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FK2 Sum up your ownership so far

WelshyWelsh

TRO Supporter
Messages
1,156
Hi guys

The FK2 is fast approaching what I decided I'd pay for one, so I'll be seriously looking in the new year.

I've had a couple of test drives, but these never really give you a true indication of what it's like to live with one.

So for those who own one/have owned one, how would you sum it up? I'll be going from a daily driver FN2 to a daily FK2 as I know a few have - how was this change?

I know there's loads of opinions in other threads, but it'd be great just to have a list of opinions in one thread.

Thanks!
 
It felt like going into a pre-modded Turbo FN2 to me, so not a huge step up from an FN2 in term of feel, fit or finish which for a £30k car (as I paid for it) was a bit of disappointment once you get over the new car feeling.

It's a cracking car don't get me wrong and I'm sure you'll be happy with one, but it felt like a missed opportunity. I eventually felt like I was living with it and making do, rather than enjoying it.

I said on the mini reviews and the aftermath with my first order and its subsequent cancellation at the time that it felt like the boggo 1.8 when you aren't pressing the accelerator and in many ways it did. So in that respect you don't feel like you are in a premium product. Then you have the suspension you have to live with, which isn't overly stiff but still firm. Then there is the hum on the motorway that you get even from the standard exhaust system. (Those that say it doesn't drone either have tinnitus to start with or have noise induced hearing loss.) The clutch gets very tiresome in stop start traffic too. It's not bad at first, but if you do any decent amount of a commute it will start to grate. Honda also linked the throttle map of +R with the harsh suspension settings, which to be honest was a dick move because you want the quicker throttle response most of the time but you don't want the hard suspension anywhere else apart from track. I hope Honda are reading this and address that with the next car.

Demon on track. Great as a very expensive weekend car. Average for the commute.

As a package you've got to admire what it does, but there will always be compromises about trying make a 300bhp car cope superbly with a track day but then liveable on a daily basis. For me it doesn't quite pull it off. I was happier with my modded FN2s to be honest. Perfectly liveable as a daily and you don't need the extra performance of the FK2 on the drive to the shops or work, plus you save about £15k at the minute.
 
I think you're going get a bit of a split opinion on this. Having spent 12 years with my EP3, I got an FK2 in March.
I absolutely love it, so much so I'm finding that I'm doing much less miles in the EP3 now.

The FK2 performs so well on many levels. The true barometer is that I can take it out for a good thrashing and come home grinning ear to ear, then give the keys to my wife and she can pootle off to visit her parents like it's a regular Civic.

That's the beauty of it and always has been with hot hatches.
As for the price, I still believe they are great value. Especially when I compare it to my mates wifes middle of the range Golf that was £25k and is quite frankly dogshit.

All depends on your expectations and what you are coming from.

Mark
 
They'll be nearly £20k by April next year.


FD2R
 
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Thanks guys. Agree with the "pre-modded FN2" comment Loxy. Exactly how I felt on the test drive which is why I decided against a new one and why March/April and about £20k-£22k is the plan!

Mark, that dual personality is what I'm after. Bit more refinement than the FN2, but madness when you press the throttle. I'm still worried I'll miss the VTEC roar, otherwise it seems better in every way.

Dotty your FD2 is shaping up well, not surprised you're going to stick with it!
 
I use my fk2 as a special car to drive on my days off and for occasional use a d I love it.

What I can say is for fun driving on twisty country roads it's really good. Plenty quick and very grippy. The harder you drive it the better it gets. It always has that 'sense of occasion' feeling to drive it and it gets lots of attention on the road which I like. Personally I think it looks brilliant.

Interior wise... i don't like the head unit and hands free kit. Really slow and rubbish.
Plastics are nice but does not feel premium compared to German rivals but coming from a evo this does not bother me at all its a rolls Royce iain comparison
Seats are the best iv ever had.

On normal commuting though it feels very boring at times and does not feel special unless your driving in a spirited way. It is sometimes too composed for its own good and this dials out the fun factor.

For occasional use its great for everyday use I don't think it would be as good.

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A bit late to the party on this one but will add some comments.

I own a 2016 GT and have had it for about 4 months, bought with 2.5k on the clock from a local Honda dealership.

As a quick high level summary here's my feedback.


The Good
Performance - I love it, it's left many a car in it's trail when you get used to the power bands from the turbo and when the VTEC engages it makes for a hell of a ride.
I went to an Audi RS meet last weekend and the Type-R through some of the Surrey hills had no issue keeping up through the back roads and short burst straights.
It's a car with a real personality disorder, I use the Honda as my daily so driving to work typically means A roads and dual carriageways so I can happily get 38-40mpg driving sensibility.

Handling - Now this is where the car comes alive, it grips and if treated right it will glide you through corners at pace but be warned get those wheels straight if you are putting the power down as the torque steer can suddenly catch you out from time to time.

MPG - 41mpg is the best I have had on a clear run to work, the worst I have ever seen the MPG is 31 after a fairly spirited run.

Boot Space - Outrageous amounts of space available once the seats are folded down (sad I know but practical).

Comfort - Those seats, those figure hugging seats.

The Bad
Interior Build Quality - My friend has just had his nice new shiny Audi S3 delivered and while it does play in a slightly different price bracket the interior build quality is just x1000 times better than the Type-R.
Digital dash, Apple car play, more lights than a Tron movie, Bang & Olufsen soundsystem, extended leather seats it is a very sexy place to be on a commute.
I look at the Type-R interior and it feels dare I say it, cheap. Don't get me wrong it has a lot of modern features you would expect on a new car but it just doesn't have a wow factor for a £30k car and I seriously question some of the materials used.

My passenger side door panel rattles like crazy when I play any music, I have to take it back into Honda this weekend for them to fix it.



The Ugly
+R mode. I love it, I hate it ooooooooh why Honda could you not let this be more customisable for the driver. I want that extra throttle response 24/7 but for that little extra punch from the accelerator you have to live with a very, very uncomfortable ride on UK roads because the damping stiffens up so much.

Crash Warning System - The Type R GT has some cool safety features I like the blindspot warning lights on the wing mirrors that light up when passing vehicles. I like the sign recognition which tells you what speed you should be going, however what I just don't understand is the crash warning system.
I believe what it is meant to do is warn you that if you are travelling at a certain speed and there is a vehicle in front of you then there maybe a chance you can rear end them.
Ok sounds great however mine works so sporadically it's getting to the point where I could drive within 2 cm's of a cars rear bumper and it wouldn't go off, but 5 minutes later I could drive past a bush and it will go off. Good idea in principal but execution is poor.

Auto Lights - Again another sporadic electronic issue, I've just stopped using it. If I turn my lights to the Auto setting I will blind 10 cars coming the other way before the vehicle realises it has to turn the main beam off. It just doesn't work.


I think if you are set on entering the hot hatch market the Honda Type R offers outrageous performance, superb handling and as we all know some very outlandish styling.

But I seriously question the longevity of the interior build quality and some of the electrics as they just don't feel as refined and hard wearing as some other cars which sit in the same price bracket.
 
Hi Guys

My 2016 GT model was new on the 1st December and I go along with a lot of the above comments.

I have another car at my disposal which allows me to use the Type-R when I want to rather than having to, so most of the time it does feel special.
Not sure if it will age as good as previous Honda's I have owned so only time will tell.
I sort of worked on the theory that Honda's in general are bullet proof and the fact that Honda took longer than they anticipated before they launched it would be best ever.

For me I like the outrageous styling but I think the interior could have been better for a 30+k car.
I went from a two year old Boxster to my Honda and the build quality is poles apart but so is the price tag and my particular circumstances.

My car is booked in tomorrow for intermittent squeaky brakes (this only happens when the brakes are applied lightly) and I want them to check the gear change/clutch as it does not seem as silky smooth as a previous EP4 and Honda S2000.

I will keep you updated on how I get on and what Honda have to say. On a positive I trust my Honda dealer 100%.

Regards
Dalesman
 
Hi Guys

My 2016 GT model was new on the 1st December and I go along with a lot of the above comments.

I have another car at my disposal which allows me to use the Type-R when I want to rather than having to, so most of the time it does feel special.
Not sure if it will age as good as previous Honda's I have owned so only time will tell.
I sort of worked on the theory that Honda's in general are bullet proof and the fact that Honda took longer than they anticipated before they launched it would be best ever.

For me I like the outrageous styling but I think the interior could have been better for a 30+k car.
I went from a two year old Boxster to my Honda and the build quality is poles apart but so is the price tag and my particular circumstances.

My car is booked in tomorrow for intermittent squeaky brakes (this only happens when the brakes are applied lightly) and I want them to check the gear change/clutch as it does not seem as silky smooth as a previous EP4 and Honda S2000.

I will keep you updated on how I get on and what Honda have to say. On a positive I trust my Honda dealer 100%.

Regards
Dalesman


Sounds like you've got the same issue as me with the brakes I raised this in another thread a couple of days ago.

Is it your front brakes that squeak and only one side in particular?

Loxy mentioned that it's a common issue with this Type-R, I've taken mine to the garage once and have it booked in again tomorrow for the technicians to check them again.

Honda advised me that they have removed certain sound dampening materials from the brakes but I'm not convinced.

I would be interested to see what feedback they give you.
 
Its hard to say 100% whether it is front or one side. I do know it does not do it when braking enthusiastically.

I will give you as much feedback as I can.
 
I'm thinking of joining the FK2 fold. I wasn't sure about the styling initially but it just keeps on growing on me, especially in black. I've owned an ep3, ATR and dc5 but all those were many years ago. Currently my daily is a 04 Forester STi and the weekend car is a Noble so the FK2 interior will seem like a Bentley! - not that such things seem to bother me.

What I need to know regards ride quality and how acceptable it is for a daily driver (as this would be). These things are subjective so I know I need to get a test drive in if I can find a car not too far away. Any of you nice blokes near Chelmsford? - a passenger ride would be the next best thing...
 
I have to say after reading these posts... I am dissuaded from trading in for a newer model! ;)

Design-wise, I was a little put off by the rear spoiler - personal preference, I prefer the less aggressive spoiler of the FN2 - but I was still considering the upgrade.
Then I read about the inclusion of turbo. Bearing in mind that the reason I went for a 3 year old FN2 instead of a brand new 208 GTi was because I'd test-driven the GTi and couldn't deal with the turbo lag (even though it was only split-second). The instant response of the FN2 when you put pedal to metal won me over. So when Honda announced a turbo on the FK2... :rolleyes: I don't know. It just didn't seem right.

I've noticed in a few Hondas over the past decade or so (friends with boring things like the Jazz and the CR-V) the interior is a little behind the times in terms of kit... anyone else notice that?
 
Hi I am a new Member i have had my type r for 8 months and covered 7,000 miles fantastic car apart from 2 things .1 tyres dont last very long my fronts need replacing soon is it best to keep with continentals or go for another make??? Also the rear wheel arch trims chip very easy has anyone noticed this i complained to Honda how replied with NO MANUFACTURE DEFECT so will do nothing about this but we all know there should have been some protection. Andy
 
It's a mixed bag for me definitely, at the age of 29, I'll change up for something a little more grown up (probably something German) in a few years time.


I went from a fairly well tuned DC5 (coilovers, geo, intake, exhaust, remap, etc) to the FK2, so as a daily driver it was much, much, better (more toys, more comfortable, just as good if not better on fuel, etc). But that said I am kicking myself for not test driving other cars in it's class (such as Focus RS, Golf R, A45 AMG, etc).


Pros =
-Aggressive styling
-good handling
-fast
-reliable
-decent gearbox
-reasonable on fuel (30ish mpg average, best I managed was 47 mpg)
-tax is cheaper than older models (£210)
-insurance is reasonable (less than £400 for me and my missus)
-big boot which came in handy when I was moving house
-those amazing seats!
-looks, normally from kids grinning from ear to ear


Cons =
- Marmite looks (even from certain angles I don't think it's that nice)
- interior build quality is lacking in areas (my passenger door card / speaker rattles occasionally)
- exhaust doesn't have enough character (no pops/bangs) - I upgraded mine to the Milltek Road+ Catback
- engine sounds like it's being strangled at high RPM
- R+ is deffo too harsh, unless you are on a smooth road, it's a shame because the increased throttle response is what you want in normal mode really!
- big turning circle
- chews through the standard tyres (Honda say 4k on average for the CS6s!!)
- minimal wheel protection (so don't be surprised if you kerb the alloys)
- occasionally my SatNav crashes (although this may be a problem with the app).




I find that I am constantly having to defend why I chose it over it's rivals which is annoying, but your average Joe will just look at 0-60 or a drag race video and use that as reasoning to suggest I've chosen wrong. Even after I've explained about going on track or the downsides of 4WD!
 
I'm currently going through another niggling phase (there's been a few), I love owning & driving one BUT there's something that keeps niggling away at me, & again I found myself last night looking at other cars.
If I sold up I could buy myself a tidy Cw DC5 & a Mitsubishi L200 which will cover all my needs, but then there's the risk I would probably regret selling the FK2.

I purchased an exhaust mths ago & it's still sat unopened in the box, I was waiting for other mods to be released (mainly aesthetics) but there's nothing being released & I don't see anything being released in the future, So far it's all carbon & it's getting boring seeing the same products popping up all the time, maybe this is what my niggle is.
Reckon I'll see what the new yr brings with work & make a decision then.

Tyres I changed to the assy 3s around 4000 miles, I'm finding them excellent tyres.
Rear stone chipping, I never had one chip until the feckers resurfaced about a 5 mile straight on my commute and basically left it for mths on end, I've read others having them replaced under warranty & from what I gather they're not that expensive to replace.
Buying the Remus pedal box will give you the +R throttle response without changing the suspension
 
Well had mine 6 months now, and done plenty of miles in it. Still on the original set of tyre's as well so I don't know what you lot are doing but I have 9k out of mine and only now just looking to replace them. :)

Makes me grin every time I get in the thing. I get very similar at work Ash, but just go with I didn't want to drive a Transit interior nor lose my car next to the already thousand of Golf's R that look every other eurobox in the car park. And yet people actually slow down next to me on the motorway to stare or even take pictures of the it.


And to jillzebub all turbo cars are going to have some form of lag, believe me after having a Subaru STI the lag in the FK2 is hardly there. Very much like the FN2 if you are in the right gear there is no lag anyway, and lets face it these cars are miles apart. The FN2 feels like it is doing something yes, with the drama and the noise and high revving vtec. But the FK2 is actually doing something and piling on speed like an FN2 could never do. If you ever visit a German autobahn or "private road" and see how the FK2 moves above 70...its god damn insane just how fast this car actually is. I like and miss my FN2 but I would never go back.
 
I had mine replaced as my rear slipped on me on a roundabout, had a mobile tyre fitter come to my work & I originally wanted the originals back (thinking only 4k they'd make spares or even sell them)
My fronts I thought had plenty of tread, until he shown me the state of them, being soft they were absolutely chewed up from the centre onwards, one rear had a nail in it, so out of 4 I was left with one spare.
You could get 9k if you rotate them, if you haven't looked I would recommended turning the wheels & inspecting them properly, mine were shocking & I drive like an OAP
 
I had mine replaced as my rear slipped on me on a roundabout, had a mobile tyre fitter come to my work & I originally wanted the originals back (thinking only 4k they'd make spares or even sell them)
My fronts I thought had plenty of tread, until he shown me the state of them, being soft they were absolutely chewed up from the centre onwards, one rear had a nail in it, so out of 4 I was left with one spare.
You could get 9k if you rotate them, if you haven't looked I would recommended turning the wheels & inspecting them properly, mine were shocking & I drive like an OAP

They don't look too bad actually, all motorway miles has really stretched the life in them. Wouldn't use them again mind you, going to look for new ones as soon as pay day comes around.



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I have decided to finally purchase an FK2 due to the fact that they are becoming hard to get hold of. I have loved the look of the thing since the Concept in 2013 and have been saving the pennies ever since. I drive a short distance to work and want something fun to drive.

I have the discussion about why I want the FK2 over the RS or Golf R a lot. The answer is very simple. Honda have built a race car which is proven to be capable and is according to most of the tests the better car through the corners. I want something that responds when I turn, that has enough go to blow most things out of the water and makes me smile when i get in it. That turns heads when people see it. I dont care if its harsh on bumps or the interior rattles a little. What I want is a race car for the road and thats what the FK2 is.

It is deliberately lighter by hundreds of kilo's than its rivals. So of course the interior is going to feel a little cheaper than the others. Of course there will be rattle from the door cards here and there. Its a race car! I have test driven the RS and Golf R as they are both brilliant machines and I needed to make sure. The build quality in the Golf feels better sure, but the RS feels cheaper than the CTR in IMO and both of them are boring places to be. They are both cars trying to be a race car. The CTR is a race car trying to be a little civilised. If you have kids or make long journeys then of course the RS and Golf R will be better cars for you. That does not make the CTR a worse car, it makes it different. In a world where proper sports cars are all becoming more civilised and easier to live with I think the CTR is a breath of fresh air.

I will review my first few weeks with it when the time comes. Until then I can't wait to collect mine on Saturday.
 
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