Aero1900
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- Thread starter
- #1
I just got my Boost Blue type R this week. I previously owned both an Elantra N and a bunch of VWs.
I thought you guys might like to read a little bit of a comparison.
I'll break down a couple things here; Power, Handling and quality.
As for power, I'll be honest with you guys, the Elantra N is only slightly less powerful. I had a dual clutch N and it was rated at 286hp vs the CTR at 315. Noticeable, but not by much. The Elantra motor was great. The turbo spooled up quick yet held its power up to redline pretty well. It was a car built around the idea of fun and entertainment above perfection while the CTR seems to be a much more mature, serious car. Different philosophy. For example, in the N when you hit the N button on the steering wheel, the display on the digital dash literally turned into a giant, arching fireball as it displayed the tachometer. Totally ridiculous, but hilarious and entertaining. Its theater. Additionally, in N mode, the exhaust was nuts. Not super loud but it was very aggressive. Lift off the throttle at 5k rpm and it sounds like a shoot out is happening behind you. I used to do it under a bridge on my way home from work everyday. Literally sounded like a shot gun going off behind you. Theater.
The N handled pretty well too. It was stiff and direct. The steering feel of the CTR is better though. Its one of those things that's hard to describe however, I just have a better, more direct feel with the steering of the CTR. When you really leaned on the N in the corners its surprisingly good. It does have big anti roll bars, adjustable shocks and big, sticky tire (245 pilot sport 4s) so not far off the CTR. The driving dynamics of the N are impressive, no doubt. I was very pleased with it. Prior to the N I owned and raced a number of GTIs and Jetta GLIs. The N is far more aggressive than a GTI. It felt lower, leaner, faster and much more aggressively tuned. I was quiet happy with my N for a year and a half until I got the itch for more.
Where the N falls apart compared to a Civic Type R is in the build quality. Interior materials were basically junk except for the seats themselves. The infortainment screen was excellent . But the rest of the car was what you would expect. Panel gaps were ridiculous. I couldn't ever figure out if my hood was crooked or the front bumper was but the panel gap between the two was wildly different between the two sides. The headliner material was terrible. It was a scratchy, awful cost savings. There was kind of a lot of those types of things. Coming from a VW GTI that had soft, quality materials and nice little touches, the cheapness of the N was obvious. But it was really fun to drive. It made me laugh and smile a lot.
After just a week with the Type R I have a few observations. None of this will be surprising to anyone here I'm sure.
First of all, the seats! Oh, how I love the seats. They hold you in place as well as the very aggressively bolstered seats in the N, yet they are far more comfortable. The bolsters in the N held you in place really well, but as a 200 lbs guy, they hurt. Literally. There were hard pieces that made the bolsters shape that really dug in. Maybe if you were a 170 lbs you'd love the seats though. Plus, they have a little "N" light in them.
My Elantra N was a dual clutch automatic, so I can't compare the shifter in the N to the R. That being said, the shifter in the R is absolutely fantastic. I've driven many stick shift cars in my life and none of them even compare to the R. The smooth, clean feel of shifting the R is fabulous.
The quality of the rest of the car is also pretty much everything I'd hoped for. Considering its just a civic underneath all the awesomeness, its impressive. My only issue with the car so far is a tiny, buzzing in the A pillar next to my left ear. Aside from that, the R is great.
My ultimate point is this: The civic Type R is a superiour vehicle to the Elantra N. That being said, for the money, the N is fantastic. I paid $36,000 for the N and $48,000 for the R. Big difference in price. If you cant afford a type R, the N is damn near as good for a lot less money. And the aftermarket support for the N is pretty good too.
I thought you guys might like to read a little bit of a comparison.
I'll break down a couple things here; Power, Handling and quality.
As for power, I'll be honest with you guys, the Elantra N is only slightly less powerful. I had a dual clutch N and it was rated at 286hp vs the CTR at 315. Noticeable, but not by much. The Elantra motor was great. The turbo spooled up quick yet held its power up to redline pretty well. It was a car built around the idea of fun and entertainment above perfection while the CTR seems to be a much more mature, serious car. Different philosophy. For example, in the N when you hit the N button on the steering wheel, the display on the digital dash literally turned into a giant, arching fireball as it displayed the tachometer. Totally ridiculous, but hilarious and entertaining. Its theater. Additionally, in N mode, the exhaust was nuts. Not super loud but it was very aggressive. Lift off the throttle at 5k rpm and it sounds like a shoot out is happening behind you. I used to do it under a bridge on my way home from work everyday. Literally sounded like a shot gun going off behind you. Theater.
The N handled pretty well too. It was stiff and direct. The steering feel of the CTR is better though. Its one of those things that's hard to describe however, I just have a better, more direct feel with the steering of the CTR. When you really leaned on the N in the corners its surprisingly good. It does have big anti roll bars, adjustable shocks and big, sticky tire (245 pilot sport 4s) so not far off the CTR. The driving dynamics of the N are impressive, no doubt. I was very pleased with it. Prior to the N I owned and raced a number of GTIs and Jetta GLIs. The N is far more aggressive than a GTI. It felt lower, leaner, faster and much more aggressively tuned. I was quiet happy with my N for a year and a half until I got the itch for more.
Where the N falls apart compared to a Civic Type R is in the build quality. Interior materials were basically junk except for the seats themselves. The infortainment screen was excellent . But the rest of the car was what you would expect. Panel gaps were ridiculous. I couldn't ever figure out if my hood was crooked or the front bumper was but the panel gap between the two was wildly different between the two sides. The headliner material was terrible. It was a scratchy, awful cost savings. There was kind of a lot of those types of things. Coming from a VW GTI that had soft, quality materials and nice little touches, the cheapness of the N was obvious. But it was really fun to drive. It made me laugh and smile a lot.
After just a week with the Type R I have a few observations. None of this will be surprising to anyone here I'm sure.
First of all, the seats! Oh, how I love the seats. They hold you in place as well as the very aggressively bolstered seats in the N, yet they are far more comfortable. The bolsters in the N held you in place really well, but as a 200 lbs guy, they hurt. Literally. There were hard pieces that made the bolsters shape that really dug in. Maybe if you were a 170 lbs you'd love the seats though. Plus, they have a little "N" light in them.
My Elantra N was a dual clutch automatic, so I can't compare the shifter in the N to the R. That being said, the shifter in the R is absolutely fantastic. I've driven many stick shift cars in my life and none of them even compare to the R. The smooth, clean feel of shifting the R is fabulous.
The quality of the rest of the car is also pretty much everything I'd hoped for. Considering its just a civic underneath all the awesomeness, its impressive. My only issue with the car so far is a tiny, buzzing in the A pillar next to my left ear. Aside from that, the R is great.
My ultimate point is this: The civic Type R is a superiour vehicle to the Elantra N. That being said, for the money, the N is fantastic. I paid $36,000 for the N and $48,000 for the R. Big difference in price. If you cant afford a type R, the N is damn near as good for a lot less money. And the aftermarket support for the N is pretty good too.
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