Honda Civic Type R (2007 – 2012) Review

Honda Civic Type R (2007 – 2012) At A Glance

Great steering and handling, futuristic looks. Still practical and spacious inside. Huge fun to drive.

Engine needs to be worked hard. Firm ride and not enjoyable to drive in traffic. Poor fuel economy.

Real MPG average for a Honda Civic Type R (2007 – 2012)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

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Satisfaction Index

Reviews for Honda Civic Type R (2007 – 2012)'s top 3 rivals

Ford Focus

Characterful five-cylinder 2.5-litre engine. Rides and handles very well.

Volkswagen Golf

Quick, surefooted and well equipped.

Renault Megane

Handling ability is a huge asset and it remains the benchmark for its class. Affordable with reasonable...

Inside of the Honda Civic Type R (2007 – 2012)

• Boot space is 315–1326 litres
• Euro NCAP rating of five stars

So it's already a bit like a Touring Car racer. The red button starter comes from the standard Civic, but was itself the idea of old shape Type R enthusiasts who bought the red starter buttons designed for Honda S2000s and fitted them into their cigar lighter apertures. The red and black Alcantara trimmed bucket seats are like racing seats, but comfortable. The gearlever is just as close to your left hand, like a Touring Cars and the tight gate means quick changes.

Child seats that fit a Honda Civic Type R (2007 – 2012)

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Driving Honda Civic Type R (2007 – 2012)

• Readers report Real MPG to be between 23–38 mpg

The body alone a very good reason for buying the new car. It makes everything else look previous century. Besides that, it's very practical. No hatchback the same size has the same luggage capacity, and certainly no hot hatch has.

But that's not what you want to hear. What you want is the aural pleasure of Honda's 201PS, chain-cam, non-turbo I-VTEC engine reaching 7,950rpm.

And they've been very cleaver with that. Now the valve timing changes at the point of peak torque: 5,600rpm. Then a light on the dashboard helpfully tells you that power is rising sharply from around 130PS to the full 201 at 7,800rpm, no less. Push past that and another red light comes on to tell you you're reaching the limiter.

But the vital question you want answering is how's the handling?

Put it this way, on the day I got to drive the new Type R it snowed. And though the snow thawed through the morning there was always a chance of hitting a patch of slush on your exit from a corner. The steering felt sharper and more informative than I remember it on the old Type R, though. And by the afternoon, copious amounts of salt and sunshine had done their work so we were allowed to drive up the Earl of March's driveway.

After a sighting run I got two drives as quick as I had the bottle for. And discovered the combination of steering and throttle feel is very good indeed. The first two corners are third gear and just got better and better. Less good, the unsighted jink left from the main straight to a narrow bit. Then hook right and left round the flint wall. Then boot it but watch the next right-hander because that's very tricky to take flat. Then as quick as you can to the finish line.

My co-driver learned from my mistakes and proved a much better driver than me, managing a near perfect second run, and hitting 90 twice, which is fairly quick for a gentleman's driveway. And the point was made that the steering, power delivery and handling all come together very well indeed. Better, I think, than the old car, especially in terms of steering feel.

Out on the open road the ride is stiff but not unacceptably so. However, Honda has lowered the final drive ratio slightly, and that means you only get around 20mph per 1,000rpm in 6th. So though the engine is very smooth, don't expect a relaxed high-speed cruise. This is not the sort of car to brave the wrath of the gendamarie and attempt to race to the South of France at 100mph. On the other hand you could see it as a sort of licence protection policy, constantly reminding you that 4,000rpm plus means 3 points if a copper with an LT1 pinpoints you on the motorway.

The price is a nice surprise. Just £17,600 for the standard car we drove. And only £1,000 more for the GT version that comes with extra goodies worth a lot more than £1,000.

I can't recommend the lightweight spare wheel. Honda has gone overboard with its weight-saving, and chucked the spare wheel overboard. All you get is a repair kit that's as much use on a shredded tyre as a tube of Superglue. You can pay extra for a space-saver. But there's so much room in the boot you might as well buy an extra wheel and tyre. And a wheel brace. And a jack.

That's a minor niggle, though. The new Honda Civic Type R started with a much more exciting car than the old Civic. And finished with a better Type R.

Honda Civic Type R (2007 – 2012) Models and Specs

On sale until November 2010

On sale until February 2010

On sale until January 2009

On sale until January 2007

On sale until March 2006

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What to watch out for

Model History

• July 2006
• January 2009
• July 2009