Honda Civic Type-R car review

Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 83%

Choosing a hot hatch has never been harder – especially after Honda waded into battle with its concept car-inspired Civic Type-R.

View more pictures of the Civic Type-R

It's brimming with technology which backs up its 22nd century looks – but can it take the fight to the thuggish Focus ST, sublime Golf GTi or rapid Mazda 3 MPS?

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor | Rivals

1. Looks

Love it or hate it, even the standard Civic turns heads wherever it goes. And the Type-R version has even more appeal. It might not look like it, but the lower panels – including the doors, rear wings and front and rear bumpers are unique to the three-door Civic. Specifying a Type-R version adds sculpted side skirts and deeper front and rear bumpers, while a black 'honeycomb' grille replaces the glass panel which runs across the front of standard Civics. A set of 18-inch alloys and a larger rear wing finish the look, although the latter seriously compromises rear visibility.

9/10

2. Looks inside

The concept car look carries on in the cabin, where there are no fewer than three display screens – a digital readout for the speedo, a huge analogue rev counter with digital readouts for some of the ancillary functions and a digital display for the radio. It takes a bit of getting used to, but seemed natural after a few hundred miles behind the wheel. After the unique dash, the seats need to be something special – and they are. Supremely comfortable and supportive, they are finished in red cloth with black suede-like bolsters with Type-R livery.

9/10

3. Practicality

Plenty of space in the front, but even more in the back, the Civic should be commended for the huge amount of leg, head and shoulder room. It's got a huge 485-litre boot – 100 litres more than a Focus – which increases to more than 1,350 litres with the seats folded (again, 100 more than the Ford). There's plenty of storage space around the cabin too, including a refrigerated glovebox in the GT version we tested. It's probably the most practical hatchback round in terms of interior room.

So why not a full ten marks? The bonnet slopes away so steeply there's very little sense of the length of the car, but worse is the rear spoiler which obliterates rear visibility. The lower half of the rear screen is curved plastic which distorts the view and becomes a magnet for road grime on a wet or dusty road. Often we were aware of a car behind just by catching a glimpse of its roof.

8/10

4. Ride and Handling

Honda say it aimed to produce an experience as near to driving a race car as possible, and it has succeeded. There's virtually no body roll, and the steering is wonderfully quick to react, meaning the Type-R car flick and change direction in an instant. We think it could be a fantastic track car; and it's no slouch on the road either. The ride might be too hard for some, but it adds to the experience. The Type-R sits on lowered and stiffened suspension with a rear track (the distance between the wheels) increased by 15mm to increase stability.

10/10

5. Performance

Honda has taken the unusual step of not tuning the Type-R's engine to produce a headline-grabbing power figure. Its 200bhp is less than the Focus ST, Seat Leon Cupra and Volvo C30 2.5T, but is quicker to 62mph than most of its rivals (bar the C30 and Mazda 3 MPS). Top speed is 146mph, about the same as the Type-R's competitors. But while most of the other hot hatches on the market have turbochargers to provide their grunt, the Type-R has Honda's i-VTEC system. That means the Civic remains docile under 5,400rpm, but turns into a motorbike-sounding screamer between 5,400 and its 7,950rpm redline. Keeping the car in the VTEC zone is an incredible feeling as the revs build, and the six-speed manual gearbox has a perfect set of ratios to keep the engine spinning between the magic numbers.

The only criticism is while other cars can be driven fast without requiring the engine to scream along, the Type-R is a big hatchback-shaped 'look at me'. That's fine for some, but does attract unwanted attention.

9/10

6. Running Costs

Although Honda claim the Type-R can manage an average fuel consumption figure of 31mpg, our roadtesters struggled to keep it above 27mpg. That's got a lot to do with the intoxicating blend of sound and acceleration when it's driven hard. Insurance is about average for a hot hatch, while 215g/km of CO2 place it in the costly band F for road tax. Honda offers two trim levels, the standard Type-R and the GT – the former doesn’t have air-con, which is a surprising omission for a £17,600 car.

7/10

7. Reliability

It’s a Honda, so a decent level of reliability is guaranteed; although some of the trim on our test car felt flimsy. The exterior door handles didn't really feel up to the job, while the centre console trim between the front seats could be easily moved from side to side. Used Type-R buyers should watch for crash damage and general neglect. Honda claim never to have a single reported failure of a VTEC system; impressive when the driver is encouraged to frequently hit the 7,950rpm redline.

8/10

8. Safety

Although the Type-R hasn't been tested by EuroNCAP's crash assessment programme, the standard Civic has, scoring four stars for both adult and child occupant protection. That's less than the Ford Focus, Renault Megane, Volvo C30 and Volkswagen Golf. The standard Type-R only has four airbags while the GT model gets six: front, side and curtain.

7/10

9. Equipment

Honda expects the higher-spec GT model to make up around 80 per cent of all sales, and the extra £1,000 is worth spending for the additional airbags alone. Standard models come with 18-inch alloys, a trip computer, ABS, stability control and electronic brakeforce distribution and those fancy racing seats. The GT model adds climate control, curtain airbags, cruise control, automatic headlights and front fog lamps. It seems a shame some of the equipment on the GT isn't available as standard on all models.

7/10

10. X-Factor

The Civic Type-R is bought for its looks, its reliability and its cracking engine. It's bristling with technology and fills a gap between the thuggish Focus ST and the refined Golf GTi. In time, it will be regarded as a modern masterpiece.

9/10

View more pictures of the Civic Type-R

Rivals

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