Before the switch to the 2024 model year, the FL5-generation Civic Type R used to retail at $43,795 sans destination. At the moment of reporting, the 2024 Honda Civic Type R carries a starting price of $44,795 in the US market. The bad news? There is no change whatsoever in terms of standard kit, meaning that you're paying $1K more for nothing in return.
It gets worse, though. Back in October 2022, when Honda published the pricing information for the 2023 model, the CTR used to kick off at $42,895. Otherwise put, a difference of $1,900 in the span of just 14 months for the US-spec FL5 Civic Type R.
Be that as it may, there's nothing quite like the FL5 in production nowadays. One could argue that the Golf R is pretty close to the CTR on paper, although that's not exactly true in real-world scenarios due to the VW's all-wheel-drive system. The Golf GTI is a bit lacking in the suck-squeeze-bang-blow department, and the Toyota GR Corolla shouldn't be considered as an alternative either due to its three-cylinder turbo and clever all-wheel-drive system.
Manufactured in Japan on the same assembly line as the five-door hatchback hybrid for the Japanese domestic market, the FL5 comes with pretty much everything one desires in a compact-sized hatch. From a rev-matching stick shift to a limited-slip differential, adaptive dampers, a datalogger, Brembo four-piston aluminum brake calipers, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber boots, 12-speaker audio from Bose, and wireless Apple CarPlay, the FL5 has them all.
Honda's go-faster Civic is available in five paint colors, beginning with the pictured Rallye Red and more somber Crystal Black Pearl. Optional finishes include Boost Blue Pearl, Sonic Gray Pearl, and the oh-so-pretty Championship White. All three add $455 to the tally, whereas forged wheels cost $3,100 per set. The standard wheels are matte-black alloys.
Photo: Honda
Quite a bit pricier than the $24,950 Civic hatchback, the Type R can be spruced up with no fewer than four accessory packages. The most affordable of the bunch adds transparent urethane film on the door handles, door edges, and rear bumper for $150. At the other end of the spectrum, $5,350 buys you a carbon-fiber wing spoiler and the aforementioned wheels.
As a standalone item, the carbon-fiber wing spoiler costs a cool $2,250. Type R-valve stem caps are $23 at press time, whereas a roof rack will set you back $399 if you buy it from Honda. The largest of two available roof boxes adds $555 to the car's final price.
Once exclusive to the Japanese domestic market, the Civic Type R is the fastest front-wheel-drive production car at the Nurburgring. Back in April 2023, the Japanese automaker clocked 7 minutes and 44.881 seconds with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect tires instead of the standard PS4Ss.
The record-setting car previews the Civic Type R S, a yet-to-be-revealed special edition that differs in a few notable ways from the standard specification. In addition to the stickier tires, Honda dropped a few pounds by deleting the parking sensors, cargo nets, sat nav, rear tonneau cover, and air conditioning. In other words, think of the FL5 Type R S as the direct successor of the FK8 Type R Limited Edition.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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