Long-term test: Honda Civic Type R

Verdict

The more miles I do in the Type R, the better it gets. Mostly. There are still some caveats concerning its ride, range and long-distance refinement, but for the majority of the time it’s an absolute joy to live with – and drive. On the right kind of road – one that’s open, twisty and ideally quiet – it is just about untouchable, even with a price tag of 52 grand.

• Mileage: 2,571 miles
• Efficiency: 30.2mpg

It’s a special kind of car, the Civic Type R. Yes, an acquired taste, perhaps, but for anyone who truly ‘gets’ cars, it is that rarest of things – a machine that somehow manages to transcend any traditional notions of value.

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In its way, it’s as rare and intriguing as any Porsche or Lamborghini. As such it almost doesn’t matter how much it costs. It is the latest, greatest and, sadly, also the last of the Type Rs, so it really is one of life’s ‘enjoy it while it lasts’ moments.

And enjoy it I most certainly have – on each and every day since it arrived on our fleet just a couple of months ago with less than 500 miles showing on the clock.

Used - available now

2021 Honda

Civic

46,000 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £11,000

View Civic

2021 Honda

Civic

19,000 milesAutomaticPetrol1.0L

Cash £14,500

View Civic

2021 Honda

Civic

17,000 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £15,995

View Civic

2013 Honda

Civic

63,917 milesAutomaticPetrol1.8L

Cash £8,295

View Civic

So far I’ve done just over 2,000 miles in it at an average of 30.2mpg. I’ve driven it to Anglesey circuit in Wales and back, going the cross-country route on the way there (where it was immense), then on motorways and dual carriageways all the way back (when it was better than it might have been).

I’ve also used it plenty for the daily grind as well, and driven it to – and across – my favourite road at Beachy Head. And with only a couple of small side issues, it’s proving to be every inch as good as we expected.

How so? For starters it is far easier to live with everyday than I feared it was going to be, or indeed compared with any previous Type R. Yes, there are compromises, the short gearing in sixth and consequent absence of true motorway refinement (and economy) being the most obvious. 

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Yet even here it is just about quiet enough when cruising and still returns over 30mpg on a long motorway run, so neither can be considered a serious issue. Having said that, I do wish it had a seventh gear so that the revs could drop back to 2,000rpm at motorway speeds to make the car both quieter and more economical.

What’s far better than I feared it might be is the car’s ride. True, in Type R mode it is pretty dreadful, but in its Comfort setting the suspension becomes soothing enough to be just about okay, even on crummy town roads.

As is its packaging, especially its vast boot, into which I’ve managed to somehow squeeze eight wheels and tyres. However, the fact that there are still only four seats, not five, will dent its overall appeal for some.

I suspect many (me included) would also want a fast-shifting dual-clutch auto gearbox, too, were one available. But that was never going to happen, according to Honda. And fair enough, because the Type R’s six-speed manual ’box might be a bit of a pain in heavy traffic compared with a DSG auto, but on the right road, or on a track, it is a defining quality of this car. Why? Because pound for pound, it is probably the best manual gearbox of any car, ever, so fast and beautifully precise is its shift.

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The less good bits? I still find some of the safety features too intrusive, specifically the faffs that are required to disengage the speed warning and lane-departure systems, both of which are on by default at start-up. Being picky, I also wish the nav delivered live traffic info – but then Apple CarPlay is standard fit.

Other than this, I’m seriously struggling to find fault with the car. Instead, I find myself discovering new reasons to fall even more in love with it on most days. As I say, it’s a special kind of car, one that will mark the end of an era once it is gone.

Honda Civic Type R: first report

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Civic Type R is as fun as expected, but with some irritating technology

• Mileage: 999 miles
• Efficiency: 30.2mpg

There are no two ways about it, the latest Honda Civic Type R has become an expensive and indulgent kind of car. In this day and age, you could even call it a misfit, with its eye-watering £52k price tag, six-speed manual gearbox and four-seat configuration.

But where it counts – on the road, or better still on a track like Brands Hatch – there is no other hot hatch that can touch the latest Type R. It is, quite simply, the fastest and arguably most thrilling front-wheel-drive car there has ever been. So we were more than a little excited about the prospect of running one for six months, just to see how much more civilised (or otherwise) it might be beside its more raucous predecessors.

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There are precisely zero options fitted to our car, mainly because there are almost no options that can be specified anyway. Instead, pretty much all you can choose is a colour, in this case Championship White, which I reckon looks great when combined with the standard-issue matt black 19-inch alloy wheels and liquorice-thin 265/30 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.

Despite this, the latest Type R is nowhere near as lairy as its predecessors visually. Yes, it has a huge black wing on its tail and, yes, the wheels and tyres are enormous for a hot hatch. But despite these elements it manages to blend in far more successfully than its immediate siblings. At a glance it could almost be a regular Honda Civic. Almost…

I happen to think it looks stunning, and the more intimately you examine its details, the sexier it appears. From its massive Brembo brakes to its lower, wider stance, the Type R is rippling with energy, even though most folks might not notice it.

And beneath the surface it still has all the practicalities of a great daily driver. The question is, does this blend of exclusivity and value mix with its brief to remain a practical daily choice, or has the Type R become a different kind of car? Has it become too special, too valuable to be used every day?

We have six months to find out, and so far the messages are as clear as pure Fijian water in some respects, but have become curiously confusing in other ways.

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The dynamics we already knew about, but even after a few hundred miles, it’s obvious there are still a lot more secrets to unlock. I’ve already learned to steer well clear of Type R mode on the road, for instance, because it makes the ride too hard and the steering too heavy. But in my chosen ‘Individual’ settings (most aspects set to Comfort, exhaust on Type R) I’ve discovered how to make it more usable – and therefore likeable – as an everyday car.

On the other hand, the fact that you have to go through a seven-stage procedure to turn off the speed limit-warning beeper every time you start it is somewhat baffling, not to mention irritating. As is the pantomime that’s required to turn the lane-departure system off, which you can only do once you’re on the move – something that seems entirely counter-intuitive in terms of safety.

Maybe I’ll get used to these aspects and they’ll stop bothering me, but right now they are (slightly) spoiling an otherwise incredible car. One I’m already quite extraordinarily attached to, despite the intrusion of its so-called safety features.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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