[LMB]

I was really looking forward to the Civic after seeing the prototype at the motorshow. But I feel the finished version is just missing a few styling cues that made it standout. It just doesn't have the same wow factor.

[Griffer]

First things first, this is a Mini site so why ask the question when you know what the answer will be?? The Mini will hold it's value better, will not date, can be driven very fast or gently to achieve 40MPG. The Honda relies on the old high revving engine with little torque and performance only in the upper rev range. The new R56 pulls strongly in any gear even from slow speeds and the in gear (real driving) times are better than the old JCW MCS. Also the social scene is Mini specific and wide spread where as most Honda Type R drivers are in cruise clubs with lots of different cars (Corsas, Clios, Puntos with huge tail pipes and garish body kits!!) Get the Mini.

[hey_psycho]

I have a civic type r, and i wouldn't swap it with cooper s. I had it for 2 years now and never had a problem with it, where as, i have to take the cooper to garage all the time.
I like the handling of the cooper though because it is smaller, and it goes around the corners better.
I would recomend the type r but please go and testdrive it.
Also bear in mind that civic's prices depreciate more than minies.

[justin1010]

i test drove a new civic and found the overall build quailty cheap and flimsy, the dash board interesting for 5 mins, but horible to live with after that. the rear seats fold up as well as down, so it was great for space and the MPG figures were excellent, however for me i want a car to be more than just something to get you from A to B. After nearly five years of mini ownership i find most other cars soul less.

[LMB]

Quote: Originally Posted by justin1010 (original)

After nearly five years of mini ownership i find most other cars soul less.

I've got to agree with you there.

[Michael]

Great read this thread. Excuse my Aussie ignorance but whats a "chav, ned or a bam" I can take a guess, but i'd love someone to clarify it for me
We only get the lame girly Civics down here but I completely relate to the question. Theres a heap of good hot hatches available at the moment down here. My only serious alternatives to a MCS was the Ford Focus Turbo (here its called an XR5) the Mazda 3MPS and the RenaultSport Megane Turbo225, the Aussie version of the Opel VRX and of course the Subaru and the Mitsu. All of these are obviously bigger, more practical cars, but a Clio never entered my mind. Even the hot ones look lame. There's the Pug GTI180, great car, a lot cheaper but doesn't come close to the MINI. I love the look of the C4 VTR but we only get the snail models.
I quickly eliminated the Mitsu, killer insurance premium, shocking economy, boy racer looks, theft magnet, questionable build quality, to harsh for day to day life and its just a Mitsubishi!
Likewise the Subby, loved the original but they've rapidly lost the plot from then on. Insurance a killer here, good reliable build but not very solid feeling, still a theft magnet and basicly the new model looks stupid!
Both the Focus and the 3 are very good cars sharing the same platform, the 3 has very underwelming looks (like a VW GTI), the Focus looks great (esp in the Orange) but at the end of the day they are just cars when you're sitting behind the wheel
A New Megane was the only car to steal my attention for a long period of time. The 3 door 225Cup edition was an awesome car. Drove great, looked great and sitting in it, you knew you were in something a little special. No sunroof though, can't get a sunroof in the Turbos here. The build quality doesn't match the MINI either.
As has been said here, the interaction between MINI owners is something unique, like the car itself. Since I got my first back in May02, the car has never attracted bad attention, only smiles and friendly (but sometimes stupid) questions. A decision made purely with the head would lead to a GTI or a Focus, as they are cheaper and more practical as a day to day commuter. But when bought with the heart, the MINI wins hands down. They aint cheap, they aint big, but ya gotta love 'em.
Plus there's the little fact that i can't afford a DB9, or a Vantage for that matter!

[aid]

a chav ned or bam is a person who always wears tracksuits drinks in the cheapest of the cheapest bars goes out at the weekend looking for a fight and the most important part is that they will buy a 10 year old 1.2l opel corsa or fiat punto or ford fiesta and put huge wheels on it and an exhaust which you could drive up then rally around as if they have bought a prosche usally with no insurance while listening to music on a stereo that is worth more than the car itself

Rant over (gets coat and leaves)

[ps_minics]

Michael, A Chav can be summed up with a quick description - Nike Shox, Sovereign Ring(s) and Burberry. I believe they are known as "Rice Boys" in america but I can't be sure.

As to this thread, its a great read. My friend just sold an '04 Type R, 30k on clock and he paid £15k for it. Sold it first week of January for £10k. Says everything I need to know.....

Was still a nice car though, but i will stick with my '02 MCS

[aid]

thats it exactly i guess there not a localised problem for the UK them there kind have obviously spread and migrated / infected other Continent's

[marx87]

Quote: Originally Posted by aid (original)

infected other Continent's

Infected...What a way to describe it lol

[Michael]

most of our "wa?kers" still love their V8s, the sedan version of the Monaro you guys get, is the ride of choice for them. Only the rich ones get the Monaro. The other cars of choice are Nissan Skyline GTR ripoffs, Lexus SC430's and the Subbys and Evo Lancer ripoffs. Even if you wished to compliment them on their cars, you'd be to scared 'cause they may pull a knife on you!

[Pentagon]

The one thing journalists always get wrong is that Honda high reving engines are appalling around town, I had an S2000, it either gasped and spluttered in 2nd gear even at some speed or you looked/ felt like a jerk in 1st gear. Fun on a track but 6500 + rpm to get going isnt real world performance. I sold it after 2,000 miles. And the fact he'll discount one would worry me greatly.

The 5 acres of cheapo interior plastic, Toblerone exhausts and the digital clock radio dash styling doesnt come close to the chrome and piano wood class of a MCS. Does the Honda Civic web forum have as many lovely members as this site? Why not? Missing that little something special maybe? I rest my case.

[Olly.]

Quote: Originally Posted by LMB (original)

I was really looking forward to the Civic after seeing the prototype at the motorshow. But I feel the finished version is just missing a few styling cues that made it standout. It just doesn't have the same wow factor.

Totally agree with you I saw the concept of the new type R and initially thought WOW, but the real thing seems somewhat unimpressive.

[MINI-Morgan]

No way! The Type-R just lost all its cred... oh well. Whats a Type-R with all those extra's? Not a Type-R in my books......

£18K Oh dear oh dear......there goes the good price too.

If you're buying a Type-R you're suppose to be buying one of the best 2litre VTEC engines around and a striped out hot hatch. Sounds like it should be a Type-S instead. Bring back the good old cars! I loved my old Black Type-R, no sound deadening, no air con, not much other than the basics but it was reasonably quick if you changed down 3 gears to get somewhere.

Better off keeping the new MCS which will no doubt be quicker if you want to overtake someone.

[grantw]

Quote: Originally Posted by Griffer (original)

The new R56 pulls strongly in any gear even from slow speeds and the in gear (real driving) times are better than the old JCW MCS. Get the Mini.

the in gear times of the old jcw arent slower (well maybe in 6th in the 80-120kph test but thats not a biggie) than the r56 mcs... very close though..

still sticking up for the old works!!!!

[KenL]

With regard to resale value and people bashing the Civic type-R I did a search on Glasse's.

For 54 plate cars with zero options & 20k miles it says for part exchange value:

Civic Type-R £11600
MNI Cooper S £11850

Not sure what a Cooper S was in Septemer 2004, the Civic was £16k but you could probably get a small discount on it. Not much in it in terms of depreciation.

[eggtruck]

The only way I could be persuaded to by a Honda Civic Type R is if they came factory standard with Lambo doors and a bird like the one in the picture to open them for you!

[caesar]

Following onto the above threads I currently own a 2004 (facelift version) Civic Type-R and it's good. Very well made, roomy, comfortable and powerful.

The downside is that is expensive to run....insurance, petrol consumption and road tax are higher than the Cooper 'S'. The residual values are on a par with the Mini.

They tend to be exclusive compared to the Mini, I would guess that for every 'R' on the road there are probably 10 or more Mini's. I paid £17,500 for mine including £1K for Air Con.

The new 'R' has the same engine and 200 BHP but it has been tweaked so that Vtec comes in at 5400 RPM compared to 5900 on mine. It is also heavier !

Honda have followed BMW and offer a base price plus various optional extras, as a result the top price for either an 'S' or Type-R is about the same.

The 'R' because of it's image does tend to attract 'boy racers' who will tailgate you and try to compete. The same problem may also apply to 'S' owners. I tend to slow down and let them pass, follow until a suitable opportunity arises then let them view my twin exhausts !

I am considering getting a 'S' because it would offer a similar performance but the running costs would be less. I have 4-seats and plenty of storage space compared to the Mini, but I rarely use the capacity.

The big difference between two cars excluding the above comments, is that the 'S' offers the flexibility of a Turbocharged engine, something the Honda does not have!

So to coin a phrase " It's horses for courses".

[Fin]

I'd have the bird but not the Honda.

But I imagine her running costs are higher than the Honda's.

[JG.26]

Quote: Originally Posted by caesar (original)

Following onto the above threads I currently own a 2004 (facelift version) Civic Type-R and it's good. Very well made, roomy, comfortable and powerful.

The downside is that is expensive to run....insurance, petrol consumption and road tax are higher than the Cooper 'S'. The residual values are on a par with the Mini.

They tend to be exclusive compared to the Mini, I would guess that for every 'R' on the road there are probably 10 or more Mini's. I paid £17,500 for mine including £1K for Air Con.

The new 'R' has the same engine and 200 BHP but it has been tweaked so that Vtec comes in at 5400 RPM compared to 5900 on mine. It is also heavier !

Honda have followed BMW and offer a base price plus various optional extras, as a result the top price for either an 'S' or Type-R is about the same.

The 'R' because of it's image does tend to attract 'boy racers' who will tailgate you and try to compete. The same problem may also apply to 'S' owners. I tend to slow down and let them pass, follow until a suitable opportunity arises then let them view my twin exhausts !

I am considering getting a 'S' because it would offer a similar performance but the running costs would be less. I have 4-seats and plenty of storage space compared to the Mini, but I rarely use the capacity.

The big difference between two cars excluding the above comments, is that the 'S' offers the flexibility of a Turbocharged engine, something the Honda does not have!

So to coin a phrase " It's horses for courses".

Finally an answer I can take seriously as the majority who have answered this thread have probably never even been in a Honda and of course the MINI is the only car to have. If I was choosing beween the New Honda Type R and the Supercharged S, then by a narrow margin it would be the S. Against the replacement S, it's no brainer. The Honda like most Japanese cars is built to Swiss Watch standards compared to the so called improved MINI, that for some strange reason seems to be build to the exacting standards of the Alegro BL days. The new MINI is poorly designed compared to the old model, is way overpriced for what you get, ie stingy equipment levels, the Honda scores by a mile. A friend has a Civic 2.2 diesel and what can I say it's a beautifully put together motor, something Honda has always been respected for. At the moment BMW are going backwards fast with the MINI and should be ashamed producing a car with wonky bonnets, poor finish and cheap looking and feeling interior parts. The only downside with the Civic is it's a shape that will date a little too quickly. The sooner the MINI is facelifted the better along with improved quality.