Mk 1 Dsi and a Mk 2 Vtec engines are a puzzle, The Dsi has pleasant driving characteristics using the lower range of rpm, , the Vtec I found to be poor, for situations in town driving, the Dsi is willing and forgiving , the Vtec not so, I drove both, having purposely delayed my purchase until the 2009 launch, so I could test and select the better of the two, I had three test drives of a Vtec, and only one for the Dsi, which I purchased and still own and very satisfied too. Three test drives of a Vtec because I found the car such hard work to drive, was the dealer demonstrator faulty is some way, no, evidently not. In light acceleration situations required in town traffic driving, where the Dsi would accept in third gear, the Vtec required a change down to second gear.
The explanation for such a characteristic is usually found in torque vs rpm diagram of an engine, the Dsi hinting of stronger low rpm torque than the Vtec, in reality not so, but from the Honda supplied diagrams, the two cars had identical diagrams below 3000 rpm, that is the puzzle I cannot solve, why two cars with the same torque curve diagram, in town driving, one is so tolerant and tractable, the other requires extra gear changes