M/T: Long Term Honda Civic Type R

[kevm14]

Long term arrival: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/honda/c ... al-review/

I like the no-options trim level. It's like my CTS-V or the Chevy SS. Makes the used car search a lot easier.

Currently, Honda doesn't offer any options on the Civic Type R. It comes in one well-appointed Touring trim level but lacks the Honda Sensing safety suite and LaneWatch that come on the Touring trims of Honda's other models. Instead, the Type R gets LED headlights, taillights, and fog lights; deeply bolstered racing-style front seats and two rear buckets; push-button start; cruise control; auto up/down front windows; a leather-wrapped steering wheel; voice-compatible navigation; a 7.0-inch high-resolution touchscreen; 12-speaker (including subwoofer) 540-watt audio system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto/Bluetooth compatibility and SiriusXM; HD radio; 1.5- and 1.0-amp USB ports; and Honda Link with apps, Pandora, and SMS text compatibility. It comes loaded for the fair price of $35,595.

As soon as our 600-mile engine-conditioning period was complete, we took our CTR to the track to measure its performance against the impressive numbers of previous testers. We're happy to report our Type R got a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds on its way to a 13.6-second, 104.7-mph quarter mile. Its brakes are strong, as well, with repeated stops from 60 mph in just 100 feet. Our Civic Type R averaged 1.00g in lateral acceleration as it put down a competitive 24.5-second figure eight. All of these results land it right in the middle of the three previous Type Rs we've tested.

For a faster 4 door around VIR, you'd have to step up to some of the following vehicles (slowest at the top):
Audi S8 Plus
Charger Hellcat
Audi RS7
Porsche Panamera Turbo S
E63 AMG S-model
ATS-V
Porsche Panamera Turbo
And somewhere 15 spots up the list, the CTS-V of course. But I guess the point is, if you want to go faster around VIR, you will have to pay more than $35,595. In most cases a lot more. And here's how you can really tell the Type R is a good value: I doubt any of these vehicles are available, even used, for cheaper than $35,595. That's the real test of new car value. Of course, those are all faster. The 09 CTS-V ran a tenth slower around the track (word is the new track layout is faster, by a couple seconds, but let's ignore that right now). You can DEFINITELY get an 09 CTS-V for less than $35,595. And while the Type R provides a genuine hot hatch experience, the CTS-V provides a genuine luxury/muscle experience with a still-sophisticated chassis, so it is no loser.

Update 1: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/honda/c ... 4D4BC37DB1

Not much excitement here. Really just some fuel economy reports. They are decent.

After the Type R's first track test, the self-reported fuel economy was a lowly 7.4 mpg. But because the Type-R's engine reaches its peak torque plateau (295 lb-ft) at a mere 2,500 rpm, short-shifting in traffic doesn't bog the engine and it sips considerably less fuel. I regularly earn 25 to 26 mpg in bumper-to-bumper and free-flowing traffic and over 30 mpg while using the cruise control on the highway. That's nearly spot on with the EPA's 28-mpg highway and 25-mpg combined figures. We'll update you when we get our Real MPG numbers back from the lab.

Occasional outbursts of fun have kept our running average at 22 mpg. One of those times was driving home from our SUV of the Year competition. Rather than sitting in L.A. traffic, I chose Angeles Forest and Angeles Crest Highways. What an absolute joy I'll share next time.

I don't think this fuel economy is exceptional for the performance level but it's certainly not bad. Maybe the 70% percentile?

[kevm14]

Update 2: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/honda/c ... F0DCA02419

When you walk into your garage and your morning gaze lands on the car parked there, do you feel almost giddy anticipation for your commute? I do. We get to drive a lot of cars in this business, and there are precious few that instill this feeling—for a sustained amount of time. It's been four months since we got this car, one year and four months since I first drove the Civic Type R, and I still get a buzz when I approach it. The thing that distinguishes it among other hot hatches is its bandwidth. It can provide mellow and comfortable as well as it can wild and wooly experiences. Come to think of it, that's the same reason I love the Porsche 911 and the (F90) BMW M5. They're all multitalented. Not only that, the harder one drives any of these three, the better they become: more precise and more fun.

Nevertheless, the CTR is zooming again and earning decent fuel economy on its journey, earning 28.7 mpg on an 8-gallon refill, bringing its running average up to 22.4 mpg.

Not much to this update. On the fuel economy, this car seems to be getting more or less exactly the fuel economy you would expect from a 300 hp car that weighs 3,100 lbs. I see no miracles here.