The new Honda Civic Type-R - it's not cracked up to what it should be

[Speedster502]

As SammiTougeGirl said Topgear like it. Oh and Topgear didnt just test it around the track with the Stig they also drove it around somewhere in Yorkshire as they did two parts to it. Personally I like it more than the old Civic Type R especially in Blacky Bronze it looks quite cool I wouldnt mind one on my drive.

 

[Scaff]

I think it was the other way around, like it was terrible on the track but enjoyable on the b-roads.

EVO pretty much disliked it on both road and track, issues on track were a lack of low-end torque out of slower corners and poor adjustability from the back.

On road the torque was less of an issue (and they loved the engine and gearbox on road), but once again had issues with the rear set-up.

As SammiTougeGirl said Topgear like it. Oh and Topgear didnt just test it around the track with the Stig they also drove it around somewhere in Yorkshire as they did two parts to it. Personally I like it more than the old Civic Type R especially in Blacky Bronze it looks quite cool I wouldnt mind one on my drive.

That's part of the problem, as both EVO and Autocar said, in isolation the new CTR is not a bad car, but in comparison to previous CTRs and Tyoe R Honda's its a step backwards rather than forwards, particularly given the competition.

So to date its a thumbs up from Car and Top Gear and thumbs down from Autocar and EVO, have to say I know which of those four publications I give the most credence to. Car is just bloody awful now and Top Gear is very patchy at times (I don't buy it - refuse to pay for something that is 50% adverts - but I do read it if my dad gives me a copy).

Regards

Scaff

 

[Dave A]

Evo get's my vote for credibility, actaully Evo and Autocar are the two mags I buy the most. I do like TopGears opinions as well in general, but like you said, the mag itself isn't as good as it should be, far too much scrolling through it to find the articles amongst the adverts.

 

[Scaff]

OK this weeks Autocar has a huge hot-hatch group test, and as it was prompted principally off the release of the Civic Type-R and Audi S3 I am putting the info in this thread.

The group test was very comprehensive looking with a day at Bedford Autodrome (and Jonathan Palmer did take part in testing) looking at measurable performance figures (lap-time, 0-100mph, top speed and 70mph-0 braking distances) and two subjective areas of handling and desirability.

The results of these were then used to put a score to the car, which was then used to give a rating to each car (a ‘hot hatch rating of price divided by score) this would then allow a number of cars to move through to the second day, but first the overall scores (I will try and scan the full details in ASAP).

Car / Score / Hot hatch rating (lower = better)

Peugeot 207 GT / 14 / 1025
Ford Fiesta ST / 22 / 618
VW Golf R32 / 48 / 510
Fiat Panda 100HP / 22 / 454
Mini Cooper S / 38 / 421
Honda Civic Type-R / 51 / 365
Mazda 3 MPS / 57 / 333
Ford Focus ST2 / 58 / 328
Vauxhall Astra VXR / 59 / 325
VW Golf GTi / 64 / 322
Seat Leon Cupra / 64 / 306
Audi S3 / 102 / 264
Renault Clio 197 / 65 / 246
Renault Megane R26 / 98 / 199

The top five cars were then included in the on-road testing along with the CTR and Focus as ‘wildcards’, the on-road testing covering the journey from Bedford to Wales and the roads around Ludlow (which is on the border between England and Wales). The final ranking being as follows:

7th – Seat Leon Cupra
6th – Honda Civic Type-R
5th – VW Golf GTi
4th – Ford Focus ST2
3rd – Renault Clio 197
2nd – Audi S3
1st – Renault Megane R26

The summary given as to the top three was as follows…

In the end it’s the Megane that comes away with the victory. Considering how good the Clio 197 is as a hot hatch, and how crushingly effective the Audi S3 is as an A-to-B car, the Megane R26 is really something else again.
It just did whatever any of us wanted it to. It accelerated like a rocket, stopped on a six-pence, turned-in, gripped. And then disappeared over the next horizon. Physically, metaphorically…you name it, the Megane did it for us. Which is why it wins this contest, and then some.

…its also worth looking at what Jonathan Palmer said about the Megane…

Anyone wanting to build a hot hatch should try this. It’s amazing what a good old-fashioned limited-slip differential can do for a car. Awesome!

…Regards


Scaff

 

[Danny]

Renault are really cleaning up in the hot-hatch sector...

 

[TheCracker]

Renault are really cleaning up in the hot-hatch sector...

...and have been since 1993

 

[Scaff]

...and have been since 1993

and still one of the finest front wheel drive cars ever made

👍

Scaff

 

[TheCracker]

I've been drooling over some very tidy low milage Clio Williams on the Auto Trader site for between £3.5 and 4.5k recently. Just need Mrs Cracker to finaly pass her driving test, then persuade her that she really could do with a good sized 4x4/estate

 

[Poverty]

And you guys were trying to tell me that the S3 wasnt much better than the R32

 

[YSSMAN]

^ Don't even bother beating that dead horse. We'll all agree to disagree, and given that we may, or may not be getting the S3 in America, R32 it is!

...On the subject of Renault; It is probably my most-wanted brand at the moment that doesn't exist in the United States. The more I hear about their cars the more I want to buy a plane ticket to the UK to take one for a spin. Too bad really that we don't have it, otherwise that list looks strangely different in America...

 

[matherto]

I really, really don't like the new Civic, and especially not the new Type-R