Is the Type R worth it for an average driver?

[Zeffy94]

I drive sedate and I only get around 26-27 MPG combined... if you're getting 30+ you have to be doing all highway miles. Most of my driving is on traffic light roads so I'm stopping frequently

Sponsored

 

[BoostinIX]

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.

40+ isn't that hard if you're on the highway in the SI even maintaining 70+. Heated seats and such are nice.

The biggest thing is 12-15k-ish cushion in your wallet from not buying a Type-R if you're never going to use it. All the talk of back roads and this and that...Based on OP's post " 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. " it's a 12k upcharge to not really drive it that way. Not arguing how great the R is or isn't, just addressing the initial post.

 

[Doublestack00]

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?

My 2018 Si I could get 410-430 miles on a tank of gas. My R i get 300 at most.

They have the same fuel tank so I'd say it's a decent difference.

 

[Zeffy94]

The biggest thing is 12-15k-ish cushion in your wallet from not buying a Type-R if you're never going to use it. All the talk of back roads and this and that...Based on OP's post " 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. " it's a 12k upcharge to not really drive it that way. Not arguing how great the R is or isn't, just addressing the initial post.

Yesterday I had to drive to an ENT appointment around 40 miles away. Along the way, I got stuck in 2 construction zones where it was stop-and-go for 10 minutes or so. The rest of the way it was a combination of open lower traffic roads, extremely bumpy and narrow roads and residential streets.

Some parts of the drive had me in a mixed mood, others had me in a decent mood. Like you said, the Type R is a fantastic, amazing car... if you tap into it's power. Can you just put around in it? Yep, you can, and there's nothing wrong with it. But after owning this car for more than 2 years, putting around kind of gets old, at least for me. In 1st gear at low speed you bounce all over the place, and in 2nd gear it's a lot smoother but you might not even have enough power to accelerate.

I think it really depends on your personality to figure out if the Type R works for you - especially if you do not plan on using it's power frequently.

That's just my .02c. This car is still a freaking beast when you do it push it, so don't think I'm hating on it by any means.

 

[Volksparts]

This isn't exactly true (disregarding the fact that the car at stock will usually go into limp mode on the track after a while). When building the FK8, Honda wanted it to be more versatile for daily driving compared to older models. They mention it here https://global.honda/innovation/technology/automobile/CivicTypeR/engineer-talk/talk01.html

The ride quality is fine for what you are getting, but I got this car for the overall driving experience. And it still hasn't disappointed me yet.

This was my feeling as well "The ride quality is fine for what you are getting, but I got this car for the overall driving experience. And it still hasn't disappointed me yet."

Of course we mean ride comfort is not the best. But, conversely quality in stiffness for hitting windy roads and being able to go fast around curves feeling planted is freaking awesome.
Me personally I like driving my other automatic cars for my daily drivers. I don't have to worry about where I park them and they are smooth to drive in traffic. So if I were you I'd keep the daily driving automatic like your Accord and have the type R for your spirited driving.
Also, when you say "fair price" to me I figured that even if I could stay withing $5k over MSRP that was still a very good deal for this car when compared to other cars out there for the same price. Other cars out there aren't nearly as fun either in this price range and are simply more boring to me. I also feel that you are also buying into access to a fun community of car enthusiasts which to me is worth it.

 

[RehabJP]

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 CTR doesn't have Heated seats, It has less interior space, gets about 10 mpg less in fuel economy, as you said no moon roof. The infotainment is the same. Yea you get another 100 HP and about 100 more lb/ft of torque over the Si stock. You get the 2.0L V the 1.5L Turbo. If you wanna pay an extra

There are some trade offs. To me it does not make sense to get a type R if your not gonna even really drive it spiritedly the Si, or LX or Touring or Sport are much more practical options if your looking for a daily driver and if you want a manual specifically then the Si would be my best choice. That is me though.

If one wants to by a CTR just to go shopping and cruise it around and you love the car and feel that is the car you want I say go for it.

 

[Green82]

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?

yea i only hit the 30+ when on all interstate

The CTR doesn't have Heated seats, It has less interior space, gets about 10 mpg less in fuel economy, as you said no moon roof. The infotainment is the same. Yea you get another 100 HP and about 100 more lb/ft of torque over the Si stock. You get the 2.0L V the 1.5L Turbo. If you wanna pay an extra

There are some trade offs. To me it does not make sense to get a type R if your not gonna even really drive it spiritedly the Si, or LX or Touring or Sport are much more practical options if your looking for a daily driver and if you want a manual specifically then the Si would be my best choice. That is me though.

If one wants to by a CTR just to go shopping and cruise it around and you love the car and feel that is the car you want I say go for it.

dont need heated seats with cloth and what less interior space you talking about? the no middle seat in the rear?
i had a 17 hatchback sport and my type R is 100% better in every way

 

[RehabJP]

yea i only hit the 30+ when on all interstate

dont need heated seats with cloth and what less interior space you talking about? the no middle seat in the rear?
i had a 17 hatchback sport and my type R is 100% better in every way

Like I said if you like a car buy it. I am the last one to tell anyone to not buy a car. Better is a relative term. If you want to pay the extra 10+ Grand for a CTR I say hell yea but speaking purely as a practical matter if your not going to track it or even drive spiritedly I do not see the sense in spending the extra money but if someone, anyone just wants a type R Over an Si or whatever other Trim or Car just to have a Type R 100% Support it.

In fact I am on a waiting list myself at the dealership local to me to see about getting a 2020 Type R but if I get one I will be driving the dame wheels off the thing. That is just me.

 

[Samurai999]

i dont track mine at all and i still have fun with it

I think that is the point. Will you have fun driving the car? The type R is meant to go on a track or some twisties in some backwoods area in boondock land, but the goal of having that kind of car is enjoying it regardless of where you drive. If you feel you won’t have fun in the car or you think you won’t get the use you want out of it, then i agree, it may be better to look for another.

 

[stingray]

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.

Since you aren't going to get on it or track it, you would be better off with an Si. Plenty of fun and I got my '19 for $22 K brand new.

 

[Dave B]

I bought my CTR specifically because it is a trackable car. Having sold my Corvette which was also very trackable, I wanted a car that was track capable (at least with a few mods) but a much better daily driver. Interestingly, most Corvette owners and a lot of Porsche owners don't track their cars but enjoy them none the less. OTOH, if I was never going to track the car, I probably would look for something else. Wouldn't have to be as boring as a Lexus but likely not quite as exciting as a CTR. Possibly a BRZ???

 

[themaincop]

Personally if I had that kind of money I would probably lean more into something that offers luxury/comfort while still being fun to drive. If you're set on a Honda the Accord 2.0T might be a better choice and for Type R money I'm pretty sure you could also be getting into Audi A4 or BMW 3-Series territory. The Type R is really built to drive, and all the money that you're putting into it over a regular civic is going into performance. The interior isn't anything special, the infotainment is hot garbage, it lacks a lot of the other DD tech stuff that's nice to have on a daily (ACC, blind spot monitoring, parking sensors, etc.) because it's a car that's built around delivering killer performance at a reasonable price. These tradeoffs are worth it to most people that buy the Type R because they want a performance car, but if you're an average driver the fun of having a fast, tight car is going to wear off quickly and you're going to be left wondering why you spent big money for a stiff ride and economy-level tech.

 

[GTWaggin']

My '19 has around 5,000 miles. The computer says I'm averaging 29.5 mpg. That's more highway, as I have a mostly highway commute to work. I've also taken a couple road trips. I drive it very gently 80% of the time, and hammer the ramps, twisties, and an occasional run up to warp speeds. I enjoy driving a capable sports car every day. With the spacious hatch, it truly defines Sport Utility.

 

[jtrader]

I drive to and from work and occasionally the grocer. That's about it. Sometimes I take my kids to school. We have a minivan for most trips. I have no race track near me, thus I see no reason to have a type R. Plus, the speed limits for most of my travels are 35mph. I have a Sport Hatch and it's fast enough and definitely makes commuting F-U-N! Plus it was half the price. No regrets here.

 

[todda]

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.

This is a great quandary to have, deciding if you should buy the CTR. I also have a short work commute, but have really enjoyed it on 300 mi drives to Las Vegas from San Diego, where it is very comfortable (great seats!) and efficient (33 mpg at 75 mph). And when I drive it around town in a spirited manner, I am amazed at how much confidence it inspires and I feel like I am not pushing it at all.
My insurance is very cheap, regular services are only $60, and it gets greater MPG than my WRX, so in that frame I am saving money. The tires do wear quickly although that is expected with any summer tire.
Lastly, as many of us have said, it is a very versatile car with a lot of space if you need it. Overall, if you can afford it, buy it and it will put a smile on your face for years to come!

Sponsored