Old Car Surprises Civic Type R

[Baz 421]

... but it will also commute to the Nurburgring without leaving you with a single ache or pain!

 

 

What do you mean 'but'?? A 205 will do that easily.

 

I've done it up to 4 times a year for the last 4 years, with up to 3 occupants it's still fine and comfortable. I'm not saying i miss the thought of the comfort of the V70R on some of the boring bits, but there's many more 205-suited bits!

Edited October 16, 2011 by Baz

[Toddy 7]

 

I'm not going to do that again, but Honda do have a phenomenal reputation for quality. They have sold over 1 million vtec (yo!) units without a single engine failure (presumably under warranty).

 

Isn't that the vtec mechanism hasn't failed ,rather than no engine failures, a bit of marketing spin?

[GLPoomobile 958]

What do you mean 'but'?? A 205 will do that easily.

 

I've done it up to 4 times a year for the last 4 years, with up to 3 occupants it's still fine and comfortable. I'm not saying i miss the thought of the comfort of the V70R on some of the boring bits, but there's many more 205-suited bits!

 

I'd agree that you can commute in a 205 GTI, albeit depending on spec (I refuse to put mine back on the road until I make it more civilised), but since Mad Scientist did mention aches and pains, then I've got to say that it's by no means perfect. As I was saying the other day on here, any journey I've ever done in a GTI of a good few hours on the motorway has left me with chronic pain in my right foot. It gets me in the 'crook' of the foot, the bit on top opposite the ankle.

 

If you are prone to that sort of thing, it's going to get you to some degree in any car without cruise control, but I've always had it bad in a GTI since the throttle is so responsive. In some cars when you get to motorway speed you can pretty much just rest your foot on the throttle and the weight seems to be just right to maintain the speed, but in a GTI I find I have to 'lock' my foot in place to cruise at motorway speed, and that's what causes the pain.

 

But apart from that I've never had an issue doing long journeys in a GTI, even with a 1.6 box and boomin exhaust.

Edited October 16, 2011 by GLPoomobile

[Batfink 201]

the 205 gti seats are some of the most comfortable I've ever experienced.

[feb 47]

I find any commuting motorway journey which is longer than 1h tiring in the 205 unless it's on interesting country roads.

Edited October 16, 2011 by feb

[Baz 421]

I'd agree that you can commute in a 205 GTI, albeit depending on spec (I refuse to put mine back on the road until I make it more civilised), but since Mad Scientist did mention aches and pains, then I've got to say that it's by no means perfect. As I was saying the other day on here, any journey I've ever done in a GTI of a good few hours on the motorway has left me with chronic pain in my right foot. It gets me in the 'crook' of the foot, the bit on top opposite the ankle.

 

If you are prone to that sort of thing, it's going to get you to some degree in any car without cruise control, but I've always had it bad in a GTI since the throttle is so responsive. In some cars when you get to motorway speed you can pretty much just rest your foot on the throttle and the weight seems to be just right to maintain the speed, but in a GTI I find I have to 'lock' my foot in place to cruise at motorway speed, and that's what causes the pain.

 

But apart from that I've never had an issue doing long journeys in a GTI, even with a 1.6 box and boomin exhaust.

 

 

I actually get the same from standard seats/positioning, but not as bad as i find base model 306's and 206's! I run a bucket seat & harness in all of my 205's for this reason tbh, it's just so much more comfortable and it makes a big difference to the feedback you get from the car.

[welshpug 1,657]

MY ZX is awesome for B-roads and Motorways

 

As a friend of mine described it a while ago after a short drive of it, it's like a big 205 it looks standard...

[custard-rallye 25]

Love my zx for comfort everybody loves the seats

[samc 1]

i read the 1st page and then the last, all i can add is that a standard ep3 type r would easily pull away from a standard 1.9gti (i currently have an ep3 and my 1.9 was once standard. and struggled with saxo vtr's ) however my ep3 which is totally standard is probably the harshest car ive driving. the seats are like wood and the suspensions possibly been swapped for some solid bar lol great for thrashing round the country roads but certainly not a comfortable ride.

[MiniGibbo 142]

I always thaught the 1900 was on par with a vts..?

[allye 530 3 Cars]

There are 1.9 GTI's and there are 1.9 GTI's! Some may keep up, others really wont

Edited March 26, 2012 by allye

[samc 1]

not mine after i fitted a cam and twin 40s i just had the edge on a mates vts upto 120 then he just took off away from me.. i did have a 1.6 box though.. turbo'ing the 8v was the only way for me to go

[MiniGibbo 142]

Surely though being 130hp and lighter than a Saxo even the ropey ones should be faster..

 

My Rallye has 125hp per tonne and the vts only 127 and that's a 1300......

[dcc 855]

gear ratios of a 106 rallye are full of win!

 

Gear ratios of a 1.9 205 are not!

[Baz 421]

i read the 1st page and then the last...

 

With all due respect, read everything and then reply in a well informed manner with regards to what has already been discussed. If you read it all you might educate yourself.

 

Talking about racing on the interweb is both small minded and futile, it's all relative and there's always depending factors.

[samc 1]

racing took part at york dragway... as for well informed, i was talking about something i experienced myself so pretty well informed on the matter me thinks. and certainly dont want educating on vtecs anymore but i will keep it in mind

[Baz 421]

racing took part at york dragway... as for well informed, i was talking about something i experienced myself so pretty well informed on the matter me thinks. and certainly dont want educating on vtecs anymore but i will keep it in mind

 

A dragstrip. Says it all really.

 

Obviously a race between two cars with two different drivers up one piece of straight road for a small length is a hugely reliable test of real world performance.

 

I never said i doubted what you experienced, just saying don't be as naive to think that it's clear-cut as that.

 

Again, with all due respect, forgive me if i discount your opinion when you can't even have the decency to read the thread in which you think you're replying to relevantly, in full.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Surely though being 130hp and lighter than a Saxo even the ropey ones should be faster..

 

My Rallye has 125hp per tonne and the vts only 127 and that's a 1300......

 

And what if the 1.9 in question was down 15bhp and being driven by a fat bastard?

[welshpug 1,657]

my bog standard 1.9 (other than motronic mp3.1) kept up with a few 106 gti's, they dont weigh much less at all, but do have more torque, or at least my very healthy example does

[MiniGibbo 142]

I know they're are variables, what you had for lunch.. How much fuel etc

 

But I just always put the 1900 vs vts down as an easy to answer one..?

[CaptainK 11]

Ahhh... this old chestnut of comparing one car with another and the 205 GTi against VTECs etc.

 

I dared to mention a similar thing a few years back comparing my (then) 1.9 205 GTi and my Mitsi FTO GPX MIVEC (Mitsi's Vtec equivalent). Was a good discussion, but ultimately the FTO was the faster car in every way using the same driver (me), BUT the 205 was much MUCH more fun to drive.

 

However, if anyone wanted to know my 205 GTi (with a GTi6 engine in it) was much faster than a new type Civic Type R around the Nurburgring many years back now. I had some good "dogfights" with him around the track. Really enjoyed it and hats off to the chap for providing some good clean fun.

[Anthony 1,003]

However, if anyone wanted to know my 205 GTi (with a GTi6 engine in it) was much faster than a new type Civic Type R around the Nurburgring many years back now. I had some good "dogfights" with him around the track. Really enjoyed it and hats off to the chap for providing some good clean fun.

When it comes to any track, but especially the 'Ring, all bets are off when comparing cars as *so* much is down to the driver.

 

At the 'Ring I've overtaken 911's and been comprehensively left for dust by a diesel Focus, but that clearly doesn't mean that a Focus is faster than a 911, merely that the driver has more knowledge/skill/cajones.

[djackson1980 3]

Iv got both a 53 plate civic Type R and a 205 1.9 gti, i love my GTI it's my pride and joy, i bought the CTR for my daily drive and it blows the pants off the GTI on any road i drive on but i still preffer to drive the GTI.

[Carbs4me 45]

I once drove a 1.8 Vtec CRX i loved the way it went. But the cornering of it wasnt that of a 205Gti, they deffinity do have torque issues which lets them down in the corners.... but hey thats what a Vtec controller is for! VTEC Yoo!

 

Also one of my other mates had a 1.6 VTEC SIR that thing was something special it got fastest front wheel drive at santa pod about 6 years ago

[CaptainK 11]

When it comes to any track, but especially the 'Ring, all bets are off when comparing cars as *so* much is down to the driver.

I agree entirely as a friend of mine in an FTO beats pretty much all exotic cars around the 'Ring - as you said, track knowledge and driver ability is key.

 

However in my case, if I'm honest I'm a fairly poor track driver as I just do it for a bit of fun and most things overtake me at the 'Ring as I hardly know the track at all (my first time there really and only my second time on a track). Can't believe the Civic driver being any worse than me