“The record-setting
Honda Civic Type R
might have set a
new retained-value
record, as well. It’s
definitely been a
year well spent.”
Chris WaltonService life: 1 2 mo/20,100 mi
Avg Econ/CO 2 24.0 mpg/0.81 lb/mi
stock FWD car will beat it in a straight
line, on our figure-eight course, or around
any number of racetracks, including the
infamous Nordschleife “Green Hell”
circuit. Nothing will stop or corner with
as much tenacity. We wish there were a
way to launch it harder, so tricking the
self-imposed rev limiter from a stand-
still nets “only” a 5.4-second sprint
to 60 mph. At about 14,000 miles, our
friends at Tire Rack replaced the stock
Continental SportContact 6 tires with
a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, and we
ran the tests again. There were small but
measurable improvements in all perfor-
mance categories, but more important,
added confidence and comfort.
Comfort is not a quality one would
expect from a very sporty, bewinged four-
door hatchback, but the Type R is indeed
at ease with most road surfaces, andBase price $35,595 As tested $35,595 *IntelliChoice data; aat the end of three yearssumes s 42,000 miles^
SPECS Options None
Problem Areas None
Maintenance Cost $147 (2-oil change,
inspection) Normal-Wear Cost $1,602
(4 new tires, rear brake pads) 3-Year
Residual Value* $30,900 (87%)
Recalls NoneVerdict: 2 018 Honda Civic Type R
MT GARAGE
D
o I have to give it back? Seriously,
do I? When I started this yearlong
evaluation, I wondered what it
would be like to live with the best hot
hatch in decades. Now, I’m wondering
how I’m going to live without the 2018
Honda Civic Type R. The CTR, as its fans
call it, proved to be a consummate comfy
commuter, a maniacal mountain road-
goer, a multirecord-holding performer,
a frugal road tripper, and a surprisingly
spacious and convenient hauler. There
may not be a more comprehensively satis-
fying long-term test car extant. It literally
does everything.
Let’s get right to the good stuff. The first
Civic Type R (FK8) sold in the States is
simply the best-performing front-drive
production car in history. No
wind noise is surprisingly low and widely
dispersed at highway speeds. Riding on
20-inch wheels but three-way adjust-
able dampers, the compact Civic hatch’s
ride is remarkably compliant and quiet,
even in Sport or R mode and especially
after switching tires. However, the CTR’s
245/30R20 tire sidewalls are less than
3 inches tall and abhor sharp impacts. I
even bent a front wheel on a sewer cover.
Beyond the supple ride, the cloth/
Alcantara front seats are perhaps the
best seats I’ve ever enjoyed, and I drive
about 200 cars a year. So supportive and
bolstered are they that a friend with back
troubles noticed and said, “I don’t have to
brace myself for corners. I’ll just sit here
with my hands in my lap and enjoy this
road with you.” I suffered no uncomfort-
able hot spots or fidgeting on long drives.
I expected the tall thigh bolsters to wear,
break down, or discolor from a year’s
worth of unavoidable contact, yet they
still look and feel like new. There were
no complaints from high school–age rear
passengers with the exception that the
car only holds four people. The climate
control system never failed to deliver cool/
warm air on demand in temperatures from
20 to 105 degrees.
Over 20,100 miles, the Civic Type R
consumed 835 gallons of California-spec
91-octane premium unleaded for a total
cost of $3,322. Our tank-by-tank economy
ranged from 12 to 32 mpg depending on
locale and personnel, and our annual
average was 24.0 mpg, nearly matching
the EPA’s 25 mpg combined figure. We
saw self-reported fuel economy as high
as 34 mpg, but the longest single-day tripI LOVED MY YEAR IN THE
CIVIC TYPE R SO MUCH
THAT I ASKED HONDA IF I
COULD BUY IT. THIS CAR
LITERALLY DOES IT ALL.82 MOTORTREND.COM APRIL 2020