Would you swap your Type R for the new one ?
Discussion
Personally I don't think I will be converted, I have sat in one and have a test drive pending but I don't think it has any plus's over the DC5 except being a newer car and warranty.
I used to drive a DC2 for 3 weeks every year when a relative used to lend it to me when he was on holiday., I owned a facelift EP3 for 18 months and now have the DC5 (18 months). So I can say I have tried majority of the type R brands.
I think the FN2 is a modern looking car, but it doesn't blow the competition out of the water like the EP3 did in 2001. therefore it doesn't have a leading edge over the competition. Its just a run of the mill hot hatch with no competitive advantage over the competition, its not the fastest, its not the best handling, not the best looking what it is ? it is average in all these areas. (its a bit like cooking, too many cooks spoil the broth, I would rather have it top of one or two these categories such as handling, and power, rather than being jack of all trades and master of none)
Personally I have a theory if it doesn't sell very well Honda will have to rethink their strategy if they want to keep in the hot hatch market, because if the next generation is going to be even heavier with more toys and gadgets using the same power plant it would be struggling to keep up with the family hatchbatchs never mind the future hot hatches, therefore watering down the Type R brand even further.
The problem is if this FN2 sells well in the numbers that the EP3 did, Honda will really think they can get away with watering it down even further.(to make more profit, appeal to a wider audience) Before long you will have a standard civic with a sport air filter, louder exhaust and sporty seats these will be the only differences between the standard civic and the type R.
Yes, I hope it flops and makes Honda realise that marketing can only sell a car so far. Look what has happened to the pug 205 GTI then a sorry excuse for a 206 and the 207 is even worse. All the arguments for and against are personal opinions based on what you want out of a car. But reading a lot of the positives the best they can come up with are comfort and gadget related, well if thats what they want out of a car perhaps a hot hatch is not for them, maybe better suited with a high spec'd car such as the ghia models etc.
Infact some of the fanboys would buy a Honda Jazz if it had a type r sticker on the side, then argue until they are blue in the face thats its better than the previous version.
I am a Honda Fan and I have been a new car buyer for the last 9 years and change my car every 3 years so if Honda want to keep my customer they better come up with something different that is better than what I own now.
I used to drive a DC2 for 3 weeks every year when a relative used to lend it to me when he was on holiday., I owned a facelift EP3 for 18 months and now have the DC5 (18 months). So I can say I have tried majority of the type R brands.
I think the FN2 is a modern looking car, but it doesn't blow the competition out of the water like the EP3 did in 2001. therefore it doesn't have a leading edge over the competition. Its just a run of the mill hot hatch with no competitive advantage over the competition, its not the fastest, its not the best handling, not the best looking what it is ? it is average in all these areas. (its a bit like cooking, too many cooks spoil the broth, I would rather have it top of one or two these categories such as handling, and power, rather than being jack of all trades and master of none)
Personally I have a theory if it doesn't sell very well Honda will have to rethink their strategy if they want to keep in the hot hatch market, because if the next generation is going to be even heavier with more toys and gadgets using the same power plant it would be struggling to keep up with the family hatchbatchs never mind the future hot hatches, therefore watering down the Type R brand even further.
The problem is if this FN2 sells well in the numbers that the EP3 did, Honda will really think they can get away with watering it down even further.(to make more profit, appeal to a wider audience) Before long you will have a standard civic with a sport air filter, louder exhaust and sporty seats these will be the only differences between the standard civic and the type R.
Yes, I hope it flops and makes Honda realise that marketing can only sell a car so far. Look what has happened to the pug 205 GTI then a sorry excuse for a 206 and the 207 is even worse. All the arguments for and against are personal opinions based on what you want out of a car. But reading a lot of the positives the best they can come up with are comfort and gadget related, well if thats what they want out of a car perhaps a hot hatch is not for them, maybe better suited with a high spec'd car such as the ghia models etc.
Infact some of the fanboys would buy a Honda Jazz if it had a type r sticker on the side, then argue until they are blue in the face thats its better than the previous version.
I am a Honda Fan and I have been a new car buyer for the last 9 years and change my car every 3 years so if Honda want to keep my customer they better come up with something different that is better than what I own now.
I just checked out the proposed prices here in Finland (whenever it finally arrives)...
Base model = €32,800
GT model (which I guess they mean when they say "Civic Type R+"
= €37,250 
So the base model (with no aircon) costs more than my '03 model did after adding aircon, a 2nd set of alloys & winter tyres, block heater etc. etc. Even a new Leon Cupra is around €2,000 cheaper than the "plus" model. Of course our prices are all inflated due to car tax, but I would be interested to know if the same price differentials exist in the UK. Is thr UK CTR GT really sold for around the same price as a Golf GTI?
I've sat in one but not driven one yet. For that money it had better be damn good...
Base model = €32,800
GT model (which I guess they mean when they say "Civic Type R+"
= €37,250 So the base model (with no aircon) costs more than my '03 model did after adding aircon, a 2nd set of alloys & winter tyres, block heater etc. etc. Even a new Leon Cupra is around €2,000 cheaper than the "plus" model. Of course our prices are all inflated due to car tax, but I would be interested to know if the same price differentials exist in the UK. Is thr UK CTR GT really sold for around the same price as a Golf GTI?
I've sat in one but not driven one yet. For that money it had better be damn good...
Uk Prices are
Type R £17,600 EUR 26,148.60
Type R GT £18,600 EUR 27,630.02
Type R GT with phone kit, Voice recognition and Sat nav £20,000 EUR 29,709.70
So for some reason you have a much bigger price differential there.
For comparison the other car you mentionend a Leon Cupra here starts from £19,500 EUR 28,971.36.
Type R £17,600 EUR 26,148.60
Type R GT £18,600 EUR 27,630.02
Type R GT with phone kit, Voice recognition and Sat nav £20,000 EUR 29,709.70
So for some reason you have a much bigger price differential there.
For comparison the other car you mentionend a Leon Cupra here starts from £19,500 EUR 28,971.36.
Edited by Marc W on Thursday 8th March 08:16
Marc W said:
Mine is arriving sometime in April or May, not got a definate date yet as I only ordered it today! Didn't swap an old one for it though!
What colour? I went for the deep bronze. Did you go for the 19" Rage alloys - I felt that the standard 18" alloys looked pretty dull, more like an afterthought and whatever was lying around when they came to taking the car down to the photo studio for the brochure shots. The 19s look the part but how they'll ride I'll have to wait to find out.
I went for a red one in the end, after changing my mind twice from Silver and Black (too hard to keep clean!). I stuck with the normal alloys, I thought they looked okay and that the 19" ones looked like they might damage easier (whihc knowing my luck they probably would!) plus £950 extra seemed a bit steep.
I was really looking forward to thje arrival of the new CTR after loving how it looked when it was first released. But I have to say that when I went into the dealers I was very disapointed. To me there is now very little difference with the type r to the standard model. At least with the old one as soonn as someone see's it, it is instantly recognisable that the car is something special and means business. I know all the magazines that I have read are saying it still comes out on top above the other hot hatches but I do feel the old CTR whch I own would do the same in the tests that they are carrying out.
And it did'nt help thjat when I went into the showroom their new CTR was in the workshop with its dash out,the mechanic stating it was the second time it had been out with seperate problems. And was solely down to the amount of electronics that the new car carried. This left me wondering what the repair bills of all this new technology would cost after warranty ££££££££££.
So for now I will be sticking with the old one ,more basic, but just as much fun if not more !! and hopefully look after it and one day it will be remembered as a Type R classic,just like the tegs. After all I bought the CTR for pure driving fun and for the past year this as always been the case so why change it.
And it did'nt help thjat when I went into the showroom their new CTR was in the workshop with its dash out,the mechanic stating it was the second time it had been out with seperate problems. And was solely down to the amount of electronics that the new car carried. This left me wondering what the repair bills of all this new technology would cost after warranty ££££££££££.
So for now I will be sticking with the old one ,more basic, but just as much fun if not more !! and hopefully look after it and one day it will be remembered as a Type R classic,just like the tegs. After all I bought the CTR for pure driving fun and for the past year this as always been the case so why change it.
riggoletto said:
And it did'nt help thjat when I went into the showroom their new CTR was in the workshop with its dash out,the mechanic stating it was the second time it had been out with seperate problems. And was solely down to the amount of electronics that the new car carried. This left me wondering what the repair bills of all this new technology would cost after warranty ££££££££££.
Now you tell me!
Marc W said:
riggoletto said:
And it did'nt help thjat when I went into the showroom their new CTR was in the workshop with its dash out,the mechanic stating it was the second time it had been out with seperate problems. And was solely down to the amount of electronics that the new car carried. This left me wondering what the repair bills of all this new technology would cost after warranty ££££££££££.
Now you tell me!
Comes with a 3 year warranty extendible in 1 year increments up to 6 years. So I took out an extra year and will sell at 3 years with a one-year warranty transferrable to the next owner.
Nope, i wouldn't swop the 'Teg for the Civic. However I'd look at one if I was in the market for a quick practical family hatch. Had a play with one for a few miles near Coventry the other day. There wasn't much in it up at speed, and the bloke gave me a large grin and thumbs up as he pulled off. Nice to see he knew the linage!
Edited by joesnow on Tuesday 13th March 12:33
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