EP3 Civic Type R - why not?

[C.A.R.]

The whole torque thing is overrated - they don't seriously lack at all, it's still a 2.0.

They are very well built, seating position could be better (feels a bit high up IMO) and insurance can be a bit alarming too. The one thing they are is involving, I can't comment on how they handle at speed as that's not something you can really do on a test drive, but the VTEC kick is nice:

Consider also the Celica 190/TSport. Often overlooked but only 8bhp down on the Civic and the seating position is a million times better. It's low-slung being a proper coupe rather than a hatchback and as a result it's aesthetically in another league - IMO of course. They're not as common as a Civic Type R but offer a very similar driving experience. I got 36ish MPG from mine and thought that was good going. No cambelt to worry about (runs on chain) and very cheap to service too. About 1 in 8 Celicas have the 190 engine (according to registered cars figures) where most have the 140bhp engine, so they're uncommon even as far as Celicas go....