A $40,000 Honda Civic would have to be hot shit to be taken seriously. Luckily for those invested the 2020 Type R makes and is an absolute scorcher for one of the most enjoyable driving experiences you can have at any rate.
While the standard Civic is a chill commuter car and the Civic Si is practical transport that likes to party, the Civic Type R is an outright beast capable of coffee-spilling cornering, ferocious acceleration, and a transmission that moves with the decisiveness and weight of Optimus Prime doing a slow clap.
In other words, it feels stiff, powerful, and planted.
Complete Disclosure: Honda accepted lend me a Civic Type R in Boost Blue Pearl when I said, wow, that colors incredible. Shamefully I feel I failed to get decent pictures of it, however it does rock.
I ran this vehicle tough every night I had it. I burned so much fuel in Angeles National Forest that I had to move down the mountain in 6th with the throttle closed and still hardly made it to the gas station at the bottom of the hill. In a Civic!
Honda Civic Type R Explained
Zooming out simply a bit more: Hondas volume sales originate from useful, economical normie vehicles but this car manufacturer has actually been true blessing us with severe efficiency cars for a very long time too.
At the end of the 1990s, elite Japanese performance vehicles the Nissan 300ZX, Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi 3000GT, and Mazda RX-7 were singing their swan songs in America but still had legs in the house in Japan. The very first Civic Type R was born then and there, with the objective of offering relatively intense high-revving efficiency with the low ownership costs and rather useful nature of a small-displacement compact vehicle.
Picture: Andrew P. Collins
The 2020 Honda Civic Type R does not look drastically progressed but its subtle updates are worthwhile. Mainly, the CTR remains among the most awesome chauffeurs cars and trucks you can purchase brand-new right now. If youre good with the appearance and rate, its basically ideal for local daily driving, weekend rips, and track day heroics.
Jalopnik ReviewsAll of our test drives in one convenient location.
Japans first-gen Civic Type RPhoto: Honda
That original CTR was deemed too badass for America. We had to make do with the Civic Si, and ultra limited-production Integra Type R. While the tuner scene built momentum in the U.S. and sport compact vehicles even trickled into pop culture, thanks in part to The Fast And The Furious, the Civic Type R was a vehicle lots of American gearheads dreamed about but never ever got to drive. Till 2017, when the FK8 Civic Type R finally showed up and was generally applauded with all the expressions I opened this evaluation with.
New-for-2020, the CTR has all the same goosebumpy goodness its had for the last 3 years plus a couple of tweaks per Honda:
Picture: Andrew P. Collins.
Its nearly hard to feel like youre not nailing it every time you alter gears when you get into a groove with this vehicle.
But the movings made more enjoyable by the exemplary wave of power youll ride when the turbo spools up and your rev needle works its method about midway up the tachometer. Whoosh! Its addictive.
Photo: Andrew P. Collins.
Image: Andrew P. Collins.
More considerably, the cockpit gets an Alcantara steering wheel and a longer, skinner shift knob hooked up to a brand-new shorter-throw shifter. Irritatingly, the back seats are still black while the fronts are red.
Top Takeaways.
Look, its been too long since I drove the 2017 and Civic Type R for me to reliably articulate exactly how much better the 2020 is. However I can provide this: The first time I drove a CTR I believed it was quite strong. Revisiting it for a week, I had a little less perseverance for its invasive road noise however a little more gratitude for how much quicker it felt than an Integra Type R from the 90s. And the week I just spent with the 2020 car? A few of the most fulfilling driving I can remember.
I need to admit, I am a longtime fan of Japanese efficiency automobiles and fast Hondas in general so Im a little inclined to like this vehicle on an individual level. However you dont have to be an import obsessive to value how much enjoyable this automobile is to surge around in. You just have to love driving.
Similarly, the NHTSA rates the Honda hatchback five out of 5 star but technically only applies its judgment to the non-Type R.
My greatest hands-on safety observation is the truth that the headlights are gloriously brilliant. Like, “oh, its daytime currently,” bright.
The Civic Type R has the Honda Sensing crash-preventative suite as standard. That consists of: Collision Mitigation Braking System; Road Departure Mitigation System; Adaptive Cruise Control; Lane Keeping Assist System. And you can determine what those do by their descriptive names.
Jalopnik Recommended Options.
There arent actually any choices besides color (get Boost Blue Pearl) a red interior lighting set for $1,112 (why not, sounds fun) and a carbon fiber plan ($ 3,673) that has: Carbon Fiber Wing Spoiler; Carbon Fiber Hood Scoop; Carbon Fiber Door Mirror Covers; Carbon Fiber Interior Panel Cover. I d avoid the CF bits myself, but theyll probably assist the car stand apart when you go to offer it eventually.
Class And Competition.
How corny can you get, speaking about a car, and still be taken seriously? Im rewatching the Japanese tuner animation Wangan Midnight right now, so a huge part of me just feels like gazing out onto the horizon, looking at this machine, stating something from r/Im14AndThisIsDeep.
” The third exhaust suggestion is the window to the soul.” I dont understand, man. The automobile definitely rips, grips, and reels itself in just as strongly when you boot the brake pedal.
Standout Features.
Honda has a well-deserved reputation for building manual-shift transmissions that are happy to operate and the Civic Type Rs is among the very best. Youve probably read that in the past, so Ill attempt to articulate it thoroughly. Equipment changes in this vehicle feel fulfilling because the shifter and linkage are designed in such a method that makes gear choice exact and really decisive, without being … challenging. Every notch appears to have a gravitational pull on the lever, which has some weight to it, giving the chauffeur a sense of power.
Photo: Andrew P. Collins.
Photo: Andrew P. Collins.
I also really like the front seats. Theyre red and red goes quick.
Whats Weak.
Whats up with those seats not being heated up, though? I think I would have taken the two-pound-whatever weight charge to have a butt cooker.
Regardless, I guess I can live without heated seats but I d dislike to cope with Hondas infotainment system. The UX is ugly and response time is weak. Fortunately Honda remedied the lack of a volume knob, but giving the vehicles primary screen any commands is arduous.
The primitive-feeling infotainment is hardly a dealbreaker considering how excellent of a car the Civic Type R is, however when I swapped this out for a loaner Lariat Ford I realized simply how slow and unsightly Hondas digital user interface is compared to other choices. Downer.
Safety.
The 2020 Civic hatchback is an IIHS “Top Safety Pick” but the company says this doesnt apply to the Type R. I imagine this is mostly because it hasnt tested the Type R and its thought about a separate model instead of a trim level, but I bet the CTR has similar crash survivability standards as a standard Civic hatch.
The Civic Type Rs most direct competitors would be the VW Golf R (less power, however four-wheel drive; not offered for the 2020 design year), and the Hyundai Veloster (less costly, less effective).
The Subaru WRX STI is a sedan not a hatchback, however provides similarly thrilling turbo performance and four-door use.
And once you start opening the field up to “all semi-practical enjoyable cars and trucks for under $40,000” the options are nearly unlimited. The Civic Type R will stand apart if you delight in shifter feel and responsive steering, and obviously the automobile will be finest valued by individuals who love the sport compact scene in general and wish to experience owning an icon that was prohibited fruit on U.S. roads for so long.
Decision.
Retuned bushings in the front and rear suspension for improved cornering stability and sharper steering
Revised Adaptive Damper System (ADS) includes a considerably higher tasting rate and revised tuning for better control and improved flight comfort
New two-piece front brake rotors enhance brake cooling and lower weight
Increased engine cooling efficiency
Requirement Honda Sensing suite of security and driver-assistive technologies
All-new Honda LogR efficiency data logging app designed to tape driving activity and assistance improve motorist abilities (set up to be launched this spring).
2020 Civic Type R.
More Pictures.
I dont believe my photos here did really the Civic Type R justice, specifically in Boost Blue. Fortunately the Civic Type R can be seen from every possible angle on Hondas gallery website and Hondas other gallery.
+.
Shifting, dealing with, that sweet turbo surge.
Power.
306 HP – 295 LB-FT.
TL; DR.
A hot hatch hero you should more than happy to meet.
The 2020 Honda Civic Type R doesnt look dramatically developed however its subtle updates are rewarding. While the tuner scene constructed momentum in the U.S. and sport compact vehicles even trickled into pop culture, thanks in part to The Fast And The Furious, the Civic Type R was a vehicle numerous American gearheads dreamed about but never got to drive. Honda has a well-deserved track record for building manual-shift transmissions that are happy to operate and the Civic Type Rs is amongst the finest. The Civic Type R has the Honda Sensing crash-preventative suite as requirement. Fortunately the Civic Type R can be seen from every possible angle on Hondas gallery website and Hondas other gallery.
