Honda Civic Type R: 2018 Motor Trend Car of the Year Finalist

We Like: Screaming but practical performance; looks that kill

We Don’t Like: No middle seat in back, outdated infotainment interface

We should have expected something was up when Chris Walton, tasked with introducing us to the Civic Type R, refused to discuss details. “You just gotta drive it,” he said, eyes alight. He was correct. We liked it so much that we made the unprecedented decision to elevate the Type R to finalist status while leaving the Civic Si behind.

There’s no one thing that makes the Civic Type R special—it’s the holistic approach to Honda’s hot hatch that made it so hellacious. And for $35,000, it’ll blow away cars that cost multiples of that amount.

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“It’s unlike any front-drive car I’ve ever driven; it’s unlike any hot hatch I’ve ever driven,” said Walton, who has tested literally thousands of cars in his career. “This car will be remembered for a very long time as the pinnacle of front-wheel-drive performance.”

“This is the most impressive new Honda I have driven since the original NSX,” added Angus MacKenzie, another veteran scribe. The 2.0-liter turbo delivers a dizzying 306 horsepower, but it’s astonishingly smooth, as is the shifter, clutch action, and—perhaps most astonishingly—its civil ride.

“The chassis displays superb balance and composure, feeling planted and connected at all times, with ride quality that seems impossibly compliant for a car rolling on such fat, low-profile performance tires,” MacKenzie said. “It’s the best front-drive chassis in the world, period.”

2017 Honda Civic Type R (Touring)
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT	Front-engine, FWD
ENGINE TYPE	Turbocharged I-4, alum block/head
VALVETRAIN	DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT	121.8 cu in/1,996 cc
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	10.2 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	14.9-11.7:1
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	245/30ZR20 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 56.5 in
TURNING CIRCLE	39.5 ft
CURB WEIGHT	3,114 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 VOLUME	46.2/25.7 cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30	2.3 sec
0-40	3.4
0-50	4.4
0-60	5.8
0-70	7.3
0-80	8.9
0-90	11.2
0-100	13.6
PASSING, 45-65 MPH	2.7
QUARTER MILE	14.2 sec @ 102.4 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	104 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	1.01 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	24.4 sec @ 0.79 g (avg)
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH	2,450 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
BASE PRICE	$34,775
PRICE AS TESTED	$34,775
STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL	Yes/Yes
AIRBAGS	6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain
BASIC WARRANTY	3 yrs/36,000 miles
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY	5 yrs/60,000 miles
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE	3 yrs/36,000 miles
FUEL CAPACITY	12.4 gal
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB	20.2/32.1/24.3 mpg
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON	22/28/25 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	153/120 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.80 lb/mile
RECOMMENDED FUEL	Unleaded premium

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