My Type R Christmas Eve-Eve Test Drive (Long read)

[Mick the Quick]

I know many may disagree but in this day and age infotainment systems are important aspect of daily driving and as an owner of a Golf R with the excellent Discovery Pro system with Fender audio the Civic system feels and looks archaic in comparison and even reviewers call it one of the worst systems available. I'm kind of waiting for 2019 in hopes that Honda addresses the horrible system in Civics as all the cars in this segment have 300 hp and lots of grip and I don't want to settle for a car with such a substandard infotainment system.

While I agree about the infotainment system, with CarPlay and Android Auto, they all look and function pretty much the same. While definitely nice to have a better system, if that is a critical factor for someone, then Type R is probably not for him/her. Golf R is $5K more expensive (2018); it'd better have a better infotainment system. But imagine having the infotainment system from STI, RS, BMW, so on.

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[S2k_Dude]

I test drove the CTR in Florida, temps were 75 deg and sunny, the traction issues I had were purely the fact that it's a FWD car. I've been driving an S2000 for the last 15 years which puts the power down to the rear wheels very smoothly, the S has copious amounts of grip, especially with Potenza RE-71 tires. The CTR only had 1,100 miles on it, tires looked like they were in good shape, plenty of tread. Wheel spin was evident, less so when I initially eased in the throttle. Traction control was not turned off, I tried all three drive modes, I could get the car to break traction in any of the three drive modes. I am not saying it's a bad car, just didn't have as much traction as I'm used to.

I really like the looks of the CTR. The racing inspired seats are great, although I do wonder if the high side bolsters will show wear after a few years. Engine sound was good, handling was great. Brakes are very strong. The infotainment system is a bit dated and buggy, same as our 2017 CR-V. Stereo sound quality is decent, could be better though. Honda has never been known for really good sound. For being a Touring model, it is missing most of the Honda Sensing suite, features that are in most other new Honda cars. I don't even care that you can't individually select different aspects of the drive modes.

I still think the CTR would be a good daily driver and hardcore enough that I wouldn't miss my S2000 if the CTR was my only other car besides my wife's CR-V. I just can't expect it to drive like a RWD sports car.

 

[notoriousjje]

I am thinking there was something wrong with the alignment of that car.

The CTR is the LEAST FWD feeling car of any I have ever driven... I have to drive the car like a complete idiot to break traction on the TypeR. The reason you might have been is that the S2000 has absolutely no torque. SO you can get pretty throttle heavy all the time and the tires wont break through.

You said you hadn't driven many turbo cars before, you have to realize where the torque is.. That'a the addiction to the turbo

 

[fk8_#798]

I am thinking there was something wrong with the alignment of that car.

The CTR is the LEAST FWD feeling car of any I have ever driven... I have to drive the car like a complete idiot to break traction on the TypeR. The reason you might have been is that the S2000 has absolutely no torque. SO you can get pretty throttle heavy all the time and the tires wont break through.

You said you hadn't driven many turbo cars before, you have to realize where the torque is.. That'a the addiction to the turbo

See pictures on how to disable vsa and traction stability control ,. Place car on plus r mode only ,. Press traction button till u hear one beep and continue to hold the button till u hear two more beeps and ur screen will go from vsa off to traction fully disable ,. Many don’t know about this but that’s how u really get the car to not spin ,.it’s cool to have remorse but as far as filing for a lemon law u need to allow Honda the chance to correct ur “issues”,. This car feels less then a fwd car ,. I know guys that drive sti and evos and are now owners of the CTR .,

 

[boosted180sx]

I still think the CTR would be a good daily driver and hardcore enough that I wouldn't miss my S2000 if the CTR was my only other car besides my wife's CR-V. I just can't expect it to drive like a RWD sports car.

CTR definitely can be used as a DD. Comfortable, has a lot of space, "decent" mpg if driven normal. However the bolded part is why I think you won't be happy in the long run and will miss the S2000 (or any RWD sports car). After the initial sensation of owning one wears off, I can bet you will start to miss the RWD feel. At least that's the feeling I get from reading your posts.

 

[S2k_Dude]

I am thinking there was something wrong with the alignment of that car.

The CTR is the LEAST FWD feeling car of any I have ever driven... I have to drive the car like a complete idiot to break traction on the TypeR. The reason you might have been is that the S2000 has absolutely no torque. SO you can get pretty throttle heavy all the time and the tires wont break through.

You said you hadn't driven many turbo cars before, you have to realize where the torque is.. That'a the addiction to the turbo

I wasn't driving like a complete idiot, my wife was with me in the passenger seat. Traction control was not turned off, didn't notice any alignment issues, car didn't pull to one side. The S2000 has enough torque, remember it weighs 300 lbs less than the Type R and has perfect 50/50 weight distribution. In the S2000, if I leave a traffic light quickly, with enough RPM, brisk clutch engagement, the car just hooks up and goes without any drama.

It's just simple physics, in a FWD car if you punch the gas when you are rolling or have the wheel turned slightly, you don't get as much grip as with a RWD car. The front wheels in the CTR have to pull double duty, both steering the car and moving the car forward. I have driven turbo cars, just not owned one. The biggest different is the turbo cars I've driven, Focus RS, Golf R, and STi are AWD so they can more easily put the power down at low RPM.

I'm not talking about dumping the clutch and street racing, just an overall feel of the car when driving it hard. On the 20 min test drive I did, just once, try to leave the stop light quickly with more RPM and letting the clutch out briskly, that's when I experienced the most wheel slip and wheel hop, it just wasn't very reassuring.

I did like the higher redline of the Civic Type R, over the other turbo hot hatches. I've test driven a VW GTi and I'd say the amount of grip was similar. Again, the 2018 Accord Sport 2.0, which is also turbo charged, also struggles somewhat with grip, the Accord has a 60/40 weight distribution (the Type R is 62/38) and is a heavier car, grip was decent.

Sure, having twice the torque is nice but if the power doesn't move the car forward due to lack of grip, it's not helpful as proven by the 0-60 times. A car with twice the hp and torque at the wheels, than my S2000, should have a 0-60 time in the high 4's but as most magazines who have done an instrumented test report, the CTR is in the mid 5's. Right where my S2000 is. I just think it's interesting. The CTR does feel as though it has a bunch more mid-range power, due to the turbo, and like the S2000 it's not a car for street racing, they are both track cars. I'll have to test drive another CTR, but I probably won't get that chance for a while.

 

[ayau]

@S2k_Dude, the OEM tires need heat in them to be at their optimal grip level. On your next test drive, I would see if you can do 5-10 hard stops to get the tires heated up. Obviously for daily driving, you'll always spin the front wheels if you decide to let it rip without warming the tires.

 

[02220]

The Rev limiter is at 3000rpm. Pretty sure if I had that bumped up to 6000rpm it would easily hit 4.5 second 0-60. But they control it cause they don't want stuff to break under warranty.

The car is so much more fun to drive than you realize. You need to spend time driving it and learn how to put it through the ringer. A 20 minute test drive is not enough to get to know it.

I guarantee that the S2000 in the hands of a person who has never driven one will not be driven the same way as you do. You are in tune with that car.

 

[typemismatch]

@S2k_Dude

My thought about the CTR is this, if you're on the fence, try the Si or a Sport.

I get the impression that the people that have sold theirs bought into the hype and were never going to be happy with them. I'd hate give someone the advice to buy something they won't be happy with. It appears to me that you have high expectations that the CTR might not live up to, which would cause you to sell it.

FWIW, I daily drove an 8th gen Si for 10 years and never would have gotten rid of it if I hadn't been t-boned. The Si is a solid option for a daily driver.

 

[Muggsy]

Funny, I have no real issues with the infotainment system. My last car was a 2014 Audi (no CarPlay, no touch screen) and honestly the Honda system is easier for me to navigate. I'm sure there are better systems out there, but this car is a blast to drive and the infotainment system does what I need it to do. FWIW, the navigation is also light-years better than my wife's Toyota Sienna.

 

[S2k_Dude]

Funny, I have no real issues with the infotainment system. My last car was a 2014 Audi (no CarPlay, no touch screen) and honestly the Honda system is easier for me to navigate. I'm sure there are better systems out there, but this car is a blast to drive and the infotainment system does what I need it to do. FWIW, the navigation is also light-years better than my wife's Toyota Sienna.

Sure the infotainment is decent in the CTR, but Honda has already made it obsolete when the new Accord was released in October. I'm not complaining, it's the same as in our 2017 CR-V, like you said it does the job. The NAVi is also very good, it's only issue is the over-the-air traffic updates aren't that up to date or you don't get traffic info unless you are near a big city.

 

[SpooRk]

... Honda has already made it obsolete when the new Accord was released in October.

I need to check it out, haven’t seen anything about it.. any specific model accord I need to look at? Is it something an update could fix for the CTR?

 

[boosted180sx]

My thought about the CTR is this, if you're on the fence, try the Si or a Sport.

For a person looking into a CTR, there is no way the SI or a Sport would suffice.

I need to check it out, haven’t seen anything about it.. any specific model accord I need to look at? Is it something an update could fix for the CTR?

its a totally different system system. I doubt you can update the CTR system to make it the same.

 

[typemismatch]

For a person looking into a CTR, there is no way the SI or a Sport would suffice.

its a totally different system system. I doubt you can update the CTR system to make it the same.

The only reason I beg to differ is that I believe a person that isn't in love with a CTR will soon have buyer's remorse and sell it.

I don't think an Si is a CTR, but I believe it's a good compromise for someone that isn't sure they want one.

 

[S2k_Dude]

Thank you everyone for all of your feedback. I've decided to keep my S2000 as a weekend car, and add the new Accord Sport 2.0T as a daily driver. A Honda dealer a few hours away in Charlotte is willing to sell me a 2018 Accord for below invoice which will save me about $7,500 compared to buying Type R at MSRP.

I guess I'm just getting old, I'm starting to value the comfort and tech a bit over pure performance. While I'm sure the Civic Type R is a fun car, I'm thinking, for me, keeping my RWD sportscar and adding a FWD daily driver is going to work out best. It's not the one car fits all solution I was originally hoping for, but if down the road I still want a CTR, maybe by then I will have had a chance to test drive one some more and the price will be below MSRP.

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