DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD
ENGINE TYPE Turbocharged I-4,
alum block/head
VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT 121.8 cu in/1,996cc
COMPRESSION RATIO 9.8:1
POWER (SAE NET) 306 hp @ 6,500 rpm
TORQUE (SAE NET) 295 lb-ft @ 2,500 rpm
REDLINE 7,000 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER 10.1 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual
AXLE/FINAL DRIVE RATIO 4.11:1/3.02:1
SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs,
adj shocks, anti-roll bar;
multilink, coil springs,
adj shocks, anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO 11.7-14.9:1
TURNS LOCK TO LOCK 2.1
BRAKES, F; R 13.8-in vented, drilled disc;
12.0-in disc, ABS
WHEELS 8.5 x 20-in cast aluminum
TIRES 245/30R20 90Y Continental
SportContact 6
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE 106.3 in
TRACK, F/R 63.0/62.7 in
LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 179.4 x 73.9 x 56.5 in
TURNING CIRCLE 39.5 ft
CURB WEIGHT 3,104 lb
WEIGHT DIST, F/R 62/38%
SEATING CAPACITY^4
HEADROOM, F/R 39.3/37.4 in
LEGROOM, F/R 42.3/35.9 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 56.9/55.0 in
CARGO VOL, BEH F/R 46.3/25.7 cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30 2.2 sec
0-40 3.2
0-50 4.1
0-60 5.4
0-70 6.9
0-80 8.3
0-90 10.6
0-100 12.9
PASSING, 45-65 MPH 2.5
QUARTER MILE 13.9 sec @ 103.5 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 100 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.00 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT 24.5 sec @ 0.78 g (avg)
1.6-MI ROAD COURSE LAP 84.81 sec
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 2,450 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
BASE PRICE $35,595
PRICE AS TESTED $35,595
STABILITY/TRACTION
CONTROL Yes/Yes
AIRBAGS 6: Dual front, front side,
f/r curtain
BASIC WARRANTY 3 years/36,000 miles
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 years/60,000 miles
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 3 years/36,000 miles
FUEL CAPACITY 12.4 gal
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB 23.7/33.5/27.3 mpg
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 22/28/25 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 153/120 kW-hr/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.80 lb/mile
RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium2018 Honda Civic Type R
The Civic Type R’s spacious hatch ensures it
isn’t just a toy—it’s also seriously useful.between fill-ups was 332 miles with 1.7
gallons to spare. This calculated to 31
mpg, easily surpassing the EPA’s 28 mpg
highway figure.
Had our friends at Honda not replaced
one of the 20-inch wheels gratis, the bent
wheel would have cost about $500. The
Civic Type R was never out of service,
except for two mornings for its sched-
uled maintenance and one to swap tires.
At around 6,000 miles, the cost of the
“A1” service (oil change, inspection, tire
rotation, etc.) was $97. The 15,000-mile
“B1” service would’ve cost the same for
the same jobs (minus the tire rotation),
but we had a coupon for a $50 service.
The dealership found that the rear brake
pads needed replacing ($222). This is a
common trait for the FK8 CTR, as its rear
brakes do much of the work stabilizing the
car on twisting mountain roads driven at a
spirited pace—even with the VSA stability
control system supposedly disabled and
in R driving mode. Subtracting fresh tires
and the bent wheel, that’s $147 more than
previous high-performance long-termers;
the 2015 Subaru WRX STI and 2017 BMW
M2 were each covered with $0 paid for
routine scheduled maintenance for three
years or 36,000 miles.
Because it’s still common to see
+$10,000 “market-adjusted” window
stickers on these particularly desirable
Civics, you might expect them to retain
their value, as well. You’re right. Our
partners at IntelliChoice assume 42,000
miles at the end of three years, when the
Civic Type R’s value would be a whopping
87 percent of its new price. I scoured our
long-term reviews to find similar perfor-
mance cars’ values. Well, that same 2015
Subaru WRX STI retained just 58 percent,
and the 2017 BMW M2 was closer with a
76 percent residual value. The Civic Type
R might have set another record.
I loved my year in the 2018 Civic Type R
so much that I asked Honda if I could buy
it. I happily commuted, tore up Angeles
Crest/Forest with zeal and confidence,
comfortably emptied a tank or two in
one sitting, and even hauled (not at one
time) a set of four vintage speakers for
repair, two loaner tower speakers, a 6-foot
ladder, a small office table, and so on. To
repeat, this car literally does it all. Also,
with the car’s sole manufacturing facility
closing in Swindon, England, my guess is
that its uncertain future might inflate its
value even more. Our friends at Honda
reassured me that other Civic-building
facilities, like the one in Ohio, will be
drafted to accommodate the Type R’s rela-
tively low production numbers. Honda,
however, also knows the car’s value, so the
price it proposed to sell me this one was
out of my range. Darn it.
Would I recommend the Civic Type R
to a friend? You bet I would. There isn’t a
more accomplished front-drive hot hatch
available at any price. QAPRIL 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 83