2.0 Type R turbo 5dr Hatchback

Awesome performance, awful instrumentation, vulnerable wheels.

I've had this car for nine months and still haven't even touched its performance potential, nor will I in this country with low speed limits. I have to back off the throttle before the engine gets into its stride, but even so the acceleration from zero up to whatever the limit is at the time is breathtaking, and the higher the speed the faster the acceleration, so you have to be very, very careful to avoid shooting over 70. The brakes are likewise unbelievably strong and re-assuring; the steering, handling and cornering are on a stratospheric level compared to ordinary hatchbacks - I thought my wife's Suzuki S-Cross was a tidily handling car before I bought the Civic: now it feels sloppy and vague. Minus points: the wheels are very susceptible to damage from kerbs and poor road surfaces, and very expensive to repair; the instrumentation is badly thought-out, since nearly every operation requires the driver to take his eyes off the road - the Civic is miles behind my previous car, a Vauxhall Vectra, in this regard. The touch-screen is very unpredictable and can sometimes have you stabbing away for several seconds before anything happens. The R button is thrilling to use, but almost impossible to take advantage of on our dreadful road surfaces. Parking sensors are a must, since you cannot see anywhere near the front of the car or the rear corners. Overall, though, the Type R feels very special to sit in and drive, and when the steering wheel twitches as you start up, you know you're going to love every minute.

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