He really should not be reviewing hot hatches, if he has a fundamental misunderstanding of it ALL (see post above from Z06_Pilot). If the one thing you take away from the press briefing is that they mention it is the cheapest in the segment, then you may be missing the important stuff. If your favorite thing about the CTR is the cargo cover & how the digital tach changes color and your main performance focus is the 0-60 times when comparing AWD to FWD, then again you have just showed your complete lack of understanding of this segment. It is pretty clear to me that all he did here was advertise how little he knows about the segment, the CTR specifically & sports cars in general. What a Jack-Wagon.
 
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zelmo

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I hope I didn't derail the thread by mentioning Doug Deblabla's Youtube review.

Sorry guys.
 

willimo

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you have a good point. I saw a segment on Top Gear where Rory went to Japan...
Who?

It's a neat article. I've actually been surprised by how well the car does in comparisons. I kind of assumed that everyone's strange disgust with the styling (which is dead on for a hot hatch - when will people stop comparing these to exotics??) would carry over into biased testing like, the cheap looking plastic trim refrain I've heard for years. I guess its a pretty good car.

Also, to jump on the Doug Demuro thing, ok his Civic Type R review is kind of off base, but I expected it to be, like everyone else's. Do you want to see him reaching epic heights of miserable car knowledge? Watch his review of the Toyota Previa. He's standing next to a clean supercharged version, but he goes on and on about how cool the captain's chairs are, instead of the supercharger under the hood in front of the driver, driven by a shaft from the motor that's in the dead middle of the van. That's literally among my top 10 most interesting things ever engineered into a car. How does he gloss over the engine so dismissively, only showing the engine when remarking about how weird it is to check the oil?
 

Z06_Pilot

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I hope I didn't derail the thread by mentioning Doug Deblabla's Youtube review.

Sorry guys.
Oh, you are good from my perspective. right on point, I think. I actually wanted to see a middling review of the CTR
rory reid, the young kid on top gear. the "new" top gear, now that the original guys have moved on to that terrible show, "grand tour", on Amazon.
 


 


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