Reviewed: Honda Civic Type-R

It’s almost 4am when we climb into the new Honda Civic Type-R and I nestle myself into the Type-R’s supportive passenger seat. Instantly I breathe in the subtle details that set this Civic apart from the regular ones we see so often on the roads. Besides the Type-R exclusive seats, only the red ‘H’ logo on the steering wheel and small Type-R emblems give tell-tale signs of the beast that lives within this Civic.

The exterior tells a whole different story, with the Championship White paint and colour-matched lightweight wheels echoing the looks and performance of Honda’s own NSX Type-R. The redesigned bumper with larger air dams and front spoiler give the car a very aggressive look, and at the rear the large wing and diffuser clearly state the new Type-R’s racing and track intentions.

As we close the doors and insert the keys into the ignition, the anticipation and excitement builds within me. A push of the red starter button brings the K20A powerplant to life, but not with the drama one would expect from such a highly-strung engine. At idle the Type-R feels no different from the regular Civic, and even a blip of the throttle at standstill does nothing to excite.

Moving along empty city roads, I am annoyed to find that the exhaust note is rather flat, with the engine sounding very harsh at higher revs. At low speeds, the Type-R seems to want to settle down like a regular Civic, but the very hard track tuned suspension leaves no room for passenger comfort. So far, the Type-R has failed to impress me, but the passenger seat is not where you would want to judge this particular Honda. 

We pull over and I hop over into the driver’s seat. As soon as we set off, the answer suddenly becomes clear. The rev-loving engine pulls smoothly all the way to the redline. The throttle response is crisp and immediate, with no slack in the pedal. There is this sense of urgency throughout the car, encouraging you to rev the engine harder and shift faster. True to a highly tuned V-TEC engine, revs have to be kept high to keep the car pulling hard in its powerband and the close-ratio transmission on the Type-R is mated perfectly to the 4-cylinder masterpiece. The gearbox has a nice short throw and the shifts are very quick and precise. The combination of the narrow powerband and short, close-ratio gearing enables the driver to keep the car accelerating at its hardest, of which its usefulness should be evident on a closed track.

Another piece of the FD2 that is perfectly suited for the track are the brakes, courtesy of Brembo. The brakes were spectacular, being able to bring the car to a standstill quickly without even the slightest squirm. Pedal feel was excellent and modulation was easy at all speeds. Even with its track-tuned suspension, braking hard over bumpy, city roads posed no problems to the Type-R. All four wheels were always in contact with the road and the chassis allowed the car to be stable and settled at all times.

The Type-R’s sharp engine and drivetrain combination are indeed beautifully set up and can wear its badge proudly, but its real pièce de résistance is its handling; it is truly breathtaking. The steering is instantaneous and extremely precise, well weighted for spirited driving and communicates perfectly with the driver, letting the driver know and feel exactly what the tyres are doing. The front-end grip is phonomenal for a front-wheel drive car and the car does not push wide easily. The back end rotates very well to interpret the driver’s steering inputs, and the ability of the rear to follow the front into the corners enables the car to be very neutral in the corners when flat-out. The superb handling and high levels of road adhesion of this amazing cornering machine will over-flatter and keep increasing your confidence the more you drive it. It just begs to be driven hard, and it equally rewards the driver in return.

As we step out of the Type-R and I return the keys after our drive, I am still in a struggle to completely accept it. I love the way the car feels in my hands, how easy it is to communicate with it at high speeds, and how the car manages to instill a level of confidence that makes the car standout from the crowd. However, it just does not seem like it will make a good everyday car. Without a doubt, you could take your entire family and a day’s worth of supplies to the track, have a wonderful, all-out experience all day, and then just drive your family home after but it just does not feel like what the Type-R was built for. It was made for one purpose only and that is to be driven hard and flat-out on the track or closed mountain road all the time with a big smile on your face, and to that end the Type-R is a great success. Perhaps the biggest success of all is that at the end of the day, despite my doubts, not only did it leave a smile on my face, it left me wanting more.

Many thanks to Tom and Zerotohundred.com. Please have your say in comments.