Is the Type R worth it for an average driver?

[WF19]

You buy what you can afford and what makes you happy. You don't need to track the R to make it worth it over the Si. Mine will probably never see the track and I know I made the right choice.

For me, the R badge has always been special, every Honda I've owned (well not the s2000) has been built in some part inspired by a Type R. Since my car is a DD, the Si Sedan would do the job just as well (though I do get more cargo space in the R), but I knew I wouldn't be happy with it because the R was out there.

If the R badge doesn't hold that meaning for you, I suggest driving the Si and the R and see if you think it's worth the price bump for you and your situation. For me it absolutely was, but everyone is different.

I think the last paragraph here is your best advice. For me, the Type R was too much of a reach to be able to justify, but if financial considerations weren't a factor, then I certainly would have found a way to drive one to see if it was what I really wanted. Another thing, with their great resale value, you can drive a Type R for a while and sell it if you change your mind later without losing your shirt.

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[darrvao777]

Short answer = yes get it



you may need to be prepared to pay slightly over MSRP especially since car inventory is running low. i paid $40000 out the door which is a markup of $1000 which i could live with. i would not have paid much more than that



i use my car as a daily driver. it will never see the track. i will confess it has made me do some more spirited driving on my daily commute. it is a lot of fun



i am very rarely in bumper to bumper traffic, i am also a first time manual driver. the car’s transmission is so forgiving and the clutch is fairly light so i think it is a great transmission for daily driving and for newbies. i’ve owned my type r for 15 months and have not tired of the manual transmission yet



maintenance is fairly reasonable (compared with other sports cars i was cross shopping) although i’ve had to change tires at the 10k mark already despite not driving very aggressively. got some michelin ps4s that should last longer



all in all, it makes my hour long commute something to look forward to (that’s saying something since i used to daily a hellcat), i say go for it

 

[boosted180sx]

its worth it if you think its worth it.
you dont need to track the car to enjoy the car.

 

[Green82]

Hey if you want a fast sporty car just to drive around. I am not saying tracking but tracking or no real spirited driving. To me that is like buying a Mustang Cobra to commute and cruise on a Sunday afternoon. I am not the gut to say don't buy a car if you really like it just do not understand personally why someone would want a car built for performance over anything else as an average daily driver. The Civic Si and LX have a lot more creature comforts and amenities the CTR is pretty much no frills go fast car. To each their own though. YOLO get the car that makes you happy.

what does the Si or the LX have the type R doesn't? the only think i can think of is the sunroof and i dont like those things

 

[ayau]

The Type R holds its value better than most cars. Although initial costs are high, the per mileage cost will be relatively low compared to its competitors.

 

[martindtjr]

I've been heavily considering the Type R for a while now, ready to grab it as soon as I can find one in stock that's not crazily marked up. However, all this time waiting has given me time to give it some final thoughts before I jump the gun. It's a big purchase for something I never really experienced before, so I'm somewhat questioning if I'd regret it. I love everything about it - the looks included - yet I don't have the experience to tell if buying a fun car is worth it over an A to B machine. (plus, I likely won't be able to drive one until I already own it).

I've only ever had an old 1998 Lexus with 250k miles on it and a 2008 Accord with 230k miles. I've never really been a car guy until I started heavily researching my options last year, when I became financially able to consider a new one. Buying a Type R isn't an irresponsible financial decision, but with how hard it is to get one at a fair price, it makes me wonder if I should put some thought into other options. Yet, there's hasn't been any other car in any price range that I dream about like the Type R. I just don't know how well it'll live up to the expectations in my head.

With the Type R, I don't plan on taking it to the track or doing a lot of spirited driving. I plan on driving it like any daily driver, save for a nice spurt of acceleration or a hard corner every now and then. This makes me wonder, if I'm not taking full advantage of its power, should I really be spending this much money on this kind of car? I know there are other options to consider like the Veloster N which has much greater value, or I could go luxury in this price range, but I feel like I'd regret compromising instead of getting the car I want.

There's also the fact that it's a manual: I recently learned how to drive stick with my friend's Focus ST and I loved it. However, I haven't daily'd one yet. I don't know if it's something I'd get tired of, or even hate. (Hell, before I started getting into cars, I wanted a Tesla for autopilot to make things even easier). My highway commute currently is great for the Type R, but we're in the middle of a pandemic. I don't know how bad it will be once it ends and traffic kicks back up. That being said, inner roads are a perfectly viable option if it gets too bad.

The last point is maintenance costs, which I don't really know what to expect. I like to think I'm alright with footing a higher bill for a fun car, but it's another case of something I won't know until I actually experience it.

What this really comes down to is if it's worth it to consider a car that I don't need, but want. My 230k mile Accord is still chugging, and I could probably get away without buying a new car for another year or two, but I've been heavily considering the upgrade anyways.

Anyways, just wanted to hear some opinions on this from owners. And not going to lie, I'm totally looking for some biased responses to sway me.

I've been heavily considering the Type R for a while now, ready to grab it as soon as I can find one in stock that's not crazily marked up. However, all this time waiting has given me time to give it some final thoughts before I jump the gun. It's a big purchase for something I never really experienced before, so I'm somewhat questioning if I'd regret it. I love everything about it - the looks included - yet I don't have the experience to tell if buying a fun car is worth it over an A to B machine. (plus, I likely won't be able to drive one until I already own it).

I've only ever had an old 1998 Lexus with 250k miles on it and a 2008 Accord with 230k miles. I've never really been a car guy until I started heavily researching my options last year, when I became financially able to consider a new one. Buying a Type R isn't an irresponsible financial decision, but with how hard it is to get one at a fair price, it makes me wonder if I should put some thought into other options. Yet, there's hasn't been any other car in any price range that I dream about like the Type R. I just don't know how well it'll live up to the expectations in my head.

With the Type R, I don't plan on taking it to the track or doing a lot of spirited driving. I plan on driving it like any daily driver, save for a nice spurt of acceleration or a hard corner every now and then. This makes me wonder, if I'm not taking full advantage of its power, should I really be spending this much money on this kind of car? I know there are other options to consider like the Veloster N which has much greater value, or I could go luxury in this price range, but I feel like I'd regret compromising instead of getting the car I want.

There's also the fact that it's a manual: I recently learned how to drive stick with my friend's Focus ST and I loved it. However, I haven't daily'd one yet. I don't know if it's something I'd get tired of, or even hate. (Hell, before I started getting into cars, I wanted a Tesla for autopilot to make things even easier). My highway commute currently is great for the Type R, but we're in the middle of a pandemic. I don't know how bad it will be once it ends and traffic kicks back up. That being said, inner roads are a perfectly viable option if it gets too bad.

The last point is maintenance costs, which I don't really know what to expect. I like to think I'm alright with footing a higher bill for a fun car, but it's another case of something I won't know until I actually experience it.

What this really comes down to is if it's worth it to consider a car that I don't need, but want. My 230k mile Accord is still chugging, and I could probably get away without buying a new car for another year or two, but I've been heavily considering the upgrade anyways.

Anyways, just wanted to hear some opinions on this from owners. And not going to lie, I'm totally looking for some biased responses to sway me.

If you want a great handling car get it.

 

[pinhead66]

what does the Si or the LX have the type R doesn't? the only think i can think of is the sunroof and i dont like those things

The only thing the Si has over an R is the heated seats and sunroof. And better MPG if you want to even count that.

 

[Doublestack00]

The Type R is a special car. Was in a similar situation, having driven an old 1996 Accord for 18 years before taking the plunge on this. The Accord has 356k miles and still chugging btw

If interested can read my story on it here.

Don’t have to go all out on mods, but there likely would be some you’d eventually want to get. Namely downsizing to 18’s from stock 20’s at some point.

I say go for it, if your finances permit and you have a safe place to park it.

I daily my car and have no plans to swap from the factory wheels, I really like them.

 

[Doublestack00]

The only thing the Si has over an R is the heated seats and sunroof. And better MPG if you want to even count that.

The MPG gap is pretty large, it is something to consider.

 

[iron_mando13]

I came from owning a '98 Civic LX sedan to my 2018 Type R. At first i had a little bit of buyers remorse because of what i was paying(including insurance).
At first I thought to myself, "This car doesn't feel that much different than my dad's 2013.5 Si." At that point i had only driven it on the street in comfort mode and on the freeway in sport mode. The justification for me came months later, when I had to drive from the San Fernando Valley to the Antelope Valley on the Los Angeles Crest Highway due to construction and road closures. For the first time, I put my car in +R mode, and I finally felt the car come alive. I personally don't know why this car is marketed as a track car, i don't plan on tracking mine, when clearly it was meant for canyon carving. Twisting, winding, well groomed roads is where this car excels in. Hope this helps.

 

[fatherpain]

Like them also, but have bent (2) stock rims hitting potholes and one almost blew out my tire, so think it’s more of a safety issue.

I daily my car and have no plans to swap from the factory wheels, I really like them.

 

[NapalmEnema]

It depends, my SI averaged about 38 usually, my Type R is averaging about 33-34, so I wouldn’t say pretty large. I drive them exactly the same. I could hit 40-42 on my SI but I had to do everything perfectly.

Say what?? lol

I cant' break 20 in mine.

 

[Mrnrfan182]

I’ve always owned a “sporty” car as my daily. My commute takes me through some winding, two lane roads with top speeds of 40mph. The end of my drive to work is a series of 12 stop lights and if you hit them at the wrong time you’ll get stuck at all of them.

But I enjoy having something that gets me excited. If I’m not looking back at my car as I walk into work, well that’s a bad day.

I shift slowly from a stop, get up to speed at a reasonable rate and I get passed by lead footed Camrys all the time...but that doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally take advantage of some usable power to get up to highway speeds quickly or have some spirited (but safe) fun on back roads on the weekend.

You can own a “fast” car and drive it slow...sometimes it’s nice just knowing the power is there...make yourself happy.

 

[Green82]

Say what?? lol

I cant' break 20 in mine.

you flooring it everywhere you go? best i done in my R was 32 mpg but that was on a 2 hour trip.
but i normaly get 25-27 with my daily driving

 

[NapalmEnema]

you flooring it everywhere you go? best i done in my R was 32 mpg but that was on a 2 hour trip.
but i normaly get 25-27 with my daily driving

All city driving for the most part so lot of stop and go but I guess I shift higher even if not hauling ass. Oh well not worried about it was just like wtf 30+ mpg?

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