The Type R reviews are coming out!! Read all the articles and watch all the videos here! As more get released add them here!
Throttle House
TheStraightPipes
Car and Driver
www.caranddriver.com
In some of the higher-speed bends, there's an initial whisper of understeer, but it's easy to predict and manage with a minuscule lift of the throttle and a nudge of the steering wheel. In slower corners, trail-braking all the way to the apex gets the tail to subtly rotate and you can maintain some oversteer once you get back on the gas—no need for those silly artificial drift modes, and the tires surrender grip progressively rather than in an instant. Just as we were becoming one with the Type R, the radio crackled, instructing us to give it a cool-down lap before rolling back to the pits.
This brief tease bodes well for the $43,990 Civic Type R's capabilities, and we'll have a more complete picture in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we're left with the satisfaction that despite the latest Civic R's tamer styling, performance is edgier, more reactive, and thoroughly enjoyable. With the disappearance of the Subaru WRX STI and the Mitsubishi Evo, we're glad to see Honda bringing back its hottest of hatchbacks for a glorious victory lap.
Jalopnik
The last Type R was incredible in just how manic it was. It constantly pushed you to go faster, turn harder, brake later. It was a bad influence, in the best way, always goading you on.
The new one, by contrast, is more composed – it’s grown up, beginning to take itself a bit more seriously. This makes for a driving experience that’s less raucous, more focused. The new car is faster around a track (at least, around Suzuka), and more stable and composed despite my less-than-stellar inputs.
But this focus comes at a cost: the new Type R lacks some of the excitement of the old car. The steering is more numb than the prior generation at commuting speeds, only waking up once you move from Exceeding the Posted Limit to Reckless Endangerment. The car is most at home on track.
CNET
www.cnet.com
The big win: The Type R no longer looks like an anime character. The handsome styling of the 11th-gen Civic totally works when pumped up for hot-hatch duty, and now the Type R looks like a car an adult could reasonably pull off. Sure, there's still a big wing out back serving as the last bastion of immaturity, but at least it's functional, and like the old Type R, it doesn't impede rear visibility.
The interior is similarly straightforward, and carries over mostly unchanged from the standard Civic. There's a Type R-specific steering wheel with a thicker rim and red stitching, in addition to an aluminum shift knob, metal trim on the console and awesome red carpets. The new sport seats are comfy as heck and easier to get in and out of but offer lots of side and thigh support. The reshaped seats don't push your head forward if you're wearing a helmet, which is helpful for getting a good seating position on track. Oh, and the seats are heated now. Finally.
Road and Track
www.roadandtrack.com
When I got out of the car, I looked at it again—really looked at it, unlike before.
It was different this time. I noticed more detail: the little wing tips on the outer corners of its headlights; the sharp snout just above the Honda logo on its front end; and the body lines flowing toward its elegant rear wing, which arches into the same shape as its curved taillights.
The more subtle styling began to make sense, given both the Type R's market placement and how it drove. While the old car debuted in 2017 with a base price of $33,900, this new one is $42,895—a fair evolution given inflation and rising living costs, but still a major investment for a buyer. Car prices that start with a “4” are for grown-ups with grown-up jobs, and they have to look the part. Adults.
When I realized that, I no longer felt like comparing this car’s appearance to the outgoing one. I knew the two could coexist: the old, more juvenile version, insisting that its looks aren’t just a phase; and the new, more mature one, valuing timeless fashion over timely trends. The magic of the old car wasn’t gone. It just grew up, like we all eventually must.
I came into the day thinking the new Type R looked too ordinary, and I think the people around me did, too. But the Type R reminded me that if you think anything is ordinary, you’re just not looking at it hard enough—and that’s a problem only you can fix.
Throttle House
TheStraightPipes
Car and Driver
2023 Honda Civic Type R: A Brush with Greatness
Hot laps with Max Verstappen give a hint of the hottest Honda's potential.
www.caranddriver.com
In some of the higher-speed bends, there's an initial whisper of understeer, but it's easy to predict and manage with a minuscule lift of the throttle and a nudge of the steering wheel. In slower corners, trail-braking all the way to the apex gets the tail to subtly rotate and you can maintain some oversteer once you get back on the gas—no need for those silly artificial drift modes, and the tires surrender grip progressively rather than in an instant. Just as we were becoming one with the Type R, the radio crackled, instructing us to give it a cool-down lap before rolling back to the pits.
This brief tease bodes well for the $43,990 Civic Type R's capabilities, and we'll have a more complete picture in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we're left with the satisfaction that despite the latest Civic R's tamer styling, performance is edgier, more reactive, and thoroughly enjoyable. With the disappearance of the Subaru WRX STI and the Mitsubishi Evo, we're glad to see Honda bringing back its hottest of hatchbacks for a glorious victory lap.
Jalopnik
The last Type R was incredible in just how manic it was. It constantly pushed you to go faster, turn harder, brake later. It was a bad influence, in the best way, always goading you on.
The new one, by contrast, is more composed – it’s grown up, beginning to take itself a bit more seriously. This makes for a driving experience that’s less raucous, more focused. The new car is faster around a track (at least, around Suzuka), and more stable and composed despite my less-than-stellar inputs.
But this focus comes at a cost: the new Type R lacks some of the excitement of the old car. The steering is more numb than the prior generation at commuting speeds, only waking up once you move from Exceeding the Posted Limit to Reckless Endangerment. The car is most at home on track.
CNET
2023 Honda Civic Type R First Drive Review: The Hooligan Grows Up
Even with newfound refinement, Honda's sweet little hot hatch will still give you the giggles.
www.cnet.com
The big win: The Type R no longer looks like an anime character. The handsome styling of the 11th-gen Civic totally works when pumped up for hot-hatch duty, and now the Type R looks like a car an adult could reasonably pull off. Sure, there's still a big wing out back serving as the last bastion of immaturity, but at least it's functional, and like the old Type R, it doesn't impede rear visibility.
The interior is similarly straightforward, and carries over mostly unchanged from the standard Civic. There's a Type R-specific steering wheel with a thicker rim and red stitching, in addition to an aluminum shift knob, metal trim on the console and awesome red carpets. The new sport seats are comfy as heck and easier to get in and out of but offer lots of side and thigh support. The reshaped seats don't push your head forward if you're wearing a helmet, which is helpful for getting a good seating position on track. Oh, and the seats are heated now. Finally.
Road and Track
The 2023 Honda Civic Type R Has Grown Up
The second Civic Type R to hit U.S. soil is an amazing package for enthusiasts.
www.roadandtrack.com
When I got out of the car, I looked at it again—really looked at it, unlike before.
It was different this time. I noticed more detail: the little wing tips on the outer corners of its headlights; the sharp snout just above the Honda logo on its front end; and the body lines flowing toward its elegant rear wing, which arches into the same shape as its curved taillights.
The more subtle styling began to make sense, given both the Type R's market placement and how it drove. While the old car debuted in 2017 with a base price of $33,900, this new one is $42,895—a fair evolution given inflation and rising living costs, but still a major investment for a buyer. Car prices that start with a “4” are for grown-ups with grown-up jobs, and they have to look the part. Adults.
When I realized that, I no longer felt like comparing this car’s appearance to the outgoing one. I knew the two could coexist: the old, more juvenile version, insisting that its looks aren’t just a phase; and the new, more mature one, valuing timeless fashion over timely trends. The magic of the old car wasn’t gone. It just grew up, like we all eventually must.
I came into the day thinking the new Type R looked too ordinary, and I think the people around me did, too. But the Type R reminded me that if you think anything is ordinary, you’re just not looking at it hard enough—and that’s a problem only you can fix.
