Honda Civic Type R | PH Favourite Car of 2023
Porsche doesn't make a GT3 hatchback, but if it did...
Last year, just a month into the job, I was flown out to Italy to have a poke around the all-new Honda Civic Type R before most of the motoring press got their mitts on it. Lucky me, right? I even bagged a hot lap around Italy’s Tazio Nuvolari circuit (a real hidden gem, by the way) from none other than 2005 US GP podium finisher Tiago Monteiro, and he let me have a go with the newly improved gear shifter from the passenger seat. Eat your heart out, Chris Harris. The only problem is I didn’t get to experience the most hotly anticipated hot hatch of the decade from the driver’s seat. ‘Not to worry, I’ll have a proper go when the first drives come about.’
Or so I thought. Mike Duff called dibs on the first media drive late last year, and by the time the car arrived in the UK I was annoyingly too busy working on PH Project Car to have a go. What made things even more frustrating was that my social media feeds were packed full of reviewers singing the car’s praises. The consensus was that the FL5 wasn’t a huge leap on from the FK8 it replaced, though you only need to read the spec sheet to know that. It was, however, just a little bit better than the old car in practically every way; it delivered its power more effectively, handled bumps more gracefully and finally allowed you to fine-tune the settings with an Individual driving mode. This was the ultimate Civic Type R, they said, and I was desperate for a go.
Thankfully, that opportunity came during a triple test we put together a few months ago, where we brought together three of (what might be) the last manual performance cars to go on sale. I called shotgun on the new Type R and, just like that, a Championship White FL5 was parked outside my house. Although I’d only have it for a couple of days, it’d be all the time I’d need to confirm what I’d garnered from the passenger seat a year before - that it’s the closest thing to a 911 GT3 hot hatch on sale today.
Sounds hyperbolic, I know, and you can’t compare a 4.0-litre flat-six with a turbocharged four-cylinder motor that still relies on synthesised exhaust noises to sound interesting. Rather, it’s the level of detail that’s gone into every facet of the car, from the precise shift of the delightfully mechanically six-speed manual gearbox to the feedback through the steering wheel of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres scrubbing against the tarmac at low speed. Every component feels as though it’s been scrutinised under a microscope and refined to the nth degree. And although it isn’t a world away from the old car, all the little tweaks - the stiffer chassis, revised suspension geometry and the extra 9hp on tap - add up to a package that is in pretty much every way better than what came before. Just like a GT3.
Like a dream that ends just as you’re getting to the good bit, Honda came knocking at my door a couple of days later asking for their car back. Being in the fortunate position to drive all sorts of magnificent cars, it’s a feeling I’m all too familiar with. It's disappointing to no longer have a brand new car at your disposal, but a quick run in my Fiesta ST usually serves as a reminder that life with an old hot hatch - even one as snotty as mine - isn’t half bad. But that’s why the Type R stood out from the Ferrari Roma Spider, bonkers Brabus 900 Rocket R and all the other cars I'd experienced this year - I couldn’t stop thinking about the Honda long after handing the keys back.
So when asked to submit our car of the year picks, I once again called dibs on the Civic Type R and within a few days a Racing Blue Pearl one arrived. This time it would have a full week to bury itself deeper into my skin, though by ‘living’ with the new FL5 I did discover a few things I wasn’t completely keen on. First of all, it’s absolutely massive. At 4.6m in length and nearly 1.9m in width, it can be a genuine squeeze trying to fit the Type R into a parking space. And though the red Alcantara seats are properly comfy and supportive, they frustratingly don't come with a heating element. I’m well aware that makes me sound a bit delicate (and I am), but the cabin takes an age to heat up and they would have come in handy during the ‘arctic blast’ that descended on snowflake south at the time.
A good way to distract yourself from the cold (and wait for the aluminium gear knob to thaw out) is to have a poke around the new Individual mode. I stuck with the tried and tested ‘everything on R+ bar the suspension’, which gave the ride a little more room to breathe while still keeping the body firmly in check. Honestly, why don’t carmakers make a preset like this? Anyway, it’s a small yet considerable quality-of-life improvement that allows you to access everything the Type R has to offer without furiously switching between driving modes for different roads like you would on the FK8. That’s progress.
And when you are on it, the Civic Type R is on another level entirely. The way the front end snaps to an apex with the flick of the wheel, how the steering communicates the texture of the road to a degree that's rarely seen on today’s performance cars and especially the way the front wheels light up under acceleration without tugging at your arms - it all contributes to hot hatch greatness. Then, when you've had enough, knock it back comfort and it’s almost as if it forgets it’s a Type R. There’s still plenty of power and torque on demand, but the calmer throttle response, muted dash graphics and stifled exhaust note makes it feel a lot like any other Civic.
‘That’s all well and good, but £46,995 is crazy money for a Type R’, so everyone says. True, it’s £10k more than the outgoing car, and there's no denying that the FL5 shares a lot in common with its predecessor. But what’s the alternative? A Golf R is similar money yet isn’t nearly as engaging (nor as well made) as the Honda, while the Audi RS3 is more money still and, again, not nearly as rewarding to drive despite its superior engine. The Toyota GR Yaris is a genuine rival on many levels and substantially cheaper - but you can't buy one new in the UK any longer. Of course, the same could be said of the Civic, which is being brought ashore in such low volumes that you'll already need a build slot to get a factory-fresh one. Which does seem a crying shame to those of us who must go without. For the lucky few, however, hot hatch perfection beckons.
SPECIFICATION | HONDA CIVIC TYPE R (FL5)
Engine: 1,996 four-cylinder, turbocharged
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 329@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 310@2,200-4,400rpm
0-62mph: 5.4secs
Top speed: 170mph
Weight: 1,429kg
MPG: 34.4
CO2: 186g/km
Price: £46,995
Honourable mention | VW Golf GTI - PH Project Car
Okay, I’ve got something to admit: the Type R wasn’t the first thing that came to mind when Nic asked for my favourite car of the year, it was a Mk5 VW Golf GTI you’ve come to know as PH Project Car. Annoyingly, 17-year-old cars aren’t eligible for COTY, especially one I’ve rambled on about for most of the year. But I’ve seen that GTI go from a regular old five-door hot hatch (with a wonderful beige leather interior) to a track weapon that got within a whisker of a Mk8 Golf R 20 Years around a circuit. And while there were areas we didn’t gel - most notably when the dampers were left on their firmest setting for a week - the GTI was phenomenal by the time we were done with it. PH Project Car is now in good hands with our competition winner Morgan Brady (not jealous, promise), though I’m hoping for a definitely-not-tearful reunion at a Sunday Service in 2024.
The only thing I'm not on-board with is the driving mode thing; specifically the "feels like any other Civic part". While I understand the logic behind it, it's just not appealing to me at all. If I'm buying a Type-R - or any other performance car - I don't want it to feel like the lower spec model. I want it to feel special all the time. I think that trait was the biggest thing that irritated me about the Golf R I had. While it was incredibly capable, for much of the time, it just felt like my friend's 1.6 TDI. It lacked the sparkle that made the car feel special, even when you were sitting in traffic. I'm sure the Civic is better in that respect, but I do struggle with the current trend of trying to make every car suitable for everyone, all of the time. It's perfectly understandable on the one hand but, on the other, I think it takes away some of what makes car like this special.
I traded a GRY in for it so well placed to compare them.
My colour choices were red, blue then white, I got red so well chuffed. I've only ever seen one other on the road, a blue one, unfortunately I have to say blue works better in pictures than on the road, I made the right choice IMO.
It still turns heads, mostly from people who 'know' which is nice.
I agree with the cold cabin as well, I leave for work at around 6am and it's bloody cold (I live within earshot of knockhill)and takes ages to heat up.
I don't agree it's a hot hatch, it's a class higher than that IMO, mainly because it's limits cannot be found by normal people like me unless we really are doing something silly at silly speeds.
My local dealer is getting 1 a quarter to sell and reckons the plug will be pulled next year sometime.
If it is the final hot ICE hot hatch, I think we've done ok
More recently, manufacturers have (understandably) tried to make their products appeal to as broad an audience as possible. This train of thought always takes me back to the film Top Gear did where they put the E92 M3 up against the then current RS4 and C63. They were all such different cars. The Audi offered sure-footedness with 4WD, the BMW was the scalpel-sharp driver's car, while the Mercedes was the lairy brute. Look at those cars in 2023 and they have become massively closer in their ethos. Now all offer 4WD, and loads of driving modes to try and appeal to as many different people as possible. They're all impressive in their own way, but it's a shame that some of the identity has been lost from each one. You might as well buy any one of them, because they don't offer anything that unique anymore.
You can't blame the manufacturers, as they're in the business of making money but, as an enthusiast, it's sad that most mainstream manufacturers have gone down that path. What's sad is that, for some, it didn't work at all. Take Renault as one example. The Renault Sport Megane was always at the more extreme end of the hot hatch spectrum and, for enthusiasts, was all the better for it. Yes, the interior wasn't class-leading, and the ride was quite brittle, but it was a fantastic drivers car. They tried to tone it down and give it broader appeal with the fourth generation model, which took it away from what the enthusiasts wanted, but the slightly low-rent interior and stiff ride then became problematic, because the car was a more direct rival to cars like the Golf GTI - a car it was never going to be able to beat as the all-round, broad appeal hot hatch. Obviously the older cars only sold in relatively small numbers, but I can't help but wonder if Renault should have stuck to their guns - it's not like the later car was a sales hit either.
Interior looks like a decent place and they have a point about rivals.
I seems to be rare to see such compliments to steering and apex precision too. Then again it does not push 2 tons in weight either.
Can’t help but think this Japanese four door rocket package was mastered in the Hawkeye (GG) Impreza STI 16yrs ago.
Dimensions are very similar (the Impreza is slightly shorter), both weigh about 1400kg and have 320bhp with great manual gearboxes. Obviously the Impreza has 4WD but at £45k+ and 320bhp I’d of hoped the CTR did to, particularly as it is being sold in such limited numbers. I don’t think front drive is a USP on it. Yes I get the interior quality and modernity is another level in the CTR but as a driving experience, hmm I’d be tempted to get a clean grey import over a CTR now.
In 2023 it's in a size no-man's-land; a *lot* bigger than typical C-segment offerings (300+ longer than a Golf) but it's 15+ years since repmobiles have been this size and they're 150+ bigger now. The only thing that's actually similar is the 3-Series and the performance version of that is clearly not a competitor (power, price, finish quality, etc, etc).
But the powertrain is all hot hatch, so go with that.
It's a mixed bag in my opinion; I wouldn't say it completely removes the "special" part of the experience - It just softens the bumps and lightens the steering to make things more liveable.
It certainly doesn't remove the "special chassis tinglies" that you get from the car - Vibration, sound, gearchange & touchpoints etc.
Perhaps a better phrasing would be "No more effort to drive than any other Civic"
That does bring me onto my qualm with driving modes though - The sheer number available / "individual modes"
In my FK8, I'm a fan - They're provided for you, and you have three to chose from - Soft (Comfort), Perfect balance (Sport), Bonkers (+R) - Pop the dipswitch into your preference and as long as you're relatively straight and level, mode changes and off you go.
With individual and multi-driving modes now though, I think things are starting to get bonkers - Mode mania sets in where (I have observed) people arriving at a given B road of enjoyment then spend the first 5 minutes faffing settings in a vein attempt to summon maximum driving pleasure.
I think all civics look bland without a body kit. So if you're going to have one then the previous generation looks appropriately stupid and aggressive enough for me.
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