General Comments:
Starting with the bad points there are a few things to look out for with this car, these points apply only to pre 2001 cars, Honda rectified these problems in later models. Firstly when driving with the roof up there is a lot of wind noise, this is almost certainly the roof strikers are worn, a common problem that can be easily fixed for £54 for parts. Next, on decelerating between 2.5 and 4.5 thousand RPM a rattle noise occurs, on the early cars this is known to be broken springs in the clutch plate rattling, it will not effect the life of the clutch and is bearable, kind of like a characterisitic of the car. Finally the alloy wheels corrode on all years of the vehicle, Honda will replace these under any form of warranty.
That's the bad points out of the way, please don't let that put you off because this is one awesome car that I believe anyone would get a thrill out of owning.
In a straight line the car has amazing performance, the Vtec system is absolutly wonderful and you will never get tired of the engine sound screeming its way to 9000RPM.
Around the corners this car handles like nothing else you have ever driven, it is so light, so responsive, when pushed hard you get the smallest amount of understeer followed by the back end hanging out as much as you wish to provoke it.
The gear change in this car is so precise, so slick, many motoring TV programs have mentioned how good the gearbox is and its not until you actually drive the car that you can appreciate this.
You also have to love the brakes, drive this car as fast as you like, if you crash it, it won't be because you couldn't stop in time.
Once inside the car everything is focused on the driver. All the instruments are right where you need them. The seats are very comfortable and the cabin spacious although it feels snug just like a sports car should do. Its not the easiest of cars to get into though. The boot is also a very good size for the kind of car.
Well I think that just about covers it. For the price these cars go for I very much doubt you will find anything better. Finally, this car draws a lot of attention, it's a great feeling driving down the road turning heads.
22nd Feb 2007, 08:51
I'm willing to bet you would mess yourself if you ever drove any sports car with more than 4 cylinders.