haakebecks
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A few things stand out after driving it over the past couple of days, including logging nearly 300 miles on the interstate. So, consider this my first review.
Full disclosure, I’m a middle aged guy who grew up with these cars as a young man during the glory years of the 90/early 00s. That was back when the “hybrid” scene was a thing and the B and ZC series swaps were just becoming a thing. So, for me, this is me really enjoying a car that lets me harken back to my youth a bit, and I view it as probably one of the final swan songs from Honda/Acura for manual transmission/ICE enthusiasts. I didn’t want to miss out.
1. The comments around rattle and fit/finish are 100% spot on. Mine has a recent build date Mid October and these issues are present. That said, for the most part it was very well behaved, even on really bad roads. Not perfect, but not terrible either. As things loosen up, we’ll see how things shake out. It should be better though. Is this why Honda/Acura have continued to go down the JD power ratings on quality?
2. I wasn’t really prepared for the onslaught of power. Midrange torque feels available everywhere. I’ve owned a lot of cars through the years and A LOT of Honda/Acuras through the years - EF Civic Si, EG Civic Hatch, EG Del Sol VTEC, DC Integra GSR, S2K, 8th Gen Civic Si, and a 9th Gen Accord Sport family hauler. All have had manual transmissions. This car is nuttier than them all. None of the reviews online or videos quite prepared me for what I was in for. I had test driven a 2018 2.0T Accord Sport when they were new and came really close to buying one, but lost out on it. This was leagues above that experience. I’m really used to NA Hondas and this so far has been eye opening. Again, as a middle aged guy… it feels fast, especially compared to the Hondas of old and even the 2015 Sport Manual I also have in the garage with the NA 2.4.
3. It looks really good in person. I know the looks are a bit polarizing and it is a shame that Acura has a stick on wheel arch on the rear, even if the economics of it necessitated it. That said, it isn’t enough to detract from the car. If there is a future generation of these vehicles, I hope Acura can be more purposeful with the wide body treatment front and rear.
4. This car should not be 7K higher than the Type R. It feels like Honda America got a bit greedy here, especially in light of pricing in Canada. I know this has all been beat to death, but the lack of memory seating positions for the driver seat, etc. saved pennies in manufacturing costs and look what reputation harm it has caused. It shows that that they missed the forest for the trees on a basic level. We also have a 2023 Pilot Trailsport in the stable that was $48K OTD and it is loaded, has AWD, bigger chassis, pano roof, etc. The manufacturing costs have to be just as high or higher there, even though it has a V6 vs Turbo 4, and yet this vehicle is priced so much higher. The reputation damage to the brand caused by some silly oversights could have been easily avoided. Just seems odd. Queue discussions around the TLX too.
5. The gearbox really is heavenly. Like absolutely fantastic. Honda’s have always had great transmissions, but this is every bit as good as Porsche 992s I’ve driven. Frankly, it makes that manual Accord sitting in the driveway feel like an old beater in comparison and it too had a great transmission and shifter feel. I know it’s been compared to the S2K, but I feel it’s even better.
6. The steering is just awesome. Way better than I could have imagined from an electric rack. Reminds me of an older M3 hydraulic setup. Just great feel. Not quite manual rack good, but heads and tails above most of the stuff out there these days. Our Trailsport is absolutely terrible in comparison. I know I am comparing apples and oranges in many ways, but they are both new Honda products so figure I would throw it out there. Even compared to the Accord, it’s playing at a completely different tier.
7. The dealer situation has gotten out of hand and if Honda/Acura wants to maintain any brand loyalty at all, they need to do something about it. Many dealers are actively abusing customers and it going to completely erode any brand loyalty that may still exist.
8. I wouldn’t daily it unless you want or need to. Frankly, there are far better, more comfortable, cheaper DDs out there than this car. Can you daily it, of course, but there are far more practical choices, even performance oriented ones at less cost. I know it’s hated on here, and QC issues notwithstanding, but the Golf R certainly falls here if you need a manual, otherwise the world opens way up. Why slog through traffic in this beauty, get it all dented and dinged in parking garages, etc., unless you need to.
8. All in all, the car just feels really special. It is an absolute WEAPON of a car. I’m glad I purchased it!
That said, I would NOT pay above MSRP for one, unless you are absolutely desperate to have one.
I’ll close with this because it’s been pertinent to me.
In some ways the old adage holds true, it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast vs. a fast car slow and that’s my takeaway here. Maybe it’s because I still have an older 2.4 liter manual sedan in the driveway that I can ring out, but it feels like I can do so without getting into too much trouble or so rapidly crossing into illegal territory. In the ITS, you blink and you are rapidly pulling hard toward triple digits.
Just something to keep in mind if you are still on the fence and trying to gauge what your priorities are.
