What kind of car did you come from and how does it compare?

Well I didn’t I come from this car but did test drive Charger Hellcat yesterday. I was looking into replacing my wife’s SRT Jeep for it. That car had a mean exhaust and was very comfy. However it is big and not something you can push in corners. I showed it to my wife and she instantly hated it. She thought the interior of the civic was better despite her Jeep having a very similar interior. In any event she said we can trade the type r on it if I wanted and guess what I really couldn’t. As much fun the hellcat sounds I think I enjoy the type r more tossing it around corners and in town. So this review is to further contribute on how much fun for the dollar the type r really is.

I came from a fully built from inside and out integra 4dr turbo. I will miss that car, but wanted something practical and comfortable

I just upgraded from a Focus ST with an FRPP tune.

The ST was really, really fun. I never got sick of driving it, and I actually preferred it to a Golf R and GTI that I test drove because of how much more fun it was. The car was great before the tune and even better afterwards. It had gobs and gobs of torque. I had planned to keep the car for a very long time, but I started to get the dreaded cylinder misfire codes. It happened 3 times with under 40,000 miles on the car, and while I think they finally figured it out, I was afraid the car was a ticking time bomb.

In a lot of ways, the Type R feels like a grown up ST (styling be damned). It does everything in a more refined manner, but it doesn't lose its charm along the way. No, I don't get the same over-steer that the Ford engineers managed to voodoo into the ST - but it also doesn't try so damn hard to be neutral and cautious like the Golf R and GTI. Like the ST, the Type R rewards you for driving it. The seats are perfect. The shifter is perfect. The driving position is perfect. Pedal placement is perfect. I really can't get over how much they got right. I'm still in the break-in period, but this thing just wants to move. I feel like I'm taming a lion right now.

My only real complaint is the exhaust note. And in turn the lack of reasonably priced, quality exhausts. Coming from a Ford guy ('15 ST and 86 Mustang) I was not ready for the sticker-shock of a quality cat-back exhaust on this car. If anyone knows where I can find a Milltek partially resonated exhaust on sale, please let me know.

I'm also not entirely in love with the styling. Not because I don't like how it looks, but because I usually like to be at least a little incognito. No one at work noticed when I got the ST, but I just got the type R a week ago and I have already received plenty of polarizing comments. It's so ostentatious. It invites comments. Everyone asked me how much it cost. In a way, it's the cheapest exotic around. Half my friends love it, and half of them hate it. I still laugh when I look at it because I never though I'd drive a car straight out of Need for Speed Underground. I have been complimented more and tailgated more this past week than four years in my ST.

Overall, I'm happy with my decision. If my ST didn't have past issues, I probably would have never sold it, but I think I'm starting to get the same feeling from my Type R.

tl;dr: loved my ST, but the Type R is better in (nearly) every way.

CTtypeR said:

The seats are perfect. The shifter is perfect. The driving position is perfect. Pedal placement is perfect. I really can't get over how much they got right.

Click to expand...

Agree with everything except the pedals. They're a little difficult to heal-toe, well for me and my size 4 foot, impossible

My only real complaint is the exhaust note.

Click to expand...

For the looks, I was expecting something a little louder. It has it's up sides though, you really don't hear the car coming, kind of helps keep it under the radar as cops like to make as much judgement based on sound as they do looks. It's also a little difficult to see a car you can't hear coming

No one at work noticed when I got the ST, but I just got the type R a week ago and I have already received plenty of polarizing comments. It's so ostentatious. It invites comments. Everyone asked me how much it cost. In a way, it's the cheapest exotic around. Half my friends love it, and half of them hate it. I still laugh when I look at it because I never though I'd drive a car straight out of Need for Speed Underground. I have been complimented more and tailgated more this past week than four years in my ST.

Click to expand...

First month of so of ownership was full of thumbs up, people revving next to me, etc. (this was my first fast/cool car). I didn't get too many comments. I've had a total of 3 strangers make comments about it in my 11 months of ownership: first made general vague comments that could apply to any car (why buy it, etc.), second was a couple of dudes I passed in a pickup truck heading to Menards commenting about how quick the thing is and asked about power responded with a comparison to the STI (fair), third person was around work and stated that it looked much better in person (true).

As for tailgaters, I normally down shift and engine brake (not aggressively, up to around 3k RPM) as traffic in front of me slows. They generally don't see it coming and back off pretty quickly. If they really irritate me I'll spray my washer fluid. Then there was the one an idiot in an early 00's Maxima was inches from my tail, then a garbage can flew from in front of the truck I was following. I dodged it then heard his tires screech and was worried about getting rear ended as I heard it (instinct was to gun it). Idiot backed off and shifted 4 lanes to the right and stopped, I think it hit him. Ironically if he had been keeping space, the can would have landed in the space between us and he could have switched lanes right.

Since it came up in a different thread I traded a 15’ Maserati GTS in on my 18’ ABM CTR. Loved the Masi, am a naturally aspirated V8 guy (Masi was a rebound from totaling a 17’ GT350R) but the TCO on that sexy Italian was set to murder me : /

So far really digging the CTR. It handles great and is deceptively fast. It gets ‘there’ very quickly and very quietly compared to what I’m used to so I have to mind the speedo!

Big ups to this community as I am still learning quite a bit about the 2.0L turbo engine and FI systems in general. Really appreciate all the knowledge that flows thru here. Posted a few pics.

Came from a 2014 WRX. Was actually my first manual car and I had tons of fun driving it. After 5.5 years of using it as daily commuter, I somehow got rod knock in the dam thing at 59.2k miles and this car was stock. No performance mods at all. This event basically pushed me into looking for a new car that is fun and reliable. Also, after 5.5 years in the WRX, I figured I wanted something a bit more than just a great driving experience in the car. I also wanted some utility and nice to have functions while not completely breaking the bank. So long story short, I repaired the WRX and traded it in for an ABM Type R. Shopping experience was shietty for the most part in the bay area for it. However, once I drove it off the lot, no regrets.

Coming from a base WRX, I just think the Type R is better in every way as a daily and performance car.

Came from a 13mpg Wrangler. Now getting on the highway is so much easier...

I "came from" an E60 M5 (sold), and a 2015 C7 Z07 (still own and track). The CTR makes for a very cool daily driver and track toy, with 4 doors. My first track day at Roebling Road with FWD was very cool. Corded the factory tires in 1 day and 700 miles. This is my first Honda. And MPG: M5 12, C7ZO7 4 (ON TRACK), CTR 10 (ON TRACK).