{"id":25430,"date":"2020-05-28T13:40:32","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T17:40:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=25430"},"modified":"2020-05-28T13:40:32","modified_gmt":"2020-05-28T17:40:32","slug":"payne-to-hell-and-back-in-honda-civic-type-r-hellion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/payne-to-hell-and-back-in-honda-civic-type-r-hellion","title":{"rendered":"Payne: To Hell and back in Honda Civic Type R hellion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">The 2020 Honda Civic Type R has 306 horsepower, four doors, a hatchback, red seats, insane handling, the latest electronics\u00a0and a rear wing the size of the Sopwith Camel. Sounds like heaven to me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">So I took it to Hell.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">I\u2019ve spent a lot of time traveling back and forth to Michigan\u2019s devilish burg during the coronavirus clampdown. With the state\u2019s best roads and unlikely name, Hell has always been a fun diversion. The North American Car of the Year jury used to hold our annual test there before we outgrew local facilities. Lunch meeting in Ann Arbor? I\u2019ll\u00a0detour on the way back to test a car\u2019s limits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But with national vehicle test programs grounded by COVID-19, Hell has become my test loop to push a performance vehicle\u2019s envelope. Is it\u00a0comfortable on the two-hour round trip? Does it get good gas mileage? Have modern safety features like adaptive cruise-control? Does it inspire confidence on roller-coaster roads?<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-Svg0vtt9iCY\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/4c779801-9860-4c2e-9c00-b85c3e836168-honda_fr.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Cerberus at the Gates of Hell (Michigan). The 2020 Honda Civic Type R has a big mouth for better air flow as well as a telltale scoop on the hood. \" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/4c779801-9860-4c2e-9c00-b85c3e836168-honda_fr.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/4c779801-9860-4c2e-9c00-b85c3e836168-honda_fr.JPG\" \/>Cerberus at the Gates of Hell (Michigan). The 2020 Honda Civic Type R has a big mouth for better air flow as well as a telltale scoop on the hood.\u00a0\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Hell\u2019s a fabulous all-around test. And a showcase for the $37,950 Civic Type R\u2019s impressive all-around game of affordable speed, comfort\u00a0and utility.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">At the end of a good workout this spring, I found but one weakness:\u00a0With a healthy $3,175 price jump since it was introduced as a 2018 model, Type R has ceded ground to the $37,884 Subaru WRX STI and $30,675 Hyundai Veloster N for pocket-rocket affordability.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-position-73\" class=\"partner-placement partner-spike partner-placement-visible\" data-ad-placement=\"native-article_link\" data-ad-sizes=\"[&quot;fluid&quot;,[3,3], [2,6], [300,250]]\" data-monetization-id=\"native-article_link\" data-monetization-sizes=\"fluid,300,250,3,3,2,6\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Nail the imperturbable R over Hankerd Road\u2019s heaving\u00a0high-speed blind turns and you\u2019ll swear it\u2019s Velcroed to the pavement, so flat is its chassis. The only limit to the sports car\u2019s speed was my fear of cresting a brow to find one of Michigan\u2019s finest in a squad car (their presence ubiquitous in these COVID times).<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But before I get too deep into Hell\u2019s twisties, a quick primer on the Type R.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-Svg0vtteXu0\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/d6000e6a-f183-4738-bfa6-cc978b77dbbc-honda_body-color.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"New for 2020. The 2020 Honda Civic Type R gains some minor tweaks like body-colored gills  and 13 percent better grille area to feed the powerful engine within.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/d6000e6a-f183-4738-bfa6-cc978b77dbbc-honda_body-color.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/d6000e6a-f183-4738-bfa6-cc978b77dbbc-honda_body-color.JPG\" \/>New for 2020. The 2020 Honda Civic Type R gains some minor tweaks like body-colored gills and 13 percent better grille area to feed the powerful engine within.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">When Honda took the 10th-generation\u00a0$20,806\u00a02015 Civic to Germany\u2019s Nurburgring race track to benchmark against the Audi A3, the Type R was the ultimate goal. King Civic offers top-of-class room, features\u00a0and handling across a vast lineup that includes sedan, Sport hatchback, Si performance coupe \u2014 and then peaks at the Type R. It\u2019s like watching the evolution of Michael Jordan from high school star to six-time NBA champion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">New for 2020, the Type R brings significant upgrades like standard Honda Sensing\u00a0(adaptive cruise-control, lane-keep assist, emergency braking), which helps explain the price hike. And it adds minor tweaks like a new front spoiler, suede steering wheel\u00a0and body-colored fascia gills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">They were minor tweaks because the Type R is hardly modest. The body is smeared with goth makeup: black grille, black wheels, black window trim.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-Svg0vttoCuY\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/65a17176-1a03-451a-b3c0-9739614fc6b2-honda_seats.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Standard on the 2020 Honda Civic Type R: bolstered red seats. \" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/65a17176-1a03-451a-b3c0-9739614fc6b2-honda_seats.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/65a17176-1a03-451a-b3c0-9739614fc6b2-honda_seats.JPG\" \/>Standard on the 2020 Honda Civic Type R: bolstered red seats.\u00a0\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">My black \u2019n\u2019 Championship White menace looked like it had been assembled from a drawer-full of knives. Sharp angles were everywhere from its front splitter fangs to its rocker panels to the twin shark-fin endplates that held the rear wing. Type R telegraphs its road-carving abilities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Open the door and the red\u00a0bolstered seats warn this thing\u00a0is devil\u2019s spawn. Yet as I set out on my journey to Hell, the Type R felt more Civic than R-rated. Despite a hungry bark at startup that exhales through a trio of center-mounted exhaust pipes, the Type R is quite civilized to drive in Comfort\u00a0mode. (I\u2019ll get to other, more aggressive modes in a bit). Adaptive cruise is standard, even with a manual transmission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">At stoplights I had to blip the engine a couple of times to make sure the engine hadn\u2019t stalled, so quiet is the idle. And while the ride is expectedly firm, Mrs. Payne found the R\u2019s roomy, thoughtful interior a laudable travel companion (even as she feared how quickly it could turn, Hyde-like, into a highway heathen).<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Civic\u2019s infotainment commands trail recent segment entries like the Nissan Sentra and Subaru Impreza, but standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto neutralize that advantage in a jiffy. I plugged in my phone and told Google Assistant to take me to Hell. Who needs a fancy-pants premium navigation system?<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-Svg0vttJJ9I\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/cdbbbbf8-9c8a-4030-99d2-575bb7c470c4-honda_int.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"For about $38k, the 2020 Honda Civic Type R features a loaded interior of bolstered, red, carbon seats, Level 2 autonomous driving\/adaptive cruise control, Alcantara steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, and more. Only blind-spot assist and heated seats are conspicuously missing.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/cdbbbbf8-9c8a-4030-99d2-575bb7c470c4-honda_int.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/cdbbbbf8-9c8a-4030-99d2-575bb7c470c4-honda_int.JPG\" \/>For about $38k, the 2020 Honda Civic Type R features a loaded interior of bolstered, red, carbon seats, Level 2 autonomous driving\/adaptive cruise control, Alcantara steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, and more. Only blind-spot assist and heated seats are conspicuously missing.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The hatchback\u2019s utility is self-explanatory (a big reason SUVs are so popular today), but Civic goes a step further. It adds\u00a0sub-cargo storage and a pull-across shade to conceal items in the cargo bay that makes the common snap-on shade seem needlessly complicated. That thoughtfulness is matched up front by a configurable console of sliding cupholders and cubbies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">My first hot-hatch was a cramped two-door VW GTI. But the Type R rocket ship has 1.5 inches more rear legroom than a midsize Acura TLX luxury sedan, for goodness sake,\u00a0while weighing 500 pounds less with 16 more horsepower.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Type R\u2019s lightweight 3,121 pounds was evident as I assaulted the Exit 148A clover leaf upon exiting I-96 for U.S. 23 South.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Despite roads slicked by spring\u00a0rain, Type R danced around the 180-degree downhill turn,\u00a0its chassis flat as a pancake. As I dialed in more throttle, the front-wheel drive system predictably pushed. But when\u00a0the road surface unexpectedly changed from concrete to greasy asphalt \u2014 briefly causing the\u00a0R to skitter laterally \u2014 there was no\u00a0nervous tail wag like a rear-wheel drive car.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-Svg0vtsnDa4\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/bbccead6-3b56-4296-b212-160b73682616-honda_carryout.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Take out. The 2020 Honda Civic Type R is small enough to maneuver in downtown Ann Arbor for a pickup sandwich (see bag on roof) at Zingerman's. Yet roomy enough inside to eat on the fly.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/bbccead6-3b56-4296-b212-160b73682616-honda_carryout.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/bbccead6-3b56-4296-b212-160b73682616-honda_carryout.JPG\" \/>Take out. The 2020 Honda Civic Type R is small enough to maneuver in downtown Ann Arbor for a pickup sandwich (see bag on roof) at Zingerman&#8217;s. Yet roomy enough inside to eat on the fly.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Flattening the throttle onto Route 23, the heretofore quiet cabin erupted. I had dialed the mode-select\u00a0switch to Race\u00a0(what did you think R stood for?) and the 2.0-liter turbo-4 roared with hunger. Its 295-pound feet of torque might have ripped the front tires out of their fenders were it not for modern electronics and clever suspension engineering.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Exiting slippery turns in second gear, I could easily get wheelspin, but R never felt out of sorts. The notchy, manual box is the best thing this side of a Porsche, and the tranny automatically rev-matched on downshifts so I didn\u2019t fuss with heel-and-toe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">All this capability in a $38,000\u00a0package. Sure you want a smaller 306-horse Audi S3 for $10,000\u00a0more? Subaru STI, however, will match Type R\u2019s price,\u00a0while also packing impressive standard features. With all-wheel drive (a $2,000\u00a0value), the Subie puts the power down better in slick conditions while offering similar horsepower and interior room. As the \u2019Ru moves toward\u00a0a 2022 model with an estimated 400 horsepower, the Type R will be challenged.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">For now, though, there\u2019s no beating a hot hatch for convenience. It makes a trip to Hell heavenly.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-Svg0vttx1vg\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/38565f02-a4a9-4bdd-a2c4-a0c0d61b1582-honda_road.JPG?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Along Doyle Road in Livingston County, the balanced, 306-horse 2020 Honda Civic Type R is stuck to the road like Velcro.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/38565f02-a4a9-4bdd-a2c4-a0c0d61b1582-honda_road.JPG\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/05\/24\/PDTN\/38565f02-a4a9-4bdd-a2c4-a0c0d61b1582-honda_road.JPG\" \/>Along Doyle Road in Livingston County, the balanced, 306-horse 2020 Honda Civic Type R is stuck to the road like Velcro.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"presto-h3\">2020 Honda Civic Type R<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel drive, 5-passenger hatchback<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Price: $37,950, including $955\u00a0destination charge<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Powerplant: 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Transmission: 6-speed manual<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Weight: 3,121 pounds<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Price: $37,950<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Power: 306 horsepower, 295 pound-feet torque<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.0 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 170 mph<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Fuel economy: EPA est. mpg: 22 city\/28 highway\/25 combined<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"presto-h3\">Report card<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Highs: Insane grip for a FWD car; modern amenities for daily driving<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Lows: Boy-racer styling not for everyone; price up from $34,800\u00a0in 2018<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Overall: \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2020 Honda Civic Type R has 306 horsepower, four doors, a hatchback, red seats, insane handling, the latest electronics\u00a0and a rear wing the size of the Sopwith Camel. Sounds like heaven to me. So I took it to Hell. I\u2019ve spent a lot of time traveling back and forth to Michigan\u2019s devilish burg during [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25430"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25430"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25430\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25431,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25430\/revisions\/25431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}