6 Best & Worst Honda Civic Type R Years (With Pictures)

The Honda Civic Type R is a popular compact sports car that made its US debut for the 2017 model year.

It’s known for its excellent handling, sharp styling, and can hit 60 MPH in just under 5 seconds.

In this article, we’ll be taking a deeper look at its best and worst model years.

Table of Contents

Here’s The Short Answer To What The Best And Worst Years For The Honda Civic Type R Are:

The best Honda Civic Type R model years are 2023, 2021, and 2020. The worst model years of this model are 2017, 2018, and 2019. This is based on auto industry reviews, NHTSA statistics, reported problems, and consumer feedback.

What Are The Best Years For The Honda Civic Type R?

2023 Honda Civic Type R

The 2023 Civic Type R is the latest available model (Honda is known to take short breaks from producing Type R variants) and is the most technologically advanced.

This model is also the only 11th-generation model under the broader Civic series.

It is a perfect balance between everyday usability and premium performance for its segment.

It is powered by a 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine (315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque) matched to a 6-speed manual transmission that sends power to the front wheels.

Notable features include:

19-inch alloy wheels with summer performance tires
LED exterior lighting
Brembo brakes
Sports seats
Dual-zone automatic climate control
12-speaker Bose premium audio system
Remote monitoring and control via a smartphone app

In terms of safety and driver assistance features, we like the following standard offerings:

Frontal collision mitigation
Blind spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert
Adaptive cruise control
Driver attention monitor

According to the EPA, this compact sports car can achieve a surprising 24 MPG for combined city and highway driving, which is slightly better than some of its main competition.

Edmunds: 4.5 / 5.0
Kelley Blue Book: 3.7 / 5.0

2023 Civic Type R, Kelley Blue Book Review:

“Other cars that are this much fun to drive come up short elsewhere. They either cost too much, are too heavy, too numb, or too impractical or boring. Best enthusiast daily driver. A keeper.”

2021 Honda Civic Type R

The 2021 Civic Type R is a 10th-gen model (under the wider Civic line) and has 2 variants, namely: the Civic Type R Touring and the Civic Type R Limited Edition.

The base Touring variant possesses expected features for a compact sports car, including:

Turbocharged 2-liter 4-cylinder engine (306 horsepower, 295 pound-feet of torque)
6-speed manual transmission with rev-match control
Track-tuned suspension system
Dual-pinion, variable-ratio electric power steering (EPS)

The higher end Limited Edition comes with all the standard features offered by the Touring variant but also adds the following:

Exclusive Phoenix Yellow exterior with a black roof and a black hood intake vent
20-inch BBS forged-alloy wheels
ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 maximum performance summer tires
Dark chrome badging
Special serial-number plate
Heated glossy black power side mirrors with integrated LED turn indicators

Fuel economy for both is 25 MPG for combined city and highway driving (according to the EPA).

Edmunds: 4.5 / 5.0
Kelley Blue Book: 3.7 / 5.0

2021 Civic Type R, Kelley Blue Book Review:

“Great looking car. Attracts attention everywhere. Easy to drive at normal speeds or fast. Very comfortable ride. Solid steering feel. Great brakes. Quick enough, but nothing corners like a Type R.”

2021 Honda Civic Type R

2020 Honda Civic Type R

The 2020 Civic Type R is a standout choice in a highly saturated Civic lineup.

New for this model year of the Type R is improved suspension, better brake mechanics, updated engine cooling, and better handling and steering.

The patented Honda Sensing safety suit also become standard, making sure that the driver is assisted in more ways than one.

This compact sports car is packed with a 4-cylinder engine that delivers over 300 horsepower, a 6-speed manual transmission, and reasonable value for money (in the used car market).

Edmunds: 4.5 / 5.0
Kelley Blue Book: 3.7 / 5.0

2020 Civic Type R, Kelley Blue Book Review:

“Not a car for the faint of heart or someone who just wants practical & comfortable. But if you want a performance car you can take to the race track on the weekend, drive to work on Monday and the warehouse store in the evening, the Civic Type R is by far the best car on the market in a decade…”

Consumer Scores For Best Honda Civic Type R Years

Model Year	Edmunds Consumer Rating	Kelley Blue Book Consumer Rating
2023 Honda Civic Type R	4.5 / 5.0	3.7 / 5.0
2021 Honda Civic Type R	4.5 / 5.0	3.7 / 5.0
2020 Honda Civic Type R	4.5 / 5.0	3.7 / 5.0

What Are The Worst Years For The Honda Civic Type R?

2017, 2018, and 2019 Honda Civic Type R

The 2017, 2018, and 2019 model years, the very first 3 Type Rs to ever be produced, were the most problematic ones out of the entire batch.

Hundreds of complaints revolved around a variety of features and equipment, including:

Adaptive cruise control
Lane keeping assist system
Instrument cluster
Body control module (BCM)
Remote locking and unlocking
Car alarm
A/C
Infotainment screen

“Problems are intermittent and difficult to reproduce, necessitating additional diagnostics by dealers. Among other problems reported are problems with door locks, windshield wipers, and headlights…” – NHTSA.gov

Owners also had issues with the fuel system, specifically citing failure of fuel injectors, fuel pump, fuel door, fuel pipes, and fuel hoses.

These issues popped up as early as 25,000 miles for some and 50,000 miles for others.

“While I leased this vehicle, I noticed an issue with the fuel door every so often. Every so often, I would press the corner of the fuel door to open but the spring/locking mechanism would not release it. I would have to keep pressing it in over and over or I would have to pry it until it popped open…” – NHTSA.gov

The 2017 Civic Type R had a total of 143 complaints on CarComplaints.com and 371 problems based on NHTSA data.
The 2018 Civic Type R had a total of 63 complaints on CarComplaints.com and 292 problems based on NHTSA data.
The 2019 Civic Type R had a total of 41 complaints on CarComplaints.com and 160 problems based on NHTSA data.

What Years Have The Most Complaints?

Model Year	Complaints (CarComplaints.com)	Problems (NHTSA.gov)	Recalls (NHTSA.gov)
2023 Honda Civic Type R	1	0	0
2021 Honda Civic Type R	12	40	0
2020 Honda Civic Type R	12	97	1
2019 Honda Civic Type R	41	160	2
2018 Honda Civic Type R	63	292	4
2017 Honda Civic Type R	143	371	4

What Problems Do Honda Civic Type R Have?

Transmission failure
Clear coat peeling
Erratic driver information interface
Computer malfunctions
Apple CarPlay not working
Android Auto not working
Gear shifter heats up
Seals not attached properly
Windshield cracks easily
Rodent damage due to soy-based wiring
Excessive battery drain
Air conditioning not working
Uncomfortable seats

What Are The Best Alternatives To The Honda Civic Type R?

Make & Model	Score	MSRP	Fuel Economy (MPG)
Honda Civic Type R	9.3	$43,795	City: 22 /Highway: 28
Hyundai Elantra N	8.4	$32,900 – $34,400	City: 20 – 22 /Highway: 30 – 31
Volkswagen GTI	8.3	$30,530 – $39,870	City: 23 – 24 /Highway: 32 – 34
Toyota GR Corolla	8.1	$35,900 – $49,900	City: 21 /Highway: 28
Volkswagen Golf R	8.1	$44,740 – $46,190	City: 20 – 23 /Highway: 28 – 30
Subaru WRX	7.3	$30,605 – $43,395	City: 19 /Highway: 25 – 26

Source: cars.usnews.com, edmunds.com

References

https://www.caranddriver.com/honda/civic-type-r

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/honda/civic-type-r

https://www.edmunds.com/honda/civic/2023/type-r/

https://www.kbb.com/honda/civic-type-r/

https://www.jdpower.com/cars/2023/honda/civic-type-r

https://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Civic/

https://www.cars.com/research/honda-civic_type_r/recalls/

https://www.nhtsa.gov/

Author:

Ian Sawyer

Growing up with a father who was a mechanic I had an appreciation for cars and motorcycles from an early age. I shared my first bike with my brother that had little more than a 40cc engine but it opened up a world of excitement for me, I was hooked. As I grew older I progressed onto bigger bikes and...

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