2025 Honda Civic Type R: Still hype, sans the hype
Something that reminds me that I’m old is when younger people use commonly known words in novel ways.
As a language major, I know that this is part of the organic nature of speech – the meanings of words are constantly in flux because of factors like dominant philosophies, economic development, and even societal norms. Thus, language has the power to include or exclude members of a social group and even define our social standing.
Put another way, inter-generational “language barriers” are a natural effect of time and not some perceived desecration of prescribed rules and meanings. This was made very clear to me by the word “hype.”
Traditionally, hype is defined as the intensive promotion or publicity of a product or service. But most recently, it has been used to describe someone or something that is highly energized (as in “That party was hype” or “Yo chill out, you hype”).
And so we arrive at the Honda Civic Type R, which was positively swimming in hype when it was launched in the Philippines last January 2023. Given that hype is prized currency in neoliberal capitalism, the initial dealer prices for this hot hatch reached such astronomical levels that Honda Cars Philippines Inc. had to issue a statement against price-gouging.
But over two years down the line, with prices back down to Earth, is the Civic Type R still “hype”?
No hum-drum Honda
When the first Civic Type R came out in 1997, it still bore a very close resemblance to the regular Civic EK4 hatchback.
But today’s FL5 Type R seems to more closely resemble tigers and panthers – its low stance and massive haunches are akin to a crouching big cat, just a heartbeat away from eviscerating its prey. This is emphasized by the gloss-black grill and bodykit, as well as the large LED headlights that make this Civic look like it has permanently narrowed eyes.
Of course, the Type R’s wide and squat appearance is a product of its motorsport heritage. The suspension has been lowered and the track widened for vastly more responsive handling versus the standard Civic, while the big fenders just about fit the 20-inch alloy wheels with 265/30 series tires.
Out back, the Type R retains its hot hatch roots by having a large tailgate topped with a massive wing to help keep the rear end planted at thoroughly illegal speeds. Given this car’s extreme performance, it’s a big plus that it has a spacious cargo area, although Honda’s hugely clever ULT seats would have been nice.
Fully loaded for 4
The rest of the interior is typical Type R – bright-red carpets, floor mats and seat belts, as well as adjustable front bucket seats in the same loud hue.
Unlike its siblings, this super Civic only seats four, with the center of the rear seat containing the cupholders. Nonetheless, everyone in the Type R has plenty of headroom and legroom, while toys like the immensely powerful dual-zone climate control system and wireless charging pad are in keeping for such a premium car.
The dashboard will be familiar to many Civic and CR-V owners, including the hexagonal shapes and soft-touch materials. Happily, Honda Cars hasn’t tried to turn the Type R into a spaceship, retaining the easy-to-use controls that it incorporates across all its cars.
Even the 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is simple to navigate, although the wired smartphone connection was inoperative in this particular test unit. In addition, the reversing camera could be clearer, especially since rear visibility is quite poor.
An interesting feature in the Type R is the LogR system that allows you to monitor the car’s systems like coolant, oil and turbocharger. More critically, it can record your lap times and even monitor how much G-force is going into each wheel, thus helping you determine precisely if you’re loading the tires properly at speed.
Blistering performance
Now that the practical stuff is done, let’s all go to the part that gave this Civic so much hype.
Under the massive hood is a turbocharged 2.0-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve, inline-4 gasoline engine packing 316 horsepower and 420 Newton-meters of torque. This is mated exclusively to a 6-speed manual transmission with an exquisite gear change.
For such a powerful, front-wheel-drive machine, torque steer is surprisingly non-existent even on boost, with the electronic limited-slip differential (LSD) letting you power into a corner early without understeering into a tree. However, the LSD could use some beefing up as I did note some skittishness at full throttle with the wheels straight.
It’s also a good thing that the Type R has such supportive seats because the sensational suspension lets it corner with the ferocity of a cheetah chasing a gazelle. But don’t bother putting the adjustable dampers in Comfort mode – the excessive damper stroke leads to a nauseating ride.
The very responsive steering is also best left in Sport mode, offering just enough weight and feedback at all speeds. Just be mindful of the Type R’s enormous turning radius as the wheel only goes up to two turns lock-to-lock.
Slowing down the Type R is courtesy of the Brembo braking system with 350-millimeter rotors up front and 305-millimeter discs out back. Strong it may be, but I would have liked more bite throughout the pedal travel, a la Porsche Macan Electric.
Speaking of the pedals, the Type R gets automatic rev-matching for smoother downshifts. However, traditionalists like me who enjoy doing heel-and-toe would prefer that the brake and accelerator pedals were spaced more closely.
Economical and safe
Unlike Civic Type Rs of yore, it is entirely possible to drive the FL5 like a turbodiesel car.
In other words, you can change gear at 1,500 rpm and it will happily pull along without the frenetic feel of a highly strung B-series or K-series. Driven gently, it’s easy to get 8 to 11 kilometers per liter in the city and 15 to 18 kilometers per liter on the expressway.
You will need to fuel up frequently, however, because the 47-liter tank greatly restricts the range, especially when you’re driving the Type R hard. But one hugely positive point is the standard Honda SENSING active-safety suite.
Long drives are made much more bearable thanks to adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist. Meanwhile, autonomous emergency braking and lane-departure warning help prevent you from getting into a crash in the first place.
Hot-hatch king
At P3,870,000, the 2025 Honda Civic Type R will always be a purchase of the heart than the head.
Finding rivals is like comparing apples to oranges – the P3,988,000 Nissan Z and the P3,999,000 Ford Mustang GT may have the chops to keep up with the Honda, but these coupes suddenly become mere weekend toys when you need to carry people and groceries.
Another way of looking at the Type R is to compare it to fully built Civic race cars – these three-decade-old machines may still be ferocious performers, but the new model is fast without leaving your ears ringing and head spinning (a tuned B18C engine at 9,000 rpm can get tiresome after a long track stint).
The hype may be gone, but this Civic Type R is still hype, yo.
