Review 2023 Honda Civic Type R, growing up but still fun

I'm behind the wheel of a 2023 Honda Civic Type R at Sonoma Raceway in Northern California. The temperature is around 50 degrees and the track surface is getting wetter by the minute. It's a technical circuit with the best conditions, with blind crests, off-camber turns, and a series of esses. I'm thankful I'm running the standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires instead of the Pilot Sport Cup 2 available as an accessory, but I'm still nervous. As I head out to the track, I think to myself, "At least the CTR is front-wheel drive instead of rear-wheel drive."

New looks.

The 2023 Civic Type R has a new design, for which I am very grateful. While the old one looked very boi/girl racer with its spiky rear aero and dual-colored wings, this Type R is a bit more mature. It is longer, lower, and wider, and has made the key features of the standard Civic hatch its own.

The grille opening in the front bumper is wider, which helps with cooling and pushes air out through the newly vented hood. I like the thinner A-pillars and wider fenders front and rear. Some of the vents help cool the brakes and all but one are functional. At the rear, there is a new diffuser, a lowered all-black wing, and a cool three-pronged exhaust. But look closely and you'll notice that the design team made a few changes. The center port is now larger than the outboard port.

Rain, rain, go away.

The Civic Type R has four drive modes: Comfort, Sport, +R, and Individual. This time the lead driver requested that I leave it in Comfort. This softens the suspension and allows the outside front wheels to carry more weight in the corners. Also, the traction and stability control remain at full throttle.

On this first circuit run, I only noticed the stability control. I know I should pay attention to the improved six-speed manual gearbox, stiffer chassis, and quicker steering, but all I can think about is slipping off this track and losing my track privileges for the day. 'Pull yourself together, Hall. You can do it," I think.

I can do it. I can do it because the stability control is really well calibrated. All I have to do is slide the car a little for a thrill, and it does the rest to save my ass. Once everything is sorted out, I send a little power to the front wheels and catch up to the car in front of me on this four-lap lead/follow.

The rain had stopped for the second session and there was still water on the pavement, but I was much more confident. This time I noticed that there was no torque steer on this little hatch. When I punched in, the front end followed the track perfectly. The steering is super quick and heavy even in comfort mode, and this gearbox is a dream. The new rev-matching technology is really good, never intrusive and eliminates shocks to the drivetrain when downshifting.

On the last lap, I switched to Sport mode because it felt so good. Rev matching becomes more aggressive and the engine revs up quickly to the proper engine speed to match my fast shifting. The dampers stiffened, and once or twice I lost grip in still-wet conditions, but the stability control brought the car back under control. The throttle is a little sharper and the steering a little heavier. Everything feels good.

It was now dry

Honda gave me one last chance on a dry track the next morning. It was still too cold for the Cup 2 tires, but when we arrived at the track the track crew had warmed up the 4S tires and we were ready to run.

Now I was calm enough to experience everything the Civic Type R had to offer. Switching to +R mode for maximum performance, I raised the floor as much as possible to extract 315 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque from this little 2.0-liter turbo engine. I was able to grab 4th gear on the straights, but was going a little too fast as we headed into the sharp right-hand corner of Turn 7. The ABS kicks in and the car holds a straight line and drops down to a speed fast enough to make the turn without drama.

The Essence turn at turns 8 and 8A has gotten me every time. The limited-slip front differential kept the power transferring to the road and I felt no wheelspin. Before I knew it, I was gaining on the cars behind me. It was easier than I thought it would be, but it took courage.

Circuit driving is not the most efficient use of fuel, even when dialed back due to conditions. However, the EPA claims the Type R gets 22 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined. Of course, before we can comment on that claim, we need to test drive the car in real-world conditions.

Where are the heated seats?

Inside, the red sport seats are comfortable enough for commuting and provide ample hip and side support. I wish there were heated seats. ...... Aluminum trim is paired with a black dashboard, a simple but pleasing combination. 9.0-inch touchscreen is larger than the previous model's 7.0-inch touchscreen. 10.2-inch configurable instrument cluster has designs for Comfort and Sport modes, as well as temperature and G-force modes. and a design for +R with more information on temperature, G-force, and lap times.

With the 2023 Type R, Honda will take full advantage of the data with the Honda LogR performance data logger. This technology no longer requires a smartphone app, and while we don't have time to try out the system, the auto-scoring feature sounds pretty cool. This feature monitors acceleration, braking, and steering inputs and generates a smoothness score. Smooth means fast.

Buyers can also take advantage of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver assistance systems. This includes older standards such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and lane departure warning. The Type R also adds traffic sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot monitoring.

Perfection is expensive

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R is priced at $43,990, including destination $1,095. Honda's closest competitor is the all-out fun Toyota GR Corolla, which may be a bit less powerful but is equipped with all-wheel drive. This little hot hatch starts at about $7,000 less than the Type R in the base Core model, but adding front and rear limited slip differentials and heated seats and steering wheel to the GR Corolla would bring it under $39,000.

Other competitors include the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which is less than 250 ponies and its price reflects that. The all-wheel-drive Golf R is priced slightly higher, but the Volkswagen is really designed to extract fun from its hatch. Hyundai's Veloster N could be had for around $33,000, but the Korean automaker won't build the 2023 model. It's a sad trombone.

Choosing among hot hatches is a tough decision, but it's great that enthusiasts have a choice. Honda has upgraded the 2023 Civic Type R to bring a little more performance and fun to this generation. Its mature looks are attractive, and the interior technology and design are second to none. It is, however, the most expensive of the lot.

As for me, I look forward to driving the Type R on twisty back roads on a sunny day with not a drop of rain in the forecast.

- Emme Hall

Honda provided airfare, lodging, and track time for Motor Authority.