Just been on test drive in one with my local dealer who called me yesterday to arrange the appointment.

Firstly i should say that i have been mightily dissapointed of late and so was not EXPECTING to sit in the fastest new hot hatch.. I guess i'd been primed.

Firstly i can confirm i think it looks much better in the flesh (was a black one that i was driving).

Sitting inside it and you can instantly tell the quality is in a different (better) league than the EP3. The seats look and feel great, the mats are better quality, the driving position feels sporty bla bla bla.

When you switch on, it sounds different than the EP3 BUT that will be down to the fact that they've split the exhaust at the back in to either side.

Driving out the car park i had to do a 3 point turn, but the turning circle is a lot better.

It was p*ssing it down, but a put my foot down and you could feel it was nippy BUT i missed the kick.

There was loads of traffic as it was coming up to 4-5ish this (friday) afternoon so lots of traffic driving..

To be honest, i didnt REALLY notice any difference with the gear ratios, ie didnt feel that they were much noticably shorter.

As the traffic was pretty built up we went onto the motorway.
Again, smooth power build up but i miss the kick. On motorway started pootling around behind a wagon then dropped it to 3rd and let it pull hard up to 8k rpm and tbh you CAN tell that its slower (or at least I felt it was slower).

The ride inside though is pretty damn smooth, the engine is smooth (but again i miss its jeckll and hyde nature), and the interior is very nicely done.

They've done a good job at making this an allrounder. As i mentioned earlier, i had been primed before getting in this car, however because i was EXPECTING it to be a compromise i found that it was a very GOOD COMPROMISE. You COULD happily sit in traffic for ages in this and feel really comfortable, or you COULD take it for a blast over the country roads.

However, i feel the s2k is still better inside, sounds better and definatley goes better. The dealer summed it up as we walked away from the car when he said...

"yeah they've done a good job refining it.. even i would consider one now".........
Hes 50 odd years old

For all those negative comments i have recently posted, i take some of them back, however i still feel that honda SHOULDVE done something with improving performance on this car. If they had've done i would've considered changing to this car as a possibilty instead of the S. As it is though, my gut feeling worked best.
Cant wait to get my S.
_________________

 

The new S will make amends. Can't wait for the 380bhp.

 

This is why this car really isn't a Type R.

For a Type R I'd expect a pretty unrefined savage bit of kit, not all this damn smoooothness.

 

Wikipedia...

'Type R models were first conceived for little less than racetracks. However, due to Honda's increased focus on their highly regarded VTEC engines, the Type R was eventually designed for a much wider market.'


And wider it gets I suppose.

 

what new S?

 

You lot took your time there

Obviously apart from the ones that just ignored me

 

Ignore him

 

See?

 

see above

 

Exactly.

Will wait until I drive one next week but....big fat ####er of a car with too much fluffy power and huge wheels making the ride horrible coupled to electronics and a numb differential to ruin any chance you had of feel.

Expect less get more, maybe?

Will be leaving a proper Honda in the dealers car park for people to consider.