Practical Justifications for the Type R

Simmons572

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Hey folks. Been mostly lurking in this forum for several months now and now that I am finally getting closer to purchasing my own Type R, I am trying to do the mental gymnastics to convince myself that the car will have practical benefits, as well as being a fun, badass car. (Also justifying it to the S/O so there's that lol)

I am coming from a '96 Civic LX. It's a great, and practical car, but it's not fast (it sure takes a while to get up to speed, especially when the A/C is on lol). I was already interested in the Civic Hatch before I was turned onto the Type R, but once I learned about this thing, I knew this was the car for me. Regardless, I can't help from having pre-buyers remorse (if that is even a real thing).

I will soon own an upright bass (double bass), and it does not fit in my civic whatsoever. However, I know that it will fit in the Civic Hatch. So that is one big perk to getting this car.

I am going to be buying either a 2019 or 2020 Rallye Red Type R by this point next year. I would like to get some forum input about the practical benefits for owning this thing. Any and all input is welcome for this one.
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Practical benefits vs. a civic hatch sport? ummm... there aren't any. you lose a middle seat in back, has worse fuel economy, and takes premium gas. the tire situation will cost you money in some way eventually.

If you want to compare it to other similar cars from other brands we might be able to help, but against another civic hatchback it trades practicality for performance and looks.

sorry.
 

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The Type R is a great car but it's also a fairly big investment. Don't rely on other people to tip your decision one way or another. It's your money right?

If it was me and I could afford one I wouldn't hesitate. My only concern would be those super low profile stock tires on our poor roads.
 

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You live in a warm climate with zero chance of freezing temps and the roads are always perfect. Have never seen a pothole or piece of road debris in your life. As long as you never plan on having more than two kids, the CTR is perfectly practical in every way.
 

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Hey there Simmons,
I upgraded to this car from a 1995 Accord so can definitely relate.

Besides being the funnest car I’ve ever owned, I have found it to be very practical. Besides being my daily driver, I use it to ferry my kids all over SoCal for their soccer games and that means I have to haul all kinds of stuff. Team bench, flags, nets, canopy, video towers etc + his soccer buddies. I really like that there are (2) separate sections of the back seat that fold down so you can just fold one down to haul longer items and still allow for passengers.

I’ve also used it for big Costco items. With both seats folded down there is a lot of space.

Gas mileage isn’t bad. Maybe 25 mpg. The only downside is the fuel tank is small. Maybe 10+ gallons so I do need to stop for fuel more than my Accord.

The only downsides I’d say are all of the aftermarket mods which is tempting and adds to the cost and the OEM 20” rims that can easily be bent if you hit a pothole.
 


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Simmons572

Simmons572

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Practical benefits vs. a civic hatch sport? ummm... there aren't any. you lose a middle seat in back, has worse fuel economy, and takes premium gas. the tire situation will cost you money in some way eventually.

If you want to compare it to other similar cars from other brands we might be able to help, but against another civic hatchback it trades practicality for performance and looks.

sorry.
You live in a warm climate with zero chance of freezing temps and the roads are always perfect. Have never seen a pothole or piece of road debris in your life. As long as you never plan on having more than two kids, the CTR is perfectly practical in every way.
To address both of these replies, I am planning on reducing the wheels down to 18's so I feel that would address the tire issue. The lady and I are not anticipating having kids any time soon (we'll see how long that lasts, but neither of us have any interest). And the most passengers I ever have in my car is 3, so the loss of a middle seat isn't that big of a deal. I do appreciate the feedback though! Honestly, these are the thoughts running through my head as I try to talk myself out of it.

The Type R is a great car but it's also a fairly big investment. Don't rely on other people to tip your decision one way or another. It's your money right?

If it was me and I could afford one I wouldn't hesitate. My only concern would be those super low profile stock tires on our poor roads.
And that's where I am at at this point. I am planning on reducing the wheels down to 18's so I feel that would address the tire issue. But yeah, the fun aspects of the car outweigh the cost for some reason lol.

Hey there Simmons,
I upgraded to this car from a 1995 Accord so can definitely relate.

Besides being the funnest car I’ve ever owned, I have found it to be very practical. Besides being my daily driver, I use it to ferry my kids all over SoCal for their soccer games and that means I have to haul all kinds of stuff. Team bench, flags, nets, canopy, video towers etc + his soccer buddies. I really like that there are (2) separate sections of the back seat that fold down so you can just fold one down to haul longer items and still allow for passengers.

I’ve also used it for big Costco items. With both seats folded down there is a lot of space.

Gas mileage isn’t bad. Maybe 25 mpg. The only downside is the fuel tank is small. Maybe 10+ gallons so I do need to stop for fuel more than my Accord.

The only downsides I’d say are all of the aftermarket mods which is tempting and adds to the cost and the OEM 20” rims that can easily be bent if you hit a pothole.
Thanks for the insight mate!
 

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Agreed, the CTR is not a practical car. A basic Civic Hatch of any form will be more practical than the CTR by far.

However, if you have the extra money and want to have something that's fun and handles really damn well.... then go for it.

I personally justified it because I'm a car person. I didn't really want to pay anything over $40k for a vehicle, and I like light and sporty/good handling cars... The CTR lands on those points squarely. Ultimately, I knew it wasn't stretching my budget, I could easily afford it, and I would have been disappointed in any other car that was out there around that price point when I purchased in early '18.
 

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Aside from the size of the wheels (which I am still debating about downsizing to 18s; I have a winter set of 18s but was considering getting another set of tires to switch out), I've found it practical for me because:
  1. The maximum amount of folks I've had in the car is 2 (excluding myself)
  2. Like fatherpain said it is good for those Costco trips
  3. This is my investment; the first vehicle I've purchased on my own so I expect (and want) to pour a bunch of money into it lol
  4. The man and I don't want kids so there's no space issue; we do have a dog and I'm still hesitant to have her back there even with the U-shape canvas protector hahah
  5. The tank is shy of a gallon less than my 06 RSX; I spend $5 more a week because of premium
  6. At the end of the day it's your money and you will make it work if you want to keep the car and continue to enjoy it :)
 

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Hey folks. Been mostly lurking in this forum for several months now and now that I am finally getting closer to purchasing my own Type R, I am trying to do the mental gymnastics to convince myself that the car will have practical benefits, as well as being a fun, badass car. (Also justifying it to the S/O so there's that lol)

I am coming from a '96 Civic LX. It's a great, and practical car, but it's not fast (it sure takes a while to get up to speed, especially when the A/C is on lol). I was already interested in the Civic Hatch before I was turned onto the Type R, but once I learned about this thing, I knew this was the car for me. Regardless, I can't help from having pre-buyers remorse (if that is even a real thing).

I will soon own an upright bass (double bass), and it does not fit in my civic whatsoever. However, I know that it will fit in the Civic Hatch. So that is one big perk to getting this car.

I am going to be buying either a 2019 or 2020 Rallye Red Type R by this point next year. I would like to get some forum input about the practical benefits for owning this thing. Any and all input is welcome for this one.
What car are we comparing it to? Your current LX or a current gen Hatch? If the gen X, then it adds a center seat, heavier load capacity (200 pounds higher if memory serves), Honda Sensing (if in US; lane watch, blind spot, adaptive cruise, lane keep, auto braking...), heated/cooled seats (available), heated steering wheel (available, not sure about cooled), heated mirrors, tire selection, and better gas mileage. The CTR will gain adaptive suspension, better brakes, and better power.

Over your LX it'll have more storage space, adaptive suspension, better AC (to an extent), safety features, better brakes, and more power. Your LX has better gas mileage and tire selection.

Edit: added auto braking (collision avoidance), heated mirrors, safety features, brakes, and tire selection.
 
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Here were the selling points for me:

#1. most important: Resale Value. It's a freaking Type R and will have the highest resale Value of any Civic.

#2. Cargo Space. Surprisingly this was immensely important to me. I play baseball and I was coming over from a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The Type R has MORE cargo space than my Jeep did. All of my baseball equipment fits without any rear window obstruction. This was not the case for the Jeep. It is not as long so I won't be able to haul around any 4x8 sheets of Plywood or 8' 2x4s but that is ok... I can always rent a Home Depot Flat bed.

#3. Performance. I read a ton of reviews before purchasing and every youtube Video is spot on. Just watch Youtube videos for Type R reviews and their reactions were identical to mine.

#4. It is a 4 door, I do not like coupes, 4 doors are way more practical in general. Besides a 3rd person can just sit on the cup holders in the back.

#5. It's a Honda.

#6. ?

#7. Profit
 


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We’re glad you asked. We’re the second most visited site besides Suzy Ornament show for potential Type R owners. You’ve been unanimously approved for your CTR purchase. The justification is that you simply wants it and must has it as your precious. CivicX, Honda, God, Country. Sempre Fi.
 

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In case it helps:

  • 4 doors with a hatch, good carrying capacity
  • great resale value
  • insurance is reasonable considering the performance
  • decent gas mileage for the performance

I'm sure I'm missing a few.

I went through the same process prior to buying my 2018 ralley red. For me, this is probably the most practical car I've ever owned.
 

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Car is super practical in my opinion. 4 doors, excellent handling, pay for civic insurance and civic repairs but get double the performance. And the Cargo area with seats down is 5 ft deep or just as deep as many full size trucks. Sometimes I like to see how far I can push it.

Honda Civic 10th gen Practical Justifications for the Type R 20190625_123747
 

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With your number of passengers, it can be practical, however as some have mentioned there is a cost to making it so. On top of the smaller rims + bigger tires, you probably want to consider the spare tire kit.

Let's be honest though, practicality is not why we like the Type R, nor is it what it was designed for. If the added expenses are something you are comfortable with, then by all means go for it if it makes sense to you. Otherwise you may have a more practical car that you look at every day and wonder what could have been :)
 

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The Type R will do fine for most things. I definitely use and abuse mine. It works well enough for my catering and handyman side gigs. I've hauled plenty of food in the hatch as well as bags of concrete, tile, dirt and a large job site table saw. Get the all weather mats and it makes clean up pretty easy. In the end it's still a Civic and can be used and abused as one. It just happens to be fast and can handle occasional track duty.
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