Dunno about the type S but I drove a diesel version the other day - hire car - and was impressed. Plenty of room in the cabin, all the toys, decent perfromance, solid, secure handling and 46mpg on a mixed motorway/country road/town road journey on which I didn't hang about. I won't be selling my Golf any time soon but when I do I'll look at the Civic. And I'm a few years off my pension yet!