Faults:

Plastic handbrake casing cracked. That's literally it!

General Comments:

Good handling in all weathers.

Nothing broke while I had it, electrical or mechanical.

The upwards folding back seats are actually very handy.

Terrible MPG, regardless of how it's driven.

No need for a 6 speed gearbox. Such a small engine only needs 5 - really, I hope you like changing gears!

Faults:

Air con doesn't work.

Exhaust blowing.

Battery drainage.

General Comments:

Very fast for its class.

Very economical.

Loads of room throughout.

Unfortunately the ride is like a go kart. And very busy and rattly.

Clutch pedal creaks, definitely not as well made as old Honda. Far too much electronic computerised crap on it that can go wrong.

Faults:

Only one thing ever gave me a problem with this car, and that was a faulty gearbox at 30000km. Dealer was less than willing to repair it, less than 6 months after paying €28000 for it. Honda Ireland eventually got involved, and was waiting 2 weeks for a new gearbox to arrive from the UK.

General Comments:

Excellent car, good power and acceleration, with handling not as good as the previous Civic.

Fuel economy was excellent, with sometimes reaching 960km on a tank at 100km/h. The sixth gear really makes a difference on long motorway journeys.

Electrics and kit is great; worked perfect.

Always carry a spare litre of oil, as it will need regular topping up. HONDA A1.

General Comments:

I test drove a 2007 Civic Type R last week and was not that impressed by it. I wondered if anyone else had found this? Obviously it is impossible to get a full appreciation of a car after a short drive, but certainly from first impressions it was poor.

From first impressions it looks like a serious piece of kit with its mean body kit. It is certainly much better looking than the last shape, which I thought was very uninspiring.

The interior is nice too. There is a definite feeling of quality and the digital dash is great. I found it to be very comfortable and easy to find a good driving position.

My disappointment started as soon as I pushed the ignition button. A droning 4 pot came to life without any sign that it was a performance car. It sounded no more exciting than any other Civic; it was quiet. I was expecting a rumble from the exhaust. Not loads of noise, but at least something to suggest that this was not your normal Civic.

Unfortunately the disappointment didn't end there. When I moved off it again sounded boring. More concerning it didn't seem to have any more low down poke than a normal Civic. However honda engines love to be rev'd so I assumed that it would suddenly come to life on the open road.

I was directed onto a dual carriage way by the salesman who allowed me to open the taps. I floored it and it went faster, but not particularly fast. At no point did it get my pulse going. It was quite boring to be honest.

Anyway I was very disappointed with the car. I thought Type R meant hardcore, but this really is a watered down hot hatch. Maybe more of a warm hatch. I guess the only good this is you can get a japanese spec one which is hardcore, but surely the UK one should be too? Or is it just another car designed for people to pose in?