Got a test drive booked this weekend in a Civic Type R as I am thinking of replacing my Type R Scoob with one of these (need cheaper car to run).

How long do they normally give you for a test drive? (Never been to test car from dealer before you see :) )

And will I get the sales muppet in my ear throughout the test or do they let ya go off by yourself?

Do I need to take proof of my current insurance or anything? (Will have my driving license).

Thanks for any info.

Depends dealer on dealer...

But in the CTR you want at least 45 mins....

I test drove one and didn't like it to begin with.... went back to give it another try, 45 mins later I was in love!

What ever you do try and go out at a quietish* time and don't be afraid to push the car. If you are not pleased with the cars handling it may be down to a poor factory geom setup regardless of what the salesman may tell you.

They might ask for a driving license but will be covered by insurance, and unless they take you very seriously as a buyer they probably wont let you take it out on you own. :(

Anyway for more info check out this site www.type-r.org

HTH's :D

P.

I test drove one on Wednesday. The salesman drove it out for ~10 mins (to show what it could do) and then I drove it back. It wasn't long enough to fully appreciate the car, but long enough to realise it's performance and handling were streets ahead of what I am use to.

The salesman said the CTR and S2000 were the only cars they wouldn't let you take out on your own. I took my licence but they didn't ask to see it.

My only (slight) reservation was that it might be a bit noisy for all the motorway miles that I do. (and air-con is £1400 extra). I'm going to try the new A3 next week.

Cheers.

Steve.

I would say, make sure you drive one for a good 45 mins to an hour as I found that

a) It takes some time to get used to the very strange (and nasty) steering
b) It takes a little time to get used to the lack of communication from the front end so you need to "learn" how much grip there is rather than "feel" how much there is
c) You need to drive it on the motorway for a good 10-15 mins to see if you really could live with it screaming (;))
d) After a while, driving cross country at pace, the effort required to keep it on the boil can wear you out if you're not in the mood and you wouldn't spot this on a quick drive
e) Change gear loads (not like that will ever be a problem on the CTR (;):):D)) and enjoy the best part of the car, the super duper gear change/gearbox :D:D

I found it takes time to really understand what this car is like so don't appraise it on a short test drive, you might live to regret it!!!

All IMHO of course ;):)

Matt :)

If the CTR you drove was 'screaming' on the motorway then you were either in the wrong gear or you were doing 140mph or both ;)

You can't hear the engine over the road noise :D

Personally I think there is bags of grip, so long as you keep the power on, quite easy to gauge too.
It does take some attention to keep on the boil, but IMO thats half the fun.

[Edited by DJ Dunk - 20/06/2003 09:25:16]

Do you agree though that you have to learn where the grip is because it doesn't directly tell you? :)

On the motorway I just thought it was quite loud and to accelerate, you have to drop it down a gear or too and scream it....

Matt :)

Fair points :) You do have to learn the car and the point at which the back end starts to slide pulling the front with it :eek:

Had a couple of scary moments, but then thats why Honda give you a free Mac course, so you can learn how to drive the car in a safe environment. Not just around roundabouts like me ;) :D

In can be a bit embarrassing when you accellerate to overtake and it sounds like you're late for the next bread delivery ;)

Still love the car tho.

BTW, mine has had the geometry done (thanks Magic Boot ;)) which from my experience makes an incredible difference to the handling.
My advice is if you aren't convinced about the feedback and hanlding, have a drive of one thats been done.

Honda dealership offerred to lend me an s2000 for a good hour or so on my own to test do I don't see why they wouldn't for the type r.

Suppose it depends on which salesperson/dealership you go to

as per PPP's comment, it also depends on how you present yourself, and what sort of car you drive into the dealership in...

A scummy wee ned in a battered B-Reg Nova - No Chance

Well presented guy in an old honda - Test Drive with salesperson

Well presented guy in new(ish) Scooby - Probably a Solo Test Drive

Cheers,
Grant

RS Grant,

That is so true. A couple of years ago I went to a Honda dealer dressed in jeans and a t-shirt in my mate's Rover 220 Coupe and asked to test drive the S2000. They said they'd have to get back to me with an appointment as the car was in the workshop at that time (it was outside on the forecourt, but who am I to argue) - no phone call ever came.

I returned 4 weeks later in my then brand new Elise dressed in smart casual clothing and was given the keys and told to come back when I'd had enough. Great car, but I still preferred the Elise.

Regards,

tiggers.

I must be deranged :(

I drove a civic type R last weekend (its the other car on my mums short list along with the wrx)

Within 3 mins i was doing laps around a large deserted roundabout with the back complety out and WOT out of apex with full tyre acoustics. I had no problems sticking to the back bumper of an elise that was in the area and wanted to play.

I was very impressed with it, for its price and the fact its front wheel drive its an exceptionalby capable car, and alot of fun to chuck about. Its not to noisy well built and nicely finished with alot of room so very practicle. Most impressive was the way the nose stayed totally flat as you WOT over the crest of -ve cambered slopes in the road. Very easy to drive and Honda boast that none of the 10,000,000 vtec engines they have made have ever gone bang. Made the Seat Leon cupra R seam like a total dollope of a car.

It has the useual VTEC problems, great WOT but not much power when your below 7000rpm, and trust me it comes alive 7000rpm+ its like a second engine has kicked in.

I would have concerns on driving it hard in the wet thou.

As for feedback i found it all very good, not in scooby league but more than enough to have alot of fun.

Oh and the Dealers wont get in a car with me, i must smell or something.

[Edited by Nick_TypeUK - 20/06/2003 16:17:02]

I've had my CTR three months now and am really starting to get to grips more and more with each day. I had a MY99 Scooby before that for three years - loved it.

To see threads where people write that its got nothing below x,000 revs is just utter crap. Its actually a very torquey 2.0 litre engine with the iVTEC - its just that when the cam lifts at 6,000 rpm it pulls very hard to 8,300 when the rev limiter kicks in. Making you think that comparatively it had nout below 6k. The feeling is nothing like that of the Scooby power kicking you in the back (which I do miss) but you don't find yourself in 2nd wanting to get away quick and having to wait for a turbo to kick in - so in the real world you're already pulling away from a turbo car thats waiting for the blower to start spinning.

In the wet you do have to be very careful as it can (and has) snap away on you so the Scooby would be the only choice. In the dry - I'd have thought that drivers of average skill would be fairly matched round the twisties in the Scoob and CTR. Maybe I just didn't push my scooby hard enough! but the CTR certainly has shed loads of grip and lets you know when the tail is gonna start slidding.

Oh and - from 90 to 130 I wasn't losing any ground to a classic shape Scooby. Although from a standing start I'd never get the power down as quick with only two wheel drives.

Given the choice with money not a factor I'd have a Scooby every time - start chucking what most peoples limiting factor is into the equation and the CTR is damn good buy, bang for your buck.

As for the test drive - I got one for 5 days, but it was a Fleet thing as its a company car.

Nick
I owned one for just over a year, belive me with +10,000 miles on the clock it comes alive well before 7,000 rpm. No problems with the car at all, 100% all the time, no return to the dealership.

Typical Honda
Cheers
Mike

Well thanks for the good reply's guys.

I will be turning up in my MY99 STI Type R so hopefully I will get the car to myself. Plus the girl friend will be with me so although I don't look my age (24) they should know that I’m not a "boy racer" looking for a quick thrash but a serious "potential" buyer!!! They don't know I will buy one privately :)

Oh thanks for the tip about the clothes, better get me DNKY jeans and shirt out then :D :D

Looking for cheaper car to run than the scoob so sounds as if it might be just what I need!

Think it must depend on dealership, cause I just rang up, arranged an appointment, he asked me if I was over 25, to which I said yes, so he said bring your driving license, and you can take the car out on your own. So I turned up in scruffy/dirty jeans and TShirt, I had just finished washing the Scoob, and away I went for just over an hour. Solo test drives are soooooooooo much better IMO, you get to drive the car how you want on the roads you want.

I think ringing and arranging a time helps with how seriously car dealers take you.


[Edited by CTR - 20/06/2003 19:58:35]

Went for two test drives last year. 1st one 10 mins. round the block, salesman didn't want to know. 2nd test drive, I knew the salesman from a few years before, an hour of absolute B road mayhem, 90mph+ round sweeping bends, I was backing off and he's saying keep it planted,top drive, brilliantly engineered car.Lack of third rear seat belt and wife saying she couldn't handle the looks made us go for the Scooby instead, but for the money nothing even comes close.

I had already phoned/e-mailed to arrange time. Salesman said if I would have been on my own then he would of came with me if I wanted but as I had the girl friend with me he said you can take it yourself :D

He then told me a quiet ex-dual carriageway to take it to so I could "get use to the gearbox etc" :) then he said when I am use to it take it to the red line as that’s where the fun starts :eek: now this is my kind of sales man :D :D :D

I had the car for over half an hour, took little bit to get use to the gearbox and steering but then it was all fun fun fun :D had loads of grip when cornering and as some people have said before you do have to rev it a bit but then it gets to 6000rpm and you feel it pull that bit more, and that sound is great!! I didn’t find it that noisy, most noise you do hear is road noise not the engine, well it seemed quieter than my STI Type R.

When I got back to the dealer I didn't get no pushy talk from the sales man about buying one etc, just said if have any more questions give them a call.

So I think I shall be looking at getting one of these as soon as I have sold the scoob as they seem to be a good compromise, drives like a normal car when you want it to but when you want to have some fun you also have the grip and power!

What difference does having a salesman with you make???? :confused:;):p:D

Matt :)

LOL :D

They seem to be nervous passengers, who dont seem to like going very far :D

Tough ;):D If I'm serious about buying the car, I want at least 45 mins in it with all types of roads including a good 10 mins on the motorway, a little town and some fast as poss A & B-road twisties. How will you know if you want the car otherwise?!!!

On the odd occasion the salesman tries to tell me "his" test route, I usually tell them I've got my own in mind - after all, I'm the one in the drivers seat ;):):D

Matt :)

Excellent attitude Matt :D

Ditto :D

Just remember who is spending the money and who is the customer!!!!! I mean, some salesmen think they are doing you a favour by letting you have a test drive - wha wha wha????? ;);):D:D

Matt :)

I test drove a Lexus IS200 Sport a while ago.....picked it up at 0900 with the missus :( ;) and told by the salesman to have it back by about 1300 if-that-was-ok-with-me!!! Excellent!! Drove the car where I liked and how I liked with out the pressure or sales pitching from the salesman. Gave me a real feel for the car and how I could get on with it. Didn't buy it in the end though.....nice car but not enough power for me! :D Maybe the IS300???

Lol when I first test drove the CTR I just walked in, no appointment, jeans and a t-shirt on. Asked for a test drive. Gave me the keys said no other test drives booked so come back when you want. 90 mins later I came back as the fuel light was on :D

Seriously nice car to drive and can easily match a classic scoob to 100mph. A much more affordable car to run than the scoob. However questionable aesthetics and lack of flat four rumble put me off. Looking back I think buying the CTR would have been a better buy over the long run.

Simon.