2019 Honda Civic Type-R

The Honda Civic Type R faces off against hatches and sedans in the segment which target a very similar enthusiast group who love the thrill of driving, stick shift are not a hassle for them, heel and toe is their mantra, and oversteering is pure joy. Some of the cars which offer you such thrill are the WRX STI, Golf R, Veloster N and the Audi S3. Let's see who comes on top.

The Honda Civic comes in only one trim level and its has been specced to perfection with perfection based components, like Helical limited-slip differential, Adaptive damper system and Brembo 4-piston front brake calipers at $35,700.

Model	Civic Type-R
MSRP	$35,700
Key Features	Close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission with rev-match control
	Lightweight single-mass flywheel
	Helical limited-slip differential
	Adaptive damper system
	Brembo 4-piston front brake calipers
	13.8-inch ventilated & cross-drilled front brake discs
	20-inch alloy wheels

We Recommend

There is only one trim and the only one you need. It is the best Civic in the lineup and the perfect investment for enthusiasts.

The Type R's interior is rated R for scenes involving gratuitous red accents and obscenely comfy racing seats. Although the styling isn't subtle, the interior relies on Type R trademarks and racy materials to highlight its sufficient passenger space. - Edmunds

Seating and Comfort

Comfortable and plush, yet provide support and stability, treading the fine line between racecar and daily driver. The rear legroom is the best among the competitors, giving the Subaru a tough time in terms of practicality. The interior, however is as flashy as its exterior, as Honda has gone overboard with the cabin draped in racy materials and a sea of red stitching and accents.

Models	Honda Civic Type R	Subaru WRX STI	Volkswagen Golf GTI	Volkswagen Golf R	Audi S3
Passenger capacity	4	5		5	5
Front (cu.ft) Head room	39.3	39.8	38	38.4	36.5
Front (cu.ft)  Shoulder room	56.9	55.6	56	55.9	54.8
Front (cu.ft)  Leg room	42.3	43.3	41.2	41.2	41.2
Rear (cu.ft) Head room	37.4	37.1	38	38.1	36.1
Rear (cu.ft) Shoulder room	55	54.2	54	53.9	53
Rear (cu.ft) Leg room	35.9	35.4	35.6	35.6	35.1

The rear seats are accommodating for up to three adults, and yes even the middle seat feels is not too bad. In contrast, the tiny Golf hatchbacks are not as roomy as the STI or the Type R. The S3 sedan is another great competition to look out for, with an amazing cabin, focussed slightly more on luxury than sportiness.

Infotainment System

The 7-inch infotainment has gotten an upgrade for better ergonomics that enhance your user-experience as a driver. The volume controls now get a knob, rather than navigating through the infotainment to find the touch controls. Same goes for the climate controls and the electronic parking brake. The steering controls have also been revised slightly, to reduce any distractions while driving.

Cargo Capacity

The Civic Type R is the class leader in this comparison. The hatchback has a whooping 26 cubic feet of cargo volume at the back, which extends to 46 once you fold down the rear seats. The loading and unloading height is pretty low, so it won’t hurt your back doing so.

Models	Honda Civic Type R	Subaru WRX STI	Volkswagen Golf GTI	Volkswagen Golf R	Audi S3
Cargo Volume with rear seats up (ft.3)	26	12	17.4	22.8	10

The Golf R and the GTI have a competitive luggage space, but the tiny hatches can’t match the numbers of the Honda. Despite being sedans, the WRX STI and the S3 have despicably small trunks at the rear and even the rear seats don’t fold down.

The sole powertrain is a sweet six-speed manual gearbox paired with a 306-hp turbocharged four-cylinder. Its in-your-face styling may be too much to stomach, but its funky looks are forgotten after your belly fills with butterflies from its bonkers engine and gigantic grip. - Car and Driver

Engine and Transmission

Continuing into 2019 with the engine revised last year may not be such a bad thing after all. The turbocharged 2.0L four-banger makes upwards of 300 horses at a higher rev range and 295 lb-ft at an rpm as low as 2500 rpm.

The powertrain not only makes the car as much fun as a rollercoaster, it also delivers on tamed rides. Following the throttle comes an exhaust note that you’d find hard to match with the power the hot-hatch puts down. On the plus side, the 6-speed manual transmission is probably the best one you could find.

Models	Honda Civic Type R	Subaru WRX STI	Volkswagen Golf GTI	Volkswagen Golf R	Audi S3
MSRP	$35,700	$36,595	$31,795	$40,395	$44,500
Engine	2.0L inline-4 turbocharged	2.5L boxer-4	2.0L, Turbocharged inline-4	2.0L Turbocharged inline-4	Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4, 2.0 L
Transmission	6 Speed manual	6-speed manual	6-speed manual/6-speed dual clutch	7-speed dual clutch automatic	S Tronic 7-Speed Automatic
Horsepower	306hp@6500rpm	310hp @6000 rpm	228 hp @ 4700 rpm	288hp@ 5400 rpm	292 @ 5400
Torque	295 ft-lbs@2500rpm	290 lb.-ft. @4000 rpm	258 ft-lbs. @ 1500 rpm	280 lb.-ft. @ 1800rpm	280 @ 1900

With more power than any of the competitors with the Golf GTI lagging on the far end of the spectrum, with its sibling the Golf R keeping up close with the Type R, having 288 hp and the Veloster N which brings 275 hp to the table. The main highlight is however the Subaru WRX STI, which packs a whopping 310 hp engine.

Acceleration

5 seconds flat and the sensation that you felt - being pushed into your seats was the blistering acceleration from 0-60 mph. Despite being turbocharged there is virtually no sign of turbo-lag to cause you any troubles. In the quarter-mile run the Type R takes 13.7 seconds to complete.

Models	Honda Civic Type R	Subaru WRX STI	Volkswagen Golf GTI	Volkswagen Golf R	Audi S3
0-60 MPH	5 sec	5.7 sec	6.0 sec*	4.6	4.6 sec
Quarter mile	13.7 sec	14.1 sec @ 98mph	14.5 sec*	13.4	13.3 sec @ 104 mph
Engine	2.0L	2.5 Liters	2.0L	2.0L	2.0L
Emission (Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	7.1		6.5

The lighter VW Golf R and the S3 sedan take 4.6 seconds to reach 60, while the Golf GTI manages that in 6 seconds, primarily because of the 228 hp engine that resides in it. Its archenemy the Subaru WRX STI takes 5.7 seconds to reach the mile-a -minute mark.

Ride and Handling

The short throw shifter which slots into the gears seamlessly, makes the drive dynamic and complements the razor-sharp handling through the corners. The laser-precise steering directs the hatch exactly where you want to go, much like the Golf GTI and R.

That’s not where the Type R’s capabilities ends. Put the car into comfort mode and you can enjoy a plush and smooth ride through the city. The hot hatch almost seems schizophrenic, triggered by the mode selector, which bring a completely different personality of the car to light.

Braking

To go with the dynamic handling, you need good brakes that scrape away speed as you approach a bend, and Honda has done the Civic Type R justice. The 13.8-inch discs up front and 12-inch at the rear work fabulously, stopping the hatch from 60 mph to a standstill in less than a 100 feet.

Models	Honda Civic Type R	Subaru WRX STI	Volkswagen Golf GTI	Volkswagen Golf R	Audi S3
Brake Front (in.)	13.8	13	13.4	13.4	13.4
Brake Rear (in.)	12	12.2	12.2	12.2	12.2
Curb Weight (lbs.)	3117	3391	3062	3300	3462
70-0 MPH (ft.)	142	*156	174	159	153

In comparison, the heavier competitors like the Golf R, Audi S3 and the Subaru WRX STI need more tarmac to stop in the panic brake test. The Golf GTI, despite being lighter than the Type R takes 174 feet compared to the Honda’s 142 feet, to stop from 70 miles an hour.

Despite the amazing performance, the Civic Type R does not skip out on keeping the hatch fuel efficient. The milage may be best in segment, that title goes to the Golf GTI, however, 22 mpg in the city and 28 on the highways are good numbers to say the least.

Models	Honda Civic Type R	Subaru WRX STI	Volkswagen Golf GTI	Volkswagen Golf R	Audi S3
MPG (city)	22	17	24	21	22
MPG (highway)	28	22	32	29	28
MPG (combined)	25	19	27	24	25

Both the VW offered in competition to the Type R - the Golf R and the GTI will go light on your pockets, with great economy. The Subaru on the flipside shows its Achilles heel, numbers as low as 17 mpg in the city and a mere 22 on the highways, as expected from a 2.5L engine.

The radical Civic Type R is a polarizing hi-po hatchback. Haters think it's too hideous to own, and backers believe it's too fantastic to miss. - Car and Driver

Design and Dimensions

The hyper-stylized Type R looks more like a spaceship from Star Trek than a daily driver hatchback. Its design ties in quite well with the front splitter, hood scoop, side skirts, triple rear exhausts and the massive rear spoiler; except for the fake vents - those are inexcusable. For 2019 the only change on the outside is a new exterior color.

Models	Honda Civic Type R	Subaru WRX STI	Volkswagen Golf GTI	Volkswagen Golf R	Audi S3
Curb weight (lbs.)	3117	3391	3062	3300	3462
Length(in)	179.4	180.9	168.0	168.4	175.8
Width(in)	73.9	70.7	70.8	70.8	70.7
Height(in)	56.5	58.1	57.8	56.5	54.8
Ground clearance (in)	5.1	4.9	5.1	4.8
Wheelbase (in)	106.3	104.3	103.6	103.5	103.6
Track width (in) F/R	63/62.7	60.2/60.2	60.6/59.7	60.7/59.7	61.1/60.1

Although the Civic Type R classifies as a hatch, it’s almost as long as the WRX STI - the sedan. The wide and low posture not only keeps it planted to the ground but also gives it a hunkered down stance. The Golf hatches are significantly shorter than the Civic, which give them an advantage in maneuvering and parking in tight spaces.

Now that it’s been established that the Civic Type R is the perfect all-rounder, combining performance with comfort and practicality. A closer look at the safety features show how meticulously Honda has planned out the safety and assistance features to keep you and your family safe inside the hatchback. The standard features are as listed:

• VSA Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• ABS And Driveline Traction Control
• Side Impact Beams
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
• Low Tire Pressure Warning
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Front Airbags
• Curtain 1st And 2nd Row Airbags
• Airbag Occupancy Sensor
• Rear Child Safety Locks
• Outboard Front Lap And Shoulder Safety Belts -inc: Height Adjusters and Pretensioners
• Back-Up Camera

Honda Civic Type R vs Subaru WRX STI

The Subaru has given the WRX STI a 2.5L boxer engine which surpasses the Honda in terms of power and throttle response. The driving dynamics make the Subie a thoroughbred rally car, but there is no escaping the stiffened suspension that it comes with, unlike the Civic Type R, where you can flick a switch, choose comfort mode and cruise along comfortably.

On the practicality front, the Honda has more than twice the volume for luggage than the WRX STI. Additionally, you’d find not just better tech, but also upscale materials in the Type R cabin. So, unless you’re obsessed by Baby Driver, the Type R is the obvious choice here.

Honda Civic Type R vs Audi S3

The four-ringer from Germany is well-known for making high-tech, high performance luxury sedans which makes a great cruiser, but look out of place on the racetrack. The Audi is rich on the tech end, coming with a 12.3-inch infotainment compared to the 7-inch on the Type R.

From the aesthetics point of view the S3 seems tamed in comparison to the Civic Type R, but it may not be a bad thing, since the extravagant styling on both the exterior and the interior are an acquired taste and nowhere near the word subtle. The cargo bay in the S3 is tiny, with 10 cubic feet on offer, compared to 26 in the Honda.

If over-the-top styling is not your cup of tea and you’d rather have the german excellence, you’d be perfectly content choosing the S3 sedan.

The Civic Type R is an all-rounder, you can’t go wrong choosing this hot hatch. You’d relish every single twist and turn on the road, pulling away from stoplights will be a bliss and even mundane grocery runs will be enjoyable. The only thing that could disappoint you could be the lack of an exhaust note, but you could solve it by either blasting music or getting an aftermarket Akrapovic. The cabin is roomy for your family and friends, while the trunk is good enough for all their luggage. The styling may be over the top, but it’s the perfect representation of the performance you’d get.