2008 Honda Civic Type R review
July 31, 2008 by Karl Peskett
A quote from Honda’s press release: “No bolting on of a turbocharger to give silly power figures. All Type R engines are normally-aspirated, which delivers smoother power throughout the rev range, allowing power to be transferred through the chassis more easily, improving traction and acceleration.”
So don’t be disappointed when we tell you that this 2.0-litre engine “only” puts out 148kW. Oh yes, at a stratospheric 7800rpm.
You see, if you like the low-blow turbo go, you’ll think it’s slow.
But it’s wise to forget about the lack of torque, and concentrate on the whole drive experience. It’s only then that the Civic Type R makes sense.
Tags: Honda Civic, Honda Civic Type R
Its strange in design both inside & out and its in dangerous territory when it comes to its RRP, its in the Mitsubishi Ralliart Lancer price range where you get a turbo and AWD system not to forget the Subaru bubble car WRX too.
These are seriously capable vehicles that are arguably the best of their kind in the world, the Honda is as usual over priced and over ambitious.
Drive it in isolation and away from shop windows and you’ll probably enjoy it more.
Great story! Love your work… Although, page 2, 2nd paragraph, the Civic Type R magically became turbocharged???
“So don’t be disappointed when we tell you that this two-litre turbocharged engine “only” puts out 148kW.”
Haha! Thanks Gavin. Not sure why that crept in there. Well spotted.
Honda is trying to appease the old Prelude drivers (the previous to last 4WS model was brilliant) and the old Civic Type R buyers. Probably fails at both. Being a Honda it is no doubt excellent to drive although havuing to twiddle your thumbs whilst the engine revs up will get very old very quickly.
I feel Honda have generally lost their way ever since they came up with the design of the last Prelude in the late 90’s. And no amount of F1 cars on their advertisements will save them from this fact.
I hope that Honda get with the program soon and make something worth purchasing.
btw the Type R looks like a hair-dressers car. There. Said it. The shell design is def. unworthy of a Type R badge.
Like we discussed Karl, the problem with the car is its only ever inspiring when being belted hard.
Its embarrassing to be cruising around town at 60kmh to have the Camry next to you pull away without needing to go down 3 gears to find the Vtec kick it has.
And then of course, the car is stuck in a conundrum – is it susposed to be a pocket rocket, or a luxo cruiser, and you have outlined all the reasons why.
Honda need to go back and look at the original type r integra to remind themselves of what pure means. While it may be louder and harsher to ride in, it was a pure car, and an excpetional drive. The problem is all these years later, this car has forgotten those ideals and fails to meet the mark.
This vehicle is nowhere?
TopGear summed it up nice, JUNK! :-)
Worse than the earlier model and WAY to expensive and slow.
Sure it will be better next edition!
Cheers
F-0
My Golf GTI makes the published 147KW at 5,100rpm, and this thing doesn’t come “on the cam” until well past this figure.
And I have 280nm of torque coming on strong from 1750rpm. Puttering around town the DSG will change into 6th gear at 60ks, and the cruise control will keep it there – I bet the Honda couldn’t do that ! (that’s pretty handy, too – the damn thing creeps up in speed alarmingly if you don’t watch it)
So, to drive the Honda around town would be an absolute PITA. Actually, with the possible exception of cornering, the Honda would be a PITA everywhere.
Takes a bit more than this to knock off the original and the best hot hatch :)
problem with the golf is, everyone has one.
Bring on the Ford Focus RS, not only will it eat this underpowerd little Honda for breakfast, it will also claim exclusive ( I have a better car ) ownership status, I can only see Type R Grandpa’s buying such mediocre performance transport..
Yeah as much as the GTi is “everywhere” it’s for good reason – and I’d take one over this any day.
So easy to live with day-to-day, fun at all points of the tacho and just seems to do it so easy.
Type R on the other hand might be fun at or above 9/10ths but really, how often can you drive like that without Ploddy knocking on your window?
Richard,
Your comment has been deleted due to racist and defamatory remarks.
Didn`t Wheels give this thing an award not to long ago? I justcan`t remember what it was for, but coming from them thats not saying much.
I drove the Golf GTi= very impressed. Looks a lot better too with a more usable drivetrain. I cant understand the logic behind this cars design. The front of the regular Civic is much more attractive.
Karl, why would you drive this car, in one gear higher than you would others. A lack of torque will require you to do the opposite.
Mitch,
everyone DOESN’T have a golf, much less a GTI which Reckless1 refers to.
The Civic type R would be most at home at a 2L naturally aspirated track day. Provided that the “extras” were stripped out this would be a truck load of fun. Beyond that I’m not sure why anyone would buy one. No bang until the engine is going ballistic seems impractical for anything but a track.
apparently not as good as the previous effort. But stunning to look at and typically modern Japanese style. Not for me though like many driving on torque is far more relaxing to drive than screaming revs.
How longs the engine goiong to last constantly being thrashed to an inch of its life. Nah give it a miss.
this car was designed in UK. the looks, the suspension, the torison beam, everything. i don’t think the Jap has much input in it. They were busily involved in their own 4-door Type R civic – the one you see on the roads currently. That one has a rear wish bone suspension and a more powerful engine. Pity that it wasn’t bought to Australia.
I somehow prefer it to be a little bigger and with a more powerful engine, say a 2.5litre. afterall WRX is a 2.5 litre isn’t it? this is more of a fashion statement I suspect, no for the pure motorist.
oh yeah, the torison beam works great on smaller cars. and honda uk claims that it save them space so that the boot is massive, it think it was 465litres, unbeatable in it’s class and even some other bigger cars.
i remember when this car first came out my dad and i were driving past a honda dealership and saw the type r sitting there so we went in for a squizz. i was checking out the features and liked alot of them.
but the dealership guy said it (the car we were actually looking at) was just a car that they sent over for the ADRs etc so some things wouldn’t make it onto the actual version sold in aus.
so my question is does it have the fold-in mirrors and rear foglights? also does the rear seat base fold up just like the civic 5-door hatch and jazz???
jon, wheels gave it a best design award, both interior and exterior, which didn’t make too much sense, as top gear highlighted in their review of the new civic type R, with the old school ratchet type front seat adjusters that result in the front seats resetting to their default position every time you fold them forward to let someone in the back. It didn’t sound exactly like the ‘best design’ to me at least.
As for the car, like has been mentioned its in a dangerous price range, but at least its a fairly unique offering. I’d probably prefer a xr5 or a golf gti, but only because I have a motorbike to cover my high rev, screaming engine needs. I can see why some people would appreciate a car that gives that feeling.
I, personally had driven my friend’s Type R. I reckon it’s just an amazing handling car. It is one of those car that you can just sit and drive, with plenty of fun. The lack of torque wouldn’t be a big problem when you rev the engine all the time anyway.
Btw, that photo on the last page is just amazing.
It makes the Type R more attractive than ever.
Keep the good work up.
Personally the styling isnt my cup of tea. It is overpriced. And although its engine is awesome day to day driving you aint going to be hitting the high revs and experiencing its true potential. A testament to this, I once witnessed a driver of one of these stall at a stop sign 3 times. Apparently the clutch isnt very user friendly so to speak.
Not your Cuppa T TP. Wearing the Cardy and slipper as well. Only kidding Dude ;)
TP, I thought you liked peaky engines. Just maybe not as peaky as this, hey? I agree it could be trying.
This car is amazing, build quality is tops, spacious, very fun, grabs peoples attention and best of all it handles so well around corners, better than the Golf GTI. The GTI has the torque, but just looks like any other Golf which is quite boring. I would choose the Type R over it. Drive it to believe it.
Its certainly got the looks! Shame about the rest of the package…I tend to agree with the Top Gear review…sorry.
I have a Gold GTI now, and used to driving Hondas.
Although the GTI is great car which I am more than happy with, one thing I miss is the smooth delivery of power over the rev range, cf power onslaught from turbo. Maybe I spent too much time with Honda engines and gearing.
given the earlier model of this outperforms it according to TopGear, I could give this one a thumbs down, For those who generally dont take the car to the limits I think this is sufficient in performance terms, although youd need to hit vtec at the hi rpms for this car to start screaming.
Personally I would prefer if we had the Coupe SI model the yanks get, looks much better.
Btw has anyone been to the honda website and checked out the Sub STI vs Civic Type R? Looks like UK Car mag praised the Civic like anything and hammered the new STI saying its not what it once was.
Golf GTI, not Gold GTI
Ben, it’s because of how short the final drive ratio is.
To compensate for the lack of torque, the engine revs to 8500rpm. And at those revs, you are in the same gear as any other car.
In day to day driving though, you’ll be driving a gear higher.
Good article. This car is a lot of fun to drive. Due to our draconian points system you have to be careful but with its high revving engine you can still have short bursts of fun with the first 3 gears before settling down at the 80km/h mark limits around town. Love everything about it bar the digital speedo (too much lag when braking). Friends have WRX & Golf GTI. I wouldn’t swap the Type R for either.
I bet my 206 gti would be heaps more fun around corners given it uses independant rears rather than a torsion bar.. just give it a little bit extra throttle comming into a corner, then once you feel it understeer take your foot off the pedal and let the rear slide! bet you couldnt do that in a civic type R !!
A lot of negative Type R comments here from Internet drivers it seems… Drive the Civic Type R hard and you’ll feel like a race car driver. When you’re not up for that (or license protection mode kicks in) you still get to enjoy rolling in traffic with beautiful seats, great interior design & onlookers checking the interesting design. PS – A torsion bar rear suspension is only inferior over bumps. Otherwise, the rear tyre stays perpendicular to the ground around corners.
“I feel Honda have generally lost their way ever since they came up with the design of the last Prelude in the late 90’s. And no amount of F1 cars on their advertisements will save them from this fact.”
I don’t agree flying high.
The Honda Integra DC2R 1996-2001 model was voted by EVO as the best FWD car of all time. It is held in high esteem by many journalist as one of the best.
Have you seen what the FD2R Honda Civic Type R (the real Civic Type R IMO) can do?
What about the EK9?
What about the EP3?
They all punch above their weight. Granted only one I’ve mentioned is current (what a car it is too). All have come after your beloved prelude, which is soft in comparison to these cars.
“I bet my 206 gti would be heaps more fun around corners given it uses independant rears rather than a torsion bar.. just give it a little bit extra throttle comming into a corner, then once you feel it understeer take your foot off the pedal and let the rear slide! bet you couldnt do that in a civic type R !!”
Myae you shoudl drive a Honda and actually how much pleasure a decent gearshift brings….
I hated my 206 GTi, the gearbox was horrible rubbery, notchy and ambiguos..
PS. You do know the 206 GTi also has a rear torsion bar setup………………………………………………………………………………….
…and don’t forget about the third gear issue that has plagued these Honda 6-speed gearboxes.
You think a Golf GTI is a better car ??? , or quicker???
Think again!!!The Type-R without turbo will give you GTI a run for its money and is by far a more quality car than a GOLF????..You can not compare a HONDA to a “golf” there are to many good qualities about a HONDA than almost any other car on the market.
By the way it looks much nicer than the old boring GOLF shape.
I’ll admit the Civic has the wow factor in spades. People who buy the Golf aren’t silly, though. They’re probably a bit older and a bit quieter and they won’t have to tell anyone they have a car whose shape stands the test of time.
They also won’t want to drive something that makes more people than necessary spot a receding hair line.
By the way, I love the Civic for what it is and I’ll never diss it, but I’m a Golf Guy.
Honda’s like most cars is about a certain experience. I think that is the case for the civic too. The civic is about the experience of the driver and the driver’s perception of those who are looking at him/her. i like the new civics. It’s not about how fast you go but what people think about me when I drive by or when they drive past me.
I don’t understand why Honda persists with a small N/A engine in the hot hatch segment where almost everyone else has a forced induction unit. Yes the latest Honda engine is a screamer, but why should someone rev the guts out of the car too get any action? I may be wrong but the best forced induction engine of all time may be the RA167E from the 1987 mclaren Formula 1 winning team. Able too produce 997hp at 12000 revs from its 1.5L capacity. This shows honda knows a thing or two about forced induction but for some reason they are reluctant too do it. Why?
hmmmm, not a lot of negative reviews on civic here, not a lot, but way too many lol, however this is just an opinion of those who never drove one , yes golf GTI has the torque but 0-100 times still remains half a second slower? is it cos honda has 1 kw more 148 vs 147. no its because when most cars lose their power at about 5500to 6000 revs honda gains its power then, why is it more fun to drive ? cos u feel like a f1 driver. forced induction drivers always have in their mind a feelin, aww there we go turbo just kicked in, so they relyin on forced induction where as honda bein naturally aspirated will please those who love the fun factor while driving, just imagine the feelin u get once u hit the v tech zone, if u ever been in an M3 BMW which revs to 8 300 then u ll know this feeling, the difference is honda goes to 8 500 revs, and new WRX gets beaten by mazda 3 MPS in cone slalom test and 0-100 , and quartemile, so forced induction cars are just gettin borin nowww
i think the only way for people to realise why it is NA as opposed to forced induction is to race it around corners of all sorts. i have felt the power delivery of many types of forced fed vehicles whether aftermarket or not, and personally that kind of power delivery is not what i want when my car is hanging on for dear life in a high speed corner
when you tread that fine line between traction and loss of traction for over a second in a high speed corner, that is when you really appreciate NA
if racing is all about straight lines then by all means, forget NA. but its not
but hey, thats just what floats my boat ;)
I absolutely love the looks – it is completly separated from the run of mill which is nice these days – the drive is very very important – something I am arranging – I hope I like it because if the experience doesn’t work i’ll be back in the ruck (present car is an MX5 – super fun but not a great deal of performance so maybe…..
It looks like car from future. It’s amazing. Amazing look and power – that everything what need feel fun with car.
Topgear this, topgear that… Topgear is an entertaining car show. Fifth Gear is a better show to watch when it comes to finding out things about a car, especialy when it comes to everyday driving. And i think it is best everyone takes it for a drive first before judging it. And if speed is what you want its pretty good, considering WRX, Focus, Falcon XR6, Holden SV6 and so on in that price bracket all do 0 – 100km in around the 6second mark.
Another issue here which hasn’t been mentioned is increasing performance. I’m not sure there is much you can do with these puppies where its dead easy to get massive gains from a turbo unit.
When you get sick of being beated by lots of fast tubo 4s, what then? Drop a chip in? Wind up the boost? There just aren’t many options and many type R drivers will get frustrated before too long as their hot hatch gets smashed.
Before we make any other negative comments about the civic type R, Honda is a company that makes quality cars not as other car companies who just put something together and send it out. Yeah go for a golf or a focus but once you hit 100,000km on the clock, which one will be still giving you the power and reliability? Honda obviously. Thats why the 1991 Honda NSX is still worth $45,000 AUS with 120,000km on the clock. Perfect example and no european car company will be able to beat honda in strength and reliability.
Having only owned one for a very short time I am quite impressed with the car. I love the style of the car, the equipment level, and the Technology in the engine.
The bit I like the most they are a unique model with no lessor siblings in Australia.
I have seen Clarksons review and read lots and lots about the car. Reading is one thing Driving is another. I would describe the cars performance as Mild or Wild. It does require a degree of finesse and it is quite adequate up to 5,000 in traffic. It completely changes character at 5,500. the engine map changes from a normal type of program base car to one that is set to keep the reves up the noise is amazing and intoxicating.
Keeping it under 5 is a good way to keep your license above that the acceleration is surprising for a car with such a poor power to weight ratio.
I can’t decide between Civic Type R and Accord Euro 08. The drive away price(including stamp duty, rego, and dealer delivery) that the dealer offer is $39k for Type R and $37k for the Euro. I like the design of Type R but I prefer audio system of Euro. The Euro design is more like family car.. Probably too old for me..
Any comment about this?
I have owned my Civic type R for 3 months and every day since has been a driving pleasure. Sure i know that the HSVs, WRXs and EVOs of the world are quicker cars, but the fact is, SOMEONE is always going to have a quicker car than you, so choose a car with the package that suits you and a package you can enjoy..
I love the feel of my Type R.. connected to the road, super slick gear shift, sharp engine response and the Vtec Growl. My next car will be an M3, but until I can afford $170K i’ll get my daily kicks from my $40K Type R. :-)
Ok as a bit of a motor head and 1.6 mx5 owner i am biased a bit against the honda but after driving one for a few weeks (mx5+turbo)i can see the appeal to it.
It looks good has all the gadgets you can think of and can handle a corner if need be , as a sports car it is in the bottom rung of the ladder but as a normal car that is capable of having a bit of fun and fit 4 people in high comfort it excels .
If you want your car to have all the non performance mods done already buy one of these and add a turbo for $6000 and then you will really be in the wrx/evo price range.
I drove one today for the first time and then took a Peugeot 207 Gti out. I’m undecided which to buy, both have their merits but on reflection I think my license would remain in my wallet longer in the Honda. The Peugeot was very reminiscent of the JCW Cooper S I owned a while back, fast and furious. I have to agree with Chris, there will always be someone with a quicker car and having owned a few myself, Porsche and Lotus to name a couple I tend to appreciate a little comfort these days. An M3 is my ultimate goal but for now I reckon I’ll settle for the Honda.
I’ve been driving my 206GTI Ralle since they won the WRC in it in 2003 – and the Type R is the only thing that has gone close to it.
The 207 is a barge by comparison, but the Type R has the same “seat of the pants, roller-skate” feeling about it.
Can’t decide whether to trade out of the Pug, but it’s a close thing.
Does anyone else think this beast even looks like a 206GTI?
Seriously…those who based their decisions on buying sportscar on wheter or not they can be masters of the road should get shot. Sportscar like this is about experience in driving and the civic type R has that as well as practicality as an everyday car. It doesn’t have the brute power since it’s not meant to be a car to defeat other cars. This car is built on refinement. Sure WRX is great on performance but look at their interior, the general quality and comfort and feel. Subaru sacrificed quality for performance. CIVIC type R has a prety good standing in that regard. Seriously when you are on the road when will you speed out and defeat other cars? Only stupid hoons and young arseholes do that and ended up crashing their cars into innocent drivers. If you think of this car as a car to compete you are sorely mistaken….. The spirit of the R in Honda is about the driving experience not the “My car is faster than your car”. GOD i hate people who thinks that….
TOP GEAR is a bullshit entertainment show, the reviewer will almost always be biased..but it is very entertaining. When you start basing your decisions on their reviews only you really should go back to school since I believe you are lacking in the area of inteligence.
This car will reward drivers who aren’t too lazy to change gears (why would you, it’s actually fun here) and who prefer to feel that real time feeling of traction on high revving engine every time they twist at a corner. If you like to cruise at 60kmh on 6th gear, then chance is you are more suited to a larger car with an auto transmission.
This car has a sweet spot between 3,500 and 4,000 rpm and it’s really easy to get the engine to that rev range. 3rd gear is the best gear around town while 4 is the best gear to overtake (aggressively) on the highway. 5th gear has reasonable pick up over 100kmh and 6th is mostly fuel saving mode.
Honda has that character, drive it that way and you’ll love it.
Reading through the comments…I actually wonder how many of you have actually driven this car? All I see are people comparing the numbers on the brochure.
I can tell you from personal experience that this would beat any of those turbocharged (GTi, MPS, RS, Megane Sport) equivalent around a tight and twisty track or public road. Probably the closest thing that even comes close around a track would be the Megane Sport. The Gti would be absolutely raped around anything that is tight or twisty…
People like frugal one and flying high shouldn’t really comment on anything that involve cars *sigh* damn kids on comment boxes. The new generation Civic type R is never designed to be driven on a track. It is designed to be a driver’s car and it is a complete car in that sense. It’s not about which car will win in a “race”, it is a car that will emphasize enjoyment everytime you commute. Seriously what kind of childish idiot would try to race in typical road with all the speed limits. The context of such minds is really what causes all the accidents on the roads. If you fail to understand that then you should not and do not deserve this car or any other car in that regard. Shawn when will you ever try to race people on the road? Never will be the perfect answer. Frugal one and Flying high really pisses me off with their childish comments leading me to believe that either 1) they are far too young to be driving a car or 2)They are just a trailer thrash hoons that put other innocent drivers in danger. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON’T RELY ON WHAT JEREMY CLARKSON SAY.
I have always driven either V6 or turbo cars, and never considered type R. I drove one today, and yes it does lack some torque, but it handles really nicely, the gear changes are sweet and you feel a real connection to the car. I wish I could hire it for a week or two, cause I feel that you have to learn to drive it before you can really appreciate it.
The only thing stopping me from bying it today is lack of torque while driving at 40kph – 2nd gear is still not in VTEC range, and not sure if you can downshift into 1st gear.
Does anyone know if you can hire them for a weekend?
I think the best way to help people understand this car is to say.. buy it if you love to ‘drive’. Not to blast off from traffic lights or compare figures on paper, but a true love of cars which completely engage the driver’s senses.. in many ways similar to the MX-5 philosophy.. YOU drive the car, the car doesnt drive you..
Not too mention the fact that in 5 years time the design of this car will still seem modern and fresh..
own a civic type r ep3, and it kicks ass over the new one. is a good day to day car, and if u can drive will thrash a scooby, nevermind a peugeot, bye bye gti! im 31 still love 2 race, in the blood, so f all u dorks with ooh the speed limit! theres a time and place and i dont rip it up round town, schools, or places with people before u start whining. go hug a dolphin or something. any type r is a wicked drivers car that the missus can drive too, buy without a hesitation. owned fast fords all my driving career, apart from 1 or 2 hiccups, after the honda will never look back, except in a nostalgic kinda way! peace!