Dublin Honda Geek
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I apologize for the length of this post, but I wanted to add as much information for a potential FL5 Type R buyer.
My Honda bio, superfluous info, feel free to skip ahead.
My wife and I have owned the following Hondas/Acuras over the years. 93 Civic, 97 Accord, 04 TLX, 08 Pilot, 14 Accord EX-L V-6, 17 MDX. We have kept each Honda for roughly 10 years, and we buy a new one about every 5 years. My favorite two Hondas, so far, were my 93 Civic Hatch manual, and my TSX.
We live approx. 30-35 miles away from two Honda plants. My stepbrother retired from Honda, and we know about 5 people that work there. In my town you often see people coming from their shifts, always in the full white smock with red Honda label. I live on a cul de sac, aka a court, with about 11 houses. Within those 11 houses, not including my cars, there are 2 Honda Odysseys, 1 Civic, 4 Pilots, and 1 RDX. It seems at any school parking lot, half the vehicles are Pilots or Odysseys. I have some weird brand loyalty to Honda, two Honda mowers and my favorite F1 team was BAR Honda, Jenson Button!
I purchased my 2014 Accord in Dec 2013. So, it was turning ten years this year. I have a son who recently turned 16, so he and my younger son will inherit that vehicle. That is the only Honda that I had modified in anyway. I did tint, Takeda Intake, Borla Axle back exhaust (I wish I had done that day one, it is a great system for the 3.5 V-6), and upgraded the brakes.
If you are doing the math, I am probably 20 years older than the average Type R buyer, and heavier too.
Buying process:
In December of 2022 I started thinking about a new car to replace my accord. Every year the cars get better and better, there are many great options. I wanted a four-door car, not an SUV. We have an MDX for road trips. I wanted a car big enough to handle my family of 4. I have always liked hatchbacks, so the Civic hatchback was on by radar. Also, I really enjoy driving. The roads where I live are relatively good but suffer from potholes in the winter. My town also has many roundabouts, so even simple 35mph commuting can be made fun, with more roads not too far from me that are higher speed and fun to drive, with some curves. I seek out roundabouts and on/off ramps. Also, I loved the idea of driving a manual again.
I reached out to one of the local Honda Dealerships, it’s the dealership where we service our Hondas/Acuras, and we purchased our Pilot and our ’04 Accord from them. I connected with a salesperson and asked to be added to their “Type R List”. There was no deposit required. I had also reached out to about 7 dealerships in the area, all of them were adding the “LOA, Limited Availability” fee, and most were $10,000. One dealership in Akron was only asking for $5,000 over MSRP, and that $5,000 was going to charity, so that was pretty cool.
If at this point if you don’t hate me for my lengthy review, you will now. The dealership I purchased my Type R sold it at MSRP. I am not sure if they are still doing that, but they were in May of 2023. Keep in mind that we had purchased two vehicles, and I was able to assemble (with help from their service team) the amount of money I spent over the years in service, over $10,000. So that is why I got the car at MSRP.
When I was placed on “the list”, I was initially told it would be closer to Nov-Dec of 2023 to get a Type R. However, in May 2023, they received a Sonic Gray Pearl Type R. At that point there were two people ahead of me in line, and they were both waiting on a specific color, and SGP was my first choice.
SGP-I think the color is unique to a degree, and goes well with the black and red accents of the car. However, every Odyssey I see now seems to be the same SGP color, oh well.
On a side note, earlier this year I did not like my chances of getting a Type R, so I hedged my bet and placed a refundable deposit for an Integra Type S at the local Acura dealership, $1,000. When my Type R became available, I decided I couldn’t pass it up, and purchased it. In the following month, June 2023, my Acura dealership received their first Type S demo car. Since I was in the queue, they let me take it on a 15-20 min test drive. It seemed great to drive, and obviously similar to the Type R. If my Type R had not come in when it did, I may have purchased one. The Acura dealership was selling at MSRP as well. If dealerships are still marking up Type R’s significantly, then the Type S might be a the right decision. However, I am very happy with my Type R, further because I got lucky and got it for MSRP.
Performance and Mileage:
I just hit 5,097 miles as of today. Yesterday I swapped out the factory wheels/tires. I moved to an 18” wheel, and a 255 tire. (Stock was 265 width). I am going to do a separate post for that.
Break in-My dealer was unaware of a break in period, so with some research I used 500 miles and kept the revs low.
According to the trip computer, I have averaged 23.3 mpg so far. It’s rated at 22mpg for the city. So, with very limited road trips, and mostly city driving, I am doing ok. I tend to drive quicker than most and enjoy accelerating the vehicle. If you plan on road tripping the car, the gas tank is small, expect about 230-250 miles between fill ups.
The Type R allows you different drive modes, and also an individual mode that you can customize.
For my Induvial mode, I select Sport gauges, Engine Sound Type R, Steering Sport, and Comfort for suspension, Sport Steering, and Rev Match Sport.
I do utilize rev match, because I am a wannabe F1 driver, and I like the way it sounds, artificial or not. I love downshifting from 4th, to 3rd, to 2nd for the roundabouts. If I am trying to be more discreet, I just toggle to Comfort mode, and everything mellows out.
This car is quick, but not a red-light racer. I have noticed the best gear in this car is 3rd. It just pulls all day long and is probably the gear you need on a racetrack the most. I am no Chris Harris, but the turn-in on this car is exceptional. I assume the wide sticky Michelin Pilot 4s help with that. And when I have driven too quickly through some of the larger roundabouts, I have noticed neutral handling up to some mild oversteer. I am assuming that is from having a relatively lighter rear end. The oversteer was easily corrected mid corner by reducing power.
Overall, this car has been a blast to drive, and I constantly seek out reasons to go driving, as it should be!
Gripes:
Calipers- I have already posted about the paint on the rear calipers, it started to deteriorate within 2 months of ownership, and it sounds like a common problem. Dealership will replace under warranty, just have not done it yet.
Homelink- Unless I am missing something, I cannot program garage door openers in my car. I have seen the same complaint previously, and on the new Integra Type S as well. So I have the big Craftsman garage door openers on the visor, reminiscent of the dudes walking around with phones on their belt holsters. And a sunglass binnacle up there would be nice too Honda!
Seats- I love the seats, but ingress and egress is tricky, the price you pay. I have learned when getting in, firmly plant my right foot on the dead pedal, and slide over the bolsters. It also protects your testicles. Side note on the seats, Driver and Passenger seats are likely identical. So in the future, if driver side bolsters start to wear, you could rotate the seats, just like tires...maybe??
Dead Pedal-There is a space of about an inch to the right of the dead pedal of red floor carpet. Why Honda? With a clutch just next to it, how about just wrapping that whole area in dead pedal and avoid a simple wear issue.
Things I love:
Seats- yes, contradictory from above, but they are great. They look amazing and special. Also, they are significantly padded which helps soften the feel going over some bumps. Very comfortable for longer periods too.
Styling and Stance- I will never be able to afford a GT3, so for me, this is my GT3, and I think it looks great. And I can carry 3 friends and plenty of gear. I think they nailed the stance, and I am impressed that they made special fenders and rears for this vehicle.
Interior- I have always found Honda to be ergonomic, and it goes with this too. I love the controls for climate, and Carplay has been great, sometimes a little laggy. Overall, I think it is a clean and functional design with a lot of red.
Side note- I removed my red floor mats the day I left the dealer and put in all seasons. If I ever sell the car, giving the new owner brand new floor mats will be a nice easter egg. Further, with all my experience with Honda floor mats, I always wear a hole in them under my heavy right heel.
Fun to drive- For years I subscribed to Automobile Magazine, and their mantra was No Boring Cars, this is not a boring car. I get thumbs up and people at work want to go for rides. This car makes you want to get out on the road, find some curves, and row some gears, it’s exactly what I was looking for. The suspension even in Comfort is firm, but very tolerable.
Future Mods:
I have so far just done simple tint, and PPF to the Front, mirrors, rockers. And just swapped wheels for a more winter friendly set up. Enkei TR6’s with Conti Extreme Contacts. I think my next purchase will be an exhaust. Something like the AWE Touring would be a good fit. Not sure about an intake yet. The intake would be for more noise, not necessarily performance gain.
My Honda bio, superfluous info, feel free to skip ahead.
My wife and I have owned the following Hondas/Acuras over the years. 93 Civic, 97 Accord, 04 TLX, 08 Pilot, 14 Accord EX-L V-6, 17 MDX. We have kept each Honda for roughly 10 years, and we buy a new one about every 5 years. My favorite two Hondas, so far, were my 93 Civic Hatch manual, and my TSX.
We live approx. 30-35 miles away from two Honda plants. My stepbrother retired from Honda, and we know about 5 people that work there. In my town you often see people coming from their shifts, always in the full white smock with red Honda label. I live on a cul de sac, aka a court, with about 11 houses. Within those 11 houses, not including my cars, there are 2 Honda Odysseys, 1 Civic, 4 Pilots, and 1 RDX. It seems at any school parking lot, half the vehicles are Pilots or Odysseys. I have some weird brand loyalty to Honda, two Honda mowers and my favorite F1 team was BAR Honda, Jenson Button!
I purchased my 2014 Accord in Dec 2013. So, it was turning ten years this year. I have a son who recently turned 16, so he and my younger son will inherit that vehicle. That is the only Honda that I had modified in anyway. I did tint, Takeda Intake, Borla Axle back exhaust (I wish I had done that day one, it is a great system for the 3.5 V-6), and upgraded the brakes.
If you are doing the math, I am probably 20 years older than the average Type R buyer, and heavier too.
Buying process:
In December of 2022 I started thinking about a new car to replace my accord. Every year the cars get better and better, there are many great options. I wanted a four-door car, not an SUV. We have an MDX for road trips. I wanted a car big enough to handle my family of 4. I have always liked hatchbacks, so the Civic hatchback was on by radar. Also, I really enjoy driving. The roads where I live are relatively good but suffer from potholes in the winter. My town also has many roundabouts, so even simple 35mph commuting can be made fun, with more roads not too far from me that are higher speed and fun to drive, with some curves. I seek out roundabouts and on/off ramps. Also, I loved the idea of driving a manual again.
I reached out to one of the local Honda Dealerships, it’s the dealership where we service our Hondas/Acuras, and we purchased our Pilot and our ’04 Accord from them. I connected with a salesperson and asked to be added to their “Type R List”. There was no deposit required. I had also reached out to about 7 dealerships in the area, all of them were adding the “LOA, Limited Availability” fee, and most were $10,000. One dealership in Akron was only asking for $5,000 over MSRP, and that $5,000 was going to charity, so that was pretty cool.
If at this point if you don’t hate me for my lengthy review, you will now. The dealership I purchased my Type R sold it at MSRP. I am not sure if they are still doing that, but they were in May of 2023. Keep in mind that we had purchased two vehicles, and I was able to assemble (with help from their service team) the amount of money I spent over the years in service, over $10,000. So that is why I got the car at MSRP.
When I was placed on “the list”, I was initially told it would be closer to Nov-Dec of 2023 to get a Type R. However, in May 2023, they received a Sonic Gray Pearl Type R. At that point there were two people ahead of me in line, and they were both waiting on a specific color, and SGP was my first choice.
SGP-I think the color is unique to a degree, and goes well with the black and red accents of the car. However, every Odyssey I see now seems to be the same SGP color, oh well.
On a side note, earlier this year I did not like my chances of getting a Type R, so I hedged my bet and placed a refundable deposit for an Integra Type S at the local Acura dealership, $1,000. When my Type R became available, I decided I couldn’t pass it up, and purchased it. In the following month, June 2023, my Acura dealership received their first Type S demo car. Since I was in the queue, they let me take it on a 15-20 min test drive. It seemed great to drive, and obviously similar to the Type R. If my Type R had not come in when it did, I may have purchased one. The Acura dealership was selling at MSRP as well. If dealerships are still marking up Type R’s significantly, then the Type S might be a the right decision. However, I am very happy with my Type R, further because I got lucky and got it for MSRP.
Performance and Mileage:
I just hit 5,097 miles as of today. Yesterday I swapped out the factory wheels/tires. I moved to an 18” wheel, and a 255 tire. (Stock was 265 width). I am going to do a separate post for that.
Break in-My dealer was unaware of a break in period, so with some research I used 500 miles and kept the revs low.
According to the trip computer, I have averaged 23.3 mpg so far. It’s rated at 22mpg for the city. So, with very limited road trips, and mostly city driving, I am doing ok. I tend to drive quicker than most and enjoy accelerating the vehicle. If you plan on road tripping the car, the gas tank is small, expect about 230-250 miles between fill ups.
The Type R allows you different drive modes, and also an individual mode that you can customize.
For my Induvial mode, I select Sport gauges, Engine Sound Type R, Steering Sport, and Comfort for suspension, Sport Steering, and Rev Match Sport.
I do utilize rev match, because I am a wannabe F1 driver, and I like the way it sounds, artificial or not. I love downshifting from 4th, to 3rd, to 2nd for the roundabouts. If I am trying to be more discreet, I just toggle to Comfort mode, and everything mellows out.
This car is quick, but not a red-light racer. I have noticed the best gear in this car is 3rd. It just pulls all day long and is probably the gear you need on a racetrack the most. I am no Chris Harris, but the turn-in on this car is exceptional. I assume the wide sticky Michelin Pilot 4s help with that. And when I have driven too quickly through some of the larger roundabouts, I have noticed neutral handling up to some mild oversteer. I am assuming that is from having a relatively lighter rear end. The oversteer was easily corrected mid corner by reducing power.
Overall, this car has been a blast to drive, and I constantly seek out reasons to go driving, as it should be!
Gripes:
Calipers- I have already posted about the paint on the rear calipers, it started to deteriorate within 2 months of ownership, and it sounds like a common problem. Dealership will replace under warranty, just have not done it yet.
Homelink- Unless I am missing something, I cannot program garage door openers in my car. I have seen the same complaint previously, and on the new Integra Type S as well. So I have the big Craftsman garage door openers on the visor, reminiscent of the dudes walking around with phones on their belt holsters. And a sunglass binnacle up there would be nice too Honda!
Seats- I love the seats, but ingress and egress is tricky, the price you pay. I have learned when getting in, firmly plant my right foot on the dead pedal, and slide over the bolsters. It also protects your testicles. Side note on the seats, Driver and Passenger seats are likely identical. So in the future, if driver side bolsters start to wear, you could rotate the seats, just like tires...maybe??
Dead Pedal-There is a space of about an inch to the right of the dead pedal of red floor carpet. Why Honda? With a clutch just next to it, how about just wrapping that whole area in dead pedal and avoid a simple wear issue.
Things I love:
Seats- yes, contradictory from above, but they are great. They look amazing and special. Also, they are significantly padded which helps soften the feel going over some bumps. Very comfortable for longer periods too.
Styling and Stance- I will never be able to afford a GT3, so for me, this is my GT3, and I think it looks great. And I can carry 3 friends and plenty of gear. I think they nailed the stance, and I am impressed that they made special fenders and rears for this vehicle.
Interior- I have always found Honda to be ergonomic, and it goes with this too. I love the controls for climate, and Carplay has been great, sometimes a little laggy. Overall, I think it is a clean and functional design with a lot of red.
Side note- I removed my red floor mats the day I left the dealer and put in all seasons. If I ever sell the car, giving the new owner brand new floor mats will be a nice easter egg. Further, with all my experience with Honda floor mats, I always wear a hole in them under my heavy right heel.
Fun to drive- For years I subscribed to Automobile Magazine, and their mantra was No Boring Cars, this is not a boring car. I get thumbs up and people at work want to go for rides. This car makes you want to get out on the road, find some curves, and row some gears, it’s exactly what I was looking for. The suspension even in Comfort is firm, but very tolerable.
Future Mods:
I have so far just done simple tint, and PPF to the Front, mirrors, rockers. And just swapped wheels for a more winter friendly set up. Enkei TR6’s with Conti Extreme Contacts. I think my next purchase will be an exhaust. Something like the AWE Touring would be a good fit. Not sure about an intake yet. The intake would be for more noise, not necessarily performance gain.
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