Howdy folks,

I'm selling my Elise S2 because I need something more practical and comfortable.

I've always admired the Integra Type R, but having just read Parker's review, it almost sounds like I'd be buying an Elise coupe.

Does anyone have any opinions about its relative comfort levels/running costs/touring abilities, etc,

particularly compared to the Civic Type R?

THANKS!!!

 

As long as you aren't looking for a luxury car with a soft ride and a ton of amenities it's great. They do not have sound deadening so it can get alittle buzzy on long trips. That said, it is an integra so it has plenty of storage and useable back seats.

 

It's a great car if you don't care about road noise, plain and simple. It's a great car to live with daily, having tons of space and feeling sporty enough to have fun in.

I think it's definitely an easier car to live with than an Elise. I was considering an Elise but the lack of practicality (aka 4 seats and a trunk) swayed me to the ITR. I find the Recaros to be really comfy but after about 4 hours of seat time they feel a little restrictive. At about the same time the engine noise starts annoying me. Keep in mind my car is modified so my noise levels are probably higher than most. Aside from the noise and the butt-hugging seats feeling like diapers from sitting too long, I have no other complaints.

As for the CTR, I haven't really driven one being in the US and all but I imagine it's not too different than the ITR. I think the CTR will feel more tossable due to its lighter nature but I heard the ITR feels more stable in the turns (probably similar to comparing a S2000 to a NSX). I'd go for the ITR based on appearances alone but I don't see anything wrong with the CTR either. Who knows? If they had one for sale here maybe I'd get it. The new Civic Si they offer here feels a little wimpy compared to my ITR but I'm pretty sure it's a good enough substitute when it comes to actual speed and blows it out of the water in terms of amenities.

 

Hi, I used to own a Integra type R and here are my thoughts on it.

Pros:
-Chassis feedback is awesome. You can feel what the car is going to do via the backside of your seat. (sounds weird but British magazine, Car, had same way of describing it back a couple of years ago)
-The motor loves to be thrashed, a la S2000, but for some reason, seems more durable (probably in my head due to the reliability of B-series engines in general).
-There is a truly old-school, wholesome feel to it: you hear the valves as you accelerate, you hear things that hit your undercarriage, including bits of sand, the throttle is very linear- I feel that in today automotive world of lots of electronics and DBW, this is a very special quality, in my opnion.
- One of the few front wheel drive cars that will rotate by lifting the throttle, which results in very neutral handling. Plus, LSD made sure that you could power out of corners if necessary as well (note, traction wasn't a problem cause it only had 133 ft/lbs of torque). However, it was consistent and controlled in all but the most novice mistakes or gross misjudgements.
- weighed under 2600 lbs (once again extremely rare for a car with 4 seats these days)
- There's a reason why Evo named it the greatest front wheel drive cars ever and one of the greatest drivers cars PERIOD.

Negatives:
- Although you know what's going on via the chassis, the steering leaves some to be desired. Not only is it kinda dumb but it could be a bit quicker too.
- At the time I thought it had too many compromises for not enough overall speed. I got tired of the fact that Accords could pull away but didn't have to deal with no luxury goods and no sound insulation all the time. I wanted something more like a E36 M3 at the time.

Conclusion:
I still want to get another one when I'm older, just not as my only car. With another 20 hp naturally aspirated with a couple of hundred more rpms to play with, the JDM ITR Final Drive, the JDM rear sway, and a smaller steering wheel, it would be just about as fun to drive on the street as anything out there. More than the pure speed, its just fun to drive in a way that is special. Too bad I didn't completely appreciate it when I had it (to my credit, I was pretty young).

P.S. Be careful with your tire selection. I switched to wider, grippier Falken Azenis and it wasn't as willing to rotate and although the limits were higher, it wasn't as fun to drive in my opinion (the JDM rear sway would help this), then I got tires which weren't as nice and the car felt nervous in some corners. OEM tires are awesome but wear fast and were expensive as crap.

 

http://itrca.com/

Try here for more help and answers...

 

If the ITR wasn't so stolen and overpriced I'd probably be driving one instead of my S2000 due to practicality.

I love the ITR because it's reliable, handles very well and revs till 8400RPMs. It's also practical with backseats and a huge trunk.

The only problem is they are overpriced and get stolen too often...

I had a 1999 ITR and loved it. Sold it cause I missed my S2K too much hehe

 

As far as the comparo one poster did to the new SI, the ITR feels MUCH better built, the car has a more ''screwed together tightly'' feeling than the SI. It's also faster and more fun to shift at redline than the SI which feels more neutered.