That's one of the best parts of living in Georgia - we don't really have 4 seasons, so you can easily run summer tires all year long. All seasons are awful on mountain roads also - way less grip and get super greasy from overheating almost instantly.
One detail. Honda CHOSE to make the exhaust quiet in the CTR. It isn’t that they didn’t know how to make it loud. That third exhaust outlet quiets things down at freeway speeds. Whether their choice was wrong is a different discussion.
One more thought (about the horn): I've been buying Civic Sis since 1984 (coupe or hatchback) and this Type R is the first vehicle that has a substantial horn. For some reason the sound is quite shielded from the driver's cabin, but heard from outside, it is louder than normal, IMO, and more than loud enough for a small car,. I believe manufacturers make horns that sort of match the dimensions of the car, so people have a chance of knowing who might be honking.
I don't know what part of Atlanta you live in (Valdosta??), but it gets below freezing MANY days during the winter, and those Summer tires will be skiis. All seasons are not AWFUL on mountain roads, I blaze around them (N-GA, W-NC) all the time on my Continental DWS06 (And Michelin Pilots), and easily exceed the cornering recommendations (yellow signs) by 25-30 mph. They do have the best AA traction ratings. Summer tires will be better by comparison, of course, but will also be gone in 10,000 miles. I can't afford to buy new rubber 4 times a year.
I've run Michelin Pilot Super Sports during multiple winters here. I live in West Midtown, no problems whatsoever. We didn't even have any snow last year, which is about the only time MPSS wouldn't work.
Quick question. Were your ‘super greasy’ experiences with brand new or nearly new tires?
I still am not signing up for the ‘all-season tires are awful’ club. That is Not my experience. And I do believe summer tires are hazardous when the temperatures are below freezing, wet or dry. I live in Western North Carolina 1/2 the time and there will be freezing rain, snow, ice and below freezing temps. I’m glad I ditched the 20” Summer tires and OEM wheels when I got the car and have experienced terrific handling with my ‘greasy’ All Season tires. I HAVE felt some squirming when the tires are brand new, but treads that are 10/32 tall will move around when pressed hard. After the first 1,000 miles or so this goes away.
No, and obviously my experience with all seasons isn't confined to that single example, just a recent anecdote.
Well okay, that's different than what you originally said, which was, "summers are stupid if you have 4 seasons where you live" and your location shows as Doraville. If you're in Boone, Banner Elk, etc, those get a significant amount of winter weather (comparable to NYC or even further north). You definitely can't run summers in those conditions.
It's not just the tread block height - all season tires have more, smaller tread blocks, which will always move around more than the larger, shorter tread blocks on a performance tire.
I think we bought two different cars. I bought the best Civic they had (which I always have), you bought the fastest FWD car on the planet (I like that!). I daily drive the thing, it's on public roads 100% of the time and I do need to keep my drivers license. Nonetheless, I've never been passed on a twisty mountain road (though I've passed hundreds). I'm sure I don't know what the 100% level handling/cornering characteristics of this car actually feels like. Cornering this car at 70% of what it can do is still quite thrilling, (at least for me). i can't afford risking a reckless or speed contest license seizure, or risk flying off a cliff on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
