Integra Type R - advice requested
Discussion
Back in 99 I moved to Switzerland. Needed a car. Was very taken by the Integra Type R but went for an Impreza as thought (correctly) that 4WD would be useful. Have had subsequent itches for one but never scratched it. Where I park for work I see most days a Type R in white (I think it is a 52 plate). Looks lovely. Has put evil thoughts in my head...
When I took my recent job I needed something to get to work (I had thought about using my bike) and ended up with a Toyota Aygo! Motoring equivalent of white goods. But it was relatively cheap (for a 64 plate), does 50 mpg, has more than 3 years of warranty left and suits my needs. Not my wants though! I have a M135i and two bikes (Aprilia RS250 & BMW S1000R). For fun I always take the bikes.
Would a Type R hack it as a daily driver (being left outside almost all of the time)?
What were the differences between the models (DC2 v DC5?) which makes best ownership prospect?
Looking at the adverts on PH there seem to loads that have been recently imported from Japan. Good option? Any dealers or specialists that can be trusted?
When I took my recent job I needed something to get to work (I had thought about using my bike) and ended up with a Toyota Aygo! Motoring equivalent of white goods. But it was relatively cheap (for a 64 plate), does 50 mpg, has more than 3 years of warranty left and suits my needs. Not my wants though! I have a M135i and two bikes (Aprilia RS250 & BMW S1000R). For fun I always take the bikes.
Would a Type R hack it as a daily driver (being left outside almost all of the time)?
What were the differences between the models (DC2 v DC5?) which makes best ownership prospect?
Looking at the adverts on PH there seem to loads that have been recently imported from Japan. Good option? Any dealers or specialists that can be trusted?
DC5 the better car for most things. Having a 6th gear, modern interior and a stronger engine make all the difference.
Used mine daily for 3 years including track days and ring trips and had very few issues, though Rust might be an issue now as quite a few have been on salty roads for a while?
DC2 the better handling/sounding/having fun car, but they are getting on now. Most will need new dampers and bushes, rust is a real issue and gearbox synchros/bearings will probably need attention too.
Over 3 years I spent as much keeping my DC2 in good nick as I did on the car itself. Having said that, over all I preferred my DC2, the positives outweighed the negatives.
Used mine daily for 3 years including track days and ring trips and had very few issues, though Rust might be an issue now as quite a few have been on salty roads for a while?
DC2 the better handling/sounding/having fun car, but they are getting on now. Most will need new dampers and bushes, rust is a real issue and gearbox synchros/bearings will probably need attention too.
Over 3 years I spent as much keeping my DC2 in good nick as I did on the car itself. Having said that, over all I preferred my DC2, the positives outweighed the negatives.
Haven't driven an integra before but I do have an EP3 type r and it is extremely uncomfortable and way too stiff for driving to work and back, thing is, as soon as you put your foot down, you forget about everything but sometimes I'd wake up on the wrong side of the bed and just want a calm drive to work without spilling my costa coffee after every bump/pothole and I'd be considering changing it to a BMW or Merc by the time I get to work! Fast forward to home time, give the car a good spanking and I walk inside the house smiling. Repeat the next day! My job means I finish late at night so I have the advantage of a 5 mile commute home on empty roads.
What I'm saying is, if I was in the position of having a car to get to work and back, I defianitly wouldnt use the type r, I'd have it as a weekend/car for fun that I'd only drive with a clear head ! For a 9-5 job with busy roads to and back from work needs serious consideration!
Good luck mate
What I'm saying is, if I was in the position of having a car to get to work and back, I defianitly wouldnt use the type r, I'd have it as a weekend/car for fun that I'd only drive with a clear head ! For a 9-5 job with busy roads to and back from work needs serious consideration!
Good luck mate
diehardbenzfan said:
Haven't driven an integra before but I do have an EP3 type r and it is extremely uncomfortable and way too stiff for driving to work and back, thing is, as soon as you put your foot down, you forget about everything but sometimes I'd wake up on the wrong side of the bed and just want a calm drive to work without spilling my costa coffee after every bump/pothole and I'd be considering changing it to a BMW or Merc by the time I get to work! Fast forward to home time, give the car a good spanking and I walk inside the house smiling. Repeat the next day! My job means I finish late at night so I have the advantage of a 5 mile commute home on empty roads.
What I'm saying is, if I was in the position of having a car to get to work and back, I defianitly wouldnt use the type r, I'd have it as a weekend/car for fun that I'd only drive with a clear head ! For a 9-5 job with busy roads to and back from work needs serious consideration!
Good luck mate
One of the main reasons I ended up with the Aygo: for what I need it for a better driver's car would be wasted. Other reason is I didn't have time and energy to search for good condition, older car: was so much quicker and easier to buy something 18 months old from main dealer than go and see interesting but much older cars. What I'm saying is, if I was in the position of having a car to get to work and back, I defianitly wouldnt use the type r, I'd have it as a weekend/car for fun that I'd only drive with a clear head ! For a 9-5 job with busy roads to and back from work needs serious consideration!
Good luck mate
Esceptico said:
One of the main reasons I ended up with the Aygo: for what I need it for a better driver's car would be wasted. Other reason is I didn't have time and energy to search for good condition, older car: was so much quicker and easier to buy something 18 months old from main dealer than go and see interesting but much older cars.
MPG and depreciation aside (higher mileage) I'd actually suggest using the M135i as a daily and a type r for weekends, yes the M135i is a lot faster than a type r and a daily car cant be considerably quicker than your weekend toy but Its not the kind of car you can make the most out of, cant really drive it to its limit the same way you can drive a type r to its limit. I test drove one earlier this year as I was considering leasing one and it was stupidly quick, so quick in fact that you cant really access all the cars power properly without hitting the brakes straight away! A type r is slower and nowhere near as effortlless as the BMW but the gearbox on the honda, the steering and the light weight of the car really does make you feel like your micheal shumacer driving an F1 car hahahahahahaa getting carried away, I just love my car
You should definitley test drive one and you'll know what I mean!
It depends on your perception of what's tolerable in a daily car. For me, an Integra Type R just isn't impractical enough to warrant it being anything other than a daily driver. Great fun to drive and extremely practical with a huge rear hatch and folding rear seats (talking DC2).
I bought one to run a my daily car for a couple of years when I wanted to stop putting so much mileage on my Starion. It was fantastic in that capacity. Granted I didn't need to do much in the way of motorway driving, but for the 20-odd mile commute on A/B roads and the odd bit of dual carriageway it was superb.
Faultlessly reliable, the comfiest Recaro seats I've ever experienced, and mine even had air-con. Yes it was loud and the ride wasn't exactly a marshmallow, but it was insanely fun!
I bought one to run a my daily car for a couple of years when I wanted to stop putting so much mileage on my Starion. It was fantastic in that capacity. Granted I didn't need to do much in the way of motorway driving, but for the 20-odd mile commute on A/B roads and the odd bit of dual carriageway it was superb.
Faultlessly reliable, the comfiest Recaro seats I've ever experienced, and mine even had air-con. Yes it was loud and the ride wasn't exactly a marshmallow, but it was insanely fun!
Squirrelofwoe said:
It depends on your perception of what's tolerable in a daily car.
This! My commute is only 7 miles so it's fine with my DC2. It's a bit noisy but I don't think the ride is bad thanks to its small OEM wheels (with OEM suspension).Mine is a daily, track car & B-road car and it's brilliant. Only let me down once in almost 5 years due to a faulty starter motor. Clutch broke at around 95k miles (TADTS) and that's about it; it's so reliable and cheap to run.
Exciting engine (vtec y0!), great gearbox, tremendous brakes, adjustable FWD handling, LSD, Recaro seats, big boot, what's not to like? Oh ok, bodywork rust.
BrotherMouzone said:
Squirrelofwoe said:
It depends on your perception of what's tolerable in a daily car.
This! My commute is only 7 miles so it's fine with my DC2. It's a bit noisy but I don't think the ride is bad thanks to its small OEM wheels (with OEM suspension).Unless it's a track car I would always go with the stock suspension on a DC2 out of personal preference (spend the money refreshing it instead).
Sadly mine is now for sale but I have had several and always kept one as a daily driver next to more exotic stuff. I think they make the perfect daily for a petrolhead - reliable, cheap to run, and spacious.
They are a little noisier than normal cars sure, and over 90mph on the motorway are gobbling fuel. You could get a depreciating boringmobile, but then you only live once and, so why not commute in a 5* hero car that is appreciating, and pretend every day is Le Mans.
Re DC2 or DC5 I have had both - the DC5 is indeed a little more comfortable, but therefore more zzz boring, and given a higher start price probably has less scope to appreciate.
Who wouldn't want to sit in this on the way to work every day:
They are a little noisier than normal cars sure, and over 90mph on the motorway are gobbling fuel. You could get a depreciating boringmobile, but then you only live once and, so why not commute in a 5* hero car that is appreciating, and pretend every day is Le Mans.
Re DC2 or DC5 I have had both - the DC5 is indeed a little more comfortable, but therefore more zzz boring, and given a higher start price probably has less scope to appreciate.
Who wouldn't want to sit in this on the way to work every day:
Edited by ImABitLongCars on Thursday 8th September 15:55
Gassing Station | Honda | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff