The 2023 Honda Civic Type R shares our belief

UPDATE 11/29/22: This review has been updated with test results.

Are you a true believer? Do you understand what summer tires can do for you, why a sunroof hurts performance, and that the speed limit is just a starting point for negotiation? Do you feel persecuted by law enforcement for your beliefs? Well, Honda just built a new car for you2023 Civic Type R. Go forth, spread the gospel of compact performance and live by the Type R code of conduct.

I. Thou shalt not be exposed

This commandment is impossible to follow for a front-wheel-drive car, or so we thought. And yet, this 11th-generation Civic follows the directive from above, despite the fact that its 315-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-liter engine. hangs in front of the front axle and is 61.4 percent of its weight on the nose. On the street, front-end grip seems inexhaustible as the Type R leans left and right, forcing you to sit on the seat pads.

Go ahead and dive into the apex, because the steering is just 2.1 turns lock-to-lock and the Type R glides along without any drama. Cornering, which would normally require Job’s patience in a front-wheel-drive car, is masterfully handled by the Type R’s slip differential. This unit, combined with a very clever front anti-torque strut, sends the engine’s power to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires and allows you to empty the 2.0 – liter magazine without extending the turning line. Next corner. Try again. No understeer, just more downhill speed. It is as if some invisible string is holding the car, preventing it from leaving the road. It doesn’t make sense that a front driver could do that, so let’s just add it to the list of things that don’t make sense in 2022.

II. You will not connect

Not in the carnal sense; go crazy there. Here it is an engagement, as in a sharp start from a stop. The boost comes after a bump or two, but the burst of torque around 3,000 rpm—310 lb-ft available from 2,600 to 4,000 rpm—will have you calling Tire Rack on the phone. Give the wheel a little spin while first hitting the gas and the front end will eagerly seek out a ditch or an oncoming lane as the differential tries to make the most of the available grip. The solution is to keep the wheels straight first. Get it right, and you’ll rocket all 3,183 pounds of the Civic to 60 in 4.9 seconds, and the quarter will drop in 13.5 seconds at 106 mph.

III. You won’t miss the change

Honda manual transmissions are special. Light, direct, precise and fun to drive, the Type R is largely carried over from its predecessor and has the same tight throws and positive action. In over 500 miles of incredibly quick shifts, we never heard a crunch from the synchromesh as we upshifted before reaching the 7,000-rpm redline. We also didn’t do any downshifts. The lighter flywheel makes the throttle a little more alert than before, and a simple push of the right pedal revs the engine to match the downshift revs. For those who want Honda to do it, there’s a retuned auto-rev-match program. It technically works, but it can be quicker to respond, something more noticeable on the track than on the street.

IV. Don’t make fake vents

Passed old R typefake vents and body creases to nowhere. In this round, function trumps form. Vents in the front bumper direct more cooling to the 13.8-inch front rotors, which are unchanged from the previous Type R. Hit the brakes hard at 70 mph and you can get out and go 153 feet later; a stop from 100 mph takes just 308 feet. Revisions to the brake booster are reported to improve the feel, but the pedal doesn’t appear to be any different. The actual vents work. The only fade you’ll find in the Type R is the driver’s hairline.

V. Remember the trip and keep it sacred

Beneath the 3.5-inch widened front fenders and 1.9-inch wider rear track, 9.5-inch wide wheels, authentic hood vents, triple exhaust tips, and 0.3-inch lower body lies the Civic Sport hatchback . In this generation, interior design and quality take a big leap. An uncluttered and functional dashboard looks expensive. The driver can choose between two sensor clusters. The R gauges have a non-linear tachometer that reminded some of us of the legendary S2000. Above the HVAC controls is a 9.0-inch touchscreen that’s quick and intuitive and features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

A big part of the appeal of the drive is the ride quality. Left in Comfort mode, the adaptive dampers are docile. Harsh impacts reverberate through the cabin, but the Type R dampens smaller impacts. Switch to Sport or R mode to spoil the ride with no real handling benefit. If you’ve spent more than 50 percent of your life in the last century, the cabin atmosphere will start to annoy you after about 20 minutes. Freeway travelers will experience 73 decibels of wind, engine and road noise. At least rear-seat passengers can hear conversations going on up front, which was not the case at 70mph in the latest Type R.

VI. Respect your family

The commonality with the regular Civic gives the Type R excellent packaging and practicality. Civic Sport hatchbacks now have 99 cubic feet of passenger space and 25 cubic feet of cargo space, just like the Type R. It’s a big car in the eyes of the EPA. Go to Costco and don’t be afraid to buy a second pack of 30 rolls. For even more portability, fold down the rear seats and take home the eight-drawer dresser you spotted on Facebook Marketplace. The practicality of the Civic is not affected here. Sure, it has blood-red carpet and front seats with big side bolsters that might cause a slight groan when you climb out, but it’s a Civic nonetheless.

Out back, the Civic’s 107.7-inch wheelbase helps add 1.4 inches of legroom and makes the 60/40 split bench just as Uber-friendly as the base 158-hp version. One downside to sharing this with its half-as-powerful sibling is that Honda didn’t increase the fuel tank for the Type R, so drive it as intended and you’ll be lucky to get more than 250 miles from the 12.4-gallon tank.

VII. Don’t wish Toyota GR Corolla on your neighbor

Eyes are unlikely to wander as the new Type R looks great on its 19-inch wheels and lowered stance. We’re not sure what happened to the previous Type R, but one theory we have is that the mixed-tech art student sculpt was replaced with a design proposal for the 10th-gen Civic, and the student project went into production. The real Civic design? He earned an A– in Applied Mixed Media 401.

VIII. Yours will not overheat

Repeated lapping of the latest generation Type R on the track resulted in heat-related issues that sent the drivetrain into limp mode. To solve this problem, the Type R now has a 48 percent larger grille opening that directs air to a larger radiator and a 10-row intercooler (up from nine). You will have to wait a little for him Lightning Lap Resultsbut with the Type R we had no temperature issues.

IX. You should not overpay

What dealers will overcharge for the Type R remains to be seen, but Honda has it setting the price at $43,990, and the only factory additions are paint colors and forged alloy wheels. Of course, dealers will offer a seemingly endless selection of accessories. Skip them all except maybe the $1,780 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 track tires.

X. You will not have false enthusiasm

Buyers who want to pretend to be car enthusiasts won’t want to own this. It only comes with a manual transmission, you can’t get leather seats, and Honda won’t sell you a sunroof. The Type R does have all the crash-prevention babysitters that junkies and the NHTSA want, but its buyers aren’t the type to cause accidents by texting in traffic. This is a car designed, tuned and built for true believers.

Counterpoints

It’s called a spoiler because it spoils the look of the car – only on the Type R does it look great: a fun surprise, an embroidered tiger on the back of a denim jacket. I liked the rugged design of the previous model, but some people prefer to drive a car that doesn’t look like a 12-year-old drew it in a math notebook. More importantly, while the sporty Civic has dressed up for work, it’s still an absolute party-goer. — Elana Sher

Speaking the Honda language is like coughing up alphabet soup. You see, you’ve got your EP3s and DC5s, but the B18C never made it—here in the US, they’ve got the humble K20A3 riding on the FL5 chassis, the latest CTR a lot wilder than just the FE1 Civic Si sedan . However, you don’t need more than a spoonful of the upgraded 315bhp K20C1 to get your heart rate up. — Austin Irwin

No Hand-Me-Down, K?

To get nine more horsepower from the K20C1 engine, Honda made a number of improvements, including replacing the nine-channel air-to-air intercooler with a 10-channel one and reducing turbocharger inertia by 14 percent while increasing intake flow rate by 10 percent. percent and exhaust gas consumption by 13 percent.