The lag isn't that big of a difference between the two but the torque hit is a lot different, the 82 comes on at 3700rpm with an insane torque curve. Now the 86 came on around 4400 in the civic but ramped up like nuts. The 86 is the money maker, and the 82 is the fun supercharged road race type turbo.

Here is a graph from the civic making similar power but on the 86 with less boost. The 82 was more linear because it came on sooner but yanked due to the crazy torque hit, the 86 took a little longer but was like a kick in the ass when it hit making a more vertical power band as it came on. I had to do a 4th gear pull with the 82 to get that kind of vertical anger out of it.

I always run a .82 t3 or tial housing on all my turbos!

These Graphs are all from the same dyno

HTA 86 @ 33psi


HTA 82 @ 38psi


HTA 82 4th gear pull




In a nut shell, I would rock the 3582 for a fun street car with insta yank from people in traffic, but I would pick the 86 for racing as it makes more peak power in the power range you will be shifting in.