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There have been six generations of Honda Civic Type-R, five of which have come to the UK. But it’s the last two generations, the 2017-2021 car known by enthusiasts as the ‘FK8’, and the latest 2022-onwards model dubbed the ‘FL5’, which are probably the most spectacular.
Put simply, they’re two of the best hot hatchbacks ever made, with huge performance and incredible handling abilities, but are just as practical and easy to live with as any other Civic. In many ways they’re also quite similar, so we’ll cover both below, referring to each by its first model year to avoid confusion.
The hot hatch market has been particularly strong in recent years, so if you’re still not sold on the Honda, consider a Hyundai i30N, Renault Sport Megane RS, Ford Focus ST, or Volkswagen's Golf GTI.
If you have the means to buy either the 2017 or the 2022 generations of Civic Type-R, then rarely has it been easier for us to answer yes to this question, as the Type-R is simply brilliant in either format. Each generation has only one notable flaw apiece - the 2017 car its love-or-hate-it styling, and the later model its near-£50k brand new price. But the former is a matter of preference, and the latter is less of an issue when you’re buying used.
For thrills, you’ll struggle to find a modern hot hatch to beat it. Both cars are among the quickest hot hatches this side of all-wheel drive equivalents, and even those would struggle against the Civic on a track - where the Honda is possibly even more impressive than it is on the road.
Both Civics are actually quite large by hot hatch standards but they’re also surprisingly light for their size, and you can feel that in their handling, where they’re agile, have incredible grip whether the roads are dry or wet, have more steering feel than almost any rival, and even ride well - though the more focused setup of 2022 models means it’s slightly firmer than its predecessor.
They’re blessed with one of the great manual gearshifts too. The 2022-on cars have the more upmarket interiors, but the sports seats in both are fabulous - and because the Civic is on the large size, they both have plenty of space front and rear, and boots comfortably more than 400 litres apiece.
While few, if any hot hatches are quite as good as the Honda pair, there are still some impressive and very compelling rivals out there, such as the Renault Sport Megane RS, Hyundai i30N, Ford Focus ST, and Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport, while for sheer performance, all-wheel drive hatches like the Audi S3 and Mercedes-AMG A35 are probably closest to the Honda.
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If you can afford it, then the 2022-on Civic Type-R is the ultimate expression of the model, even better to drive than its predecessor, and we suspect most people will prefer the slightly less attention-grabbing styling of the later car too.
That said, there’s very little in it, and the earlier car will likely always be more affordable. The extra equipment offered in the GT probably makes it the better choice day-to-day than the entry-level car, and while the smaller wheels don’t greatly improve upon what was already a perfectly decent ride on the 20-inch wheels, they might be less prone to pothole damage.
The trim levels below take a little explaining. The first four models all pertain to the previous generation Civic Type-R introduced in 2017, though Sport Line and Limited Edition trim were both launched in 2021 - Sport Line being a slightly toned down, more comfortable model (notable for its smaller wheels), and Limited Edition being lighter and even more extreme than the standard car. GT trim was simply a better-equipped version of the regular 2017 model, while the final car on the list below is the sole trim level for the 2022-on car.
The Honda Civic Type-R’s dimensions are:
The Honda Civic Type-R’s boot size is:
2017-on Civic Type-Rs fall into the standard VED bracket, currently costing £180 a year. Due to its high new purchase price, the 2022-on car attracts a surcharge making it much more expensive to tax - at £570 a year at the time of writing.
For the 2017-2021 Civic Type-R, the regular, GT, and Sport Line models are all in insurance group 38, with the Limited Edition rising to group 41. The 2022-on model meanwhile is most expensive of the lot, with a group 43 rating. All these figures are towards the upper end of hot hatch insurance costs - a Hyundai i30N starts in group 27, and even a Volkswagen Golf R is only group 32.
Read our full Honda Civic Type-R review
