SS 1LE or Civic Type R: What would you do, dad?

racer

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It pains me greatly to say this... since both the SS 1LE and Type R are fantastic cars.. But.. you have a motorcycle.. make that your "me time" vehicle. Your family life is telling you that more comfort and practicality are needed for the time being...

You like trucks, V8power.. room.. Why not a killer SUV? I trend towards euro.. used Cayenne TT? MB 63? BMW X5M?
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02SilverSiHB

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Probably mostly biased comments on a civicx page :D

I have a ton of kids and it works with my Type R...it's my daily. None of my kids have issues sitting in the car...my oldest is 15, my youngest is 10 months. So I'd say if you're wondering if the CTR can accommodate having kids and still be driveable..I'd say yes.

You'll miss that V8 sound though for sure.
 

willskiGT

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I'd echo what others have said about you might regret the purchase after the excitement wears off. Also, the r gets quite a bit of negative attention for what it's worth. I don't care what others think but the comments do get old.
Haven't experienced this at all. Other than a handful of thumbs up (particularly from other CTR owners I've seen while driving around) and some "cool car" comments while getting coffee or gas, most people don't react to the car at all. It's just another Civic to 99+% of drivers.

Yes.
Type-R is well short of exceptional for an ā€œall aroundā€ vehicle. Look at how many went up for sale used before 10K mi. Besides, it was the first option and I had left it open for ā€œuserā€ choice.
I DD mine in Atlanta traffic and it's been great. Hatch has plenty of storage space, car gets 30mpg highway and rides very well in comfort mode. In 1 weekend I can take my dogs to the park, pick up supplies at Home Depot, drive 1.5 hours to see family, and absolutely rip it up on back roads.

It's pretty much the perfect all around vehicle, actually. I struggle to think of anything better at this price point (and with a manual).

OP, the Camaro is certainly faster than the CTR, but the CTR is more practical and (if this is a consideration) much more resistant to depreciation. No matter what you end up deciding to go with, it sounds like you use your car primarily as an occasional "fun" car. I would look at buying something in the same price range that is used, will not depreciate much, and will be a bit more of an occasion when you do use it. Maybe a 997 Carrera S, Lotus Exige/Elise/Evora, V8 Vantage, Granturismo, etc.
 

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If they still made them new, affordable and with a manual transmission, this would be my jam!
Why not a cpo Chevy SS sedan? (or CTS-V / ATS-V ). You like GM products (Camaro, Silverado) already. At $35-40K, there are other choices I would likely make before choosing a CTR.
 

jred721

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Thanks everyone for the replies. Seems pretty unanimous towards the CTR.

Hope to get even more replies.




Thats exactly what Im thinking.



Wish I could drive one but the only dealer here wont budge.



Interesting. The ATS-V is on the same chassis as the camaro (alpha platform), so they should ride similar. How well does the CTR feel on the road from the eyes of a previous alpha chassis owner?
To be fair, this is a Civic forum. Pretty sure most people are going to say to go with the Type R lol. That being said though, its not a bad idea to move onto something more practical yet fun and the Type R seems to fill that. I'd still cross shop it with other cars though, just to compare.
 


heavyD

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Haven't experienced this at all. Other than a handful of thumbs up (particularly from other CTR owners I've seen while driving around) and some "cool car" comments while getting coffee or gas, most people don't react to the car at all. It's just another Civic to 99+% of drivers.



I DD mine in Atlanta traffic and it's been great. Hatch has plenty of storage space, car gets 30mpg highway and rides very well in comfort mode. In 1 weekend I can take my dogs to the park, pick up supplies at Home Depot, drive 1.5 hours to see family, and absolutely rip it up on back roads.

It's pretty much the perfect all around vehicle, actually. I struggle to think of anything better at this price point (and with a manual).

OP, the Camaro is certainly faster than the CTR, but the CTR is more practical and (if this is a consideration) much more resistant to depreciation. No matter what you end up deciding to go with, it sounds like you use your car primarily as an occasional "fun" car. I would look at buying something in the same price range that is used, will not depreciate much, and will be a bit more of an occasion when you do use it. Maybe a 997 Carrera S, Lotus Exige/Elise/Evora, V8 Vantage, Granturismo, etc.
I don't want to downplay the Type R as it is definitely better as a daily than say an STI or the Camaro by far but the Golf R is the best all around vehicle on the planet. It's not a track beast but you can take it to a track and not embarrass yourself and on the way home you can leisurely drive it to the grocery store and it will behave just like a regular golf. It's a flawless daily driver that is also one of the few cars left that provides the buyer of a manual or DCT option. You can go out in the worst snowstorm (as always providing you have the right tires) and never have a concern. The interior is closer to Audi than it is to Honda or Subaru. You can also take it to a business meeting and not have to worry about comments about your juvenile looking Type R or STI. If there could only be one car for everyone on the planet that could do enough of everything so everyone wasn't miserable it would be the Golf R.
 

willskiGT

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I don't want to downplay the Type R as it is definitely better as a daily than say an STI or the Camaro by far but the Golf R is the best all around vehicle on the planet. It's not a track beast but you can take it to a track and not embarrass yourself and on the way home you can leisurely drive it to the grocery store and it will behave just like a regular golf. It's a flawless daily driver that is also one of the few cars left that provides the buyer of a manual or DCT option. You can go out in the worst snowstorm (as always providing you have the right tires) and never have a concern. The interior is closer to Audi than it is to Honda or Subaru. You can also take it to a business meeting and not have to worry about comments about your juvenile looking Type R or STI. If there could only be one car for everyone on the planet that could do enough of everything so everyone wasn't miserable it would be the Golf R.
Agreed on all your points (and it also has ACC/lane assist which the US CTR lacks), but it is more expensive than the Type R - over 10%. But yes, a GTI or Golf R is really the ultimate "do everything" vehicle.
 

zsak

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I looked at Golf r before gettng the type r, and while it certainly has more tech and awd the interior is significantly smaller.ā€™
 

Evolution999

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Is this a joke, not even the same class of vehicle even though the prices arent that far apart. Type r would be a downgrade in every way except for your familys comfort
 

Harlaquin

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Thanks everyone for the replies. Seems pretty unanimous towards the CTR.
you have to remember you are also asking a very bias cross section of people in a CTR forum of owners of CTR if they think the CTR is the best car. LOL So before you hold it as the word of car gods maybe post the same question in a camaro forum and see the anti CTR posts LOL.

Best thing to do is find someone with a CTR and drive it. or Find a dealer with a used one (they let you test drive those) and go for a spin. Come to your own conclusions as your tastes and what you like or dislike about a car will be personal to you and not what others think. Either way You will have a great car with either what you have now or a CTR.

I owned a CTR for 2 years I ended up trading in for a Mustang GT. I had a detailed post comparing the two but a group of members hear complained and attacked the post so much it got taken down so that should tell you something of the Bias here.

My two cents.. both cars are great. I loved the CTR it is amazing for what it is. But ultimately for me, I didn't need the utility or the space and I just missed the big V8 feel of an Impractical car. If you have a family or need for a rear seat plus the very generous cargo space of the CTR and still want some get up and go then the CTR is for you. Although coming form a NA V8 you will find the note of the car lacking and will definitely want to mod the exhaust system which for this car mods are not cheap.

Either way enjoy and you have a great car no matter what.
 


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Why not a cpo Chevy SS sedan? (or CTS-V / ATS-V ). You like GM products (Camaro, Silverado) already. At $35-40K, there are other choices I would likely make before choosing a CTR.
The price of a car is not just what you pay up front though. The true cost of a car is original purchase price + gas and maintenance + insurance costs - re-sale value.
 

jred721

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This what I came to post. 4 doors, V8, RWD, and can be had in manual. But like OP said the price for a used one is about the same for a CTR @ MSRP. The Type R is hard to beat for a fun daily, but coming from a Camaro Iā€™d do a couple of nation wide searches for an SS first to see what you can find.
The SS is kind of dated now, especially in comparison to the interior of OP's Camaro. It'll feel like a downgrade going from the Camaro to the SS IMO. But I guess if you don't care much about the tech or the "newness" of the interior, it isn't a bad purchase at all. One thing i'd recommend is looking is looking at a used Audi S4 or BMW 340i. They are a little more expensive, but offer extremely nice interiors and comfort and at the same time have extremely solid engines/power (especially the BMW). Just an ECU tune on those cars will get you in close to Camaro territory.
 

yargk

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Is this a joke, not even the same class of vehicle even though the prices arent that far apart. Type r would be a downgrade in every way except for your familys comfort
I don't think it's very useful to think of driver's cars in "classes." The CTR will corner and brake as well as the SS 1LE, so it's just a power difference. On a back road this doesn't matter. Back to back driving the GT4 and the CTR, the GT4 obviously handles better and has more body control, and is faster, but I am never disappointed in the CTR.

There is a reason the european magazines say:
ā€˜And then thereā€™s the incredible sophistication to the chassis, its ability to ride with that much comfort while generating that much traction and keeping the body supremely controlled is a trick that canā€™t be matched by any other sub-Ā£100k car you can currently buy.ā€™ https://www.evo.co.uk/hot-hatchback...olkswagen-golf-r-supertest-review/the-verdict

The CTR is lighter than the SS and has great steering, driving position, shifter, and brake feel. If you're into the subtleties of driving, I could see having more fun in the CTR than the SS.
 

yargk

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It pains me greatly to say this... since both the SS 1LE and Type R are fantastic cars.. But.. you have a motorcycle.. make that your "me time" vehicle. Your family life is telling you that more comfort and practicality are needed for the time being...

You like trucks, V8power.. room.. Why not a killer SUV? I trend towards euro.. used Cayenne TT? MB 63? BMW X5M?
I don't think one needs an SUV to drive around a family in comfort.

Give me a hatchback for 2 kids, a midsize station wagon (Audi RS6 anyone?) for 3 kids, and a roof rack if more than 3 kids.
 
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racer

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I don't think one needs an SUV to drive around a family in comfort.

Give me a hatchback for 2 kids, a midsize station wagon (Audi RS6 anyone?) for 3 kids, and a roof rack if more than 3 kids.

Agree on the wagon.. but finding a sporting wagon nowadays in the US? E63? Maybe an older RS6? just aren't many to choose from. Sometimes you don't want to use a roof rack. There is a lazy convenience to the SUV, hence its explosion in the market.

What's left in the wagon market right now? ( https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g26961972/best-station-wagons/ )
VW Jetta
Buick Regal
Volvo V60 / V90
Subaru
A4
BMW 3 Series


How bout one of these: https://www.indycar.com/News/2013/07/7-1-Notes-Pagenaud-climbs-hills-in-van ;)
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