type r vs clio 200

[cern]

Ok, so i posted the other day about my test drive of the 200. Before I buy over the next few months I decided it would be the best idea to test drive everything lol.

Just drove a civic type r FN2 (2008) and was really impressed. it felt a lot heavy but well planted and also felt quick, authough perhaps quicker than it actualy was due to increase in size and noise.

Has anyone owned one of these, how does it compare to your clio? on my test drives if a 197 and a 200, neither have given me the chance to experiance the cars on a good twisty bit of B/A road, however thats exactly what i got in my test drive of the honda today. So i am finding it difficult to compare the 2 cars.

The have the same power, but the clio has more torque and less weight. official figurers are next to usless as they are so dependant on conditions and driver.

I may do some track days but more than anything i love to go up to wales and mess about in the twisty's so my question's are;

1. which is faster in a straight line

2. which is quicker in the bends

3. most importantly, is there a major difference in the speeds which the cars are capable of in real world conditions or are they so close that taking both of them to wale to mess about, it would purely come down to the driver?

thanks for your input guy's really appreciate it, this is one of the best forums around for honest opinions. this will be my first decent performance car and I am being very picky, testing everything under the hot hatch sun

 

[Paul]

Im not a fan of the Honda Type-R, the old one looks dated and the new one looks ridiculous IMO. Having said that the v-tec engine is brilliant and as you have said makes the car feel very quick indeed!

I think the 'old' style Civic was a much closer comparison to the Clio than the new one can hope to be. They were very evenly matched, but the new one took a step back and supposedly became more refined (read; heavier) to appeal to a more grown up market and shake off some of the bad-boy image.

My personal opinion;

Straight line - nothing in it. Extra power in the Civic will ensure it keeps up
Twisties - Cup or non-cup I think that the Clio has this one covered

Firstly I haven't owned the Civic but I have driven one. I dont think there will be a massive difference in speeds as they as designed to do the same thing. I think you may find the Clio easier to live with and more practical i.e. no stupid rear wing covering the rear window.

 

[GrumpyTwig]

an FN2 is slower than a clio, a EP3 is on paper faster than a clio (though a lack of torque in the real world makes them about even)

In terms of the FN2 the clio should wipe the floor with it in a line or in a corner, an EP3 might beat it in a straight line and going back to the old EK9s they would beat it in a corner probably.

I would say if you want a good all round car then your not going to go wrong with the FN2 and Honda engines will go on forever but unless you were to consider an EP3 then buy the Clio.

 

[adam1942]

to be honest my mate owns an FN2 and on to the motorway up to 70 he started to pull but not by much anything after that id say he'd disappear.. round the corners the R27 has it.. I'd say the 200 would be a pretty good match for the FN2 power wise due to the lower torque but as for handling the 200 should be a good bit better. The power and the noise under v-tec is crazy once you are in it in first you stay in the power-band to whatever speed you are going for. I think its less noticeable in the Clio as the v-tec noise is crazy and the Clio has the torque through out the rev range, at the end of the day they are both hot hatch's and both will never be able to be pushed to the limit safely on the road! you said about track days but I reckon you'll have fun in both.

 

[Graeme GTR]

you could probably get these cheaper now as thy're stopping production of the Type R. Which will make the Clio the only true hothatch.

 

[Lou_m]

You need to go and drive the Clio on the type of roads that you tried the Civic on. My mate had a shot in my 200 with cup chassis just when I bought it. Now we went down a brilliant road but I didn't want to rag the car with 50 miles on the clock. It obviously made an impression as he went and arranged a test drive at the local dealers. He had quite a descent drive but on all the twisty stuff he was always stuck behind slow traffic. On the way back to the dealers the salesman asked what he thought of the car and he said it was nice, but didn't give him the thrill he was expecting. The salesman then suggested they drive down this little used road in a last-ditch attempt to make a sale! The road was empty and he was able to drive the car properly. 3 days later he had that Clio on his driveway.

His previous cars include a Focus RS and Impreza STI PPP. Those cars were much quicker in a straight line but the Clio is just amazing in the twisties without having to drive at illegal speeds to feel that you are really driving the car. That was 1 year ago and he still loves the Clio.

 

[Ed...]

ive murdered a few hondas in my 197 . . . . they arnt as fast.

 

[MikeLYR27]

I think there seems to be a very over done theory that the clio is the best car at cornering ever and others should yield when faced with one. On track, it will do better, but not night and day, on the road its the driver.

Pace wise its down to how you want the power really, clio is more grunty.
The new type-r's are in no way ****, they are very good hot hatches!!
If people some people on here struggle against a vts (which i have read on here) then think where the type-r will be!!??

If you go type-r, championship white all day!

 

[cern]

thanks for the input guys, i think the general consensus is that while they all have there joker, most of today's hot hatches are holding a fairly even hand.

suppose it really comes down to the confidence you have in the steed you choose and thus how hard you can ride it.

^^ analogy FTW!

at the end of the day you check out fastestlaps.com review the laptimes to find there is roughly 3 - 4 seconds a lap different between all of the cars on most tracks which tbh is f all on the roads.

we can also argue for ever over the benefits of high reving na engines over turbo torque, v teck or supercharged. at the end of the day we all love cars and give ours a good spanking whenever we can find an excuse to.

I'm going to get another test drive in the clio and ask them to take me down the twisty stuff, also going to continue to test the other hatches on my list and not rush into anything.

i will let you know the result

 

[gaz197]

they are a lot more tunable and appear to make their standard power unlike the clio, but the suspension set up is primative compared to the clio and having followed a few and watching the rear of it bounce over every bump...they dont look too comfy

 

[gaz197]

thanks for the input guys, i think the general consensus is that while they all have there joker, most of today's hot hatches are holding a fairly even hand.

suppose it really comes down to the confidence you have in the steed you choose and thus how hard you can ride it.

^^ analogy FTW!

at the end of the day you check out fastestlaps.com review the laptimes to find there is roughly 3 - 4 seconds a lap different between all of the cars on most tracks which tbh is f all on the roads.

we can also argue for ever over the benefits of high reving na engines over turbo torque, v teck or supercharged. at the end of the day we all love cars and give ours a good spanking whenever we can find an excuse to.

I'm going to get another test drive in the clio and ask them to take me down the twisty stuff, also going to continue to test the other hatches on my list and not rush into anything.

i will let you know the result

for the sort of money involved i wouldnt rule out a 120d....?

 

[PB.200]

Torque is relative to the gear ratio and a type r has shorter ratios (I think!) so gear for gear the type r will be putting just as much torque on the road!

Straight line they are about the same and bends just depends on who is driving.

 

[GrumpyTwig]

Hate to be a party pooper and bring up money but Type-r's are a fair bit more expensive too.

When I was looking would of had to spend £2000 more to get a year old one and another 3rd on insurance. Sealed the deal for me.

 

[Graeme GTR]

you are a salesmans worst nightmare. :swear:

 

[Ed...]

or the sort of money involved i wouldnt rule out a 120d....?

big mistake if ure after something fast and u can throw into corners.

 

[Matt197]

I don't like the new type r but the older one is more of a drivers car, and I would have one over the Clio any day. The Type R can also be tuned allot better than the Clio's and the gains are night and day.

You ask this question on a Clio forum so you are going to get response like "type r is crap" and "Clio will out handle the type r" but I think they are on par with each other.

 

[R32pete]

I bought my clio based on smile factor! i have driven most HH and the clio was the one that made me really happy! i had a 450 bhp R32 golf prior and that wasnt half the fun, From my experiences in the type R the v-tec makes it feel faster than it is like a turbo, i didnt like the way it was either off or on but you may like that,

Clio any day for me

 

[Dedespo]

1. Clio easily quicker. Not the same story against an ep3 though.
2.Clio easily quicker again.
3.It would come down to the driver as most of these do .But the fun you'll have with the clio is unmatched.

 

[cliophil]

does it have to be a civic? why not look at a nice dc5 integra type r? they go like stink!

 

[aspen]

I've recently changed from a 98 DC2 Uk Integra type R to a 200 cup (Well I say changed, but I still actually have both. Working on selling the teg).

In terms of driving pleasure its pretty evenly matched. Performance figures are very similar. The DC2 feels faster due to the noise and they way vtec noticably kicks in. In terms of handling I prefer the Clio, its seems more chuckable and very planted.

The Recaros in the teg are a snugger fit, so better for a short run but the Clios are more comfortable overall.

The reason I changed was because I wanted a car that didn't require regular TLC. I love my DC2 and if Honda still made them I'd have bought one new without a second thought. Its just getting a bit old, and I don't have the time or patience to give it the care it requires. The newer type Rs just don't do it for me. The reason I love the DC2 is because its pretty much about pure driving pleasure. No compromises. No sound deadening. No unnecessary weight. Perfect gearchange, excellent driving position. Each new type R seems to lose a little of this.

The Clio is along the same lines (especially the cup) yet its a more civilised city car, which is where I do most of my driving but its still great fun on track and B roads. Plus I can fit my mountain bike in the back

Ideally I'd have two cars. A full fat 200 with cup pack for everyday driving and then a really focused drivers car like a caterham for fun

If we are comparing new cars, then I'd have a clio over the latest civic type R any day. In my opinion the current civic isn't worth another £5-6k more.