Expert Review, Pricing Analysis and Buying Guide

8.2

Overall Rating

The 2018 Honda Civic Type R Touring is a 4dr Hatchback with a standard 2.0L 4cyl Turbo engine paired with a manual gearbox. The Civic Type R Touring comes with a front-wheel drive and has all desired amenities inside. This track-ready hot hatch is available with a 3 yr./ 36000 mi. basic warranty, a 3 yr./ 36000 mi. roadside warranty, and a 5 yr./ 60000 mi. powertrain warranty.

7.0/10
Features

7.4/10
Engine and Performance

9.1/10
Fuel Economy

8.6/10
Interior

9.6/10
Exterior

8.6/10
Safety

8.0/10
Competition

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Features

7.0/10

The 2018 Civic Type R has almost no options available except for the five colors at affordable pricing starting from $35,595 ($34,700 MSRP + $895 Destination). Though there are accessories like a wireless charging tray, floor mats, and a cargo net that you should buy to enhance the practicality of the car.

Trim	Honda Civic Type R
MSRP (FWD)	$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 the Type R only comes in a feature-packed Touring trim, you will find all the amenities as standard - LED headlights, navigation, satellite radio, it's all well-equipped.

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Engine and Performance

7.4/10

“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	2018 Honda Civic Type R	2018 Volkswagen Golf R	2018 Ford Focus ST	2018 Mini Clubman John Cooper
MSRP	$34,700	$39,785	$25,170	$35,900
Engine	2.0L 4-cylinder	2.0L 4-cylinder	2.0L 4-cylinder	2.0L 4-cylinder
Transmission	6 Speed manual	6 Speed manual	6 Speed manual	6 Speed manual
Horsepower	306 hp @6500 RPM	292 hp @5400 RPM	252 hp @5500 RPM	228 hp @5200 RPM
Torque	295 ft-lbs @2500 RPM	280 ft-lbs @1800 RPM	270 ft-lbs @2500 RPM	258 ft-lbs @1450 RPM

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	2018 Honda Civic Type R	2018 Volkswagen Golf R	2018 Ford Focus ST	2018 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

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	2018 Honda Civic Type R	2018 Volkswagen Golf R	2018 Ford Focus ST	2018 Mini Clubman John Cooper
Brake Front	13.8"	13.4"	12.6"	11.6"
Brake Rear	12"	12.2"	10.7"	10.2"
Curb Weight	3117 lbs	3300 lbs	3223 lbs	3450 lbs
60-0 MPH	99 ft.	108 ft.	111 ft.	N/A

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.

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Fuel Economy

9.1/10

The Honda Civic Type R is a very capable daily driver and it is EPA-rated at 22 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. The Focus ST offers a slightly better fuel economy while Golf R is better on the highway.

Model	2018 Honda Civic Type R	2018 Volkswagen Golf R	2018 Ford Focus ST	2018 Mini Clubman John Cooper
MPG (city)	22	21	22	21
MPG (highway)	28	29	30	31
MPG (combined)	25	24	25	24

The Civic's real-world mpg matches the EPA ratings and for such good performance, Honda deploys cylinder-deactivation technology. This front-wheel Civic is also lighter than most of its competitors thus is more efficient on fuel.

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Interior

8.6/10

“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

2018 Civic Type R Seating and Comfort

The Civic is a comfortable and spacious hatchback with a versatile cabin for both you and your belongings. The Type R boasts polarising design with seats that offer the best of both worlds, there is plenty of bolstering and Alcantara inserts to hold you tight during a drag race while good support provides comfort in daily driving. Type R exclusively gets a flat-bottom steering wheel, faux-suede trim, and an aluminum shift knob.

For a distinctive appeal, the Type R's 7-inch digital gauge cluster has a red contrast and a distinctive appearance for each drive mode. You get multi-level information including navigation, a G-force value, and your lap time. The interior control layout is easy to use. The Type R is a track star but it’s also a very practical travel companion, with good rear legroom and clever storage solutions.

Model	2018 Honda Civic Type R	2018 Volkswagen Golf R	2018 Ford Focus ST	2018 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

The Civic is one of the most spacious compact cars, offering plenty of headroom up front. In the back, a 6-foot-tall passenger enjoys plenty of legroom. Though it is common in the class. The key interior features in the 2018 Honda Civic Type R include:

2018 Civic Type R Infotainment System

While the Civic Type R is an impeccable sports car to take to the track or just around the town, it offers great tech by class standards. The Type R gets a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen display but the infotainment system is still the previous generation compared to the Accord and Odyssey. The interface is difficult to use and there is no volume knob. Though the navigation is easy and you also have dual USB ports and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration.

Standard infotainment Features:

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

2018 Civic Type R Cargo volume

The Civic hatch offers generous cargo space in the back, at 25.7 cubic feet. The cargo volume expands to 46.2 when you drop the 60/40 split rear seat. The cargo offers a decent space for traveling with your luggage from one place to another.

Model	2018 Honda Civic Type R	2018 Volkswagen Golf R	2018 Ford Focus ST	2018 Mini Clubman John Cooper
Total Cargo Volume (ft.3)	46.2	52.7	43.9	47.9

The practical Type R hatch offers clever and enormous storage options including a huge center console and useful cubbies. The front door pockets may be small but are good to hold water bottles and a few other goodies, The center console does the trick, have a two-tier cubby and tidy smartphone storage and charging. The rear cupholders are also sizable.

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Exterior

9.6/10

“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

2018 Civic Type R Dimensions and Weight

The exterior design and features of the 2018 Civic Type R are all meaningful and functional. All those vents and ground effects and strakes work and stuff. If you look up front, the Type R looks much wider compared to the hatchback and has special fitments for track-ready driving performance.

At the front, you can see the shallow hood scoop, upright grille dominated by a large red H, trapezoidal lower air intakes, and a tasty front splitter, at the front. We like the three-quarter view of the rear that showcases the beast look, mostly highlighted by the rear wing which represents functional beauty and the large exhaust system.

Model	2018 Honda Civic Type R	2018 Volkswagen Golf R	2018 Ford Focus ST	2018 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

Exterior Features of the 2018 Honda Civic Type R

20-inch wheels
LED headlights
Automatic wipers
High-performance tires
Massive rear wing
Adaptive dampers

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Safety

8.6/10

The IIHS gave the 2018 Civic hatchback a top safety score of Good in all crash tests. Due to Civic's headlights, the car received the lowest rating of Poor while the properly equipped models including Type R earned the highest score of Superior. The NHTSA rated the Civic with an overall safety rating of five out of five stars. Honda Sensing includes all the main advanced driving aids you'd want and is available on all trims.

Standard and Available advanced safety features:

rearview camera
passenger-side blind spot camera (Honda LaneWatch)
forward collision warning with brake assist
adaptive cruise control
lane departure warning
lane keep assist

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Competition

8.0/10

2018 Honda Civic Type R VS 2018 Volkswagen Golf R

The 2018 Civic Type R and the VW Golf R are some of the top-rated hot hatch and a good choice overall. Though both have their own strengths, the Civic Type R is the best overall performer. The Type R is an FWD while the VW offers an AWD option, improving the all-weather capability. Both cars are fun to drive and have ample power under the hood, the Honda wins the heart with its nimble handling and a comfortable ride.

The VW's interior looks a bit more upscale and the technology is user-friendly, unlike the Civic Type R. Both the hot-rods are competitively priced but we recommend the Honda Civic over the Golf R as it blends the track-performance with daily driving comfort.

2018 Honda Civic Type R VS 2018 Ford Focus ST

Starting with the exterior styling, the Ford Focus ST looks impressive after the flavorful facelift. Having said that, the Civic is equally stunning with functional exterior features. Inside, Ford's infotainment system wins the race and the cabin has decent space to accommodate things like bottles, cups, and etc.

The Ford comes with an all-wheel-drive configuration, improving the traction ability in rainy or snowy conditions where the Honda might suffer. Though the Focus RS is even more powerful than the ST and Civic Type R, it is a costlier option. The clear choice would be the reliable and high-performance sports car i.e. Civic.

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Final Verdict

The Civic Type R is a polarizing hot hatchback and gets top ratings from every critic in almost every category of the review. Honda has given the world the perfect front-drive performance on the Type R. With the sole powertrain paired with a six-speed manual transmission, Type R not only delivers an adrenaline rush but gets your daily odd jobs done with ease. It is the best of both worlds, a track-ready monster, and a practical daily commuting companion.

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8.2/10

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2018 Honda Civic Type-R Price, Review, Ratings and Pictures

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2018 Honda Civic Type-R Consumer Reviews and Ratings

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Reviews

affordable and high-tech hatchback

Pros - Distinctive exterior look, excellent fuel economy, balanced and athletic ride quality, advanced safety features available, roomy seating and high-end cabin material.

Cons - Confusing and sluggish infotainment system, and over-responsive frontal collision warning.

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Pros - Distinctive styling, Athletic ride quality, Virtuous gas mileage, Comfortable cabins

Cons - Coarse manual transmission, Firm handling at times

One of the best driving hatchbacks

Pros - Absolute joy to ride. Aggressive handling.

Cons - Stiff ride. Styling overdose.

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Expert Review, Pricing Analysis and Buying Guide

8.2

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Features

We Recommend:

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Engine and Performance

2018 Civic Type R Engine and Transmission

2018 Civic Type R Acceleration

2018 Civic Type R Riding and Handling

2018 Civic Type R Braking

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Fuel Economy

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Interior

2018 Civic Type R Seating and Comfort

2018 Civic Type R Infotainment System

2018 Civic Type R Cargo volume

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Exterior

2018 Civic Type R Dimensions and Weight

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Safety

2018 Honda Civic Type-R Competition

2018 Honda Civic Type R VS 2018 Volkswagen Golf R

2018 Honda Civic Type R VS 2018 Ford Focus ST