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Honda

Wednesday, 23rd of July 2008

Well the 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine produces 197bhp and it plays a glorious tune when you feather the throttle and the engine just begs to be revved. The car responds directly but would be even better if the steering was weighted a little more. At low revs the car is very easy to drive smoothly but push it to its 8,000rpm red line and the Type R shows a grittier edge. The Civic delivers a performance that will make you feel that you are literally getting a shove in the back. It has a top speed of 146mph and will launch you from zero to 60mph in 6.6 seconds.

The Type R is lowered by 15mm and is 20mm wider than its five-door sibling. The Civic handles like a dream on B roads and is dynamite. The car is taut, positive and extremely well balanced without being too harsh. On the best roads that the UK can throw up, the car is involving and lots of fun to drive. The suspension has been tuned to give a firm ride which is great when you’re driving enthusiastically but this is not so good in town – especially when going over speed bumps, you need to take it awful slow or they can make your teeth chatter.

Honda has always been renowned for making cars with great build quality and the Civic Type R you’ll be pleased to know is no different. Under the bonnet that screaming i-VTEC engine is almost unbreakable and the redline goes to a whopping 8,000 rpm. Move to the inside and the interior has been well made. The pedals have a brushed aluminium look while the controls are solidly built without being cumbersome. The gearbox has a snappy shift and short gearing – you can feel the quality of the engineering every time you change a gear.

The Type R comes well equipped. It has a total of eight airbags to keep the driver and passenger’s safe while there’s also an Isofix to let you carry a child seat in the rear. If it’s wet you’ll be glad to know that the car has rain sensors built-in, which means as soon as a spot of rain hits your screen the wipers will start working and keep your windscreen clear. The car has also got ABS and ESP as standard to keep you safe.

For a hot hatch there’s actually enough room to get three average-sized people seated comfortably in the rear of the Type R. The downside to this is that the passenger in the middle will be a bit cramped and short journeys with five are about all you can do. The Civic receives praise for its versatility – there’s a brilliant flip-up, fold-flat set up which lets you get them bulkier items safely stored in the boot. On the inside a real boon is the steering wheel mounted controls- it’s just a pity that the stereo doesn’t sound richer.

Owning the car is a pleasurable experience and the car even though a year old still turns plenty of heads.Demand usually outstrips supply of this Japanese hot hatch and it can retain a value of about 50 per cent of its original coast if the car has been kept in good condition according to Glass’ Guide.