FL5 Civic Type R - Anyone own or driven one?

[Cerberus]

I have been considering selling my 15' FiST after 8+ years of happy ownership. The Fiesta has been great and lots of fun!

However, I have been looking for a change of scenery and started to consider a used replacement for $30k (separate thread). Recently, I decided to up my budget and placed a deposit for a 2024 Type R at MSRP. While waiting for my Type R to arrive in the next 30 days I started over thinking my pending purchase. Is a new CTR 4X better (almost $50k OTD versus $10k for FiST)? My immediate answer is NO, but it is a brand new car versus my near 10 year old Fiesta.

Anyone move up to a Type R from the FiST and have any regrets other than the big price premium? Anyone with significant seat time in a Type R? Is the Type R really as good as all the magazine and YouTube reviewers say it is?

Thanks!

 

[M-Sport fan]

There is a black one (with real Rays/Volk TE37s on it no less!) parked a few spaces away from my spot in my complex.

It sounds wicked going by (not sure if it is the factory system on it, as I have not spoken to the owner at all yet), but it just appears way too huge and heavy to me, despite it's power/tunable extra power, and supposed handling prowess.

I might view it differently if they offered a 'club sport', much lightened, 2 door coupe version.

 

[Cerberus]

There is a black one (with real Rays/Volk TE37s on it no less!) parked a few spaces away from my spot in my complex.

It sounds wicked going by (not sure if it is the factory system on it, as I have not spoken to the owner at all yet), but it just appears way too huge and heavy to me, despite it's power/tunable extra power, and supposed handling prowess.

I might view it differently if they offered a 'club sport', much lightened, 2 door coupe version.

Our FiST‘s are a tough act to follow! Hence my anxiety and over analyzing of this possible change.

 

[Dpro]

Our FiST‘s are a tough act to follow! Hence my anxiety and over analyzing of this possible change.

GR Corolla over the Type R thank you very much AWD rules.

 

[ronmcdon]

I have not driven one but have in the past considered the fk8 ctr as well as the FL5, even within reasonable mark-up.

one of the reasons I didn't pull the trigger on the fk8 is its cooling has been known to be a prevalent issue on the track. Aftermarket parts have not known to fully address it. as of yet. By that I mean upgrading the radiator, getting secondary radiator, oil cooler, fmic, aftermarket hood with more vents. I forget whether it was the coolant or the oil that was difficult to heat. Some cars randomly seem worse than others. Mind you this is important only with tracking a car. Maybe on a street driven and/or autoX car its not as significant.

I've not looked into the FL5, but essentially its the same engine. Fingers crossed the cooling is not as flawed. I was hoping to wait a couple of years and let others be the guinea pig before I decide whether or not make that leap of faith. If anyone knows otherwise, please let me know as I really am interested in this car. Unless you haven't already done so, definitely look into some forums. Ive found civicx site to be helpful. Also if you do get this car, please do invest in some anti theft. They do get stolen. If you are looking for jdm aftermarket, check out Blackhawk Japan. Have purchased wedsport wheels, spoon parts for my hondas at much cheaper prices than US vendors. sadly there's no notable discount on Varis aero if thats your thing.

I am not sold either on the GR Corrolla due to overheating rear diff issues, that as far as I know as not yet resolved. If anyone knows different, please let me know.

I do love the 10th gen civic platform. My parents have 10th gen civic touring cvt that I tinkered a bit with. I currently have a 10th gen Si with a mountain of parts but not much installed as of yet. I like the Si because it was a more comfortable alternative to the fiesta and more practical than the fk8 ctr. Much to my disappointment, 3rd and 4th gears are the weak link, but there are aftermarket solutions (I am getting PPG straight cut 1st--4th gears, parts in garage just not installed). I don't need a lot of power to enjoy a car, so being close to stock or around 300whp tuned on 91 (not interested in flex), as an approx goal is good enough for me. I rather get more fuel economy and have it as a fun street and track capable car.

FL5 makes sense over the SI, if you want a huge amount of aftermarket options, better suspension design, and definitely the engine being able to make more power. 11th gen should also be a lot more rigid than 10th gen fk8.

I say if you can, just keep the fiesta. I like having both my Si and Fiesta as they have kinda different personalities.

Fiesta does not really have any strong notable weaknesses maybe other than the tranny with a lot of tracking. I am a bit scared myself as I suspect I am getting some gear whine from tracking the car. cooling is pretty damn good after you throw in aftermarket upgrades. I can lap 20 min sessions 'back to back' in 90f-close to 100f heat without issue.

I am definitely keeping my eye out on this, although I am slightly leaning more on the integra as I like the way it looks a lot more, even if there are some compromises.

 

[LucasHigh]

GR Corolla over the Type R thank you very much AWD rules.

I would go for either a GR Carolla or 86 before I even consider a typer, my sim rig has made me value how much more fun awd and rwd is... lol

 

[WannabeST]

I've driven an FL5 on the track thanks to a student letting me drive it, only 4-5 laps so not many. I think your answer really depends on what you will use the car for. As a daily driver I think the car is overpriced and you will be paying more for the badge than the car. As a track car it is awesome, they are faster than the FK8 chassis. I would invest into cooling mods first to be able to do more hot laps. I think as an investment this will hold value better than an SI or other trims would. if you love the car just buy it, no car is truly perfect at doing everything. But if the car makes you happy that's all that really matters. If you can, rent one on turo for a few days and see how you like it. If I'm giving my personal opinion, I would prefer the FK8 for half the price and put the extra money into mods instead. Or I would buy a Gr86.
at the end of the day this comment is just coming from someone who track a base model fiesta and a mustang lol.

 

[ronmcdon]

used FK8's are by no means cheap, especially if one can get the newer FL5 for msrp. Last year I had been obsessing with the FK8, FL5 and GR corrolla and checking pricing all the time hoping ppl would be dumping FK8s for cheap. Despite the controversial styling, I do like the FK8, but I imagine it won't age as well as the FL5. I also suspect the build quality of swindon factor in GREAT BRITAIN was not quite up to par and along with the FK7 (non si hatch), these cars are known to be more rattle traps. The FL5 is made in japan exclusively and build quality ought to be better, sans some of the QC issues with the seats earlier on.

I agree cooling mods should be prioritized. Even then I think heat management will be part of the driving experience on the track for better or worse. Interestingly the L15b engine from the SI also has internal exhaust manifolds built in the head but cooling doesn't seem be as much of weak point, although I suspect that might also be debatable. One plus with the GR corrolla is you can still get proper external exhaust manifolds, which to me is always a pleasure to see a beautifully made tubular manifold in the engine bay.

 

[Dpro]

Actually in regards to ronmcdon‘s fear of the overheating diff on the GR Corolla there already is a fix someone came up with that seems to work they changed the ring and pinion in the rear diff so it was not overdriven and the issue went away if I recall correctly( yes that may eliminate 30/70) Apparently now the car can be drifted even with turing it into a 50/50 machine .

There is probably other things in the works as well. The only reason I do not have one yet is I was informed by a Toyota employee during my Tokyo Auto Salon trip in January to wait because Toyota was already working on improving the car for 25-26 model years.

Adopting first year or generation of a vehicle is always bound to have teething issues.

Honestly I was completely off the new Z after being disappointed by Nissans lack of effort in the suspension department. Nismo just changed all that and the car is back on my radar in the Nismo edition hoping they drop it next year with a manual like Toyota/BMW did with the Zupra.

 

[WannabeST]

used FK8's are by no means cheap, especially if one can get the newer FL5 for msrp. Last year I had been obsessing with the FK8, FL5 and GR corrolla and checking pricing all the time hoping ppl would be dumping FK8s for cheap. Despite the controversial styling, I do like the FK8, but I imagine it won't age as well as the FL5. I also suspect the build quality of swindon factor in GREAT BRITAIN was not quite up to par and along with the FK7 (non si hatch), these cars are known to be more rattle traps. The FL5 is made in japan exclusively and build quality ought to be better, sans some of the QC issues with the seats earlier on.

I agree cooling mods should be prioritized. Even then I think heat management will be part of the driving experience on the track for better or worse. Interestingly the L15b engine from the SI also has internal exhaust manifolds built in the head but cooling doesn't seem be as much of weak point, although I suspect that might also be debatable. One plus with the GR corrolla is you can still get proper external exhaust manifolds, which to me is always a pleasure to see a beautifully made tubular manifold in the engine bay.

I've seen a good handful of FK8 for $20-30k range with roughly 50k miles. Given the $47k msrp, that basically makes the FL5 a $50k+ car. So basically any $25k FK8 is half the price. I agree, that is by no means cheap, but neither is a $50k car, especially on a loan with current rates. From an overall perspective I do agree that the FL5 is better. But, it depends on the use for the car. I would for sure be tracking either CTR if I got one. stock for stock FL5 is better. But dollar for dollar the FK8 is more effective. That's why I would get it, but OP probably has a different use.

 

[akiraproject24]

If you already have a FL5 on deposit at msrp, grab it! The cooling issues are really only an issue on track and if you are tracking, probably not a huge deal to swap a Koyo radiator in and a PRL or other intercooler.

Larger, different car that the fist, i dont think anything exists here like the fist anymore. I like watching AHC garage they do all things acura and honda. The quality on the hondas especially the Type R I believe would be well worth it.

 

[M-Sport fan]

It's difficult to impossible to argue against the performance (and yes quality as well) of either of these generation CTRs.

I thought that the FK8 was fugly when it was first released, but this new gen FL5 has beaten that one out as even fuglier yet in that aspect, as far as I am concerned.

Really, WTF Honda design studios?!?!
Are you purposely trying to make the (lack of) aesthetics belie the performance of your top performer??

 

[ronmcdon]

I've seen a good handful of FK8 for $20-30k range with roughly 50k miles. Given the $47k msrp, that basically makes the FL5 a $50k+ car. So basically any $25k FK8 is half the price. I agree, that is by no means cheap, but neither is a $50k car, especially on a loan with current rates. From an overall perspective I do agree that the FL5 is better. But, it depends on the use for the car. I would for sure be tracking either CTR if I got one. stock for stock FL5 is better. But dollar for dollar the FK8 is more effective. That's why I would get it, but OP probably has a different use.

I think the 25k range is going to be a real challenge, but around 30-35ish, yes that probably might be the sweet spot if you are okay with 50k. There are some close to 30k mile FK8 for 30-32kish that can be nice.
I was looking more at cars with less than 10k miles and it's definitely not easy to find them for under the high 30k range, most of it being in the low-ish 40k prices. something like a 10k miles FK8 CTR for 40k isn't so bad compared to a marked up new FL5 CTR at 55k, but at msrp at 47k, the FL5 is a lot more appealing given the not insignificant chassis upgrades.

Where it can little crappy is one is likely to blow at least another 4-5k or more, on cooling mods like high flow grill (Js racing is really nice), vented hood, oil cooler, upgraded radiator, maybe secondary radiator, acuity hoses, fmic, etc. Some think even that is not enough. This is not like the fiesta where one can slap on a koyo radiator, fmic and call it a day.

 

[hawyee]

I sold my 2019 FK8 last July with 70k ish miles for 29k on cars and bids, prices have maybe come down a little since then. It's obviously a much better performing and built car than the fist, but the cost of wheels and tires/other consumables really added up so I decided to sell it for something more economical. My current set of 245/225 rt660s were ~$600 vs close to 2k a set for the type R. Never had issues with cooling but it only saw one track day at CoTA in December.

 

[ronmcdon]

$2k?!! I know ctr tires dont run super wide, maybe the stock 20” wheel tires are bad news for tire prices.

I recently spent around 960 for a set of 4 kumho v730 in 275/18 for my evo. They dont last as long compared to my Fiesta.

a set of staggered eagle f1 sipercar 3 for my camaro was 1800, i think 305/19 & 325/19, but there was only one 200tw option for that application.

unless you are doing time attack or competing, more endurance focused 200tw tires typically last longer and also dont overheat as quickly (rs4, direzza z1, yoko ad09, v730) will last you lot longer as far as consumable costs go. 660s are awesome though and I like to use them for street only tires

Im surprised consumables are expensive bc the ctr is a lighter car by todays standards, I think under 3200lbs

 

[hawyee]

The main issue was I had to run 19s for SCCA rules, I was exaggerating a little bit a set of 265-35-19 re71rs is around $1500 but that's still 3x more a set than the bean tires

 

[Cerberus]

I appreciate all the feedback everyone!


It's funny as I wait for the dealer to call when a white CTR is finally incoming, my excitement has cooled a little and my eyes have wandered. They had a blue one that I almost bought, but decided to be patient and wait for my preferred color, white.

Is this a sign to reconsider the CTR or do most of you get distracted while anxiously waiting for a new car to eventually arrive?