The Honda Civic Type R officially hit American shores for the 2017 model year, and it’s been a true challenger in the competitive hot hatch segment ever since. As the hot hatch classification implies, there’s plenty of performance under the hood and the car’s design itself, but those aren’t the only reasons to love – or hate – the 2025 Honda Civic Type R.
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Honda
The Civic Type R saw no changes outside of a price increase for the 2024 model year. In fact, the 2023 model year marked the last major changes, including higher performance and smoother styling cues with the introduction of a new generation.
Honda
Reason to love it #1: 315-horsepower engine
The 2025 Honda Civic Type R comes stocked with the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as the previous generation, but there’s a twist. A redesigned turbocharger boosts performance to 315 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, plenty of power for the track or your drive home.
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Wider front and rear tracks result in better-optimized brake cooling, while a larger radiator and a handful of other improvements over the previous generation help cool the rest of the powertrain.
For comparison, the 2025 Toyota GR Corolla pumps out 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, while the 2024 Volkswagen Golf R delivers a steady 315 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.
Honda
Reason to love it #2: Comes with a standard manual transmission
Enthusiasts will agree that hot hatches are best had with a manual transmission, and Honda delivers. The 2025 Honda Civic Type R continues to come with a standard six-speed manual transmission as its only transmission option.
Honda
Despite increasing manual sales in 2024, Volkswagen no longer offers a manual transmission in the 2025 Golf R and Golf GTI, instead only making it available with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The Honda Civic Type R isn’t without competition, though as the Toyota GR Corolla still comes with a standard manual transmission as well.
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Reason to love it #3: Earns up to 28 mpg highway
Performance and efficiency typically don’t go together, but the hot hatch segment tends to play by different rules. The 2025 Honda Civic Type R earns up to 22 mpg city and 28 mpg highway, making it a fairly efficient vehicle for daily driving. Better yet, it falls right in line with its closest competitors.
James Riswick
The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla earns up to 21 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. Meanwhile, the 2024 Volkswagen Golf R is rated for 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway when equipped with a manual transmission.
Reason to love it #4: Plenty of safety tech
Honda doesn’t cut corners when it comes to safety. Despite its performance-first design, the Civic Type R is equipped with all the essential safety features typical of a standard Honda vehicle. The Honda Sensing suite includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Auto High-Beam Headlights, and a Collision Mitigation Braking System, among other features.
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Reason to love it #5: Aesthetic to match performance
There’s an absolute beast of a powertrain lying beneath the hood of the Civic Type R, and the hot hatch has the style to match that performance. The red “Honda” and “Type R” badges at the front and rear along with the rowdy center-mounted triple exhaust, alert passersby that the Honda driving past them is something special.
The gloss black side sills, rear wing spoiler, fin antenna, side mirrors with integrated LED turn indicators, and 19-inch matte black wheels round out the design package and blend well with any of the five available paint colors.
2023 Honda Civic Type R
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Inside, the Civic Type R boasts a red and black interior with exclusive features worthy of its limited edition status, like a Type R serial number plate, red ambient lighting, and high-bolstered sports seats in red and black with double red stitching.
Reason to love it #6: Practical for daily use
The Honda Civic Type R might have more than 300 horsepower, but like its efficiency ratings, the cargo space also adds to its overall practicality. The hatchback design offers up to 24.5 cu ft. of room, while the rear seats can fold down to further increase that number.
As far as infotainment goes, the 2025 Civic Type R features a standard nine-inch touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, and a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system.
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Reason to think twice #1: Front-wheel drive only
Given its impressive performance, you might think the Honda Civic Type R would feature rear- or all-wheel drive, but that’s not the case. The hot hatch follows the standard Civic instead, coming with a front-wheel drive setup.
James Riswick
The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla and 2024 VW Golf R both come with standard all-wheel drive, giving them a distinct advantage over Honda’s iconic hot hatch. Perhaps the Civic Type R will join the all-wheel drive club next year.
Reason to think twice #2: No changes for two years
The 2025 Honda Civic Type R isn’t as good as it could be, but Honda has opted not to change a thing for the past two model years. The 2023 model saw major changes, sure, but there aren’t many vehicles that go several years without updates unless their years are numbered, but I doubt that’s the case here.
Honda
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Reason to think twice #3: Price could be a problem
Despite the aforementioned lack of changes, the hot hatch has seen a $1,800 price increase during that same time period. With a starting price of $45,895, the 2025 Honda Civic Type R’s price might be a bit of a turnoff, especially with a more affordable competitor out there.
Honda
Final thoughts
The 2025 Honda Civic Type R has its brand reputation backing it, but there are other hot hatches to consider that might provide a more well-rounded package. The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla starts at $38,860 and comes with a turbo three-cylinder engine that boasts impressive performance numbers despite its size.
Some Volkswagen dealers might also have a 2024 Golf R in stock, and considering it’s the model’s last year with a manual transmission, it’s worth looking into as well. If you’re on a tighter budget, the Honda Civic Si and Volkswagen Golf GTI offer plenty of performance for your dollar.
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