'09 Type R - A few Q's re: audio + transmission

[Righty]

Howdee folks,

I'm thinking of upgrading from my '99 Mitsubishi Verada in to a smaller, more sporty variety of car. The '09 Type R has made it to my short list however I do have a few concerns that i'd like a bit of advice on;
*Car Audio flexibility
I will need to put in an after market head unit, either double or single DIN, I'm not fussed either way, but I'll need to fit one in somehow. I know in some other models that have an integrated style dash, you can buy fascia kits to go around an after market head unit and fill in the rest of the gaps on the dash. It's quite an impressive style on the dash, so i'd like to retain that.
I've had a bit of a look on the areopro website who have these for other models, but couldn't find one for the latest civic.
*Manual Transmission
I know this is a sports car, but i am lazy, and have always driven auto's. I know how to drive a manual, but i wanted to get some opinions on the manual in this model. I'm still yet to test drive (heading in this week) but I'd like to see what current owners think. Is it a fairly smooth transmission? is it heavy clutch? Easy to shift?
As i've driven auto's all my life, it's going to take a bit to get used to driving manual, how do you manual drivers go with peak hour traffic etc?
Also, does anyone know of a semi-auto is planned for a later release?
Finally,
*Ride Comfort
For current owners, how does your body feel after a few hours of country driving? I know this isn't the same as a big falcon or alike, and you've got sports seats, which feel fine for a few minutes, but i'm curious as to if you notice some discomfort on long trips?

Any advice and comments would be appreciated.

Cheers.

[damienm]

the clutch feels like a marshmellow even compared to my euro.

[curtis265]

There's not a you're going to get out of asking about how it's like in peak traffic. All cars will have the same pain-in-the-ass feeling in peak hour traffic.

The only way you'll see how it's like is by actually test driving it - but Honda doesn't like to let you do that...

[UNLS1]

the car will NEVER come with a semi auto in a type R.

clutch is feather light.

[JaCe]

No offence to current gen CTR owners but I just feel that the UK hatch is massively overpriced for the market. Sure it's got a beaut of a high revving engine, but for more practical drivers with a taste for a bit of spirit, there's plenty of other cars in the price bracket which offer more in performance and value for money (e.g. Mazda3 SP25). And even at $40k driveaway (not sure if that price is still valid), it was nudging very close to say, Ralliart Lancer and Golf GTi which both offer dual clutch trannies thus meeting your desire for an auto.

[power_of_dreams]

i cannot understand how people come up with the "cbf with mt in peak-hour excuse". it hasn't bothered me for years.

if it wasn't for mt, i would have probably fallen asleep at the wheel 50 times by now

[ktld]

The transmission is really smooth and the clutch is light x.x and the seats are very comfortable in my opinion but may vary due to weight etc.

[NightRyder]

Car Audio in the stock cars are always not everyone's cup of tea, so whether you choose to leave it as is or put an aftermarket head unit (where there is a fascia that suits it), then by all means it is obviously totally up to you. :)

Manual and automatic transmission's both have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, with manual, you can't drink and drive without having to change gears in between each sip without struggling and of course driving in peak hour traffic can be a pain with manual.
But then again, with automatic you can't personally control the power needed for certain conditions while driving such as being stuck in peak hour traffic where you move inch by inch and would tend to use more fuel than a manual.
But these days with the new trip-tronic style gearboxes, you now have that luxury to do so, so at the end of the day, it really comes down to your own preference.
With the new CTR, the transmission clutch is light and shifting is good. But I personally feel it may not be as good as the EP3 shift since the EP3 shift is closer to the steering wheel, hence less time in moving from shifting gears to putting your left hand on the wheel. :D Sorry FN2 drivers, but that's my opinion...LOL

And finally interesting enough, in terms of comfort, Recaro's and the Type-R seats which are pretty much a copy of the Recaro styling and design is meant to comfort people at all extremities when driving. Otherwise, it wouldn't be considered to be placed in the Type-R's or other sports cars like the Evo's.
Because of its ergonomical design, long drives are a breeze and since I've had Recaro's in my cars, in no way have they made be get sore necks or numb bums. In other words, you won't be disappointed. :)
The JDM Type-R's that came with Recaro's came with slightly tighter fitting on the bum than the UK Type-R like this one. You will notice the difference when you sit in both types.
Why?...well simply because caucasians have a bigger arse than asians, plain and simple. :)

Hope that helps..:cool:

[integral90]

Car Audio in the stock cars are always not everyone's cup of tea, so whether you choose to leave it as is or put an aftermarket head unit (where there is a fascia that suits it), then by all means it is obviously totally up to you. :)

Manual and automatic transmission's both have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, with manual, you can't drink and drive without having to change gears in between each sip without struggling and of course driving in peak hour traffic can be a pain with manual.
But then again, with automatic you can't personally control the power needed for certain conditions while driving such as being stuck in peak hour traffic where you move inch by inch and would tend to use more fuel than a manual.
But these days with the new trip-tronic style gearboxes, you now have that luxury to do so, so at the end of the day, it really comes down to your own preference.
With the new CTR, the transmission clutch is light and shifting is good. But I personally feel it may not be as good as the EP3 shift since the EP3 shift is closer to the steering wheel, hence less time in moving from shifting gears to putting your left hand on the wheel. :D Sorry FN2 drivers, but that's my opinion...LOL

And finally interesting enough, in terms of comfort, Recaro's and the Type-R seats which are pretty much a copy of the Recaro styling and design is meant to comfort people at all extremities when driving. Otherwise, it wouldn't be considered to be placed in the Type-R's or other sports cars like the Evo's.
Because of its ergonomical design, long drives are a breeze and since I've had Recaro's in my cars, in no way have they made be get sore necks or numb bums. In other words, you won't be disappointed. :)
The JDM Type-R's that came with Recaro's came with slightly tighter fitting on the bum than the UK Type-R like this one. You will notice the difference when you sit in both types.
Why?...well simply because caucasians have a bigger arse than asians, plain and simple. :)

Hope that helps..:cool:

Funniest comment I've ever read

[UNLS1]

No offence to current gen CTR owners but I just feel that the UK hatch is massively overpriced for the market. Sure it's got a beaut of a high revving engine, but for more practical drivers with a taste for a bit of spirit, there's plenty of other cars in the price bracket which offer more in performance and value for money (e.g. Mazda3 SP25). And even at $40k driveaway (not sure if that price is still valid), it was nudging very close to say, Ralliart Lancer and Golf GTi which both offer dual clutch trannies thus meeting your desire for an auto.

no sh!t sherlock!

it comes from the UK.

there is ur price jutification

[redbull&vodka]

Has anyone bought a new 2009 model yet with the LSD? And how much does it go for? Did you get much off with haggling with the dealer?

[Philip Lee]

my friend was recently looking at $40k performance car and he has FL FN2R and MY09 WRX on his list.

he went to a local Honda dealer and apparently they have 4 cars in stock but isn't willing to discount much from $45k on road. Also test drive is not available.

my friend left and bought a WRX for $40,500.

[redbull&vodka]

how come they don't let you drive it? several people have mentioned this?

Are they afraid you're going to drive off with it?

[ktld]

You won't get much off the FN2R, Honda is pretty determine to sell it no less than 45k for 09 model with lsd and rear parking sensor. Only option to nag the dealership for extras. just get 07 or 08 model and put lsd in it.

[Philip Lee]

You won't get much off the FN2R, Honda is pretty determine to sell it no less than 45k for 09 model with lsd and rear parking sensor.

good luck to them.......

personally i'd also buy the WRX. best bang for your buck + good features (eg. HID).

with the $4.5k left over, i can get coilover or some tasty 18s.

[Philip Lee]

how come they don't let you drive it? several people have mentioned this?

Are they afraid you're going to drive off with it?

no idea man.

we test drove the FN when they released but my friend couldn't get a test drive now. don't understand.

[ktld]

wouldve been better if they made the fn2 abit lighter. bad power to weight ratio x.x

[redbull&vodka]

if you could get the price down to $40's for the CTR 09 with LSD, would you think it's worth it?

I don't mind it as my everyday drive, prefer it over the WRX though.... but it's a close call between the Golf GTI - although the new GTI model is due out soon.

[ktld]

i would prefer CTR 09 over Golf GTI. personally i like the look of the CTR but WRX does have value. Depend if u like NA or turbo i guess

[asiansquad]

i just purchased one for 45k and i'm quite happy with it

[redbull&vodka]

asiansquad did you get much off the price or is that rrp?

yeah don't mind the car - did u get the 09 model with the lsd? End up getting the white or another colour?

[asiansquad]

got a bit off..can't rememebr what the rrp was.

yeah i got white, with the emblem set, glowing sills, cf dash, rear tray, tinted windows, interior and exterior protection

[redbull&vodka]

geez you went all out - do u have a break down on each of the extras you got? ($$$)

[asiansquad]

yeah..will have to find my purchase sheet

[ktld]

congrats asiansquad. what extras did u get with it?

[ktld]

wow...... u got alot of extras

[Philip Lee]

If u want to go fast, buy wrx.

If u want to get a all rounder, get gti.

If u want style and look, get fn2.

$40k for fn2 is alright but certainly not $45k. But that's just me.

[redbull&vodka]

Cool only if it's not too much trouble...

[asiansquad]

This is what i have on the purchase sheet:
Mat - $229
Luggage area protector tray - $169
Front & Rear Mud Guards - $209
Emblem Set-TypeR - $389
Interor Panel Set-Carbon Look - $350.00
Door Sill Garnish Set - IllumRed - $550
Honda Key Ring - $30
Street Legal Tint - $365.00
Fabric Protection - $300.10
Enviroshield Protection $216.72

Discount $2396.90

[asiansquad]

I also got free extended warranty with that

[redbull&vodka]

Thanks for the break up - appreciate it ...

I'm off to get a price on it on the weekend so should get one shortly - did you get all that $45K drive away?

[asiansquad]

yep driveaway

[redbull&vodka]

not bad for that price -considering the extras you got with it. thanks will let you know how i go.

[asiansquad]

no worries

[euromandeluxe]

389 for type-r emblems?! do they give you 50 of them or something?!

[ktld]

he basically got extras for free since the car is 45k driveaway and 2kish discount. i think he did pretty well on the deal

[asiansquad]

euroman: they used to give the typer emblems for free..now they charge for it.....

ktld: thanks

[Philip Lee]

he basically got extras for free since the car is 45k driveaway and 2kish discount. i think he did pretty well on the deal

Only if u were going to get those extras then it's an ok deal.

I'd rather a reduced price of $2k. Not knocking the buyers but not happy with Honda aus.

Asiansquad, did u get a test drive?? Thx

[ewendc2r]

So the new CTR has LSD? Bout time .. Couldn't believe they left that out.

Does anyone know if we can import the Jap Spec CTR? How much? Its a far superior car, I honestly don't think the new civic deserves the Type R badge, its a real fence sitter.

[JaCe]

Dont think it can be imported yet.

[ktld]

lol Jap Spec type Rs are always better, Japanese always keep good stuff to themselves =.=''

[ewendc2r]

lol Jap Spec type Rs are always better, Japanese always keep good stuff to themselves =.=''

Except this time they decided to keep the whole bloody car instead of just a set of brembos and an ecu tune.. It shits me that they sold out to the marketplace with the new Type R --- Its not nearly hardcore enough, more like a Type S. Whereas the REAL CTR is an NSX beater!

[asiansquad]

Only if u were going to get those extras then it's an ok deal.

I'd rather a reduced price of $2k. Not knocking the buyers but not happy with Honda aus.

Asiansquad, did u get a test drive?? Thx

They mentioned they didn't have an 09 model for test drive and said i could arrange a date for a test drive...then during the bargaining they offered me a test drive with the 07 model they had as part of their used car sales.

[Philip Lee]

thanks mate. that's fair.

please post some pic once you get your car.

[redbull&vodka]

Ok so I went to the dealer over the weekend and took one of these babies for a test drive and ended up putting a deposit down for an 09 CTR. Should have it soon - I'll post pics when I get it.

[Philip Lee]

Congrad. Care to share the price and colour????

[asiansquad]

Congrats

[ktld]

congrats

[redbull&vodka]

White $45k - they wouldn't mark it down much ... will post photos later...

I don't know what people are complaining about - this car rocks and it's like a friggin rocket...

[ktld]

lol its a great car but its heavy. bad power to weight. IMO the CTR is a luxury cross sport car so yeah some people just want more power under the hood if they planning to pay 45k.

[twing]

White $45k - they wouldn't mark it down much ... will post photos later...

I don't know what people are complaining about - this car rocks and it's like a friggin rocket...

Congrats.... as long as you love it, what other says don't matter :thumbsup:

[burak213]

White $45k - they wouldn't mark it down much ... will post photos later...

I don't know what people are complaining about - this car rocks and it's like a friggin rocket...

looks alone would do for me. I wouldn't care if there was a 1.5 in the engine bay

[asiansquad]

redbull: what options did you get with it?

[ktld]

lol any plans for modification in the future? 3 years warranty ... sucks when you want to modify it.

[moons]

Whereas the REAL CTR is an NSX beater!

NSX beater? The real Type R is an NSX-R, last I checked.

[redbull&vodka]

similar spec to yours asiansquad...

No mods yet, wouldn't want to void the warranty - the only other vehicle i was considering instead of this was a vw r32, but it had to be 5 door and manual - and that was almost impossible to find - they were all 5 door and dsg ...

i'll take some photos and put it up later some time...

[redbull&vodka]

had the car for a few days now - the lack of torque is noticable coming out of 2nd gear - unless i give a bit in 1st, it stumbles a bit out of 2nd ... but still couldn't complain - love the drive and the sweet noise note it makes. :thumbsup:

[ktld]

just wondering has any1 have any problem with their gear box? just reading some threads and most people have problems with either gear 3 or 5. I haven't had any problems with my gears yet but yeah

[asiansquad]

i hven't had any issues with my gear box

[redbull&vodka]

I've crunched into gear 3 several times now - probably still getting used to the clutch, but have heard from another person who has a type r that they have to shift it firmly into 3. Haven't heard any issues about 5 ...

Gear box is a bit rigid ... i'll keep a track of it and see if it gets better/worse...

[ktld]

lol yeah my gears were really smooth when i just first got the car but after 1000km or so it started to get notchy

[foxdie]

I test drove the 09 fn2 ctr and an my09 wrx sedan and I really feel as though the honda was a superior product,
yeah there was the straight line power in the wrx but I was not keen on the gearbox or the interior which felt cheap the seats are nothing like they used to be way back with the gc series wrx's.
The civic however felt much more involved and I felt as though it was a far more exciting car to drive compared with the wrx but its more expensive! /rant

[redbull&vodka]

is there much of a $$$ gap between the wrx and the ctr? i didn't end up driving the wrx at all as wasn't taken too much by it's look - but they're both great vehicles though.....

the other vehicle i was looking at was the r32 with either dsg or manual gear box.

[foxdie]

Certainly wasn't cheap the wrx was 45000 with leather and a sunroof.
The civic was 45k with a few extras but it feels much more finished especially inside the car the back seat is awesome hahaha.
But the wrx feels cheap and seriously needs a six speed sorry of this is hard to read I'm on my iPhone!

[redbull&vodka]

well if you get either one i'm sure you'll be happy with it either way...

i find that the type r doesn't have as much torque/pull as the european brand names - beema, audi etc ... so you have to give it a bit more but that's ok.

do you guys know on your ctr if the vtec lights up and the rev red indicator comes on when you come close to redlining it? i've turned the setting on using the on board comp but it's not showing up ... haven't revved it past 5-6 though ....

[ktld]

its only lights up when u hit vtec.

[ktld]

oh and the rev indicator lights up from 6000rpm to 8000rpm

[ep3ken]

NSX beater? The real Type R is an NSX-R, last I checked.

I believe he's referring to FD2R which is as fast around Suzuka (Honda claim)

[twing]

do you guys know on your ctr if the vtec lights up and the rev red indicator comes on when you come close to redlining it? i've turned the setting on using the on board comp but it's not showing up ... haven't revved it past 5-6 though ....

you still have 2 rpm to go :). vtec engagement is close to 6k rpm.. vtec needs warm engine too.. so drive 10-15 mins leisurely first, before using it. It's good for the engine too.

[Ninjadust77]

if the FN2 is cold it wont rev past 4000rpm...
the little red i-vtec dot only turns on when ur in the vtec zone ie/ from 5600rpm-redline
the orange rev lights on the right of the speedo light up the closer u get to redline, i think its in the last 1000rpm before redline

things to look out for with the FN2
- a few people have the 3rd gear feeling notchy and popping out
- and just recently there looks like there is a 5th gear and reverse gear issue which causes the gears to pop out aswell.
- check your oil after the 1st 5,000km (for some reason it uses alot in the first 5,000km, but that evens out after about 10,000km)
- if ur going to change the head unit, u will need to keep the old one in the glove box as it controls the time/ac/fan etc... it can be changed but it can be troublesome to do and you lose half of the space in the glovebox coz the old headunit is in there, if i was you id just hook up some amps and amp up some aftermarket speakers... if u want more info about the head unit swap send a pm to Smoothaz, he has done this to his FN2

personally i havent had any of these issues on my one, i have done about 38,xxxkm, but just be mindful when changing gears make sure the gear has engaged properly.

[pkn]

I've got just over 6000kms on the 09ym i drive, ive crunched it in 3rd driving too casually but have had no dramas with gears (whether it be 3rd, 5th, or R) popping out.

I think they are a great little fun car to throw around, kinda go-kartish. Sure they don't have all the power/torque in the world, but there is a decent amount on tap when required.

The practical side of things, I've carried a 37in LCD with no dramas with the rear seats down with plenty of room. Next challenge is taking it down to the snows and seeing if I can fit a snowboard in there LOL

The only mod I have is some young fugger stole the rear "Type R" badge and scratched the boot!

[moons]

The gears in the Type R are funny.. I mean 95% of the time they are awesome.. then, every now and then third fear just won't slot in at speed. Best gearbox I have had in a car, but that 5% can be very frustrating!

[redbull&vodka]

my 1st gear gets a little notchy - almost like a two stage notch into 1st even though i'm down on the clutch.... 3rd can also be a pain in the ass on occassions as it feels like i need to coax it into 3rd on the change.

Had the pop out of third as well .... on a new car with a few hundred k's it's a bit weird...

One of the previous posts mentioned someone had changed their speakers - did it go ok? the stock speakers are fairly disappointing in terms of sound quality....

[moons]

Had the pop out of third as well .... on a new car with a few hundred k's it's a bit weird...

Weird? Try totally unacceptable!

I had my third and fourth gear syncrhos replaced by Honda Australia - After a fair bit of bitching and moaning mind you - and now there's zero pop-out in any gear.

Like I said, even with the "third gear fix" applied, the gears aren't perfect.

[Ninjadust77]

just curious as to how many ks everyone has done before this gear "pop out" issue started... coz iv done about 40,000kms on my one and iv never had any gearing issues at all... mine has an Oct 07 build date on it.

[pkn]

when 1st is notchy just do the old "disengagement and reengagement" of the clutch. seems to always work for me.

as for the pop out thing, i'd definitely take it to your nearest dealer with the concern and replicate the issue with one of the service guys in the car with u.

i recall visiting a dealership and a guy tried to claim on warranty a new box, they showed me what was in there and ALL the teeth of 3rd was at the bottom of the box... LOL... mind you the car only had 15,000km on it and also needed a new clutch. Maybe he thought it was tiptronic? haha

[ktld]

The only problem i have with my gear box is sometimes i try to engage first gear and it won't go in x.x only done under 5000km. quality............................... also when i first got the car, the handle panels fell off. bummer

[redbull&vodka]

that's not something you want to hear - driving your car out and having your handle panels fall off -

Questions on vtec - how much can the engine tolerate? Think it will pack in from driving it hard throughout it's life?

Also how long did you wait for the initial burn in - the hand book says 1000 k's from memory but I'm getting restless and want to red line the thing ... I've probably done it a few times - but nothing too major ... as don't want it to blow up or something silly like that.

[redbull&vodka]

the other thing - i have a white ctr - a mate suggested i painted the rims white - the panel beater we use quoted $600 and will match the rim colour to the car colour itself... what do you think? look good or crap? i'm undecided... - it may look like the photos someone else posted here when the white ctr was released...

[moons]

Championship White WITHOUT white rims looks stupid, IMO.

[asiansquad]

the other thing - i have a white ctr - a mate suggested i painted the rims white - the panel beater we use quoted $600 and will match the rim colour to the car colour itself... what do you think? look good or crap? i'm undecided... - it may look like the photos someone else posted here when the white ctr was released...

Which state are you in? I've been thinking if i should paint mine white or black

[viperx]

The gears in the Type R are funny.. I mean 95% of the time they are awesome.. then, every now and then third fear just won't slot in at speed. Best gearbox I have had in a car, but that 5% can be very frustrating!

Try changing the gearbox oil, it helps, don't know why.

[moons]

Try changing the gearbox oil, it helps, don't know why.

I personally imported MTF-3 from England and it reduced the general notchiness which was there, but its still not 100%.

FYI: All Honda dealers I contacted in Australia said they use MTF06 which is NOT recommended for the CTR gearbox. In fact, none could even acquire MTF-3! :thumbdwn:

[redbull&vodka]

i'm in nsw - i'm going to wait and leave it stock for now until such time that i get a few scratches / marks on the rims and then possibly consider it ... just not sure if i painted it and then it looked crap - that their is no way of taking it back....

on a white ctr - probably wouldn't consider painting them black - only white ... but personal preference i guess.

also - i'm getting beyond my hey-day years and don't really want to attract too much attention from it, and also have it stock just in case i want to sell it without too much difficulty in the future...

[TNT7]

Hey, guys I recently got myself an 09 FN2R. I've also had problems with 3rd gear crunching when shifting at speed. Has anyone else bought it up with their dealer and gotten this problem fixed?

[ktld]

wow u just got it and its already crunching.

[moons]

Do a search -- Probably not here but on a forum with a dedicated Type R section. There is a "third gear problem" with these cars that has been discussed since 2007. Good luck convincing your dealer, though.

My experience here: http://www.hondatech.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=2475&highlight=gear+problem