Half price Honda Civic Type R (FK2) | Spotted

The car that made the Civic great again, now available from £15k

By Matt Bird / Monday, 20 April 2020 / Loading comments

Remember the wait for a new Civic Type R? Seemed like an eternity. The FN2 had rather ignominiously bowed out in 2011, outmuscled and outclassed by its opposition. Soon after another was being teased by Honda, though, and eager fans leapt upon the drip feed of information, desperate for another VTEC hero like their Accords, Civics and Integras of the past.

It was September 2012, in fact, that Honda confirmed another Civic Type R would be made, although it was the spring of 2015 before we saw it. Even back then it felt like ages; nowadays, with a facelift and range additions confirmed for a Type R that still seems new, it seems like an eternity.

Was the FK2 Civic Type R worth it? Absolutely. The turbo powertrain, five-door body and £30k asking price made it a very different proposition to the fast Civics that had preceded it, but there was more than enough Type R genius to qualify it as a great hot hatch. The Nurburgring record debacle, where that hooky prototype was used for publicity, should be ignored; instead the FK2 Civic should be remembered for a zingy, exciting turbo engine, a superb manual gearbox and the sort of traction never before associated with a front-drive car of so much power.

It wasn't perfect - with a driving position a little too high, heavy flywheel effect and less dynamic fun than a contemporary Megane - but as a statement of intent the Civic was immense. PistonHeads ran a long-term car back in 2016; while it did the obvious hot hatch things brilliantly well, it was the tedious Civic stuff of practicality, refinement and durability that made it such a likeable car. That it proved a more exciting companion than the Focus RS which later stole its hot hatch thunder sealed the Civic's fate as one of the good ones.

Then it was gone. Introduced towards the end of the FK2 Civic's life, the Type R was somewhat living on borrowed time even when new. The PH first drive of the car was published on June 5th, 2015; barely 18 months later, on January 15th 2017, a Black Edition marking the end of the FK2's run was announced. All that waiting was for a fleeting appearance, then - but the Civic had sealed its reputation by then.

So much so, in fact, that it meant expectations were very high for the FK8 successor, which that car certainly delivered on. The problem for the 'old' Civic Type R, as it then became, was in residuals; superseded by a new and improved model, it wasn't in demand. In July 2018, we wrote about a car that had dropped to £18,000 after just 33,000 miles.

Things have slowed up since then, perhaps as the market recognises its rarity and significance in the Type R renaissance. Still, a half price Civic Type R is a half price Civic Type R, and this is now what £15,000 buys. In fact, that's a little less than half price, as 95 per cent of UK Type Rs were the £33k GT model like this one. For sale as an approved used car at Blackpool Honda, this Championship White Type R has covered 58,000 miles, which must make it one of the highest mileage cars out there. Despite that, the wheels and those heavily bolstered Recaros are still presentable (if not perfect) - and what better hot hatch to use than a Honda hot hatch?

If it looks more money than expected for the Type R, don't forget where rivals are as well. This Golf GTI is comparable on price and mileage but far less exciting to drive, and there isn't a hope in hell of getting a Focus RS for less than £20k. Perhaps something like this 308 GTI makes the Civic look a little expensive but, again, there's no contest as far as driving goes.

Where the FK2 Civic Type R goes from here as used car is hard to know. As those new variants come in there's surely the same possibility of it being overshadowed completely. Either way, it'll remain a great hot hatch, albeit one that's impossible to write or talk about without referencing the looks at least once. See?

SPECIFICATION - HONDA CIVIC TYPE R (FK2)
Engine: 1,996cc 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 310@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@2,500-4,500rpm
MPG: 38.7
CO2: 170g/km
First registered: 2015
Recorded mileage: 58,000
Price new: £32,960
Yours for: £15,965