2018 Honda Civic Type-R

Powering the 2018 Civic Type R is a 2.0 Liter turbocharged engine that churns out 306 hp and 295 lb-ft peak torque. The front wheels receive direct power through a typical limited-slip differential. The engine is further mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

It’s a stand-alone car in its segment, therefore, no multiple variants to this one. The car is a solo rider in its lineup. Also, it is pointless to take the basic version of the car into consideration as the basic version is pure utility and obviously not this fun.

The 2018 Honda Civic Type R is being offered at a price of $34,700. For this price, the car has a really great ride quality for an enthusiast. It is basically a car that is both good for a meeting, daily commuting and racing. If you feel like taking it there, it won’t disappoint.

Trim	Honda Civic Type R
MSRP	$34,700
Key Features	540-watt premium audio system with 12 speakers, including subwoofer 7-inch Display Audio with high-resolution touch-screen and customizable feature settings LED Daytime Running Lights, Foglights, headlights Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with voice recognition and Honda HD Digital Traffic Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM Radio, HD Radio 7-inch Driver Information Interface Dual-zone automatic climate control system

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Since there are no other variants to this car, you have no option while choosing the Honda Civic Type R. This is a sole model in the entire Honda Civic lineup.

“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, a thoroughly reworked suspension, 3-mode adaptive dampers, Continental summer performance tires, and robust 4-piston Brembo brake calipers, the cumulative result of Honda's tuning effort is a quick and sophisticated expression of vehicular bliss offered at a reasonable sum.”- Kelley Blue Book

Engine and Transmission

Goodbye, farewell and adieu to the older VTEC engine that came with the earlier versions of the car. Although the new turbocharged 2.0L inline-four makes a power of about 306 hp at 6500 rpm. The torque generated by the engine is also great with 295 ft-lbs at just 2500 rpm.

The newly improved powertrain of the car gives you great ride quality. The car thrills you while the exhaust note isn’t something you might like. Although, it won’t be a complaint in case of longer rides. Unlike most of its competition which is all-wheel drives, the Civic Type R is a four-wheel drive. Also, the car exhibits the best manual gearbox with 6-speed manual transmission system.

Models	Honda Civic Type R	Volkswagen Golf R	Ford Focus ST	Mini Clubman John Cooper
MSRP	$34,700	$39,785	$25,170	$35,900
Engine	2.0L i4	2.0L i4	2.0L i4	2.0L i4
Transmission	6 Speed manual	6 Speed manual	6 Speed manual	6 Speed manual
Horsepower	306hp@6500rpm	292hp@5400rpm	252hp@5500rpm	228hp@5200rpm
Torque	295 ft-lbs@2500rpm	280 ft-lbs@1800rpm	270 ft-lbs@2500rpm	258 ft-lbs@1450rpm

Acceleration

Besides the fact that Volkswagen Golf R has a better engine in comparison, the Honda Civic Type R is better than everyone in its competition. The engine is capable of doing an acceleration that gets you 0 to 60 mph in just 5 seconds.

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. This may look bad in the sheets but the engaging acceleration is a treat in reality with linearity, although, you are losing to the Golf R in a drag race.

Models	Honda Civic Type R	Volkswagen Golf R	Ford Focus ST	Mini Clubman John Cooper
0-60 MPH	5 sec	5.2 sec	5.9 sec	N/A
Quarter mile	13.7 sec	10.8 sec	14.6 sec	N/A
Engine	2.0L i4	2.0L i4	2.0L i4	2.0L i4
Emission (Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	7.1	7.4	7.1	6.8

Riding and Handling
The gearbox may be the first but it’s not all. The riding and handling are just great with the car both on the streets and the highways. Although, just take it to the race tracks and you will feel what great cornering this car gives you on higher speeds.

The suspension has been planted low on the car. The steering feels great in sports mode while becomes nimble in the comfort mode.

Braking

It is a fast car and the braking needs to be as efficient as the acceleration and speed of the car. The car really rises and shines in comparison to its competition, its braking capabilities are still not bad. The car can come to a halt with decent speeds in just 99 ft. The decent speed that I am talking about is 60 mph which is actually decent.

The curb weight is the least which in comparison might make an impact. The front of the car is equipped with 13.8 inches front brakes while the rear is equipped with 12 inches. Overall, all I can say is that you won’t be disappointed by such a refined car.

Model	Honda Civic Type R	Volkswagen Golf R	Ford Focus ST	Mini Clubman John Cooper
Brake Front (in.)	13.8	13.4	12.6	11.6
Brake Rear (in.)	12	12.2	10.7	10.2
Curb Weight (lbs.)	3117	3300	3223	3450
60-0 MPH (ft.)	99	108	111	N/A

With the performance orientation, you might feel a bit short on the fuel economy. The Honda Civic Type R offers a mileage of 22 MPG in the city and 28 MPG in the highway. The combined mileage of the car is 25 mpg.

The only car that gives a better mileage in comparison is the Ford Focus ST which is slightly better than the car on a highway. The car though not meant to impress in this department does a stable job in comparison. Therefore, here we don't have a winner but a tie between the Type R and the Ford Focus ST in this segment.

Model	Honda Civic Type R	Volkswagen Golf R	Ford Focus ST	Mini Clubman John Cooper
MPG (city)	22	21	22	21
MPG (highway)	28	29	30	31
MPG (combined)	25	24	25	24

“The Civic delivers a large, versatile cabin for both people and their things, with good rear legroom and clever storage solutions. The easy-to-use interior control layout is marred by terrible touch-sensitive audio volume and tuning controls and a poorly optimized touchscreen interface.” - Edmunds

Seating and Comfort

It has the best and the most comfortable seats that you can get in a race car.  The fronts in terms of space may not be that impressive but the rear has the most legroom among its competitors. Also, the seats provide great cushioning to the rider and give active stable support to the rider itself.

It is really easy to enter inside the car front seats. The car seats have been installed so that both the rider as well as the passenger are comfortable enough to enjoy it fully.

Model	Honda Civic Type R	Volkswagen Golf R	Ford Focus ST	Mini Clubman John Cooper
Passenger capacity	4	5	5	5
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	39.3/56.9/42.3	38.4/55.9/41.2	38.3/55.6/43.1	40.2/54.7/41.4
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	37.4/55/35.9	38.1/53.9/35.6	38.0/52.6/33.2	38.0/52.8/34.3

Infotainment System

The Civic Type R is a performance car and to be honest some things have been taken for granted for instance the infotainment system. It doesn’t even come with a knob to control the volume. Although, the infotainment has some standard features like Navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto so it doesn’t take a fall on its head.

The infotainment system isn’t exactly user-friendly but it has one additional feature added to it, the Qi Wireless charger in the center. It has got a 7 inches touchscreen that can be controlled by gestures. Also, there’s a 540-watt speaker along with SiriusXM. Below are some of the standard features that come with the car:

Standard Features:

• Android Auto
• Apple CarPlay
• Bluetooth Phone
• Bluetooth Audio
• Navigation Points of Interest
• Real-Time Traffic
• USB
• Voice Command

Cargo volume

It is not really a winner in this part although the space provided with the car is not bad at all. It accommodates a little more in comparison to its rivals. Although, it hasn’t been really expected since the earlier version launched just a year before.

The cargo offers a decent space for traveling with your luggage from one place to another.

Model	Honda Civic Type R	Volkswagen Golf R	Ford Focus ST	Mini Clubman John Cooper
Cargo Volume (ft.3)	46.2	52.7	43.9	47.9

“We know, we know: There's a lot going on here. Honda claims the roofline nubs, deep front, and side extensions, the gigantic wing, and the other wild-looking styling elements on the Civic Type R actually improve aerodynamics and/or downforce. “

“The vents on the front bumper help cool the brakes, and the vent on the hood cools the turbo. It's certainly eye-catching, but pretty? Well...”- Kelley Blue Book

Dimensions and Weight

The car has been roasted on the internet for the kind of taste it gets with itself. Although, I feel it is up to your preference or choice whether you like it or not. From the front scoops to the rear vortex to the fin, the hyper-stylized Honda Civic Type R is something I found is a treat to watch.

Although, all the exteriors vent and the over-styling on the car do serve a purpose. On higher speeds, they give stability which is something that you might expect at least from a race car.

Model	Honda Civic Type R	Volkswagen Golf R	Ford Focus ST	Mini Clubman John Cooper
Curb weight (lbs.)	3117	3300	3223	3450
Length(in)	179.4	168.4	171.7	168.3
Width(in)	73.9	70.8	71.8	70.9
Height(in)	56.5	56.5	57.9	56.7
Ground clearance (in)	5.1	4.8	4.7	5.6
Wheelbase (in)	106.3	103.5	104.3	105.1
Track width (in) F/R	63/62.7	60.7/59.7	61.2/60.4	61.6/61.5

The car has loads of safety feature considering that it is a performance car. It is equipped enough to give a safe ride to both the driver and occupants. The Type R has not been crash tested by the NHTSA while the IIHS has rated it as a good contender. The Civic Type R in its 2018 iteration scores poor ratings on headlights.

• Adaptive cruise control
• ABS and driveline traction control
• Dual stage driver and passenger seat-mounted side airbags
• Automated emergency braking

Honda Civic Type R VS Volkswagen Golf R

The Civic Type R looks quite close to a Golf R. The car is quite fun to drive and since it is a hatchback it has got everything that you ever wish for. Volkswagen Golf R shine in its comfort mode with little bit stiffer steering and the suspension is also kept at ease for patchy roads. It is a great car for someone who wants a daily utility vehicle with the looks that speaks the same.

The car has great features and is truly performance driven. Although, is it a better drive in comparison to the Honda Civic Type R, Well, the answer would be a no.

Honda Civic Type R VS Ford Focus ST

Ford Focus ST looks gorgeous and flavorful after the facelift. Talking about the interiors of the car, well, they are decent. You get a new infotainment system but rest of the things remain the same. The good thing though is that it has a decent space to accommodate things like bottles, cups, and whatever you like to fit generally in the glove box. Yes, one last thing about the interiors is that the seats are great.

It comes with an all wheel drive configuration. I would say if I would have been talking about the Focus RS then there could have been speculations but otherwise, Type R is the machine to be for the performance.

Honda Civic Type R VS Mini Clubman John Cooper

The Mini Clubman John Cooper is an all wheel drive car and delivers great powers and control on the roads. This is by far the closest competitor to the Type R and kind of beats it at places.

It can be said that both the cars have been hyper-stylized but can be left to you so which one do you like. The car is also a tad bit expensive but is it really worth it. Talking about the performance aspects of the car, it is surely something with great handling and equally engaging driveability.

The Honda Civic Type R looks like a fanboy car who has grown up playing with fake models of race cars. It is a car that comes in every guy’s dream and it is not definitely for someone who isn’t willing to accelerate it every once in a while.

Even an alien can figure out that this one is meant for racing, why? Well, firstly because of its aggressive looks. The engine delivers ample power to give you goosebumps on a race track that too without any tweaks. It is a riders car and if you have plans in accordance with it, I recommend you to ditch everything else and just go for it without giving a second thought.