What do you think of the fto and integra

[Bean 0]

I have just joined the mr2 fourm because the biggest mistake i made was buying my vr before finding this fourm!!!!! so i wont make a mistake like that again!!!

 

Cheers for the advice Munky

 

Dan

[munkay 0]

Which one did you join?

 

There are a heap:

 

http://www.mr2oc.com/ Big US forum but very international and there is much good advice and knowledge to be had there (like here :)

 

http://www.mr2oc.co.uk/ Probably your best bet - a few people who race and sell parts there too kinda like having Darren etc :) Every good forum needs them 8)

 

http://toyotaownersclub.com/ See the MR2 section - not very much goes on and seems to be younger users but its all good

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.... the diversity of this forum is great :wink:

 

The people on here are refreshingly open minded and don't immediately slag a Jap car off. I have a finger in the Japanese pie at the moment due to my Subaru driving mates and can see their brilliant sides, and their not so good sides. I also find the Jap fans (I hate that word, and rice, but for now it will do) are equally accomodating and not totally blinkered by their own marque.

 

Any good car has a place on here and I like to think we all have an 'Evo-ness' about us..... taking each car on it's merits without bias.

 

Anyway.....enough Haywire spiel already! What was the thread about again? Oh yeah FTO or Integra......for me, Integra.

 

K

[_leon_ 0]

I'd have to go Integra. As already mentioned - a good DC2 should cost about 8-9K with approx 40-50K miles. They are very reliable and that is one aspect that is loved by all ITR owners. Its also comparatively lower in cost to run than other cars in its group. Before committing, why don't you have a quick peek over at http://www.itr-dc2.com. Its not as big as this forum by a long shot but should give you a few insightful reads (they're also a friendly bunch and should help out with any questions). Addionally, if you want a car thats 'track-ready' then the Teg is certainly a good option.

[munkay 0]

kevhaywire - I know where you are coming from and from my point of view it was kind of a big deal going from VW to 'rice/jap' Hence me still posting here!

 

Even though the new car has a definite soul - imho it does not have a SOUL that the corrado had no matter how good a car I think it is, I'm sure you will all understand :)

 

Not really much point to this post other than trying to get across the fact that going to another marque has still left me with a huge respect for VDubs :) Sounds kinda sad but I am sure it will be/is something that a lot of ex or potential ex corrado drivers will witness! :)

 

There should be a support group :lol:

 

The funniest thing is driving past a corrado and appreciating it whilst at the same time expecting a wave or acknowledgement and not getting it :cry: :lol:

[Bean 0]

well I went for a test drive on sat mornin it was in A1 condition everything wasspot on according to the buyers guide very very nice car. It was a REV 2 it had all the extras.

 

It is a very fast car but it didn't make me grin quite like my vr there isn't enought torque. It is quite a bit quicker than my vr but its a lot lower down on the grin factor scale!!! :(

 

So i am going to get another VR

[Vmax 0]

Speaking as a Teg (and former VR6) owner, you'd be very lucky to find any sort of reasonable Integra for £5k (maybe an import Si, but certainly not a Type R), the cheapest I've seen for UK cars is 6.5K upwards. Not personally a big fan of the FTO, for an import there are a helluva lot about, whereas my red Teg is one of only 3 I've seen on the road!

 

The Teg definitely needs to be pushed to get the best out of it, but the handling is incredibly rewarding and despite being more edgy than the Corrado it's perfectly controllable. Point to point the Teg is the faster car, assuming standard spec of course. It's not as good an all rounder as the VR though, so it really depends on what you want out of a car.

 

Having owned my VR for 2 years I thought it was time for a change, and although I love the Teg, I do still miss the overall ability of the Corrado. Then again, I guess I can claim to have owned the best 2 handling FWD cars made :) Gonna have to be a 4WD next :twisted:

 

Jamie

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Then again, I guess I can claim to have owned the best 2 handling FWD cars made :)

 

Exactly, few of us can claim that :lol: BTW, Integs are not rare in my parts....saw 3 of them in one journey in Norwich recently! And at an Evo magazine meet 2 years ago, there was no less than 6 of them!!!

 

There does seem to be a mutual respect kind of thing going on with Cs though. One of them during my Norwich jaunt (black, yum) was behind me.....kept his distance, mirrored my acceleration bursts and cornering speeds, but wasn't trying to prove anything at the same time....quite refreshing really.

 

Same with FTO drivers. A guy at work has got a grey MIVEC one and I often catch him looking over my C from the office window when he pulls in of a morning :lol:

 

Gonna have to be a 4WD next :twisted:

 

If it's the *right* 4WD, then absolutely. A drive in a P1 Scoob confirms that. It's a proper 4WD, like the original Quattro, unlike this Haldex rubbish the VAG group give us....

[Vmax 0]

There are a few Integras about up here, but they all seem to be Championship White :?

 

As for the 4WD, well, I tried an Evo 8 FQ330 (decatted, the salesman reckoned it had 340bhp :shock: ) earlier this year, and that left a lasting impression! Short of winning the lottery a secondhand Evo 6 or Impreza RB5 is what I'd look at next 8)

 

The R32 can wait until I'm old and need a bit more comfort :wink:

 

Jamie

[LicklePaulie 0]

The reason for the huge number of Championship White ones about is that the Japanese don't consider it a true Type R unless it's in that colour. The same goes for the DC5 and, in JDM form, the Civic - that's why I loved my silver DC5 SOOOO much - there's only two (that I'm aware of) in the UK and only 4% of the whole production run came in that colour. I also had the rarer black interior rather than the red, also considered to be the only REAL Type R colour over there. God I miss that car - 220bhp straight out of the box, Brembo, Momo, Recaro - all as standard. Adding a GruppeM added 9hp at the hubs, just like that... Only thing that beat me on the road was a Skyline (I even did a Evo7 in the wet) and on the track I had real fun trying to keep hold of a brand new M3 CSL... Shame I needed the money back I had invested in it :cry:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Wouldn't it be great to have a garage full of our favourite cars?

 

Anyway, the Integ looks way, way better in black imo. The white ones look cool though. I read a write up in Evo (what a quality mag that is) comparing a MK1 Integ, a new shape Integ and a Civic Type R. They reckoned the MK1 Integ was the best by far, although on paper, the Civic was the quickest, by almost a second over the 1/4 mile...... but at the end of the day it's a Civic tho :?

 

I still maintain the VTEC unit in the S2000 is the best of the lot.....what an engine, what a car !! That left a lasting impression on me too. No scuttle shake, solid build, decent looking and a gear shift to die for. The engine needed a hefty poke before it woke up though, but when it was in the VTEC zone, awesome! The 197bhp Civic unit feels dull and flat by comparison.

[LicklePaulie 0]

Only problem with the S2K is that the rear end is VERY unpredictable when pushed - especially in the wet. Had a go myself (swapped drives at Cadwell) and I have to say I felt safer in mine - and so did the S2K owner. The difference between the 2 ltr DC5 and the 1.8 ltr DC2 was the power delivery in vtec, the earlier model offering a more raw experience, though the DC5 had a higher power it is much more refined - a bit like the developments in turbo (and its lag!). The earlier ones really kicked you in the *rse whilst the later ones feed in the power much more smoothly.

 

I read that Evo article too - all I can tell you is that NO Civic ever came close (apart from one JDM import which had the same 220bhp set-up as mine as well as the much firmer Jap suspension) and while the DC2 was quicker off the mark, the DC5 was a lot easier to drive at very high speeds.

[Scott 0]

I am going to defend the FTO here... I actually test drove the Teg R (DC2) and whilst I enjoyed the driving experience I preferred the looks of the FTO. The new shape Teg R is gorgeous but I didnt have access to that type of money... and like mentioned a decent DC2 Teg R costs anything from £6k + and thats for something tatty with high miles... most of em are in white too which I cant stand :oops: - they are far from rare too... same goes for FTO but thats a good thing as means plenty of spares available for imports which cost stupid money (£700 for alternator being one!)

 

The Teg R is a cracking handling car but an FTO can match it in terms of handling (Top Gear agrees) - its one of the sole reasons I bought the FTO - the handling is sublime. But you have to get a decent one in first place and ensure the camber / castor (fully adjustable) is spot on - decent tyres and fit strut braces. Once all that is in check then its like a go kart.... and believe me I wouldnt have believed it until I lived with one for a couple of weeks to get used to it. But the suspension is harder (although rides the bumps nicer) and probably explains the awesome handling...

 

As far as I am aware the FTO also has more torque than the Teg R (DC2) but the Teg has a slightly higher peak BHP figure... but either way they are great cars that are in the top ten handling FWD cars of all time along with the Corrado of course :wink:

 

Either way put a decent driver in both FTO and Teg R on a race track and I bet there is very little to seperate them 8)

 

But never buy a tiptronic one :roll: :wink:

[Scott 0]

oh i had a look at the posts scott put up[ and his fto looks very nice. 8)

 

Thanks mate :oops:

[Scott 0]

I saw a rather cruel comment about the FTO in some buyers guide once- 'Looks like it should chase porsches but in reality keeps up with mondeos'. Made me laugh at the time :D :D

 

Doubt its true tho. I think the FTO looks far nicer then the 'teg, but I accept it doesn't handle half as well

 

 

Yeah it was Max Power who said that .... :roll: :roll:

 

(says it all)

 

But I suggest you try and drive an FTO before critising the handling... I have no doubt what so ever on a race track it would run rings round a standard VR6 (and no Kev not yours!! :lol: )...

 

Believe me it was a huge task for me to find something I actually enjoyed driving when deciding to sell the VR6... ok its not everyones cup of tea the FTO but there again neither is the VR6...

 

I still regret selling the VR6 in a way as I do miss the torque from time to time but there is no doubt at all that the FTO is seriously addictive fun to drive and as fun as the VR6 was... after five years of Corrado ownership you can imagine I was very scepticable (spelling) but I have definately made the right choice...

 

I am happy with it and was a good replacement for the VR6 and will do me nicely for another couple of years till I can afford to get what I feel it the ultimate Jap car of all time...

 

NISSAN SKYLINE :twisted:

[LicklePaulie 0]

I've got no argument with anything you've said there Scott (although I never really liked the look of the FTO personally) but can offer advice on the Honda due to my own previous happy ownership :wink: .

 

The only other thing I would say about the Teg (and this goes for most performance Jap cars): Always check out a JDM import against a UK model -They always dumb down performance (because they get 100RON fuel as standard) and handling (to deal with our pot-holes) for our domestic market and the 'same' model can behave very differently :x

[*Ben* 0]

I was once told that all the FTO's are the same group Insurance!! But i have owned a VR Golf MK3 and been in an Integra and i think that the Integra is one of the fastest cars without a turbo!! And you cant argue with HOnda Engines over 7 Million V-Tec engines have been made and none of them have been recorded to have popped!!

 

Hope that helps mate!

 

Over the two i would have the Honda! :)

[LicklePaulie 0]

over 7 Million V-Tec engines have been made and none of them have been recorded to have popped!! )

Sorry to report you have been sorely misinformed - I personally know of several. The vtec can be VERY thirsty on oil and the result of a failure to check is indeed a 'pop' - In fact, it's so thirsty that the Driver's Manual recommends (and the warranty requires) the driver to check the oil at every fuel-fill :shock: That's taking it a bit far but gives you an idea. Now if you were to say "A properly-maintained Honda engine..." :twisted:

[Ice White Socks 0]

But I suggest you try and drive an FTO before critising the handling

 

Yeah your right Scott- Shouldn't judge it without having been in one first. The teg has got such a good reputation for handling tho... but even so

 

Mike

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Several VTEC engines have blown, but the actual VTEC units themselves are known to be very reliable - providing people keep the engine topped up with oil :wink:

 

Yeah the Type R Civic's thirst for oil is mad.... so much so I'm surprised you don't get any smoke from the exhaust! And I thought the VR6 used a fair bit :shock:

 

Good, free revving engines do tend to use a bit anyway.....

[*Ben* 0]

Oh right misinformed i was!! Cheers mate! But i still think if you can find a well looked after Honda engine they are pretty much bomb proof!! :)

[LicklePaulie 0]

Several VTEC engines have blown, but the actual VTEC units themselves are known to be very reliable - providing people keep the engine topped up with oil :wink:

 

Yeah the Type R Civic's thirst for oil is mad.... so much so I'm surprised you don't get any smoke from the exhaust! And I thought the VR6 used a fair bit :shock:

 

Good, free revving engines do tend to use a bit anyway.....

Tis true, tis true - there is a known disorder amongst Honda (vtec) owners called Dipstick Paranoia! Must admit I was really lucky with mine... Checked the oil level religiously because of the rep and in a whole year's ownership and 15K only had to put in a litre (not including the Service Oilchange). Couldn't understand why everyone went on about how they were drinking it so quickly cos I didn't drive mine any easier than anyone else. It didn't drink fuel like my VR does either :roll:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Some engines are like that though, you get your goods and you get bad ones - across all marques.

 

The CTR I drove was a right duffer..... had hardly any guts at all in the VTEC zone but felt nippy low down tho. I know i-VTEC isn't as 'cammy' as the older engines but even so, it did nothing at all past 6000rpm, other than get noisy and coarse..... but others are stonkingly quick!

 

Asims VR as another example produces 212bhp and it's standard, where as others struggle to make standard power......

 

Some mysterious force is in operation that randomly infects a load of engines with Sluggishness disease......

[LicklePaulie 0]

Asims VR as another example produces 212bhp and it's standard, where as others struggle to make standard power......

:shock: :shock: :shock: And I thought I was doing well getting 196 out of mine as standard once the CPS got sorted! Go figure...

[Scott 0]

I've got no argument with anything you've said there Scott (although I never really liked the look of the FTO personally) but can offer advice on the Honda due to my own previous happy ownership :wink: .

 

The only other thing I would say about the Teg (and this goes for most performance Jap cars): Always check out a JDM import against a UK model -They always dumb down performance (because they get 100RON fuel as standard) and handling (to deal with our pot-holes) for our domestic market and the 'same' model can behave very differently :x

 

Good point actually - alot of the road tests done on the FTO were done using 95 octane fuel... :roll: and they wondered why they werent getting decent figures :roll: .... I run mine on Optimax which is the best fuel we can get over here and I admit the fuel type makes a HELL of a difference... might try some octane booster :lol:

 

But first the uprated brakes are going on ;)