Engaging the engine
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Registered address: 5 New Street Square, London, United Kingdom EC4A 3TW
The Honda Civic Type-R is now in its sixth generation, and UK buyers have been fortunate enough to enjoy all but the first of those as official imports. The Type-R has changed a lot over time, from a screaming naturally-aspirated three-door hatch into today’s modern turbocharged monster, but the last two generations, the 2017-2021 car and the 2022-on model on sale today, are really something special.
Not just in terms of Type-Rs either, but among all hot hatchbacks and even performance cars as a whole. They’re blisteringly quick and have incredible handling, but still hit the traditional hot hatchback beats of being practical, usable, and not too thirsty on fuel. The pair share a lot of traits which is why we’re covering them together, though you can expect to pay a lot more money for later cars, so your choice may well come down to budget rather than preference.
If you’ve got the budget for it, you should absolutely buy a used Honda Civic Type-R. Both generations covered here are among the best hot hatchbacks ever made, being not just some of the best performing, but also two of the most involving and capable to drive. Their performance and handling abilities on both road and track but them among the great driver’s cars, yet they’re still Hondas at heart - which makes them practical and reliable too.
Whichever model you choose, you’re getting a car with storming acceleration, huge reserves of grip even in poor weather, agile handling, tactile controls (the gearshift in both is about as good as manual shifts get), fantastic hip-hugging seats, tireless braking ability, and even a relatively liveable ride - though 2022-on cars are definitely a little firmer regardless of driving mode.
And yet both cars can do the sensible family-car thing too, thanks to enormous boots and spacious interiors. The later model definitely has the more grown-up, appealing cabin (though neither is class-leading for infotainment), but both have excellent driving positions, with seats you could happily spend all day in.
One big separator is cost. The 2022-on car starts at nearly £50,000 new, and while its ability goes some way to justifying that cost, in purely rational terms the earlier model is a better buy, being very nearly as good but benefitting from its much lower starting price. Demand means used prices haven’t dropped as far as some rivals, but even the very best of those rivals - such as the Hyundai i30N, Ford Focus ST, Renault Sport Megane, and Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport - can’t quite touch the Honda’s all-round ability.
There’s no wrong answer here. The most recent two generations of Civic Type-R are both stellar cars, and there’s not a huge difference in the way they drive. Really your choice comes down to budget and preference. Money no object, we’d go for the 2022-on car, with its arguably more attractive styling and more appealing interior finish, but even buying used, it’s an expensive way to buy a car that’s only marginally better than its predecessor.
It could be worth keeping an eye out for the two special-edition versions of the old car too. The Sport Line’s smaller wheels may be less prone to pothole damage than the standard 20-inch wheels if nothing else, while the Limited Edition is sure to appeal to collectors in future, thanks to its more focused nature.
The first four trim levels below can all be found on the 2017-2021 Civic Type-R, while the final trim applies only to the latest model. Sport Line and Limited Edition trims were launched shortly before the old car went off sale, the former being a toned-down model both in terms of styling and driving characteristics (it had the same power, but smaller alloy wheels on taller sidewall tyres, taking the edge off the ride), while the latter was even more extreme, shedding equipment for reduced weight.
The Honda Civic Type-R’s dimensions are:
The Honda Civic Type-R’s boot size is:
2022-on models are currently a lot more expensive to tax than their 2017-on counterparts, thanks to a purchase price that starts well over the £40,000 mark, attracting a VED surcharge. That means a £600 yearly bill for the later car until it reaches seven years old, while the 2017 model is a more affordable £190 per year.
No Type-R will be especially affordable to insure, even compared to other hot hatchback rivals. You’re looking at group 38 (out of 50) for 2017-2021 cars, but as high as group 41 for the Limited Edition, while the 2022-on car starts in insurance group 43. The all-wheel drive Volkswagen Golf R is only group 32, for reference, while a Hyundai i30N is even cheaper at group 27.
