Some love for the ITS

[6-Speedio]

Positivity thread.

Now that the ITS has been widely publicized and people have seen the price, performance, looks, etc...

I have seen a bunch of negativity around the web about how much it costs and it isn't even that great of a car.

I firmly disagree. I don't think you can compare it to an M2 or RS3. Even at Demo prices those two cars are likely $10K more and very difficult to find. The M2 comes in manual, the RS3 does not.

My point? I have put 1600 miles on my ITR. It just keeps getting better. I absolutely love the car. It looks great, drives great, and sounds great. I don't care what the haters say. Yes, it was a bit more than I wanted to spend, but man is this car fantastic.

I have had a ton of sports cars and I will say this is the best balanced car in every respect. Balanced in driving and the fact that it is usable.

So...just some positivity on Friday. If you have an ITR, forget the haters, go drive.

Patrick

Anyone who bought an M2 is going to shit on he ITS. Anyone who bought an STI or Golf R or car X is going to shit on the ITS. Anyone who can't afford the ITS is also going to shit on it. It's a tale as old as time when it comes to cars. And it definitely goes both ways.

It's partially a method of justifying whatever they did buy. It's also a method of accepting what they can't buy. The ITS does have its flaws. But so does every other car I just mentioned. The current M2 is hideous, for example. Like, look what they've done to my boy, style of looks. But it hauls some pretty serious ass too. Different ownership crowd and that's it.

At the end of the day, enthusiasts differ wildly as well as what is important to them. Personally, I don't overly care for RWD or AWD. No hate on either, they're just not for me. Actually I do kind of hate AWD (weight penalty and no real benefit to racing once you start moving) but RWD is cool. As such, I can shit on all those cars also.

What is important is there will always be a certain amount of people who want these cars and that's literally all that matters. They help keep value up long term.

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[6-Speedio]

But the RS3 is actually not a better car. Not just because it doesn't have a manual, but the overall driving dynamics are just not as good. It is probably objectively faster, but I'm not entirely convinced that isn't mostly just due to the all-wheel drive traction from a standstill and the inherent advantages of a dual-clutch vs manual.

It is very much not an objectively "better car"- might be for some people, might not be for others. I don't know why so many people default to this. Here's a great vid on the topic, but it's the FL5 vs the RS3. Arguably the DE5 is "better" in many regards from a "luxury" perspective vs the FL5, so it's even more compelling.





I've long been turned off by the insane power and acceleration capabilities of modern performance cars. I first realized just how much of a "blue-balls inducing" situation having a car like that is with my F82 M4. It's just not that fun to drive until you're going illegal speeds, and even if you were stupid enough to do that on the street you literally CAN'T because there are other people there.

The ITS IS still fun to drive at normal speeds and very few cars can match that, and they generally cost 2x as much, to start and are nowhere near as practical (718 comes to mind).

These are my thoughts exactly. I couldn't push them as hard as I can thrash the living hell out of a Miata, outside of the track. Blue balls is very real. To me, 300-350hp is the absolute sweet spot for a car that isn't dedicated to track driving

 

[GTO]

I’m often asked for car advice and my answer is the same - get what you like and don’t worry about anyone else.

I chose to buy a BRZ instead of a 718. My BMW friend said I should’ve gotten the Porsche for the prestige and my Chevy friend said I should’ve gotten a Camaro for the power. They still rib me about it whenever they get the chance (which is always) and I laugh because every single time I drive the BRZ, I look like this

My every day car for the past 20 years has been a 6MT TSX and it too makes me

For me, the Integra Type S is the perfect combination of the two and I can’t wait to get mine.

For everyone that has theirs already, congrats and enjoy!

 

[Tw1stedlog1k]

Wait. There are people out there who don't love the ITS?

 

[Bzal1122]

But the RS3 is actually not a better car. Not just because it doesn't have a manual, but the overall driving dynamics are just not as good. It is probably objectively faster, but I'm not entirely convinced that isn't mostly just due to the all-wheel drive traction from a standstill and the inherent advantages of a dual-clutch vs manual.

It is very much not an objectively "better car"- might be for some people, might not be for others. I don't know why so many people default to this. Here's a great vid on the topic, but it's the FL5 vs the RS3. Arguably the DE5 is "better" in many regards from a "luxury" perspective vs the FL5, so it's even more compelling.





I've long been turned off by the insane power and acceleration capabilities of modern performance cars. I first realized just how much of a "blue-balls inducing" situation having a car like that is with my F82 M4. It's just not that fun to drive until you're going illegal speeds, and even if you were stupid enough to do that on the street you literally CAN'T because there are other people there.

The ITS IS still fun to drive at normal speeds and very few cars can match that, and they generally cost 2x as much, to start and are nowhere near as practical (718 comes to mind).

Obviously this is all just our own opinions. The Teg is still a FWD
Car ( yes one of the best ) and to me rear and all wheel is still the better choice for a sporty driver. I know you had a Cayman before as well , but that car is engaging no matter what speed you go. 6 cyl variants of course . My buddy has an rs3 , and to me it is a better car than the CTR and ITS. But not 10k or more better. So we both agree the ITS and CTR may be the best all around daily enthusiast car out there. Now I just need my allocation number to be called.

 

[Ministry]

Give it some time...ITS still has 'new kid on the block' syndrome that plagued the FK8 and even the FL5 early on but will die down once everyone's done with the chest thumping. It's 0-60 and 1/4 mi are luke-warm by today's standard but some additional track focused metrics like C&D's lightning lap may do a lot to silence haters and I expect similar results for the ITS in this year's event.

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a42387050/2023-honda-civic-type-r-lightning-lap-2023/

Maybe even top the Type R?

 

[Krazydan19]

I’m often asked for car advice and my answer is the same - get what you like and don’t worry about anyone else.

I chose to buy a BRZ instead of a 718. My BMW friend said I should’ve gotten the Porsche for the prestige and my Chevy friend said I should’ve gotten a Camaro for the power. They still rib me about it whenever they get the chance (which is always) and I laugh because every single time I drive the BRZ, I look like this

My every day car for the past 20 years has been a 6MT TSX and it too makes me

For me, the Integra Type S is the perfect combination of the two and I can’t wait to get mine.

For everyone that has theirs already, congrats and enjoy!

Yes!, get what you like. Reason they make so many different cars and different places to eat. From your choice of cars you’re gonna absolutely love the ITS! I had a 6speed tsx for many years after my short time with a rsx type S and some great years in an Evo before that. I’m almost 300 miles in and can’t believe how much of a thrill I get from this pocket rocket. It’s a Time Machine for us 40 something’s!

 

[optronix]

Obviously this is all just our own opinions. The Teg is still a FWD
Car ( yes one of the best ) and to me rear and all wheel is still the better choice for a sporty driver. I know you had a Cayman before as well , but that car is engaging no matter what speed you go. 6 cyl variants of course . My buddy has an rs3 , and to me it is a better car than the CTR and ITS. But not 10k or more better. So we both agree the ITS and CTR may be the best all around daily enthusiast car out there. Now I just need my allocation number to be called.

The RS3 is a great car. My point was that it isn't objectively better than the ITS across all metrics. To me, Audis just aren't great at being engaging on the street. I had an RS5, an S4, and an S3. I loved all of those cars, but none of them made me want to wake up early and go for a drive. The RS3 is the best Audi has to offer but it still suffers from that IMO. Its driving dynamics are still too far to the "isolated" side of my imaginary engagement scale- best way I can describe it is numb steering, and a lack of the sense of "connection" through a corner like the ITS has. But yes, the engine is magnificent. For some that may be enough to offset the lack of engagement when you turn the wheel. I'll admit if the RS3 offered a manual it would be a MUCH more difficult decision for me... but alas, they don't, so it's no contest.

Subjectively, I like the exterior styling of the ITS more than the RS3, but the interior goes to the Audi. Personally I'm a fan of integrated screens vs "iPad tacked on the dashboard", and while I've grown to love the seats in the ITS, Audi seats are some of the best in the business.

To your point, the "fun at any speed" cars usually have two doors, most of the time two seats, and are generally very pricey. The BRZ and Miata are examples of affordable cars that are always fun to drive, but their sacrifice is on power. Too much sacrifice for me- part of owning a sports car is at least a sense that it's faster than most other cars on the road... the ITS/CTR accomplishes this without gaudy 0-60 times but the BRZ twins and Miata are just too slow for me. ANY Cayman or Boxster is fun to drive. ANY. Don't care what year, what engine. A base 986 is going to be a blast. The 6s are the ones to have, but the 4s are also great driving experiences. But obviously none of these cars have the ability to get your friends/family/dogs in the back seat, which at this point in my life I do still require- and from at least new car perspective the 718s are just way too expensive for what they're worth. Sorry but a base Cayman is just not a $75k experience- which is easily what you'll pay for one once you factor in a few options (and you get through the dealer allocation Hunger Games). And sadly, neither is the 718 GTS 4.0 a $100k+ experience. That engine is also magnificent, arguably a masterpiece but it's not good enough to justify that ridiculous price point. Not when you can get 90% of that experience out of a 981 GTS for nearly half that (they're overpriced too these days but still a better value)- or 98% of that experience from a 718 GTS with the 2.5 turbo for ~$75k.

 

[Bzal1122]

The RS3 is a great car. My point was that it isn't objectively better than the ITS across all metrics. To me, Audis just aren't great at being engaging on the street. I had an RS5, an S4, and an S3. I loved all of those cars, but none of them made me want to wake up early and go for a drive. The RS3 is the best Audi has to offer but it still suffers from that IMO. Its driving dynamics are still too far to the "isolated" side of my imaginary engagement scale- best way I can describe it is numb steering, and a lack of the sense of "connection" through a corner like the ITS has. But yes, the engine is magnificent. For some that may be enough to offset the lack of engagement when you turn the wheel. I'll admit if the RS3 offered a manual it would be a MUCH more difficult decision for me... but alas, they don't, so it's no contest.

Subjectively, I like the exterior styling of the ITS more than the RS3, but the interior goes to the Audi. Personally I'm a fan of integrated screens vs "iPad tacked on the dashboard", and while I've grown to love the seats in the ITS, Audi seats are some of the best in the business.

To your point, the "fun at any speed" cars usually have two doors, most of the time two seats, and are generally very pricey. The BRZ and Miata are examples of affordable cars that are always fun to drive, but their sacrifice is on power. Too much sacrifice for me- part of owning a sports car is at least a sense that it's faster than most other cars on the road... the ITS/CTR accomplishes this without gaudy 0-60 times but the BRZ twins and Miata are just too slow for me. ANY Cayman or Boxster is fun to drive. ANY. Don't care what year, what engine. A base 986 is going to be a blast. The 6s are the ones to have, but the 4s are also great driving experiences. But obviously none of these cars have the ability to get your friends/family/dogs in the back seat, which at this point in my life I do still require- and from at least new car perspective the 718s are just way too expensive for what they're worth. Sorry but a base Cayman is just not a $75k experience- which is easily what you'll pay for one once you factor in a few options (and you get through the dealer allocation Hunger Games). And sadly, neither is the 718 GTS 4.0 a $100k+ experience. That engine is also magnificent, arguably a masterpiece but it's not good enough to justify that ridiculous price point. Not when you can get 90% of that experience out of a 981 GTS for nearly half that (they're overpriced too these days but still a better value)- or 98% of that experience from a 718 GTS with the 2.5 turbo for ~$75k.

I can’t argue with any of that really. Daily driver wise with fun factor the ITS and CTR are the way to go. I am seeing more and more dealers playing the mark up game worth the ITS now though. I’m on a list for MSRP , and I hope the rest of everyone on here can get in to this or a CTR at very very close to MSRP if not at MSRP

 

[BatesMotelXIV]

I was following the Elantra N very closely. Joined social groups to have an idea of how is doing in terms of reliability and mods.
Lost interest once I saw a rise in fuel system issues that required parts replacements.
The dreaded octane learning that makes the engine run in a conservative tune until the owner does some specific procedure after each fuel up (some reset after a start-up).
Dealers servicing these cars without following manufacturers' guidelines by putting the wrong oil and bitching about it if you show them the manual.
Seats showing peeling after some minor usage.
Exhaust valve requiring replacement. (Very common)
Body panels peeling due to rubbing in their contact points.
Knock sensor that might go bad after a rain/car wash/engine wash.
Swollen wheel lug nuts

Too many things going on with that car that clearly show all the signs of cost cuttings.

Man, I had questions about the Hyundai's reliability, but D***...even a fraction of those things you listed would've validated my suspicions. Sheesh...

 

[optronix]

Man, I had questions about the Hyundai's reliability, but D***...even a fraction of those things you listed would've validated my suspicions. Sheesh...

Agreed, Hyundai has come a LOOONG way but there's still no way I'd put them in the same class as Honda.

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