Tested- 2005 Integra Type S
First of all, I'm a little disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm that this group has shown to the new Type S. Maybe it's exactly the way the PR people described it- that the people who are interested in the Type S would be more restrained and (relatively) conservative than Type R owners, and therefore less likely to be vocal about the car...
Anyway, after a brief drive of the car, I am very impressed with the Type S. And I have to say the orange that Honda had in the Sydney motor Show did the car no justice. The car looks so much better in red, blue, titanium... any color but orange. Honda missed the boat big time- Mazda and Holden had a similar metallic orange almost 3 years ago- what was popular then will not necessary sell now... Especially since this new model is a lot less aggressively styled and thus not as nice with these sort of look-at-me color.
But I do like the little duck tail rear spoiler- goes very well on cars like Integra and Euro- sporty yet elegant. You could tell I am not a big fan of the huge ironing board/picnic table/takeaway hanger type of spoilers.
Interior is the same affair with the previous Type R. New additions are the leather seat, which came from the previous Luxury model with side airbags. Comfy, but nothing to write home about. More noteworthy is the new double-DIN head unit. Made by Panasonic, 6 disc mp3 with AUX in (three cheers from i-POD owners). This head unit is shared by the 05 CRVs, and also many of the Japanese domestic model, with equalizer display and very user friendly. Sounds good with the factory magnets, imagine what it’ll be like with real speakers! And a big thank you to the product development guy who decided not to integrate the stereo with the aircon like the Euro and Falcon. Give the Chinatown boyz a lot more freedom to sik it up.
But it is only me who wants a button for tilt adjustment for the sunroof? You would have to tap-tap-tap the open button to tilt the sunroof otherwise it’ll start sliding backwards. I found myself keep looking up while driving to see how far I’ve tilted the roof- very dangerous if the driver was flooring the throttle….
Which you’ll have to do to get the most out of the engine. Most of the quoted 154kw seems having a cuppa in the engine bay when the revs is below 3000rpm. But when you get pass 4000rpm things starts to get interesting- engine comes to life with a roar from the exhaust. One of the best exhaust note I’ve hear from factory stock Honda- purring loud enough to let you know that the engine is running while idle, sporty grunt while cruising, and a roar when you’re keen…. Not as full on as the old first gen Type Rs- since the interior is much quieter with improved sound proofing, but no one will mistaken this car for anything but a sports car. And the short gear ratio of the short throw transmission makes the short shifts fun, as per the Honda tradition of revving the daylight out of the engine. More that enough grunt and noise to pin you back and extract complains from your better half.
To be complete honest, I don’t think the new suspension setup is better that the Type R. Sure the new 17 inch alloys looks good, and Honda claims that suspension is X% stiffer/cooler/more expensive to manufacture. But in reality it’s a compromise between comfort and sports- body roll is more pronounced than any 2 doors Honda sports car that I’ve driven. Didn’t inspire me to tackle corners in ridiculous speed, as I was concern that the back end might decide to overtake the front on those brand new tyres. But then the ride comfort on the Type S is something a Type R owner can only dream about- especially on the highways, where the Type S is really in its element. No more feeling every single bump, lines and roadkills on the road. Nevertheless the car created such an atmosphere and aura of a sports car that many of the new car buyers are looking for, and I dare say the real sports owners with drop the car down another inch or so for a better stance and handling anyway.
Dealers are quoting $45500 on the road, and since it is only the second week on sale, there should be a reasonable deal/stock on the market. The only worry I have is the insurance cost, since to the insurance company this is still a very much a “Type R” car and will quote premium as such. If only they understand the true grand tourer nature of the car.
