Contemplating trading in for a Civic..

petrol or diesel fr?

If ur looking at Civic Type R's then why not just trade the FR in for a Cupra?

Cupra stage2+ is the way to go mate

id get a cupra over JAP CR@P.

as mentioned above you have to rag the hell out of them to get going which isnt a bad thing if thats your driving style for day to day driving the turbo is so much better

tuning wise a remap gets 300bhp which will blow the civic out the water not to sure what the tuning options are on a civic though.

personally if i change my car again (and ive had my car 4 months and thinking about it already) i might get a Boxster or a Jag XKR.

but i use my car at weekends only so dont worry about mileage

Agreed with Smee

Theres also a reason why the Cupra is more expensive to buy than a Type R


Just done a quick search on google a Stage 2 supercharge kit will cost you £3400 and will get you 345bhp, A Stage 2 kit for Cupra wont cost that much and will get you about 360-380bhp

have civic dropped in price?

the same age Cupra and civic type R cost the same in April with same mileage

my mate bought one at the same time as i got mine.

i do like the look of the civic but the leon is a much better car

My best mates got the Type R and has spent well over 2 grand on engine mods but even with this upto road legal limits it only just keeps up with my standard cupra.
Ride wise they are has harsh as a pre facelift FR.
They are a good car but not has much fun because of how hard you have to drive it to get the best out of it.

I will also say the paint is very thin and ends up covered in chips a lot easier.

Having had a superchanged honda in the past, yes they are great fun to drive but you really do have to work the engine hard and keep the revs high for the power. You'll regret getting the civic after a while

FRantic said:

Problem is, looking at the Seat used car locator the cheapest Cupra on the books is £15k. I can get a Type-R 2008 same mileage for £11k..

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You're looking in the wrong places mate. A 2008 plate Cupra with 20k on the clock can be had for £11k. Add £500 for a Stage One remap you can have 290-300bhp and similar torque which will ream a civic.

The seats, iirc, are better in a Cupra and if you can find a facelift model you'll benefit from a much nicer interior.

Few years back i had a mk1 cupra and my girlfriend had a 52reg type R . I alwys found my self reving the nuts off of her honda as she always insisted driving my cupra saying i quote "Much faster down the bypass darling ". Imagine the mk2 cupra would go even fast down that bypass! Lol

as said you can pickup a standard cupra for about 11-12k now, for 14k you can pickup a k1 if you like the bodykit but for 15k you get the facelift cupra which is not as nice to look at as the pre facelift imo

the cupra is supposed to be a better ride and less harsh than the fr, i can't comment from experience on that mind you. but as said chuck far less money at a cupra than a type r and it will beat it even easier

i find the cupra seats fantastic myself, not sure if the type r interior is better than say the lesser models. as my housemate has a diesel interior and while it may look a bit nicer, the materials used feel cheap in his so i hope its better than the lesser models. oh and rear visibility is shocking in the civic period

If you take the subjective stuff out of the equation (like looks, modding etc.) it's a fairly cut and dried case for the Honda.

Taken from the 2011 JD Power Car Survey (1st place given for reference):

Lexus IS = 1st
Civic = 14th
Leon = 46th

Lexus = 1st
Honda = 2nd
SEAT = 21st

Obviously the cars results are not about the Type R or FR in particular but across the whole range. My parents have had Honda's for the last 25 years and they have never broken down or needed any major work. Some of them have gone on to over 130k miles.

Would I buy a Honda? Nope. Well, I would but it would have to be an S2000. I think most of us with hot hatches or sports cars buy more with the heart than the head. A lot of us see a failed part as a chance to upgrade it.

The point I'm making is that only you can really decide. We've all got an opinion we're not afraid to voice it but if you prefer the Type R then go for it.

AND my opinion (cos I can't resist) is that you might grow bored of the Type R. Over the years I have test driven many different Type R models and never managed to sign on the dotted line. At least with a turbo car you have options for getting a bit more power (or a lot if you prefer) when you get used to what you already have.

I did a back to back test drive before buying the K1. The Cupra beats the Type R hands down on performance, ride quality, handling, mpg and day to day ownership.

The type R wins on interior and looks.

I would of bought the type r if it went and stopped like the Cupra.

FRantic said:

Will I regret swapping my FR for a Type-R ?

(Please only comment if you have something constructive to say)

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Another question, what year is your current FR?

As if it's a PRE-facelift car, it obviously will be 2, 3 or 4 years OLDER than a 1 year old Honda Civic Type-R, hence perhaps a more refined ride in the Honda.

Another factor I guess, discussed here, SEAT are the "cheaper brother" to VW, then to Audi. So again, you might find a top of the range, performance Honda to be 'superior' in comparison.

Note this is my perspective, an owner of a 2007 Leon TDi FR. Perhaps a FACELIFT 2010 Leon Cupra will be just as (or even better?) equipped than the Type-R of the same year?

(having not yet driven or sat in a facelift performane Leon (FR / Cupra / K1), I wouldnt be able to tell the differences unfortunately).
Just to look at though, exterior styling, I'd still prefer a 2010 Cupra over a 2010 Type-R.