The 2024 Honda Civic Type-R is the darling of all car enthusiasts. It’s a front-wheel-drive pocket rocket with a 6-speed manual transmission and no electronic aids. It is a pure and untainted driving machine. But is it good enough to use on a daily basis or is it strictly a track toy?
Performance
Engine – The 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder VTEC engine in this Civic Type-R is shared with the Acura Integra Type-S. However, in this car, it produces 5 less horsepower with 315 hp & 310 lb-ft of torque (235 kW & 420 Nm). To be honest, this discrepancy is not noticeable. The engine pulls the 1,447 kg (3,190 lbs) body with ease and allows the Civic Type-R to accelerate from a stop to 100 km/h in around 5 seconds. This depends on how well the driver can control the wheelspin and how quickly they can change gears. At slower speeds, the engine doesn’t have much punch below 2,000 rpms. But once the needle goes past that mark, it picks up quickly with full boost and peak torque being reached as low as 2,600 rpms.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to hear the engine as much as you can in the Integra Type-S. Honda says that this new generation Civic Type-R has a louder exhaust than the last but there’s honestly no difference. What you will notice is that it is louder inside the cabin. This is because the engine’s noise is enhanced by the stereo system.
Fuel Economy – With a high performance engine such as this, you’d expect it to have the fuel economy of a V6. Not so. Yes, it requires premium fuel but it is rated at 10.8 L/100km (21.8 MPG) in a city and 8.3 L/100km (28.3 MPG) on a highway. Furthermore, it’s actually quite easy to achieve those numbers in the real world. I averaged 9.9 L/100km (23.7 MPG) during my time with the car. Unfortunately you won’t be getting very far because the Type-R has a small gas tank. I only managed to drive for 300 km (186 miles) before the tank was down to the reserve level.
Transmission – The 2024 Honda Civic Type-R has not been tainted by modern day trends. As such, it is only available with a 6-speed manual transmission and not an automatic. The shifter feel is a perfect mechanical feel. The clutch is heavier than the one in the Civic Si and has a better feeling bite point. Though, it’s not so heavy that it’ll tire you out on the daily commute to work. Additionally, this transmission has a rev match function which will blip the engine to the correct rpms for faster & smoother downshifts. Unfortunately to turn this feature off, you have to dig through the infotainment system when the car is stationary and the parking brake applied. And finally, unlike the leather & metal shifter of the Acura Integra Type-S, this one is full metal. That means that it will burn your hand on hot summer months or freeze it on cold winter days.
Braking – Providing the bulk of the stopping force are Brembo 4-piston front calipers and 13.8” 2-piece rotors. The rear discs measure 12” in diameter and are clamped down by regular, single piston floating calipers. These brakes provide plenty of stopping force in everyday traffic with a firm but easy to modulate brake pedal. Under harder brake applications, the car stops on a dime with the aid of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires and it will feel in control at all times.
Handling – The Honda Civic Type-R made its name by the way it drives around corners. It is a front-wheel-drive car but it doesn’t have the excessive understeer or torque steer of hot hatches from yesteryears. The limited slip differential and clever suspension geometry quell torque steer and reduce understeer to give the car a responsive and controllable front end. The 300+ hp of the engine does overwhelm the tires in 1st gear but once it’s in 2nd gear, there’s no hint of tire squeal as the car exits a corner. Additionally, the back end is stable as the car drives over bumps mid-way through a corner. The adaptive dampers in the stiffest +R mode make the Civic Type-R almost feel like a race car in the BTCC. It is stiff with almost no body roll even through the fastest of corners. If you find yourself driving over rougher roads but still want the responsiveness of the +R drive mode, the Civic Type-R has an Individual drive mode. This allows the driver to adjust various aspects of this car to their liking. For sheer driving pleasure, the Honda Civic Type-R delivers the most for the cost of this car.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – Compared to the Integra Type-S, the adaptive dampers in this Type-R are one step stiffer. For example, Sport+ in the Acura is similar to the Sport mode in the Honda. This means that the ride of this Civic is firmer but I would not go so far as to say that it is uncomfortable. The suspension has just enough give in the Comfort mode to make long drives or commutes comfortable. In the +R mode, it may be a bit much to stay in that mode on potholed and cracked city streets. Otherwise, it’s ok to use on freshly paved asphalt or on a smooth race track.
Aiding to the ride comfort are the brilliant Type-R seats. Not only do they have large & hip hugging bolsters, but they’re also plush with a lot of padding. Unfortunately they do not have many adjustments and there is no lumbar support but I found them to be some of the best sports car seats I’ve ever sat in.
Interior Space – Because the 2024 Honda Civic Type-R is based on the biggest Civic up to date, there is a lot of room for occupants across both rows. There are only 4 seats as the center seat in the back is occupied by two cup holders. But there is ample legroom in the rear seats even behind my tall 6’4” driving position. Headroom is a bit tighter with my hair brushing up against the headliner, however, this is not an issue in the front seats. There is enough headroom to sit with a helmet on when you take the Type-R to a race track.
Behind the seats, the Civic Type-R has 696 L (24.6 cu-ft) of cargo space and 1,204 L (42.5 cu-ft) when the rear seats are folded. There is a little bit of a step between the trunk floor and the bottom of the back rest but at least there’s no strut brace to impede items like there is in the Acura TLX Type-S for example. Also, because this is a sports car, it does not come with a spare wheel.
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – The Achilles heel of the previous generation Civic Type-R was the road noise in the cabin. Things are not much better in this new one. The tire noise is most prevalent on highways with higher speeds. I won’t say that it’s unbearable but you need to raise your voice or turn up the radio in order to try to drown out the noise. But it’s always there.
Otherwise, the interior is well put together because nothing rattles even when driving over bumps in the +R suspension mode.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – The 2024 Honda Civic Type-R is not cheap but it is a little bit less expensive than its sister; the Acura Integra Type-S. It will cost you $51,330 CAD ($44,795 USD) with the only options being the paint & any accessories you may want to add onto it. The problem that you will most likely encounter is low inventory and dealership markups. Over a year after this car came to market, it is still hard to get your hands on one, let alone for the MSRP.
Gadgets – Unlike other $50,000+ vehicles, you’re not paying for the convenience features in this Civic Type-R. For example, it does not have heated seats, a heated steering wheel or a power sunroof. This car just has the basic convenience features which include dual-zone automatic climate control, a backup camera, built-in navigation system, wireless Apple CarPlay & wireless Android Auto connectivity, push button start, keyless entry, & power windows. The only premium feature it has, if you can even call it that these days, is a wireless phone charging pad.
The infotainment system is displayed on a 9” touchscreen and is the same one that is found in other versions of the Honda Civic. The only addition which this Type-R receives is the LogR page. This is a data logging app which allows the driver to view different parameters and performance features of the car from the oil temperature, to boost pressure, G-meter, and even yaw rate among many others. The app can store lap times and also keep scores on the driving performance. You can also connect to a smartphone and keep track of all your previous performance data and then compare it against new data when you revisit the same race track.
Interior Design – The interior design of the 2024 Honda Civic Type-R will immediately be recognizable to any Civic driver. But there are a few differences. The most obvious difference are the bright red sport seats. The Type-R also has matching red carpets which look great but there’s a reason why most carpets are black. The red highlights dirt much easier so if you want them to remain pristine, you’ll have to vacuum and wash those carpets more frequently. Other minor differences include the +R button on the center console, the Type-R badge in front of the passenger, red seat belts, and the shift lights above the 10.2” driver display.
Exterior Design – To my eyes, the exterior doesn’t look as exciting as the previous generation. For the Type-R, Honda gave it a wider stance, a rear wing (which does not impede rear visibility), and functional hood vent along with 19” wheels. I think that the regular Civic & Civic Si are a little bland but the Type-R has just enough bits and bobs attached to it to make it look much more interesting.
Annoyingly, this car also attracted a lot of attention from boy racers that had a normal econobox car that had a loud muffler and aftermarket wheels. Every time one of these drivers pulled up next to me at a stop light, they had to speed off when the light turned green in a vain attempt to try to race against me or to try to impress me with their poorly modified cars. Needless to say, I was not impressed and had no interest in embarrassing them with the performance of the Civic Type-R. I’d rather leave that on the race track. /rant
Safety – For being a sports car, the 2024 Honda Civic Type-R comes equipped with a lot of safety & driver aids. Automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning with lane keep, blind spot sensors, rear cross traffic alert, and even adaptive cruise control among others, are equipped on the Civic Type-R.
Warranty – The 2024 Honda Civic Type-R is covered by a 3 year / 60,000 km new vehicle and 5 year / 100,000 km powertrain warranty. For more information on Canadian warranty, click here. For information on USA warranty, click here.
Conclusion – In the end, the2024 Honda Civic Type-R really is as good as everyone says that it is both in a city environment and out on the back roads. Now the question is, do you get this or the Acura Integra Type-S? Last year I drove that car and I named it my car of the year. Will the Civic Type-R do the same? Subscribe to my YouTube channel to find out at the end of 2024.
Thank you to Honda Canada for providing the vehicle. www.Honda.ca
2024 Honda Civic Type-R Gallery
