1997 Honda EK9 Civic Type R Review - Was The First Civic Type R The Greatest? | Zygrene

Posted by BenzinaPorkChop@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 35 comments

Honda's red Type R badge has garnered the respect of motoring enthusiasts since its inception in the early 90's. When this moniker was applied to the Civic for the first time, everyone's favorite zippy economy car suddenly became the enthusiast's realistic dream car. Let's see how the original Civic Type R holds up nearly 3 decades later.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/-xQqMGoGtk4?si=_lcYZuvVe0tdOA-F

[-]

IAmWellBehaved@reddit

I'll forever miss the high-revving four-cylinders that basically no one builds anymore. The Civic Type-R and Accord Type-R from this era were treasures, and we didn't realize at the time how brief that era would prove to be.

[-]

Ferrarisimo@reddit

Owned an AP1 for 8 years from new. That F20C was the pinnacle of Honda’s engineering.

[-]

randeus@reddit

And they sounded great too. Now everything is a muted 2.0 turbo that revs to 6k and, at best, have synthetic crackle sounds.

[-]

Vandersnatcher@reddit

Idk about sounding great. We always joked that they sounded like angry lawnmowers.

[-]

randeus@reddit

Angry law mowers sound more accurate to describing modern turbo I4s with aftermarket exhaust than a high revving Honda to me, personally.

[-]

Vandersnatcher@reddit

Hondas have been called angry lawnmowers since the 90’s.

[-]

randeus@reddit

I personally don’t think a N/A high revving I4 sounds bad. Yeah, it’s no v8, but they sound better than v6s at least imo.

[-]

Successful_Ad_9707@reddit

And this is why I picked a GR Corolla over the CTR. For as good as it is, the modern K20 just does nothing for me.

[-]

Vandersnatcher@reddit

Brief? Those fuckers were popular for like 3 decades.

[-]

Successful_Ad_9707@reddit

This is why I have a death grip on my 08 Si.

[-]

SizeableFowl@reddit

miss the high-revving four-cylinders

Honestly that used to be the thing that kept me interested in Honda, now they build the same eco-turbo bs as everyone else that runs out of steam at 6500 RPM. So, like, why buy a Honda over literally anything else?

[-]

withsexyresults@reddit

Their manuals are one of the best

[-]

SizeableFowl@reddit

I didn’t particularly enjoy the one in the Civic Si I drove, and the clutch pedal was also weird imo. So I’d agree to disagree there.

[-]

DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

So, like, now why buy a Honda over literally anything else?

If nothing else, simply for the fact that they're just really good cars...most of them at least. Well designed interiors with great packaging, and some offering excellent mpg.

[-]

SizeableFowl@reddit

But, they aren’t like head and shoulders above anything else in those areas except maybe interior packaging… which feels like a pretty weird reason to choose a car.

[-]

DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

A lot of it comes down to personal preference, such as styling, the way the interior is laid out, the way it drives, prior Honda ownership experience, etc.

A car needn't be head and shoulders better than the competition in order to be justified. Sometimes it just comes down to "I like this car so I want to get it".

[-]

GuinnessPancakes@reddit

I kind of hoped with hybrid technology high-revving N/A motors could make a comeback. I know it’s supposed to be for efficiency but it seems like a natural fit.

[-]

thisisjustascreename@reddit

I'll forever miss the high-revving four-cylinders that basically no one builds anymore.

Emissions getting more and more strict and turbos spooling instantly these days mean it's just not an effective way to build a car, sadly.

[-]

Main_Hornet8676@reddit

Exactly why I'll probably be buried in my RSX lol

[-]

NIceTryTaxMan@reddit

I miss my RSX so much. Had an 05 Type S, then a 16 ATS V, and now a 22G70. The two after the Acura are obviously nicer , but the RSX was more fun. And that hatch holds SO much.

[-]

DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

Did you ever feel that the lack of an LSD in your RSX held the car back?

[-]

Main_Hornet8676@reddit

Stock? Not really.

At ~230whp? Absolutely

[-]

NIceTryTaxMan@reddit

I wish I could say I did? While I'm guessing if I drove them back to back I could feel a difference, but it would also take someone pointing out that 'XYZ' feeling was what the LSD was/wasn't doing. I understand how they function conceptually, just not entirely sure haptics wise

[-]

Astramael@reddit

My friend has an RSX that he bought new and he feels exactly the same. More expensive cars come and go, but he will never sell the RSX.

[-]

SecretPantyWorshiper@reddit

Im pretty sure the K20 and K24 engines are the most popular crate engines people build outside of GMs LS engines

[-]

DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

That era of Honda was amazing, and my car was the tail end of that ethos. There's literally nothing that Honda sells today that I'm remotely interested in. Which is to say, I won't be buying another Honda to replace my car.

[-]

SuperShyChild@reddit

My 2010 FN2 Honda Civic Type-R was sublime. The engine was an absolute joy, smooth, linear, and eager to rev right up to 8000rpm. Shifting felt precise and mechanical, like reloading a bolt action rifle. The seats were plush but held you perfectly in corners. Best of all, it was pure, it had basics like parking sensors and rain sensing wipers, but no start/stop, no sport modes, and no fiddly touchscreens. You just started it and drove. Selling it last year still bothers me, I constantly question if I made the right decision.

[-]

Easy-Collar8327@reddit

I like this guys vids, he seems really honest even if he's reviewing his own viewers cars.

[-]

IsometricRain@reddit

Love zygrene. Him and Cammisa (though on different ends of the spectrum for video budgets) both consistently have really fair takes on cars. I find they're both great at describing the how cars actually feel.

I like that he's owned a good selection of enthusiast cars too. A 90s NSX, S2000, 997, 987, Integra type S, F87, and probably some more.

[-]