When it comes to testing certain sports cars, I am at a disadvantage. But also, at a different advantage. For performance cars like the all-new 2023 Honda Civic Type R, if you want to know how it fairs on a track, might I suggest visiting Car and Driver or MotorTrend, but if you want to know what it is like to live with every day, then you’ve come to the right place.  

The CTR got its start in the late 1990’s; unfortunately, it took 20-years before the Type R badged hot hatch would make its way into the states. Which in retrospect really was an unfortunate tale as the CTR had a starting price of roughly $14,000 back in the early 2000’s. But now, with a starting price of $43,795, this newest generation CTR isn’t exactly meant for the youth of today, but the ones that have waited the 20 years and has the credit score & clean insurance record to buy one.  

Reliving the memory of my childhood and lining up the thousands of Hot Wheels & Matchbox cars into a traffic jam, if only I knew back then what I know now – a manual transmission performance car and traffic don’t mix. Oh, how cruel I was to those invisible drivers. When it came to driving the Civic Type R in rush hour, I got the sense the car was just as depressed as I was, and with a sport tuned clutch and aging knees it made the 10-mph, 30-mile commute to the office more uncomfortable than being a third wheel to a couple dinner date. Its 315-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged engine was begging to be stretched out and exercised.

To cheer the CTR up, there is a route on the outer city limits, it adds 15-miles and about 20-minutes to my commute, but with the twisty bits in the highway and the speed limit signs merely a suggestion – it’s a cop free zone as far as the eye can see. Afterall, what’s an extra 20-minutes when you arrive late and happy verses on time and in a bad mood.   

To say the Type R is good to drive would be like eating at a luxury steakhouse and saying, “yeah, the steak was okay.” The steering is impressively quick and makes you want to treat the streets like it’s a Formula 1 racetrack. Thanks to the fantastically engineered limited-slip differential, there is no understeer, no drama from the front-wheel drive system, toss it into a corner and you come out the other side looking like you’re a professional. So go ahead and clip the gutter that mimics an apex.  

Tires play a huge role in the Type R’s ability to lay down its power with the use of ultra grippy summer Michelin Pilot Sport rubber. And when it comes to setting off from a start, get it right and the launch can be intoxicating that will have you acting like a toddler screaming “do it again! Do it again!.”  When done correctly, it is claimed the Type R can achieve 60-mph in just under 5-seconds. We gave it a couple attempts ourselves and missed the 5-second mark; and considering our example wasn’t exactly ours to horse around in, we moved on and just let the joy of driving speak for itself. What we discovered was that Honda did an excellent job managing torque steer, a fundamental problem that can be found in hot, front-wheel drive performance cars. But hold the steering off slightly from a straight line and you might want to have your insurance company on speed dial. 

To drive the Type R, you don’t need many years of experience with a manual transmission. Even though the clutch is tuned for sporty driving, it is light enough to not break your knees. The transmission is carried over from the previous generation Type R that continues to enlighten us with playful awareness and direct feedback. You feel like you are actually participating in driving rather than just being a passenger in your own car. Change the drive mode into Sport or R Mode and you get automatic rev-matching to assist you during your enthusiastic driving style.  

Ideally, I found the Type R’s best driving mode in comfort as the adaptive dampers made for a comfortable, yet enjoyable driving experience. Engaging Sport or R Mode ruins the ride, and for a heavy setted person as myself, jiggle tits became my new nickname. Plus, with the R Mode engaged, there was no real noticeable difference between it and comfort mode. 

Externally, I love that Honda did away with its boyish flamboyant body kit and went with a classier approach. Everything about the Type R’s design is functional from the vents in the front bumper that feed air to the large front brakes, the air vent in the hood feeding to the radiator, to the triple stacked exhaust pipes leading out the back.  

Inside, we find the usual Honda Civic type interior that looks more expensive than it should with a digital instrument panel, honeycomb mesh metal air vents and a nicely sized 9-inch touchscreen display that houses wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The star of the interior, however, lies with the utterly comfortable, racetrack bolstering sport seats that cradles you tighter than an overprotective mother. And because the Type R is offered in the hatchback form, there is room in the back for passengers that won’t leave them begging to escape. The bench seat sits high supporting the thighs and offers plenty of headroom for those tipping under six-feet.  

Despite the fuel tank size not being increased from the previous Type R, you’ll be lucky to squeeze 250-miles of juice out of it. However, fuel economy has improved slightly considering we averaged a mere near 21-mpgs from the previous generation to now averaging closer to 23-mpg’s combined, Which still puts it 1-mpg away from its targeted 24-mpg combined EPA average.  

Driving the Honda Civic Type R isn’t for the average Honda Civic driver – it doesn’t come with an automatic transmission; you can’t get a sunroof and it doesn’t have heated seats. Own the Type R is for the true driving enthusiast, the one that doesn’t mind taking the long way to work, the one that isn’t bothered by a third pedal, the one that doesn’t care if leather seats, and navigation isn’t an option. The Civic Type R is the kind of car that provides a daily dose of pure driving joy for those lucky few that get the opportunity to own one.