First impression of EX v Sport

[lippy]

I picked up my new Blueish Silver 08 plate EX on a week ago, on the 29th, having traded in my 06 model, 56 plate Alabaster Silver 1.8 Sport.

I went up to my cousins on Friday, at Clay Cross, near Chesterfied, Derbyshire for a family occasion and the trip from our house in Bournemouth by the easiest/most direct route is 215 miles. A good run for the car. We caught all the traffic on Friday, and were on the road for 6 hours (!!) even doing detours (by sat nav) to avoid the worst of the jams on the M1 and driving sensibly with a new engine. The car has now done around 525 miles in total. It took just 4 hours to come home Sunday afternoon even stopping for coffee and petrol. Saw 3 civics on the way up and 5 on the way back.

The mpg over the 525 miles has averaged at 41.8 mpg. It was showing an average of just 24.6 mpg around town and with 75 miles on the clock before the trip, and is now dropping around town again.

I wondered whether I would find much difference between the two (apart from the spec) and there are a few things :
There is no clunking from the suspension. Although I was told my shocks were Ok on the Sport there was always a creak and a bit of a clunk when first setting off, ie reversing off my drive, but there is none with the new car.
The handling seems a bit better too, eg there is a bend on the A31 which I have never liked and which the Sport took OK, but the EX corners as tho on rails.
The doors shut better, and are easy to open – the Sport’s rear doors were never easy to open.

I found the sat nav really good, even round the little villages around Clay Cross but interestingly, it took us different ways to my sisters tomtom. I have the 3.23 version but there are things that are out of date – eg petrol stations locally not showing which have been there for years and vice versa i.e. some sites have not been petrol stations for years and are showing as such. The HFT Bluetooth worked well although Mr Lippy had to speak loudly (shout) on the motorway for the caller to hear clearly.

Overall, the EX is better, so maybe Honda have tweaked a few things.

PS one of my sisters , who drives a Merc, had a lift when 'oop north' (had never been in the Alabaster Silver) and was most impressed, commented 'it's like a cockpit in here!' - to which I replied thats why we call them spaceships!!!!

[Kremmen]

Ta for the info:

The HFT Bluetooth worked well although Mr Lippy had to speak loudly

Do the DIY foam pad fix. It makes a big difference not having any airgap between the microphone housing and the plastic grille. I can almost whisper at 70mph and still be understood quite clearly.

[HappyMan]

Very good review! I am most impressed with the handling on mine too.

[lippy]

Originally Posted by Kremmen

Do the DIY foam pad fix. It makes a big difference not having any airgap between the microphone housing and the plastic grille. I can almost whisper at 70mph and still be understood quite clearly.

Thanks for that Kremmen - will do this as it was difficult to make ourselves understood at 70mph!! Slower speeds were better but not brilliant.

[TTDegs]

Nice write up

[LoonyJohn]

Originally Posted by lippy

I went up to my cousins on Friday, at Clay Cross, near Chesterfied, Derbyshire for a family occasion and the trip from our house in Bournemouth by the easiest/most direct route is 215 miles. A good run for the car. We caught all the traffic on Friday, and were on the road for 6 hours (!!) even doing detours (by sat nav) to avoid the worst of the jams on the M1 and driving sensibly with a new engine. The car has now done around 525 miles in total. It took just 4 hours to come home Sunday afternoon even stopping for coffee and petrol. Saw 3 civics on the way up and 5 on the way back.

Derbyshire seems to be the forgotten place when it comes to the roads, the bit between where you are coming from, and where you're going to....

LJ

[LoonyJohn]

Originally Posted by Kremmen

Do the DIY foam pad fix. It makes a big difference not having any airgap between the microphone housing and the plastic grille. I can almost whisper at 70mph and still be understood quite clearly.

I thought this had been fixed from 2007 .... I'll have to look into this one !

LJ

[Chris_J]

That's good mpg you were getting for a petrol too. I hope my diesel can do a little better when it arrives

Is there a how to on this foam pad mod?

[lippy]

[quote=Chris_J;
Is there a how to on this foam pad mod?[/quote]

Yes, its in the wiki - I have printed it off and will be asking Mr Lippy to have a look/do it sometime over the weekend.