....has been somewhat an expensive one! 
Initial impressions of this car were good. For a start when my wife was driving it home after we picked it up, I couldn't keep up in our 60bhp Astra. This was good. I loved the sheer insanity of the thing compared to any other car I'd driven, the absolutely fantastic gearbox, the sound it made at full chat, the driving position, the small and tactile steering wheel, the ride and handling, and the way the doors sound like a chest freezer lid when you close them.
However, a little while after purchase, the alarm went epileptic and sent our neighbours up the wall over a period of two weeks. I soon learnt to sleep with one ear open and the keyfob within reach. In the end, after Honda could find nothing wrong with it, I decided it was best to disconnect the alarm sounder speaker for my sanity and to sustain the status quo within my neighbourhood. Shortly after this, the car refused to start for 2 days, leaving us without transport (spaccy immobiliser). It then miraculously woke up, and was fine again for several months.
A few weeks later, I had a call from my wife saying that smoke had started to come from the front OS wheel. The caliper had seized, and was totally fubarred. After much frantic searching, I managed to source some used calipers for £190 the pair.
Then a knocking developed just before reaching full lock, and over extremely bumpy surfaces. I took the car to Honda who said it could be the ARB bushes, and was quoted £150+VAT to fix. I gave the car to my local mechanic who confirmed they probably were the reason it was knocking, and he did the job for £40! The knocking persists to this day, but hasn't worsened.
Fast forward several months, and the immobiliser starts playing up again. this time causing the car to conk out on a notoriously nasty part of the A23 in AM rush hour. Cue taking the car to Honda who told me what I already knew - that the alarm was up the spout. They sorted all though for a mere £444, and now the alarm actually works correctly! \o/ I then did an oil and filter change at a cost of £50 using Silkolene Pro S.
Today my mechanic took the car for an MOT (passed without advisories even with (as my mechanic described), 'Totally ***** discs') then serviced it, fitting new discs, EBC Yellowstuff pads, sparkplugs, flushing/refilling the brake system, checking valve clearances and fitting 3 new wiper blades. I supplied all parts including a rocker cover gasket, but not the wiper blades at a cost of just over £200. My mechanic's bill was £200 inc. MOT and blades, taking this months total bill to £415 (including some oil for top up). The brakes are now insanely efficient, even though I'm still only bedding them in, and I have some peace of mind that the car won't drop to bits. Again.
All in all, I think I've nearly chopped the car in about half a dozen times. My wife nearly won her campaign for a 1.6 Focus, but I said I'd refuse to drive it if that happened!
I even looked at MG ZT 135 diesels (I still like these but annual mileage is too low to justify purchase atm) and ZR 160s as possible replacements, but soon saw sense after reading thread after thread about HGF on MG owners forums (I knew it was a problem, just not quite so ubiquitous. That and the intense ribbing I'd get on here put me off). ST170s came into the picture, so did LCRs, Octavias and various other cars of similar ilk. In the end though, we decided to keep the CTR. We've spent a fair amount of time and money getting it straight, so it makes sense to keep the damn thing.
Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't? I hope so!
Initial impressions of this car were good. For a start when my wife was driving it home after we picked it up, I couldn't keep up in our 60bhp Astra. This was good. I loved the sheer insanity of the thing compared to any other car I'd driven, the absolutely fantastic gearbox, the sound it made at full chat, the driving position, the small and tactile steering wheel, the ride and handling, and the way the doors sound like a chest freezer lid when you close them.
However, a little while after purchase, the alarm went epileptic and sent our neighbours up the wall over a period of two weeks. I soon learnt to sleep with one ear open and the keyfob within reach. In the end, after Honda could find nothing wrong with it, I decided it was best to disconnect the alarm sounder speaker for my sanity and to sustain the status quo within my neighbourhood. Shortly after this, the car refused to start for 2 days, leaving us without transport (spaccy immobiliser). It then miraculously woke up, and was fine again for several months.
A few weeks later, I had a call from my wife saying that smoke had started to come from the front OS wheel. The caliper had seized, and was totally fubarred. After much frantic searching, I managed to source some used calipers for £190 the pair.
Then a knocking developed just before reaching full lock, and over extremely bumpy surfaces. I took the car to Honda who said it could be the ARB bushes, and was quoted £150+VAT to fix. I gave the car to my local mechanic who confirmed they probably were the reason it was knocking, and he did the job for £40! The knocking persists to this day, but hasn't worsened.
Fast forward several months, and the immobiliser starts playing up again. this time causing the car to conk out on a notoriously nasty part of the A23 in AM rush hour. Cue taking the car to Honda who told me what I already knew - that the alarm was up the spout. They sorted all though for a mere £444, and now the alarm actually works correctly! \o/ I then did an oil and filter change at a cost of £50 using Silkolene Pro S.
Today my mechanic took the car for an MOT (passed without advisories even with (as my mechanic described), 'Totally ***** discs') then serviced it, fitting new discs, EBC Yellowstuff pads, sparkplugs, flushing/refilling the brake system, checking valve clearances and fitting 3 new wiper blades. I supplied all parts including a rocker cover gasket, but not the wiper blades at a cost of just over £200. My mechanic's bill was £200 inc. MOT and blades, taking this months total bill to £415 (including some oil for top up). The brakes are now insanely efficient, even though I'm still only bedding them in, and I have some peace of mind that the car won't drop to bits. Again.
All in all, I think I've nearly chopped the car in about half a dozen times. My wife nearly won her campaign for a 1.6 Focus, but I said I'd refuse to drive it if that happened!
I even looked at MG ZT 135 diesels (I still like these but annual mileage is too low to justify purchase atm) and ZR 160s as possible replacements, but soon saw sense after reading thread after thread about HGF on MG owners forums (I knew it was a problem, just not quite so ubiquitous. That and the intense ribbing I'd get on here put me off). ST170s came into the picture, so did LCRs, Octavias and various other cars of similar ilk. In the end though, we decided to keep the CTR. We've spent a fair amount of time and money getting it straight, so it makes sense to keep the damn thing.
Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't? I hope so!
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