frodooftheshire
Senior Member
- First Name
- James
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2019
- Threads
- 13
- Messages
- 128
- Reaction score
- 48
- Location
- Portland OR
- Vehicle(s)
- 2019 WRX series gray
- Thread starter
- #1
Hi guys,
Fist, I apologize for such a long post and appreciate if you read all the way through. Also, I should stipulate this is for a daily driver, not a weekend car.
So I currently have a down payment on a Civic Type R that’s located in another state. Took at least a solid week or two to nail it down. The paperwork from the dealership is on the way (should be here Monday) and I was able to secure it for $37K minus the costs of registering in my state, so I’m quite happy with the price and it really isn’t a factor in this decision.
The problem is that before I pulled the trigger on the down payment I mostly used YouTube comparisons/magazine articles as my main source for making my decision and now after reading some of this forum I’m wondering if it’s the right choice.
I currently have a 2019 WRX series gray. It’s been an okay car, but in comparison to my previous car, a 2017 Mazda MX5 (6 speed), I would say that I’ve been less than impressed with its inconsistent engine tuning and lack luster gear box. About 20 % of the time I go WOT I will get a nice, smooth pull to 6K RPM. The rest of the time it’s a giant question mark. Sometimes it will pull pretty hard, cut power at 4K RPM, and then rip again to 5,500 RPM. It’s all over the board.
The handling has been overall pretty nice and I’ve felt the torque vectoring system help rotate me around turns. Having said that, overall, it doesn’t nearly as much bring a smile to my face like my Mazda, even though the WRX is still faster. It really goes to show you that power isn’t everything when it comes to what makes a car “fun.” If I didn’t need something more practical I probably would still have my MX5.
Overall the WRX just doesn’t produce the “love” feeling I had towards my Mazda. The other major issue I’ve had with my WRX is road noise and rattles - seriously my car only as 8,400 miles on it and I have rattles coming from the trunk, the speaker grills, the dash, the glove box. It’s nuts. The road noise might be helped by better tires (Michelin P4S), but rattling seems to be something most WRX owners accept is part of ownership. At the same time I’ve seen some STI owners report no issues with rattles. Anyways, all the issues above has lead me to consider something different as I have no interest in modifying my car or taking it apart and insulate rattles.
The main two cars I was looking at is the Civic Type R and the WRX STi. Here are the reasons I was considering the STI to replace my WRX:
Now here are all the reasons I was considering the Type R:
Negatives that I’ve recently read about the Type R on here/general concerns:
The problem with these cars is it’s very hard to compare them. Nobody will let you drive a Type R, and while I was able to drive a 2019 STI I didn’t take it above 4k (where all the power is) due to engine break in. At least I know the transmission is better. So because of this limitation I’m left reading online forums, magazine reviews, and YouTube videos which all say the Type R is the one to buy. My only problem is that a lot of them are based on track driving, which I’ll never do - just spirited driving around town and on back roads.
So what I’m really interested in is hearing from those that maybe owned an STI (2018 or 2019 model) that now drive the Type R and what they might say to some of the concerns. Do you miss the AWD? How is the interior rattles/noise compared? Are you happier overall? I know if I’m not happy with the Type R I could probably flip it easily, and for a great price, but it’s a lot of hassle. If you were in my position, and lived in Oregon where we see quite a bit of rain would you still go for the Type R or say the STI is a better fit?
Fist, I apologize for such a long post and appreciate if you read all the way through. Also, I should stipulate this is for a daily driver, not a weekend car.
So I currently have a down payment on a Civic Type R that’s located in another state. Took at least a solid week or two to nail it down. The paperwork from the dealership is on the way (should be here Monday) and I was able to secure it for $37K minus the costs of registering in my state, so I’m quite happy with the price and it really isn’t a factor in this decision.
The problem is that before I pulled the trigger on the down payment I mostly used YouTube comparisons/magazine articles as my main source for making my decision and now after reading some of this forum I’m wondering if it’s the right choice.
I currently have a 2019 WRX series gray. It’s been an okay car, but in comparison to my previous car, a 2017 Mazda MX5 (6 speed), I would say that I’ve been less than impressed with its inconsistent engine tuning and lack luster gear box. About 20 % of the time I go WOT I will get a nice, smooth pull to 6K RPM. The rest of the time it’s a giant question mark. Sometimes it will pull pretty hard, cut power at 4K RPM, and then rip again to 5,500 RPM. It’s all over the board.
The handling has been overall pretty nice and I’ve felt the torque vectoring system help rotate me around turns. Having said that, overall, it doesn’t nearly as much bring a smile to my face like my Mazda, even though the WRX is still faster. It really goes to show you that power isn’t everything when it comes to what makes a car “fun.” If I didn’t need something more practical I probably would still have my MX5.
Overall the WRX just doesn’t produce the “love” feeling I had towards my Mazda. The other major issue I’ve had with my WRX is road noise and rattles - seriously my car only as 8,400 miles on it and I have rattles coming from the trunk, the speaker grills, the dash, the glove box. It’s nuts. The road noise might be helped by better tires (Michelin P4S), but rattling seems to be something most WRX owners accept is part of ownership. At the same time I’ve seen some STI owners report no issues with rattles. Anyways, all the issues above has lead me to consider something different as I have no interest in modifying my car or taking it apart and insulate rattles.
The main two cars I was looking at is the Civic Type R and the WRX STi. Here are the reasons I was considering the STI to replace my WRX:
- More power
- Much more consistent engine tune, even if it means more turbo lag down low
- Much better transmission
- Better sound - the WRX can make some noises, but the STI is obviously better
- Maybe it’s put together better (less rattles)
- AWD can be nice because Oregon does get quite a bit of rain and some snow - no spinning the wheels off the line
- Good resale value like WRX/Type R (very popular in the pacific NW)
- Excellent visibility
- Maybe slightly better styling vs the Type R
- Ancient engine means horrible gas mileage compared to the Type R or even my current WRX
- Rattles could very well still be an issue with the STI
- Doesn’t have any suspension modes - always running pretty stuff
- Stereo not nearly as nice as Type Rs and no navigation (without spending a lot more money on limited version)
- From what I’ve read it isn’t as much *fun* as the Type R (Type R is lighter…which I found with the MX5 is a good thing)
- The engine doesn’t feel quick until the upper Revs, while the Type R will have power almost anywhere in the rev range
- Seating position is a little high - not low like Type R
Now here are all the reasons I was considering the Type R:
- Like the STI, much better engine tuning
- More overall engine power and flexibility across the entire rev range
- Sharper, more nimble chassis
- From what I’ve read the interior is quieter than the STI with less overall rattles
- Head unit includes GPS and has much better sound system
- Different chassis modes means more options for cruising around town/road trips
- Transmission is excellent - reminds me of my MX5 (shifting it in the dealership lol)
- More comfortable seats/seating position compared to WRX or STI
- Holds its value ridiculously well
Negatives that I’ve recently read about the Type R on here/general concerns:
- The paint chipping off - one of the more scarier for me - I will be doing PPF to the front with a ceramic coating, but the idea of buying a new car where the paint just peels off is quite concerning
- Overheating - some have said on hotter days the car feels lethargic after one pull
- The gear grinds - slightly coercing that three years into making this car Honda hasn’t done anything to revise the transmission
- Not as good of visibility as WRX/STI
- Tires are a huge pain in the ass - it sounds like I’ll need to spend money on two new sets of wheels/tires out of the gate (one for summer & one for winter)
- Interior might still have some rattling issues
- FWD with lots of Oregon rain - will I be missing the AWD
- No seat heaters (wife loves them) and Seats show wear prematurely
- Headlights not projectors - not nearly as good as steering sensitive HIDs on STI
The problem with these cars is it’s very hard to compare them. Nobody will let you drive a Type R, and while I was able to drive a 2019 STI I didn’t take it above 4k (where all the power is) due to engine break in. At least I know the transmission is better. So because of this limitation I’m left reading online forums, magazine reviews, and YouTube videos which all say the Type R is the one to buy. My only problem is that a lot of them are based on track driving, which I’ll never do - just spirited driving around town and on back roads.
So what I’m really interested in is hearing from those that maybe owned an STI (2018 or 2019 model) that now drive the Type R and what they might say to some of the concerns. Do you miss the AWD? How is the interior rattles/noise compared? Are you happier overall? I know if I’m not happy with the Type R I could probably flip it easily, and for a great price, but it’s a lot of hassle. If you were in my position, and lived in Oregon where we see quite a bit of rain would you still go for the Type R or say the STI is a better fit?
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