Honda Civic Type R

It took forever for them to finally release the Honda Civic Type R, and when it did people were a little underwhelmed to find the same engine in it as the old one. Still, Honda’s made a great little hatch here; useable, involving and, above all, different.

• Comfort

  There are many bees in many bonnets about the excessively stiff ride on the Type R. For a car that is consciously striving to be more user-friendly than its predecessor, this was a bit of an oversight.

  

• Performance

  With the same 197bhp 2.0-litre VTEC unit that the last Type R had, albeit with a few refinements, Honda’s hot Civic is markedly less hot than the Golf GTI or Astra VXR. But the engine is still compelling with its free-revving nature and superb transmission.

  

• Cool

  Destined to split opinion, the startling styling of the Type R will appeal to many and appall the rest.

  

• Quality

  It’s a Honda. Not only was it designed by an alien life form, it seems to have been built by one too. One with a far better grasp of the whole business than us earthlings. The Civic Type R will still be here when we’re all pushing up the daisies.

  

• Handling

  The Civic is the best handling hatch on the market thanks to a fairly arcane solid rear axle, but the stiffer Type R makes better use of what technology it’s got, producing a sharp and positive drive.

  

• Practicality

  As with the standard Civic, there’s a huge boot to exploit, but limited headroom in the rear because of that sloping roofline. To make matters worse, the Type R only comes as a three-door, so it’s harder to get into the back seats than it is to get into the F1 paddock.

  

• Running costs

   What with it being the Type R, insurance isn’t going to be a giggle in group 17. Your best fuel figure is a middling 31mpg too, but that’s normal for this segment. It’s also much cheaper than an Astra VXR or Golf GTI, and even undercuts the Focus ST.