New v Old Civic Type R: ULTIMATE Showdown!

The Honda Civic Type R is one of the most popular & recognisable hot hatches in the world! And following the release of the new FL5, we need to find out whether the latest generation is an improvement on the previous edition.
Well, let’s look at what’s changed. When it comes to the design, the FK8 had a reputation for being a bit outlandish, with a huge rear wing as well as an over-the-top front and rear end. In contrast, the FL5 has a much more simple, refined look. Sure it comes with a rear wing, but overall the car looks more sophisticated than before.
It’s a similar story on the inside, with a more simple & traditional interior to be found in the FL5. It also comes with super comfy sports seats, and the digital dials display is definitely an improvement on the old edition. However, we would say that the placement of some elements, such as the infotainment system, is definitely better in the FK8.
When it comes to performance, both cars come with the same 2-litre 4-cylinder engine. However, whereas the old edition produced 320hp and 400Nm, the new edition pumps out a slightly improved 329hp and 420Nm!
It all sounds like the FL5 is a slam-dunk success, right? Well, you have to keep in mind that it starts from an eye-watering £47,000 - £12,000 more than the FK8! So is it worth it? You’ll need to stick with Mat and see for yourself!
Civic Type R Competitor: bit.ly/Civic-T...
Used Civic Type R deals: bit.ly/Used-Ci...

[@carwow]

New vs old... Which is better? VOTE BELOW!

[@carwow]

VOTE: New Type R!

[@carwow]

VOTE: Old Type R!

[@Smzxe]

New one Rimac Nevera Vs V10 F1 Vs 22 Moto GP Vs Kawasaki H2R Modern V6 F1 car Vs Rimac Nevera will be cool Bring some 1600 HP GTR too

[@squintus8140]

@@carwow review the NEW WRX

[@M.A.Q..]

Idk ill go for the old one p.s same for the accord

[@M3PH11]

My dad was one of the quality engineers on the team that designed the seats in both cars (they are basically identical underneath the upholstery) and he is almost (i stress almost) solely responsible for the way they feel to sit in. He died in early 2020 so he isn't around to hear how much people love his work. So thanks Matt for the compliment. Also, if there are any engineers out there with a first edition iso 9000 standards book. Go look in the contributers section for a dude called Williams. Same dude. Also fun fact: the seats in the type r are cheaper to make than the seats in the next model down.

[@spinkygr]

Rip my friend, my condolences to you and your family

[@M3PH11]

@@spinkygr it was is own fault. he got covid, didn't know it and then wouldn't go to the doctor. "it's just a chest infection" he said. 5 days in he went to walk up the stairs in his house, got 3 or 4 up and passed out, fell backwards and snapped his neck in the fall. if the stubborn bastard has listened to us and gone to the doc he would probably still be here. Such is life.

[@julencin2000]

@@M3PH11 sad to read this, my condolescences. But cheers To your dad, he is behind such a good design, remembered by many car lovers like me.

[@M3PH11]

@@julencin2000 best part is, if was here he wouldn't want to take the credit. That was his other greatest quality. Humble to a fault.

[@DrDrops420]

@@M3PH11 very sad to read it.. i hope you will be alright, please take care

[@muhammadosama127]

I love the previous generation design. Simply one of the best looking hatchbacks ever

[@grandtheftgameryt]

It’s not my favourite hatch but I have to give credit it looks incredible and super sporty. Very nice design for sure.

[@wayward03]

Tell me you need a donation for lasik without telling me you need money for eye surgery....

[@RCM701]

@@wayward03 Your comment makes you looks like you are a kid other then a grown fat man

[@muhammadosama127]

@@wayward03 haha agree to disagree mate. The civic x type r is one of those hatchbacks that when it is parked on the road everyone stops by to look at it. It looks fast even when it is standing still. Civic x and Mazda 3, best looking hatchbacks in my opinion

[@muhammadosama127]

@@grandtheftgameryt it has everything a car guy wants and needs in a car

[@chandrahaschouhan4218]

People always start loving the old design once they see the new one

[@scuckplexity]

That's pretty much the cycle until a year or two. Same goes for the same mfs that started liking the fish GT86 over the GR86 for some reason

[@daftcow706]

the old one looks like a hotwheels car

[@fara-j9693]

Both good but dont have money for either

[@mediocreman2]

Not me. Old one still looks like crap

[@greg882]

Nope. New one looks much better and less mindlessly ridiculous

[@gavinlewis3049]

I always liked the big spoilers and aggressive look, hot hatches are meant to look a bit out there, like you would see in the car mags in the 90's.

[@sandersson2813]

Spoilers are laughable.

[@BlueCivid]

Idk about ek9 I feel like the 11th gen is a modernized version lol

[@Ytargentina]

I have put one on my fk7. Looks great!

[@TrevorDennis100]

Compared to all the drag race videos you upload, this was a welcome change back to a proper car review, and I have to say, you are incredibly good at it. This is one of the best car reviews I have _ever_ seen!

[@kissgergo5202]

I love the previous generation design. The fact that it's overdesigned and overly agressive and race-y just makes it feel like a true Type R to me. Edit: I started a war with this comment, proceed with caution.

[@darrensmall1133]

Me 2. You’re meant to know it’s type R without seeing the badge

[@harrisr1018]

Type Rs have always been simple. Ep3, ek9 etc.

[@idrisahmed2659]

Same here I love the previous gen design ... And the current one too .... They both have their own individual personality and that's completely ok

[@mariajustina7866]

@@harrisr1018 fk2 was agressive...

[@hamdanali2036]

a true type R? bro look at the generations before and tell me how the fuck the Fk8 looked like a true one. it looked like a kids car 💀

[@MosesRides]

In person, the older one looks so much better and aggressive.

[@purwantiallan5089]

Spoon Civic Type R also. Despite only 250bhp max

[@geminfinity1674]

You trippin the old type r ugly as fuck with that ugly ass rear fake vents a lot of fake vents. The new type r is cleaned up and looks so much cleaner. You got some weird taste

[@Red-ev8ls]

Maybe for boy racers I always prefer the old simplistic looks of type r I don’t wanna my civic to look like a kid took it to los santos customs and went crazy on it

[@geminfinity1674]

@@Red-ev8ls I think you got your cars switched that’s exactly what the fk8 is a los santos custom shit box

[@theweeknd2725]

@@Red-ev8ls yeah but it looks FREAKING SICK! like stands out like a supercar on a road almost 🔥 It actually looks awesome ngl

[@chrissandford1815]

I have the FK8 in America and we have the cup holders in the backseat, weird they weren’t included in the Euro spec model. Also, Ive had the car for a coup of years and I still love this car. Boy racer… for sure… but I honestly like that it stands out from everything else. Currently working on replacing the fake CF trim with real CF. Both are great cars, but I can’t justify the price of the FL5.

[@jankisty9704]

In Europe we have diff things in FK7 and FK8 ... I think in continental Europe were cupholders. Euro spec model was also much stronger some functions extra. Also I know that steering wheel in FK7 was different, depends when you buy the car. Some cars has touch volume buttons and some has only up and down :D ... I also asked Honda why.. They didn't know.

[@Thyx_]

This channel is never boring. There are always new exciting videos.

[@_spideypunk_2077]

Mostly people love aggressive design, hence the old one is getting more love in the comments. But I prefer the more streamline design of the new one it looks more smooth like most modern cars.

[@purwantiallan5089]

Agreed. Spoon cars are equally aggressive as 2023 Civic Type R.

[@203tron]

I like agressive design, but I hate how many fake features it has so I preffer the new one

[@calumwhite7760]

The new one really feels like a spiritual successor to the integra dc5 lol

[@Incendia]

@@calumwhite7760 DC5 owner here. Please, don't compare the DC5 with that Kia rip-off. The DC5 design is miles better.

[@rolfstuh]

Yeah the new nearly looks as booring as most modern car.sorry but soon, every car looks the same.. Just booring

[@svgaming2716]

I like the older one idk, I've always liked the design of it, even have a hotwheels version in the same spec as in the vid

[@SparklingWalrus]

imagine liking fake vents over functional ones

[@purwantiallan5089]

@@SparklingWalrus 1995 Civic 3 Door says hi.

[@svgaming2716]

@@SparklingWalrus its an opinion, you may like the new one but i have always loved the old one, and btw i don't care about fake vents

[@rayhan4502]

@@purwantiallan5089 Just as bad as that

[@Plaganomica]

@@SparklingWalrus Theres loads of functional vents too, plenty other cars use fake vents and trims.

[@jsjooste]

Top review Mat. Great to see how your opinions have become more nuanced and informative over the years. Agree with you here for sure. The price diff isn't justified.

[@Teebat316]

Am I the only person who thinks the FK8 looks awesome. Especially front 3/4 view

[@dave_mac]

After years of driving, fixing and racing cars, the only kind of car I drive is a Honda Civic. That says alot. I've been in so many cars, but Honda's, especially the Civic, are it for me. Great video.

[@justin_dunn46]

Never had an issue with the FK8 design, still think it looks great but that FL5 really does look like a step up. Exterior and interior. Would love to take either one on a twisty bit of road

[@TriMarko]

FK8 has to be one of the most overstyled cars in history. Looks like it was designed by a 14 year old after watching fast and furious

[@thatstocktsx]

@TriMarko As a former 14 yr old, i disagree with your comment. Looks like a 14 yr old on crack and heroin who just watched fast and furious designed it

[@Incendia]

If by step-up you mean it looks like a Kia shell with a BMW interior... sure. Boring works for some people I guess.

[@wanglee21]

Looks more sophisticated like German cars. The FK8 looked in the Fast and Furious tuner years in early 2000's

[@theweeknd2725]

@@Incendia FK8 Type-R was definitely the Truest of the Type-R🔥🔥

[@BullyBoxer]

Sorry, got a disagree with Matt ,This isn’t even my type of car, but I prefer the old car with the aggressive styling.

[@2117turbo]

I'm so glad the new one doesn't make my eyes bleed when I look at it.

[@sammyt3514]

Matt is second to none in terms of test driving cars; his thorough, articulate turn by turn commentary on the driving experience of each car made me feel like I was actually driving them rather than watching a review. No other car reviewer does that for me; kudos!

[@sledgedragon2677]

New one is a massive improvement. No overengineering or faking anything. Every vent is real and the body looks much more put together. Unlike the old one, Honda really went all out with their engineers to REALLY make sure the new one was going to blow track records out of the water, which is why it's now #1 on the Nürburgring FWD times. Overall, the new one is just the better car. Upgraded and practical parts and it's actually something I would buy over the other.

[@Kev27RS]

The old one is an overstyled mess… The new one is way better looking! It has a cleaner design and looks more mature!

[@magnustan841]

The perfect R for me would be the FL5 with a sprinkling of the FK8’s crazy styling. FL5 has the nicer cabin, better user interface, without sacrificing much user ability, but looks way too plain for my liking. By the way, I heard and read the FL5 will be built in smaller numbers, which explains the price.

[@Car3stash]

so the FK2 is the answer :))

[@xxs774]

You want fk8 sprinkling? Put some cheesy red pin stripes on your rims and fake vents everywhere you poser.

[@theweeknd2725]

@@Car3stash No not the pregnant civic type r I am sorry 🤣 FK8 is so much more Streamlined, aerodynamic and Race orientated looking 🏁

[@fk8chick893]

Finally someone I agree with. Wish they would of kept the 10th gens crazy boy racer style and upgraded the other things .

[@greymark420]

The reason why i went from my FK8 to the Civic E HEV, yes the FL5 is better ( Especially the interior ) but not £13000 better, ridiculous increase. Very impressed with the E HEV, good performance, comfortable, good handling and steering. The Advance model, which i am buying is nicely equipped. Not forgetting between 55-60 mpg.

[@championxxlNL]

I mean that new civic is definitely one of the best cars that have come out in the past year imo. And it isn't alot slower to 100kph than the type r aswell, every reviewer seems to do around 6.8 to 7 secs which is not bad at all

[@greymark420]

@@championxxlNL Exactly, at carwow they did a 0-60 in 6.7.

[@theweeknd2725]

@@greymark420 that is just MENTAL for a normal civic, I have the MK10 Civic 1.0L VTEC Turbo which is a great car, also handles really well & drives snappy with the turbocharged 1.0 engine producing probably the most hp you can get out of a 1.0 with good economic numbers. And it also looks great ngl, especially in night time the Red shines so well, almost makes it look like the FK8 type r as I have gotten the praises for it before 😅🤣🔥

[@greymark420]

@@theweeknd2725 Yes it's a crazy price increase. The E HEV that i am buying will be my sixth Civic. Civics have always been reliable and sporty to drive, looking forward to the Hybrid.

[@menamestom]

@@greymark420 Hybrid still going well? Looking at getting one to replace my Focus ST 2016. The Type R is a step to far!

[@mtm7306]

As soon as Carwow uploads it makes my day .

[@alstound]

Perfect if they change the countdown voice, worst British accent ever!

[@mrew42]

@@alstound @rse

[@purwantiallan5089]

@@alstound agree. 😂

[@copperkeyracing6167]

Translation: As soon as carwow uploads, I blow my load

[@b0bichabatka577]

the older one is definitely one of the bizarre designs ever.. simply loving it! Will be buying one this year

[@JasonSmith-zu3rn]

I just can't wait till I get mine. I have to wait until 2025 !!!!! For my Fl5 ... I got videos in the mean while lol. Good job mate.

[@karimsadredini8875]

The previous generation looks savage and unique, whereas the new one is more car ish and simple looking. It took me a while to get used to the looks of the FK8 though! Both are super fun to drive and reliable boy racers for reasonable money.

[@davidoconnor3201]

50 grand is not reasonable, It's absolutely outrageous. It should be 30 at the most.

[@cyanofelis]

What's a 'boy racer'?

[@hughjass5583]

@@davidoconnor3201 nah fr who is paying 50k for a regular degular looking civic with a spoiler on it

[@julienvbz9361]

I love the " Type R " configuration 🇯🇵🔥

[@purwantiallan5089]

And also has double the amount of bhp than the 2010s Civic.

[@BispoOnRoad]

I must be the only person in the world that loves the FK8 design 😅

[@CJax749]

As an FK8 owner I disagree😂

[@rculture]

Prefer the FK8 over the FL5.

[@SonicHedgehog38]

Between the FK8 gen and the FL5 gen Honda Civic Type R, the one I would use everyday is the FL5 gen Civic Type R, because it's the best Honda Civic Type R ever made!!!🤩

[@Kev27RS]

0:57 Exactly! Not just the rear, it’s the whole car! An overstyled mess!

[@Whispergryn]

I have an fk8, and I love it. I thought about trading it in for an acura type s but I'm really not sure until it comes out. Love the video, man!

[@speedwobble5383]

We upgraded the fronts on our FK8 to Michelin ps4's and the improvement in grip was huge so I'm not surprised you managed to launch the Fl5 a bit better.

[@jankisty9704]

Gear ratio and turbo is also changed.

[@DreamCarGarage1]

1 LOVE THE LOOK OF THE PREVIOUS MODEL TYPE R!!! It looks waaaay more intentional and dramatic than the car that replaced it.

[@Cranktothemetal]

the new one looks so much better

[@fronk1646]

As an FK8 owner who has never seen the FL5 in real life I can tell you the FK8 is definitely better.

[@diptarupghosh4431]

One thing to remember is fk8 has 245s and fl5 has 265s as tires. I know that makes a difference for sure. I wonder what the results would be if they were both on similar sizes

[@The_Animal_Man]

I love the way the previous GEN type I looked except the rear, the new type R doesn't look bad, but I think it's a little under styled and looks basic in some angles

[@Presto_001]

What a comparison carwow! Have to say the New Civic Type-R is awesome but that is a lot of money in difference compared to its previous generation.

[@purwantiallan5089]

What about comparison between Ford Focus 2022 and Toyota RSC?

[@rayhan4502]

@@purwantiallan5089 Ofc the RCS slayy

[@shivamarya5225]

@@purwantiallan5089 what's an Rsc?

[@tomciopaluch7235]

But at least it's not as nasty

[@CryptoIncome448]

Honda can just sacked the new designer 😂 joke, most people choose old design because its really good looking

[@Ayrton4everrr]

04:35 Finally somebody mentioned it. I hate screens on top of the dash, they block your side view. Worst idea ever for a track/sports car. Thanks Mat. Not to mention that yes, the new one has a cleaner look, but from the side it looks like it has a huge forehead with the bonnet raised in front then going down, and the overall shape from the side looks like a small SUV 😕 And please 🙏🏼 please 🙏🏼 Honda, if you’re watching this, make the type r 2 door and shorter. It will be lighter, faster and cool again like the old civics 🙏🏼

[@blackhole4]

What I’ve learned from driving these hard is that it only takes one mountain turn and some sand on the the ground to make you go flying off that mountain. Otherwise fantastic machine, drive safe everyone!

[@LITTEULCEVENN]

The differential will send power to the wheel with the more grip. If both wheels have no grip it will send you off the road.

[@farindeeba543]

So the moral of the story is don’t race around mountain turns because you’re high up?!

[@raynaldfernandez1436]

I have the FK8 but I want to upgrade to the FL5. Love the look way way better.

[@TheBreakfastLover]

The upcoming Acura Integra Type S will be an excellent alternative. Same powertrain but a little more luxurious, and likely a smaller dealer mark-up.

[@morgancunningham8819]

Wish we could get these RHD in the UK

[@tjk9263]

Honda HQ in Japan tore the dealerships in the US a new butthole for the absurd dealer mark-ups on the Type R and I guess a lot of dealerships won't be getting anymore special edition anything for a while.

[@imkirbo3094]

Imagine living in a country which has "dealer mark-ups" and calls Hondas "Acuras"...

[@ngc-fo5te]

@@imkirbo3094 All countries have dealer markups at times.

[@purwantiallan5089]

@@morgancunningham8819 Integra Type R 1995 and Honda Civic 3Door 1995 also best alternatives.

[@michaelpascual3581]

Doesn't matter which one. Civics are awesome. I used to be a WRX kind of person but damn. The Civic outperformed every STI there is. Switched sides and boy do I not regret it.

[@supermacholo1585]

I don't know much about cars but I do enjoy watching and learning about it cheers mate

[@Neo.555]

5.62 was the best time an fk8 got on a previous video from Carwow!

[@jhovjhov]

Hot take: The old Civic looks better to me

[@funtimediaz7435]

That’s not much of a hot take, most people too like the old design more

[@ThaboTshuma]

In my opinion, the 2005 Honda NSX Type R is the greatest Japanese car... *Jeremy Clarkson pause*... ever.

[@JZX_Nate]

‘in the world’

[@neomustafi5744]

FK-8 Looks like a scary Samurai Warrior FL-5 Looks like a HONDA Type GOLF GTI. Clear verdict Fk-8 for true HONDA fans and mostly JDM lovers that are 18-35 years old FL-5 European HONDA fans who want a sporty daily to buy groceries and take kids to school and think they still young but are maybe 40 or even older. PS: Comes from a Honda fan that has owned GEN2 CRX GEN3CRX And a modified EJ9 and two Honda DIRT BIKES Crf 250-2009 and a CR 250 1998

[@ProbABurner]

the FK8 looks so much better imo

[@J-oDean458]

Hi mat, for the first time i couldn't agree more on the exhaust system, I prefer the New one, it feels like a little more sporty or ... 🤔😁

[@purwantiallan5089]

I prefer 2023 one. Its just way better and has double the amount of bhp from the 2010 Civic.

[@zno3177]

You mean you couldn’t agree less?

[@reaver69]

Um Matt preferred the older one....

[@J-oDean458]

@@reaver69 🤦‍♂️

[@erlyszavala]

@@J-oDean458 I'm so confused. Are you mentally ill?

[@khoablink]

I LOVE the design of the 10th gen. That’s why I decided it to be my first car. The regular civic, not the Type R. And everyone of my family and friends loves the 10th gen design as well. I like the interior of the new one though.

[@alexl.102]

I agree i get compliments often on my sedan although i do like the rear end of the this hatch

[@TheDefiledShell]

Yup, I have a 10th Gen Sport Touring, I get so many compliments on it. Imo it’s the best looking Civic ever made.

[@nickloong]

Awesome comparison of the 2 Type Rs, but I noticed that the drag times of these performance cars tend to tapper off when compared to their newer models during a test, where usually when they're new, the times are more impressive. Is it due to ageing of the engines or the choice of tyres?

[@ThePurpleSquares1]

Official 0-60 times will never be matched in the real world. The journalists and manufacturers abuse the hell out of the cars to get the lowest times and often do stuff like removing the 1ft rollout from the time. All i can say is that in the 15k miles ive had my FK8 i havent noticed any performance degredation (in fact, it hooks up even better now that i ditched the shit contis for Pilot AS4s). The FL5 also has a slightly longer final drive ratio than the FK8 which means it can hit ~62mph in 2nd whereas the FK8 only hits 58 and needs a 2-3 shift to do a 0-60.

[@copperkeyracing6167]

It's called carbon buildup and lack of maintenance. 99% of people don't know how, and don't ever do it. Then they sell it, and the next guy thinks that's how it's supposed to be... and then it blows up.

[@luckyrawr_0013]

I am Honda Civic fan and I would say FK8 is much better ❤ Soon manifesting to have one!

[@junaidahmed786]

Interesting review and comparison. I owned the 2016 FK2. It was raw, noisy, uncomfortable, unruly, the cabin suffered heatsink and the exhaust note was far superior to the FK8. I took the FK8 for a testdrive many years ago and simply thought it was too soft and ever so slightly boring. It bodes well that the FL5 is not as clinical and is more fun to drive. Also tge styling has matured and looks far more elegant than the fake vented predecessors which were ever so Halfords car crash embarrassing!

[@W1es]

I love both, but I absolutely am delighted over the refined look of the FL5. The FL5 is more like the times of the EG chassis, its as if they modernized that, and I like the throwback feel of that because the EG looked very very good, and still looks good if you see it today. The FK8 is very cool, but its cool to see, not to live with, its the reason I dont have one. FL5 is such a nice looking vehicle that I cant wait for the ridiculous mark up to die out and then the lack of sales to make it dip even more, then Ill be ready..

[@purwantiallan5089]

Ready for what?

[@TamjidVlogs]

Facts EG design was the best

[@W1es]

@@purwantiallan5089 To buy one....

[@W1es]

Oh, and also, I would leave the crazier design space for Mugen to utilize, thats what they are suppesed to be about

[@andresduques2013]

I'm afraid it will never be much cheaper than this mate, these kind of cars are always expensive, no matter how much time has passed smh

[@StephenButlerOne]

I like the new one better in and out. I love the retro dash. Taken straight out the 70s

[@purwantiallan5089]

Or Skyline 1971 vibes actually.

[@StephenButlerOne]

@@purwantiallan5089 one of the early Z cars

[@stuartgoddard4805]

Mat We need a drag race of the type r fl5,fk8,fk2

[@craigwilliams5428]

47k+ is crazy money. Who exactly does Honda expect to buy this? It’s not fast enough or exciting enough like the type rs used to be to command that sort of money. Should be about 39k which would place it around the golf gti price range. 47k? No chance

[@miguelmsilva16]

Yes, we definitely need to see a track battle between the FL5 and the FK8

[@manastambat4076]

The new Civic R is very simple yet looks really amazing.. a lot better than the previous generation.. the latest gen is one of my fav cars.. I was just hoping that it would have come with AWD drive system then it could have smashed all the cars in the segment.. just like a Lancer evo

[@purwantiallan5089]

It also has 100+ bhp more than all Lancer Evos.

[@ertey9]

I truly think the older one looks better. It’s stands out as a type R better. Yes it’s aggressive, yes it’s rice-y, but that’s what’s you’re going for with a type R. At least in my opinion.

[@ferrarifrank7854]

I would absolutely buy the new one if they made a couple. Love the videos watching from the U.S

[@patricklim909]

50k+ for fresh old one and 70k+ for new new in the State side, most people skipped to Supra or 400Z in that case

[@SmokysRides]

Until the 23+ can roll away from a sale without instantly experiencing $20,000 of "dealer upcharge" depreciation it is utterly worthless.

[@0ShenodaKromar0]

The past generation seems more athletic and it is not worth paying this difference in the new generation.😶😶

[@992UFO]

You should compare the FK2 with the FL5, too. Like the 1st VTEC Turbo vs the last VTEC Turbo. 😬

[@VGILee]

It’s amazing how both cars seem to be so similar in hardware yet feel so different. I’m still not exactly sure what I think about the looks of the FK8 even after all these years. Fake vents don’t do it for me and it’s probably too OTT and too aggressive for my liking yet in certain colours it looks sort of awesome. Each to his or her own I guess. I am or at least used to be a die-hard Honda fan. Owned an original NSX, Accord Type R, DC2. The only thing that stopped me from getting the FK8 was the turbocharged engine. Effective, sure. And obviously an amazing car in most other respects, at least the ones which matter to a petrolhead. But I still think they went in the wrong direction with the engine. A proper Type R engine with a stratospherically high-revving NA engine and a an electric motor with a small LI-ION battery would have been both a better choice and a purer one, preserving what made Type Rs unique in the hot hatch world. The hybrid unit in the CRZ wasn’t all that heavy or expensive and I’d have taken the small weight penalty over adding a turbo. I just think Honda make some really weird decisions sometimes. Same with the ‘new’ NSX. That car lost so much by going turbocharged when they could have achieved similar results with a NA engine and slightly more powerful electric motors. These things should have been locked-in at the conception stage as absolute non-negotiables and, given that Honda was a pioneer with the whole hybrid thing with the original Insight, it would have doubly made sense! As it stands, if I wanted a 4 seat car which could - at least at a push - do family duty, I’d go for an Japanese FD2 over any of the turbocharged Civics, regardless of them offering more shock and even if they are better in many ways.

[@4drobertson]

Was behind the new one yesterday. It's enormous!!

[@michaelk1471]

Good to see actual journalism again!

[@JDMcam702]

Absolutely love the new design. Very simplistic just how the original ek9 was.

[@Flight-of-Life]

I like the older one, But I liked the one before that even more

[@oscarkabowski8413]

Yeah, the fk2 was the last "small" Civic.

[@FK2VtecTurbo]

Me too 👍

[@purwantiallan5089]

2023 Civic just far better imo.

[@purwantiallan5089]

@@FK2VtecTurbo Spoon Civic and Spoon FIT are also better.

[@SuperSymbol]

FL5 better, might got too boring but it’s have better upgrades, FL5 stands out better especially the headlights at night

[@ApothecaryTerry]

Mat was saying the FL5 is less boring. The complaints were that it's less of a serious sports car (for me, being a serious sports car was the FK8's biggest flaw, that's what Porsches are for) but mainly that the FL5 is £47k. Since I mentioned Porsches, you can get a brand new 718 for £47k. The problem with the FL5 is simple. The FK8 has a niche - if you can only own one car, need to carry a family but do a lot of track days, there's nothing better. The FL5 doesn't have a niche, since it's worse at all that than the FK8 so the only reason you'd buy an FL5 over a used FK8 are looks and fun. Well, buy an i30N or 308 GTi then, they're both 100000x more fun and both look better. Then there's the elephant nobody seems to be mentioning- the FK8 took the FK2 and made it more serious. The FL5 is taking the FK8 and making it less serious again...so if you want a less serious FK8, spend £15k on an FK2! Then you've got £30k to buy a used Porsche...like mine that happens to be for sale soon 😂 The Honda niche was always being better on track, which I'm sure it still is, but if the FK8 is better...why exactly would anyone ever buy an FL5? I don't dislike it, it's just that for any possible scenario I can think of, another car is a better choice. Leaves me with 1 conclusion - the FL5 is only good if you want a Honda collection.

[@andybiscuits]

Love the Belgian Malinois reference. Accurate description and I love them

[@jfz313]

The FK5 looks like an everyday sedan from 1990.

[@Matt-go7ss]

I mean, the price is a total piss take.

[@Matt-go7ss]

I'd have neither, save myself 20k and get an fk-2

[@alsayedfakhri4597]

I'd go for the FK8 at least, as someone who has owned both (and has an FL5 on order) the FK8 is a massive upgrade. The fk2 is the value buy but the FK8 is just better in every way.

[@Matt-go7ss]

@@alsayedfakhri4597 that's what's I've read. I've also read the ride in the fk-2 is awful. I love the fk-2 looks though!

[@alsayedfakhri4597]

@@Matt-go7ss yeah, the fk2 does look nice and you're correct, the biggest issue with the fk2 is ride quality. Drive both, see if the price difference is worth it - like I said, the fk2 is abit of a bargain still.

[@Matt-go7ss]

@@alsayedfakhri4597 thanks for your advice 👍

[@CJax749]

@@alsayedfakhri4597 Sound like you’re the same as me mate😂 the fk8 is a big jump over fk2 and I’m expecting the FL5 to be a big improvement over my pre-facelift fk8

[@brianiswrong]

It's a better car,but not £12k worth of better😪

[@japcarjunkie]

The FK8 looks so much better than the FL5. I like the aggression of the FK8, and it’s exactly how a Type R should look like.

[@genetung8590]

I like the maturity of the new one. I like the emotion of the old one.

[@torijenna1629]

Old one looks unique new looks boring like a civic with a cheap wing.

[@JZX_Nate]

old one is better but the even older ones are better again

[@Timborob]

£47k for a hot hatch... 😲

[@purwantiallan5089]

Yep. And cheaper than even R34GTR.

[@CJax749]

Well the RS3 is 70k😂

[@Timborob]

@@CJax749 As Gerald Butler says "Madness!" 😂

[@matzmr]

I still drive FD2 type R 2006, and to me it still the best civic that ever made.

[@toxsin2207]

I had just been wondering why I hadn't received any notifications from your channel and this pops up on my feed 😊

[@jday4217]

I know I’m in the minority but I love the in your face looks of the old one.

[@ThomasMarxJKD]

Previous gen looks far better. Its a type R, of course it should look more aggressive, and not like a regular.

[@PaulTaylor80]

As soon as I get a ad that I can’t skip 👋🏻

[@1v1qsns]

Old type r is one of the best looking cars Hondas designed. I love it. Side profile especially. Just kills the new one

[@saupieu-chendasom4079]

- Génial,pratique,conduite facile sécurisée ! - Les différents facteurs de sécurité pendant la conduite accompagnent bien le poids et la vitesse de la voiture !❤

[@OjonugwaEnemali-bd2qz]

I can see the maturity on the new one but I still prefer the older one... It looks like the true type R to me

[@darrenbull3622]

I’ve always loved the look of the fk8! But I did phone to put an order in for the Fl5, but unfortunately being informed by several uk Honda dealerships that each one of them was only allowed a maximum of two vehicles a year! And I was also informed that there was a six to twelve month wait! And even though I love grey, I was told that I had to pick two different colours, as the dealership could commit to which colour would eventually arrive!!!! 🤦‍♂️😢 So my choice was decided! I bought from a Honda dealer the last of the line FK8, in the colour I wanted (grey) one previous owner car with only 7,859 miles on the clock. And the dealership I bought it from originally supplied the car brand new!!! Well chuffed! 👍👍😃😃😃😃

[@USSCoop]

The new design is so much better. Really hope y’all do the actual drag race

[@hondacivicfk2typer135]

hi I would like you to make a video comparing honda civic tyep R fk2 and fk8 and fl5 all three I would like your opinion of the 3 cars

[@thegirthquake8574]

The old one was.. interesting. The new one is genuinely gorgeous.

[@chefemilyrose]

think I'll buy my next car with a sound system that's loud enough to wake up my neighbors. Time to crank up the tunes

[@KyngShadow]

The review I was waiting for

[@jeremyrigden9200]

I owned an FK8, ex-demo in red from Glyn Hopkins, highly modified by Phil at Dreams bless him, honestly wish ide kept it as it did everything, many track days, holidays, taking family all over the place. Its replacement E63 was completely bonkers plus never got over 20 mpg. Hay Ho

[@JamesHindi]

Hmu

[@jshizzle2097]

FK8 245 width Continental vs FL5 265 width Pilot Sport 4s or Cup 2. FK8 seems to be better sorted even with those disadvantages.

[@marsrii4372]

Styling preferences are subjective, but as an artist I have to say that the new typeR design is much cleaner and visually cohesive inside and out.