Six months with the UK‑spec Civic Type R have covered commuting, cross‑country hauls, and two track days. Here’s how the FL5 performs in the real world—and what you should budget for over 3 years/45,000 km, including depreciation, insurance, servicing, tires, and fuel.
Our UK test car is the latest FL5 Civic Type R: 2.0‑litre turbo four (K20C1) rated at 329 PS and 420 Nm, driving the front axle through a six‑speed manual and helical limited‑slip differential. Curb weight sits just over 1,430 kg, with adaptive dampers and 265/30 ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber all round. Honda quotes 0–62 mph in 5.4 seconds; list price is circa £50,000 OTR. We logged 7,200 km across London commuting, M1 motorway stints, Peak District B‑roads, and two short track sessions (Brands Hatch Indy).
Ambient temps ranged 6–23°C. Our mixed‑use fuel average settled at 8.8 L/100 km (32.1 mpg UK), with best motorway runs at 7.4 L/100 km and track use spiking past 15 L/100 km. Braking remained consistent with repeated 100–0 km/h stops in the mid‑30 m bracket on warm tires. The Civic Type R’s bandwidth still stands out.
In Comfort, low‑speed ride is firm but compliant over sharp edges; Sport tightens body control without punishing. Steering is quick off‑centre yet progressive, and the diff finds traction exiting second‑gear corners with minimal tug. The gearbox is a highlight—short, precise throws and an auto‑rev‑match that feels natural. Cabin usability is better than the spec sheet suggests.
The deep‑bolstered seats hold you in place on circuit but remain tolerable on three‑hour motorway legs. Noise is present—19‑inch tires hum on coarse asphalt—but long‑distance fatigue is manageable. Honda LogR telemetry is fun on track and the 9‑inch infotainment is responsive; wireless phone mirroring behaved after an initial hiccup fixed by a software update. Total cost of ownership over 3 years/45,000 km: Depreciation is the swing factor.
Given strong demand and limited supply, we expect a £12k–£15k drop from a £50k OTR price, leaving £35k–£38k residual (24–30% depreciation). Insurance sits in group 40E; typical clean‑record drivers in their 30s should budget roughly £1,000–£1,500 per year, or £3,000–£4,500 over three years. Servicing is annual (or 12,500 miles/20,000 km); expect two minor and one major visit at franchised dealers for around £1,000–£1,200 total, including brake fluid at year three. Tires: the 265/30 R19 PS4S last 18–25k km with rotations; plan on two sets over 45k km at £250–£300 per tire—£1,600–£2,000 fitted.
Fuel: on 98 RON at ~£1.60/L and our 8.8 L/100 km average, budget ~4,000 L across 45k km, or £6,100–£6,800. Summed TCO (excluding finance/tax): roughly £23,700–£29,500. Verdict: As a daily‑drivable track tool, the Civic Type R is rare value—costly to feed but not extortionate to maintain, and depreciation is gentler than most performance cars. If you’ll exploit its dynamics, it justifies the outlay.
If running costs are paramount, a softer hot hatch (e.g., Golf GTI/Cupra Leon) will be cheaper on insurance, tires, and fuel.
