The Honda Civic Type-R is so new that most of the automotive press hasn’t had time to do a full road test of it. Carbuyer has and according to their review, the Type-R is far from perfect, although its go-fast attributes are acknowledged and confirmed.
It is a potent front-wheel drive car, sitting on a capable chassis with some great engineering behind it. But why did Honda remove the folding rear seat mechanism and the parcel shelf for the rear luggage compartment – they surely can’t expect us to believe it was for weight saving…
But you can, once you buy one, get a second-hand parcel shelf from a regular Civic, or just ask the dealer to fit one (at extra expense).
Regardless, these will be small niggles if all you’re really after is the fastest front-wheel drive hatch on the market; if that’s your goal, then you need look no further.