“You cannot buy a faster, more powerful Honda than the Civic Type R. From the roots of sensible Civic transportation, a performance tree has blossomed, lovingly nurtured by a mighty 2.0-liter turbocharged engine...”- Kelley Blue Book
2018 Civic Type R Engine and Transmission
The Civic Type R uses Honda's new 2.0-liter turbo, direct-injected and dual-cammed with iVTEC, good for 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The maximum power comes at 6,500 rpm just before its redline at 7,000 rpm and the torque comes nice and low from 2,500-4,500 rpm. The engine is paired with one of the best-transmissions Honda has built, a six-speed manual.
The six-speed manual transmission is crisp and shifts responsively. The cutch has a predictable bite and plenty of feels. Despite sporting a large exhaust pipe, the noise is not too menacing and never overwhelms the ear.
Models
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2018 Honda Civic Type R
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2018 Volkswagen Golf R
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2018 Ford Focus ST
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2018 Mini Clubman John Cooper
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MSRP
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$34,700
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$39,785
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$25,170
|
$35,900
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Engine
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2.0L 4-cylinder
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2.0L 4-cylinder
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2.0L 4-cylinder
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2.0L 4-cylinder
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Transmission
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6 Speed manual
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6 Speed manual
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6 Speed manual
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6 Speed manual
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Horsepower
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306 hp @6500 RPM
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292 hp @5400 RPM
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252 hp @5500 RPM
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228 hp @5200 RPM
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Torque
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295 ft-lbs @2500 RPM
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280 ft-lbs @1800 RPM
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270 ft-lbs @2500 RPM
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258 ft-lbs @1450 RPM
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By comparison, this Honda's high-performance Type R has blistering fast acceleration, thanks to the most powerful four-cylinder engine. It overpowers the Golf R and Focus ST in terms of performance.
2018 Civic Type R Acceleration
Honda Civic Type R is quick to 60 mph, taking just about 5 seconds. This makes it quicker than all its rivals including the Focus ST, Golf R, and the 350-hp Focus RS. It's actually quicker than the Ford and VW in a quarter-mile run as well. This blistering performance is despite the fact that the Civic is a front-wheel-drive, versus the Ford, VW, and Mini are all-wheel-drive.
Models
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2018 Honda Civic Type R
|
2018 Volkswagen Golf R
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2018 Ford Focus ST
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2018 Mini Clubman John Cooper
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0-60 MPH
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5 sec
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5.2 sec
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5.9 sec
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N/A
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Quarter mile
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13.7 sec
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10.8 sec
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14.6 sec
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N/A
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Engine
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2.0L i4
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2.0L i4
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2.0L i4
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2.0L i4
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It only weighs 3,117 pounds, so it feels light and accelerates swiftly. Talking about the quarter-mile distance covered by the car, it can make you travel the distance in just 13.7 secs although get beaten by the Volkswagen Golf R which does it just in 10.8 secs.
2018 Civic Type R Riding and Handling
The Type R shares its platform with the regular Civic, and Honda tuned this car to be the fastest front-wheel-drive car ever, holding a Nurburgring record. Honda proved as fun-to-drive as some sports cars that cost double or triple its price. The suspensions are to credit for its exemplary handling as the adaptive damper system that also offers a forgiving ride for everyday comfort. The main hero is its aluminum-intensive dual-axis suspension setup and wider track with a 29-mm stabilizer bar at the front and a specially tuned multilink rear suspension with a 20.5-mm stabilizer bar and 1.2-inch wider track.
The standard drive mode system adjusts steering, throttle, vehicle stability, and traction control. All the hardware works in cohesion with the adaptive damping and allows you to choose between Comfort, Sport, and R modes. The "Agile Handling Assist" is Honda's brake-based torque vectoring further enhances the control over the hot hatch. The stock Civic Type R is good for everyday comfort as well as track days.
2018 Civic Type R Braking
At 3,117 pounds, The Civic Type R feels light while changing directions and stopping. Honda specs the Type R with a Brembo brake setup, front rotors are 13.8 inches with 4-piston aluminum calipers. There are functional cooling ducts to keep the rotors cooler under heavy use. The rears are solid rotors with single-piston calipers and are 12.0 inches. In the emergency stopping test, the Type R Civic needed under 100 feet to stop.
Model
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2018 Honda Civic Type R
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2018 Volkswagen Golf R
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2018 Ford Focus ST
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2018 Mini Clubman John Cooper
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Brake Front
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13.8"
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13.4"
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12.6"
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11.6"
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Brake Rear
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12"
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12.2"
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10.7"
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10.2"
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Curb Weight
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3117 lbs
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3300 lbs
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3223 lbs
|
3450 lbs
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60-0 MPH
|
99 ft.
|
108 ft.
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111 ft.
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N/A
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The Honda brake feel is excellent, and the stock 245/30ZR20 Continental Sport Contact 6 tires offer amazing grip on the road. The Golf R and Focus ST are heavier and stop in 108 feet and 111 feet respectively.