Honda FL5 Type R - Championship White
Discussion
After owning a Hyundai I30N from 2018 to 2023, then a Hyundai I20N from 2023, I decided in late 2024 that I fancied a change and with doing not much more than 5K miles a year but using a car daily, went searching for something a bit different.
After much deliberation, I settled upon the FL5 Type R. Originally my colour choice was red, but the more times I went looking, I was concerned that both the exterior and interior being the same colour may be a bit much to live with. I wasn't considering white, but I went to look at one at a local dealer and was surprised how good they actually looked in white.
After a discussion around numbers etc, the I20N was sold to a dealer who specialised in the N models for decent money (It actually lost pretty much nothing in the 18 months I owned it), the deal was done and I picked up the FL5 on the 8th January 2025.
All I can say is, yes it is expensive for a 'Honda' but it is worth every penny and more once you actually drive it. The seating position is perfect, the gear change is another level to anything I have had in a manual before and although the interior is a little cheap in area's, the seats are the best seats i've ever sat in.
It's big! Very big! And wide! Much bigger than I expected, but this also means we can use it for trips with the family (2 adults and 2 children, plus luggage) instead of using our tiguan all the time, which we did when I had the I20N. It's quick enough and obviously like to rev with it being a Honda.
One gripe is the massively over cautious fuel gauge! 45 litre tank and with range showing 10 miles, can only get 35 litres into the tank, so there is 10 litres still in there somewhere.
I have covered 5,900 miles now in just over 15 months and its been a joy. You can't help looking back at it once parked up.
Anyway enough waffle, I will update with any changes which I am considering in the future. But here are the obligatory pictures:
After much deliberation, I settled upon the FL5 Type R. Originally my colour choice was red, but the more times I went looking, I was concerned that both the exterior and interior being the same colour may be a bit much to live with. I wasn't considering white, but I went to look at one at a local dealer and was surprised how good they actually looked in white.
After a discussion around numbers etc, the I20N was sold to a dealer who specialised in the N models for decent money (It actually lost pretty much nothing in the 18 months I owned it), the deal was done and I picked up the FL5 on the 8th January 2025.
All I can say is, yes it is expensive for a 'Honda' but it is worth every penny and more once you actually drive it. The seating position is perfect, the gear change is another level to anything I have had in a manual before and although the interior is a little cheap in area's, the seats are the best seats i've ever sat in.
It's big! Very big! And wide! Much bigger than I expected, but this also means we can use it for trips with the family (2 adults and 2 children, plus luggage) instead of using our tiguan all the time, which we did when I had the I20N. It's quick enough and obviously like to rev with it being a Honda.
One gripe is the massively over cautious fuel gauge! 45 litre tank and with range showing 10 miles, can only get 35 litres into the tank, so there is 10 litres still in there somewhere.
I have covered 5,900 miles now in just over 15 months and its been a joy. You can't help looking back at it once parked up.
Anyway enough waffle, I will update with any changes which I am considering in the future. But here are the obligatory pictures:
Thanks for the comments everyone.
I must admit, in the 15 months I have owned it, I have only seen 2 others on the road! They are pretty rare. I think that is due to the price point they were sold at and also as the residual values are still very strong with Honda announcing that no more of this Type R would be coming to the UK.
I must admit, in the 15 months I have owned it, I have only seen 2 others on the road! They are pretty rare. I think that is due to the price point they were sold at and also as the residual values are still very strong with Honda announcing that no more of this Type R would be coming to the UK.
I do like these a lot. I will have had my DC5 Type R for 5 years next month and I have loved these since they came out. They are nudging under £40k now but I'll be waiting a little bit longer, plus I do still adore my DC5. It's held its value and the running costs and parts are like an economy car. It's a shame it won't fit in my garage like the DC5 but we can park 3 cars on the drive.
Love these cars, so will be following your thread with interest.
I was very interested in these when they were launched, but a trip to the Honda dealer put the kibosh on that.. it was a massively mishandled release by Honda UK in my opinion.
Epic cars though, there is a blue one which appeared a couple of streets away from me recently.. great to see it every time I come in/out of the area, they're certainly much wider in person than I expected.
I was very interested in these when they were launched, but a trip to the Honda dealer put the kibosh on that.. it was a massively mishandled release by Honda UK in my opinion.
Epic cars though, there is a blue one which appeared a couple of streets away from me recently.. great to see it every time I come in/out of the area, they're certainly much wider in person than I expected.
RS Grant said:
Love these cars, so will be following your thread with interest.
I was very interested in these when they were launched, but a trip to the Honda dealer put the kibosh on that.. it was a massively mishandled release by Honda UK in my opinion.
Epic cars though, there is a blue one which appeared a couple of streets away from me recently.. great to see it every time I come in/out of the area, they're certainly much wider in person than I expected.
Interesting you say that, I put a deposit down on one in summer 22, come December and the release info the dealer told me I wouldn't be getting one as only one per dealer, the one went to the master tech.I was very interested in these when they were launched, but a trip to the Honda dealer put the kibosh on that.. it was a massively mishandled release by Honda UK in my opinion.
Epic cars though, there is a blue one which appeared a couple of streets away from me recently.. great to see it every time I come in/out of the area, they're certainly much wider in person than I expected.
I'd been looking for a very late FK8, but the press material said the 5 would be circa 40k so with inflated covid prices not much more, like everyone I was a little surprised at the release price of £47k!
Irony is that that same dealer had a white new 5 in for at least 6 months, maybe 12 last year as at 50k they just couldn't shift it, as confirmed by the salesman I dealt with and bought an 8 from in 23.
3+ years into FK8 ownership I love it, a difficult car to move on from, so will follow this thread with interest.
CW is now my preferred colour too, agree they look great in it.
acme said:
Interesting you say that, I put a deposit down on one in summer 22, come December and the release info the dealer told me I wouldn't be getting one as only one per dealer, the one went to the master tech.
I'd been looking for a very late FK8, but the press material said the 5 would be circa 40k so with inflated covid prices not much more, like everyone I was a little surprised at the release price of £47k!
Irony is that that same dealer had a white new 5 in for at least 6 months, maybe 12 last year as at 50k they just couldn't shift it, as confirmed by the salesman I dealt with and bought an 8 from in 23.
3+ years into FK8 ownership I love it, a difficult car to move on from, so will follow this thread with interest.
CW is now my preferred colour too, agree they look great in it.
I could understand that there was no dealer demonstrator available for test drives, but to not even have a Honda UK demo doing the rounds for buyers to look at/sit in and possibly even drive was crazy to me. However the big thing which put me off (aside from the mental leap required to drop nearly £50k on a Honda Civic) was being told that I would be asked to choose my two preferred colours but might not get either choice. They had a customer who didn't get either of his two choices and when his car arrived in a totally different colour, Honda UK said 'take it or leave it/go to the back of the queue' when the dealer queried it on his behalf.I'd been looking for a very late FK8, but the press material said the 5 would be circa 40k so with inflated covid prices not much more, like everyone I was a little surprised at the release price of £47k!
Irony is that that same dealer had a white new 5 in for at least 6 months, maybe 12 last year as at 50k they just couldn't shift it, as confirmed by the salesman I dealt with and bought an 8 from in 23.
3+ years into FK8 ownership I love it, a difficult car to move on from, so will follow this thread with interest.
CW is now my preferred colour too, agree they look great in it.
So I also enjoy seeing the finance offers from dealers still trying to shift them and the big dollop of karma being served up to Honda UK.
Back on topic... OP are you planning to modify the car, or just enjoy it as-is for a while?
Back on topic... OP are you planning to modify the car, or just enjoy it as-is for a while?
[/quote]
Ive had ot standard apart from a pipercross induction kit and small mudflaps sonce i purchased it new.
But I am maybe looking at spacers just to widen the wheels into the arches and a remap from Paul at TPW engineering that wpukd take it to 400bhp. But I am still undecided.
The car is pretty much epic to drive as is and I dont want to ruin it by doing something it doesnt like but we will see!
My main aim is to keep it looking spotless and just enjoy it.
[/quote]
Ive had ot standard apart from a pipercross induction kit and small mudflaps sonce i purchased it new.
But I am maybe looking at spacers just to widen the wheels into the arches and a remap from Paul at TPW engineering that wpukd take it to 400bhp. But I am still undecided.
The car is pretty much epic to drive as is and I dont want to ruin it by doing something it doesnt like but we will see!
My main aim is to keep it looking spotless and just enjoy it.
Interested to hear your thoughts on the suspension?
Reading the Evo tests some suggest it’s too stiff even in comfort, and yet the significant advantage I thought the 5 had over the 8 is the individual mode allowing you to mix and match?
In sport the 8 is basically perfect, it’s incredible compliance being simply astounding. Albeit in R mode there’s significant wheel skip on rough surfaces.
Cheers
Reading the Evo tests some suggest it’s too stiff even in comfort, and yet the significant advantage I thought the 5 had over the 8 is the individual mode allowing you to mix and match?
In sport the 8 is basically perfect, it’s incredible compliance being simply astounding. Albeit in R mode there’s significant wheel skip on rough surfaces.
Cheers
acme said:
Interested to hear your thoughts on the suspension?
Reading the Evo tests some suggest it s too stiff even in comfort, and yet the significant advantage I thought the 5 had over the 8 is the individual mode allowing you to mix and match?
In sport the 8 is basically perfect, it s incredible compliance being simply astounding. Albeit in R mode there s significant wheel skip on rough surfaces.
Cheers
YMMV etc but I ended up selling my FL5 in less than a year because the ride was so stiff it made both my kids car sick.Reading the Evo tests some suggest it s too stiff even in comfort, and yet the significant advantage I thought the 5 had over the 8 is the individual mode allowing you to mix and match?
In sport the 8 is basically perfect, it s incredible compliance being simply astounding. Albeit in R mode there s significant wheel skip on rough surfaces.
Cheers
acme said:
Interested to hear your thoughts on the suspension?
Reading the Evo tests some suggest it s too stiff even in comfort, and yet the significant advantage I thought the 5 had over the 8 is the individual mode allowing you to mix and match?
In sport the 8 is basically perfect, it s incredible compliance being simply astounding. Albeit in R mode there s significant wheel skip on rough surfaces.
Cheers
I have never felt that the suspension was too hard for any surfaces to be honest. Reading the Evo tests some suggest it s too stiff even in comfort, and yet the significant advantage I thought the 5 had over the 8 is the individual mode allowing you to mix and match?
In sport the 8 is basically perfect, it s incredible compliance being simply astounding. Albeit in R mode there s significant wheel skip on rough surfaces.
Cheers
I have my car set up in individual mode and the suspension is set to comfort within that, and over the miles ive covered, never felt as though it was way too hard that it made the car uncomfortable.
I've taken my kids and partner in the car too on longer trips and believe me, if it was a harsh ride, my partner would be the first to let me know.
So from my side, yes I can understand people's commenrs regarding the ride, but for me its a non issue and not a problem.
My i30n was a harder ride and the i20n (without adaptable suspension) was bone shakingly hard!
The FL5 is much better than both those.
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