• Great ergonomics and driving position
• Lacks supercar quality in some areas
• Tech and trim added in 2019 facelift

The interior is not the Honda NSX’s strongest area. While there are some nice forms and shapes (particularly the swoopy door handles) the cabin doesn’t really reflect the supercar pricetag, with some switchgear looking like it’s been borrowed from the Civic hatchback.

Chief quality offenders are the plastic, clicky gearshift paddles. Particularly problematic because you’ll be using them a lot, they just don’t deliver the kind of satisfying feel or action we would expect from this kind of machine.

Other gripes include the shiny silver plastic dotted around the cabin, which tends to reflect sunlight into your eyes, and the piano black buttons fitted in place of a conventional automatic gearbox shift lever, which instantly attract fingerprints.

Well-placed controls, but spec the reversing camera

For all that the cabin feels cheap, the NSX’s fundamental ergonomics are great. Everything is nicely within reach, particularly the drive mode selector, which is just a hand’s span from the steering wheel allowing you to make easy use of the car’s differing personalities.

Similarly, the driving position is spot-on, with comfortable supportive seats that hold you in place during hard driving and a steering wheel that adjusts for both reach and rake. And though the wheel is an irregular shape, the speed of the steering itself is such that you rarely need to move your hands from the quarter-to-three position.

The instrument cluster uses a digital display in place of old fashioned analogue dials; this is crisp, blur-free, and changes colour and emphasis depending on the driving mode.

Forward visibility through the windscreen is excellent, thanks to the thin A-pillars. But you’ll want to spec the reversing camera because the view out the back is considerably more restricted.

Interior revamped in 2019

Although the basic design of the interior remains the same post-2019 facelift, the standard equipment list has improved and there are some eye-catching options too.

First up are the four-way powered sports seats – previously a £1,200 option – now thrown in for free, alongside sat-nav, ELS Studio premium audio, front and rear parking sensors and aluminum sport pedals. You can spec a lightweight manually adjustable sports seat if you want, as well as indigo blue or red leather trim.

Comfort

• Great ride at low speed and while cruising
• Quiet mode means silent running
• Effortless power delivery means relaxing progress

Comfort levels are usually compromised in high-performance cars like this, but it was a surprising strength of the original NSX, and pleasingly Honda has carried that tradition over to the new version.

Helping the new car’s cause are exotic-sounding magnetorheological suspension dampers. This technology – used by Ferrari and Audi, amongst others – is now in its third generation, and features magnetically-charged fluid that can vary its viscosity, meaning the NSX can have a firmer, sportier ride or a softer, more cossetting setup.

The quietest supercar?

In addition to this suspension comfort, you can also turn the noise levels right down with Quiet mode. This uses the electric motors to drive silently until the batteries run out – usually after only a couple of miles – but even when the petrol engine is running the NSX is much quieter in this setting, as it restricts the exhaust and makes the automatic gearbox change up much earlier in the rev range.

Quiet mode is a substantial 25 decibels more hushed than the raciest Track mode. It turns the NSX into an effortless cruiser, suitable for fuss-free long-distance motorway driving in a manner not many rivals can match.