Honda Civic Type R (FL5, 2022 - 2026) review – the hot hatch that may never be beaten
The FL5 Civic Type R has been discontinued in Europe, and it goes out as the most exciting and rewarding hot hatch of modern times – perhaps ever
When it launched in 2022, many were cynical about the FL5-generation Honda Civic Type R. On paper it was very much an incremental upgrade over the previous FK8 and far from the most powerful hatch on sale, and with a more toned down design, some questioned whether it looked extreme enough for a Type R (you can't please everyone, can you?). Then there was the small matter of the price, which at £46,995 put the Civic Type R into battle with some very serious metal.
In reality the FL5 had the answers for any question thrown its way. It was astonishingly good, and we'd go so far as to say that it sits right up in the pantheon of all-time hot hatchback greats. It’s beautifully honed and engineered in every sense, being more poised and exciting than a hatchback has any right to be, allowing it to go toe-to-toe with some sports cars.
That makes it all the more sad that the Type R is now no longer on sale in the UK. European emissions legislation and the ZEV mandate is making it increasingly difficult to sell traditional petrol hot hatches in Europe, which pushed Honda to discontinue the Type R here in early 2026.
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Over the years it became even more expensive, being priced just shy of £52k at the end of its life, but the Civic’s appeal endured to the extent that no other hot hatchback could dethrone it. Read on to find out why it’s one of the all-time greats.
Engine, gearbox and performance
- Wider tracks, longer wheelbase and stiffer structure than the FK8
- More power teased from the K20C1 four-pot, but still less than some hyper hatches
- Manual and front-drive only, as a Type R should be
Compared to its predecessor, the FL5’s bodyshell is stiffer by 15 per cent thanks to extensive use of adhesives in its construction, and both wheelbase and track widths have grown by 36mm and 15mm respectively. A lesser company would have dropped all the previous-generation hardware into the new body, tweaked the motor ever so slightly to find a pinch more power and torque and left the rest alone.
Not Honda. The basic nuts and bolts might be almost entirely carry-over, but the CTR development team threw themselves into fastidiously, meticulously and relentlessly exploring ways of making everything just that little bit better.
Honda claims a weight of 1429kg, and in our independent testing found it weighed 1437kg with a full tank of fuel. This is 28kg heavier than the last FK8 we weighed, a variation Honda explains comes almost entirely from the extra adhesive and strengthening in the bodywork.
Compared to the FK8, the K20C1 engine gets useful bumps in both power and torque with peaks of 324bhp and 310lb ft (up 8bhp and 15lb ft respectively), but it's the way in which the motor responds that makes the most significant and tangible difference. Contributing to this is an 18 per cent lighter flywheel that reduces inertia by 25 per cent. Being front-wheel drive the performance figures are impressive but not eye-opening next to the Audi RS3s and Mercedes-AMG A45s of the world – 62mph in 5.4sec, 171mph flat out.
The drivetrain has an expensive feel, at once sharp and smooth. The response of the engine is prompt, and the new turbocharger internals help get it spinning with what feels like no lag of any kind. Despite the lack of the expected turbo whoosh in the mid-range, torque really is abundant right across the engine’s operating speeds, and the Honda feels quicker even than the figures might suggest.
The driver modes are the real game-changer compared to the FK8, with the addition of an individual mode that allows you to change the steering, suspension, engine mapping, engine noise, auto-blip function and the dial pack. Accessible through a switch on the centre console, the default mode for the Type R is Sport, with Comfort and +R modes on either side.
Driver’s note
‘The accuracy and slickness of the throw means you change gear as fast as you can move your hand, although – and this might sound like blasphemy – I’ve always felt the Type R’s shift action could use a little more heft and mechanical feedback when slotting into gears. Either way the gearbox is central to the Type R experience and makes you feel heroic when you grab a gear mid-corner at full chat, or execute a perfect downshift.’
Performance, ride and handling
- A stunning blend of sharpness, poise and feedback
- One of the best manual gearchanges in the business
- Turbo engine likes to rev but lacks aural character
From the moment you get behind the Civic Type R’s thin-rimmed, perfectly sized Alcantara-wrapped wheel you feel completely connected to the car. Both it and the weighted aluminium gearknob are wonderfully tactile, instantly instilling confidence that Honda’s absolutely got the basics right. This is backed up by the perfect driving position, low and ensconced, but with even better visibility than in the FK8 due to a more upright windscreen.
There's a freeness and energy about the CTR that's immediately inspiring, and consistent across all the major controls. Clutch and brake pedals are firm and silky, the steering perfectly weighted, laser-accurate and so nicely judged in terms of response that you nail your first apex without having to think about it.
This effortless precision is core to everything the Type R does, and it gets better the harder you drive. Its handling is more locked down than, say, a Focus ST’s, but the CTR is still playful and hugely exciting. It feels stable and firmly keyed into the surface, more so than any hot hatch, and there’s real subtlety to how you can adjust the balance with the throttle, brakes and steering. Every input has a measured, eerily accurate response, and the way the front diff hooks you into the apex under power only adds to the feeling of sky high capability.
Even with the dampers set to Comfort the Civic is firm and can be caught out by sharp-edged bumps, causing you to pogo around in the seat, but it gets better the faster you go. In your mind’s eye you pick the lines, your hands make the inputs and you find the Civic is on the exact line you wanted, and the next, and the next. With single steering inputs you carve neatly through the turns, while adding to the sense of precision and calm is the chassis, rotating the car just so and filtering out noise from the road surface.
On the track there's plenty of opportunity to feel for and ultimately breach the limits of grip, revealing a progressive stability and consistency that gives lots of confidence. It'll slide its tail beautifully, too, if you give it the right nudge of lock and lift off as you turn in. The brakes have great feel, strong stopping power and rarely if ever fall into triggering the ABS. Get greedy in the wet and the front diff locks up with a sudden loss of traction, spinning both front tyres, but if you're measured with the throttle it's possible to find decent drive. Just don't expect all the performance to be readily accessible no matter the weather.
The Civic is a simpler car than the GR Yaris in some ways but it’s every bit as much a product of obsession, and in a much more subtle, long-game way. The Type R team were able to influence the design of the regular Civic at its inception, building in specific strengths and engineering details they would need to deliver the Type R’s extraordinary dynamic fidelity.
Driver's note
‘In wet conditions the Civic can be trickier to drive on the edge than a Golf GTI. It feels more serious and locked down, so the transition from grip to slip can be more sudden. Particularly under power, where the Honda’s diff can lock up abruptly and spin both front wheels, spoiling your exit. You need a careful, precise touch to extract the best from it, but the Civic gives you all the tools and feedback you need to do so.’
MPG and running costs
Honda quotes an mpg figure of 34.4mpg on the combined cycle, which we found achievable only on long motorway runs. Get the turbocharger spinning and things take a quick dive down into the 20s – on average, expect to get around 27-28mpg when using the Type R as intended.
Honda’s peerless reliability ratings do make a mockery of many European brands, which yields its greatest benefits as the cars get older and past their warranty periods. Still, as a result, running costs are expected to be low, especially when compared to rival hyperhatches from AMG and Audi.
All Type Rs run on huge (for a hot hatch) 265-section 19-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S rubber that we costed at around £280 per tyre. This is an inch down on the 20-inch Continental tyre previously fitted to the FK8.
Interior and tech
If we were to design and package the perfect hot hatchback interior, it would look a lot like the Civic Type R’s. It combines an almost perfect driving position with a simple, easy-to-use interior that’s high quality, distinctive and visually interesting.
The key touch points we’ve already gone over, but they’re worth mentioning again as they’re so important. Step into the cabin and shut the door behind you, the FK8’s tinny clang is replaced by a reassuring thud. The seat is mounted low, and while it is very soft, it’s also brilliantly supportive and wrapped in about the grippiest material we’ve ever tested in a modern car. Once you’re sitting comfortably, even the Type R’s immense lateral adhesion won’t wrench you from your perfect driving position.
The steering wheel is next; it’s small without feeling toy-like, and the rim is thin, with the bare minimum of padding and only the slightest of indentations at the three- and nine-o’clock. It’s also perfectly round – a novelty these days – and finds a good balance of useful controls on the steering wheel without being excessively busy.
Behind sits a high-resolution driver display that by default will show two round dials with red background hues and yellow needles. This is a direct reference to the NSX Type R and one we can definitely get behind. Within each of the round graphics is a customisable space for any relevant information, but with a bit of fiddling you can remove these altogether. Comfort mode has a similar layout but ditches the red hues, and +R will swap these for a bar chart rev counter and much bigger speed display. Regardless of chosen mode, there is a separate set of rev-dependant LED lights that sit above.
The dash and centre console are simple, clean and well built, with no faux carbonfibre in sight. Instead the trim materials are either a textured aluminium or yet more Alcantara. The infotainment screen is perhaps a little small by modern standards, and isn’t the most sophisticated, but the screen is a good resolution and phone mirroring apps work seamlessly. Within the embedded system is a Nissan GT-R-like RLog system that will display real-time dynamic and technical performance information, too.
Perhaps the only snag is that the Type R is a strict four seater, which limits its usability compared to something like a Golf GTI.
evo Car of the Year 2023 result
By Stuart Gallagher
In a stellar year for performance cars Honda’s FL5 Civic Type R finished fifth, sandwiched between the BMW M3 CS in sixth and Lamborghini’s Huracan Sterrato in fourth. This is what our judges said:
“How good is Honda’s Civic Type R? John Barker couldn’t split it from the McLaren 750S, ranking both in third place. Richard Meaden and I placed it fourth and few could believe Honda had created such a beautifully polished driver’s car for the money (although fifty grand for a hot hatch still sounds ridiculous).
‘Some of its qualities here, for a £50k car, make a few of the much more expensive cars feel very unfinished,’ reckoned John Barker.
‘This really is the Porsche GT department of hot hatches,’ declared Adam Towler.
Despite how good many felt the Porsche’s Carrera T’s manual shift was, the Civic’s was superior. Just as its damping was a marvel, and its control weights and touch points managed to blend a cold technical clarity with levels of engagement you immediately warmed to.
From its braking performance to its extraordinary grip, the Type R excels. ‘Who needs four-wheel drive when you’ve got this much drive and traction?’ asked John. ‘Mid-bend, you jump on the throttle and it just grips and goes around the corner, even in the wet!’
evo’s Deputy Editor, James Taylor was equally impressed. ‘At one point I took it on a loop to make some notes and I ended up driving it much further than I planned because I was enjoying it so much I didn’t want to turn around.’
As we climb up the leaderboard, the scrutiny tightens on our contenders, however, as contributing editor Henry Catchpole explains: ‘For me, the Type R’s biggest flaw is the gap in the suspension presets. The +R mode is simply too firm for UK roads but if you dial the suspension back, even leaving everything else ramped up with the Individual configurator, the car feels a touch too soft.’ Contributor Peter Tomalin didn’t feel it was quite on a par with last year’s Toyota GR86 for giant-killing prowess, observing ‘maybe it’s lost just a little of the intimacy of the very best hot hatches as it’s grown in size and maturity’. But it’s still the best new hot hatch you can buy.”
Price and rivals
At £51,905 the Honda's pricing was very punchy at the end of its life, but its depth of engineering and involvement are unmatched in the class. It's simply the best modern hot hatch out there. What's more, early examples with less than 25,000 miles can now be had for well under £40k.
Although it's almost 100bhp down on hyper hatches such as AMG's A45 S and Audi's RS3, the Civic's fine-graded motorsport feel makes it more exciting than these much more powerful alternatives. Toyota’s GR Yaris has a similar sense of purpose but is a much less practical package, with a starkly different character. Whereas the Yaris channels the impregnable DNA of old Subaru Imprezas, the Civic Type R feels more like a Super Tourer – more lively and highly strung.
In every test we have put the Type R into, it demonstrates that the highest level of driver engagement isn’t exclusive to the exotics and the specialists. It’s a hatchback that can carry a family for mundane tasks before instantly turning its hand to being a devastatingly rewarding car for trackdays, or those drives where you simply want to get away from it all. It's a sure-fire evo icon.
Honda Civic Type R (FL5) specs
| Engine | In-line 4-cyl, 1996cc, turbocharged |
| Power | 324bhp @ 6500rpm |
| Torque | 310lb ft @ 2500-4000rpm |
| Weight | 1429kg |
| Power-to-weight | 230bhp/ton |
| 0-62mph | 5.4sec |
| Top speed | 171mph |
| Basic price | £51,905 (when new) |
