2019 Honda Civic Type R

The 2019 Type R (FK8, generation from 2017) is a carry-over year with the K20C1 2.0L turbo making 306 hp in its only trim, Touring; there is no other engine.

A broad 295 lb-ft plateau from the turbo four, strong for a front-drive hatchback.

Instrumented tests of the FK8 Type R come in around 5.0 s to 60 mph, limited by front-drive traction. Honda publishes no official figure, and the 2019 powertrain is unchanged from 2017–2018.

Reviewers praise the K20C1's eager, linear pull and minimal lag above ~2,500 rpm. There is some softness off boost at low revs and exhaust drone at highway cruise, and the 2019 car lacks the Active Sound Control added in the 2020 refresh.

The 6-speed manual with automatic rev matching is widely rated among the best shifters in production. The 2019 car keeps the original shifter and knob, before the 2020 refresh shortened the throws and fitted an aluminum knob.

Front-wheel drive only, with a helical limited-slip differential. No AWD is offered, unlike the Golf R or Focus RS of the period.

A single powertrain — 2.0L turbo with a 6-speed manual — in a single trim. No automatic, hybrid or alternative engine is offered.

EPA rates the only 2019 configuration (2.0L turbo, 6-speed manual) at 25 mpg combined. That is low against the gas-hatchback band and typical for a 300-hp hot hatch.

22 mpg city from a high-output turbo four with no hybrid assist.

28 mpg highway trails efficiency-oriented hatchbacks by a wide margin.

A 12.4-gallon tank at 25 mpg combined gives roughly 310 miles, near the bottom of the hatchback band.

EPA's annual fuel cost at its current reference premium price is $3,300. That is beyond the worst end of the hatchback band, driven by 25 mpg and premium fuel.

The high-boost 2.0L turbo requires premium unleaded, and there is no flex-fuel or electrified alternative.

Secondary summaries of NHTSA data give the 2019 Type R 5 stars overall, with 5 stars for side and rollover. The FK8 shares the 10th-gen Civic hatchback body, which also rates 5 stars overall. Confidence is reduced because nhtsa.gov was not fetched directly.

The shared Civic 4-door hatchback structure rated Good in every IIHS crashworthiness test. The Type R earned no award, because it had no crash-prevention system and only Poor-rated headlights.

The 2019 Type R lacks Honda Sensing entirely. It has no AEB, forward collision warning, lane keeping, adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring or cross-traffic alert. Honda Sensing only arrived with the MY2020 refresh.

The 2019 Type R has no automatic emergency braking. IIHS's Superior rating applies only to the optional Honda Sensing CMBS on other Civic hatchback trims.

The 2019 Type R offers neither blind-spot monitoring nor rear cross-traffic alert. It also lacks the LaneWatch camera that other Civic trims used as a substitute.

The 2019 Type R has no lane departure warning, lane keeping assist or road departure mitigation, because Honda Sensing was not offered on it.

The car has conventional cruise control only. Adaptive cruise came with Honda Sensing on the MY2020 Type R.

The 2019 Type R has no hands-free driving system, nor even adaptive cruise or lane keeping.

IIHS rated every 2019 Civic hatchback headlight variant Poor, including the LED reflector units. The Type R's LED headlights belong to that family, and the 2019 car has no auto high-beam. The Good-rated revision applies only to vehicles built after December 2019.

The FK8's split rear glass and tall rear wing block the rear view, and thick C-pillars create blind zones. No blind-spot monitor or surround camera is fitted, so the multi-angle rearview camera is the only aid.

The Type R seats four: two outboard rear seats with LATCH and no center seat, so it takes at most two child seats. IIHS rated the Civic hatchback's LATCH only Acceptable.

The FK8 Type R seats four, one fewer than the five-seat Civic Hatchback it is built on. MY2019 is a carry-over year inside the 2017–2021 FK8 generation, with interior trim updates only.

No moonroof is offered, so the car keeps the full 39.3 in of front headroom, near the top of the hatchback band.

Front legroom is 42.3 in, the same as the regular Civic Hatchback and mid-pack for a compact hatch.

Rear headroom of 37.4 in is mid-band for hatchbacks and enough for average-height adults under the fastback roofline.

Rear legroom of 35.9 in is adequate rather than generous. Adults fit for shorter trips, but the high-backed front buckets eat into knee room.

The Type R keeps the 10th-gen Civic Hatchback's 25.7 cu ft cargo area. That is exceptional for a hot hatch and well ahead of the Golf GTI/R.

Storage follows the 10th-gen Civic layout: a large configurable center console, door bins and a wide hatch with a 60/40 split-fold seat, and larger cupholders arrived for 2019. There is no wireless charger and only two front USB ports, so storage is competitive but has no clever extras.

Reviewers praise the deeply bolstered suede-effect sport buckets for support on track and on long drives. However, the bolsters pinch wider occupants, adjustment is manual only, and the two-place rear bench is flat.

Adaptive dampers with a Comfort mode make the FK8 surprisingly livable for a hot hatch. But 20-inch wheels on 245/30 tires keep the ride firm over sharp impacts, and the 2019 car predates the 2020 damper and bushing retune.

Road roar from the wide, low-profile summer tires is the main highway complaint, and the car is clearly louder than a regular Civic Hatchback. Unlike the 2020 car, it has no Active Sound Control adding synthetic engine noise.

The single Touring trim gets dual-zone automatic climate control. It has no heated or ventilated seats, no heated steering wheel, no power seats and no remote start, which is thin for a car near $36.6k.

MY2019 is a carry-over year of the FK8 generation (2017–2021, facelifted for 2020), sold in the US as one 6-speed manual trim. Honda raised the price mid-year (July 2019) to $36,300 + $930 = $37,230; the January 2019 launch price is recorded.

There was only one 2019 configuration, so the volume trim is the base car; paint (including the new Sonic Gray Pearl) was the only choice.

Upkeep runs well above a regular Civic because of the 20-inch summer tires, Brembo brake service, clutch wear and the premium-fuel turbo engine, but Honda parts pricing keeps it below European hot hatches. No FK8-specific 5-year figure is published, so this brackets the published Type R figures for the same K20C1/6MT/Brembo hardware family.

Seven years on, 2019 FK8s still ask about 93% of their launch sticker thanks to enthusiast demand for the manual-only FK8, while KBB's private-party value (~$29k, ~79%) runs lower. The figure is recorded at 88% as a midpoint, because asking prices run ahead of transaction prices — still exceptional retention for the segment.

Honda's standard New Vehicle Limited Warranty with no Type R enhancement — matches the GTI and Golf R, trails the Veloster N's 5/60k.

Standard Honda 5/60k powertrain coverage, well short of Hyundai's 10/100k on the Veloster N.

2019 Hondas came with no complimentary scheduled maintenance (Honda Service Pass began with eligible 2023 models). Perks were limited to 3 yr/36k roadside assistance and a HondaLink trial.

$36,620 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (88% retained, or about $32,226) leaves about $4,394 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,400 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $10,794 in total.

The 2019 Type R is a carry-over third model year of the FK8 generation (2017–2021), the last before the 2020 refresh. No Type R-specific rating exists. J.D. Power rates the 2019 Civic average, while Consumer Reports rates it below average, mostly because of CVT and climate-control (A/C condenser) faults. The Type R's manual gearbox avoids the CVT problem but shares the 10th-gen A/C hardware, which leaves the signals mixed.

Around 2019, Honda sat in the upper-middle tier of mainstream brands. It ranked behind Toyota/Lexus and Mazda in Consumer Reports' brand rankings and near the industry average in J.D. Power VDS. The 10th-gen Civic's CR dip and the 1.5T oil-dilution issue held the brand back slightly that year.

Two NHTSA campaigns reach the 2019 Type R, and both cover the same Denso low-pressure fuel pump, which can fail and stall the engine. That is safety-relevant but fixed by replacing the pump. The occupant-classification sensor campaign that covers other FK8 years does not list 2019, and no recall touches the engine internals or the transmission.

The K20C1 2.0L turbo (306 hp) and 6-speed manual hold up well when maintained. The 2019 car predates the 2020 cooling upgrade (larger grille opening and radiator), so track-day heat soak is a known limitation. Common complaints such as rev-hang and clutch wear under hard use reflect how the car behaves or is driven rather than a tendency to break.

The 10th-gen Civic cabin is solid but uses a lot of hard plastic. The red-and-black suede buckets, serialized plaque and aluminum shifter lift it, but the 2019 car lacks the Alcantara wheel the 2020 refresh added, and reviewers criticize the dated 7-inch touchscreen at this price.

Honda's Swindon, UK plant built the US-market FK8, and road tests report generally tight assembly. Owners cite occasional interior rattles and paint chips on the low aero pieces.

Honda's US network of about 1,000 stores makes warranty and routine service widely accessible. Type R expertise and stocked performance parts vary by dealer, and heavy dealer markups marred the buying experience.

Body, electrical and many chassis parts are shared with the high-volume 10th-gen Civic, and the K20C1/FK8 aftermarket is huge. Type R-only Brembo brakes, adaptive dampers, 20-inch wheels, aero pieces and UK-sourced panels carry premium prices.

A 7-inch touchscreen is standard on the single 2019 Touring trim. That is the bottom of the hatchback band.

For 2019 Display Audio gained a physical volume knob and hard buttons, which fixed the worst complaint about the 2017–2018 interface. The software is still dated, laggy and low-resolution next to VW's.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard but wired only; wireless projection was never offered on the FK8.

Garmin-based navigation with voice recognition is standard, and voice recognition was improved for 2019. It works, but most owners bypass it for phone projection.

A 540-watt, 12-speaker system with a subwoofer is standard. It is decent but unbranded, and the loud cabin blunts it at highway speeds.

A full-TFT gauge display is standard, and its layout changes with drive mode; +R mode shows a race-style rev bar, shift lights, boost and G-meter. It is less configurable and less crisp than VW's Digital Cockpit.

The 10th-gen Civic has no over-the-air vehicle or infotainment updates. Map and software updates go through a dealer or USB.

There are no connected-car remote functions such as remote start or remote lock, and the Honda LogR datalogger app did not arrive until 2020.

There are only two USB-A ports, rated 1.0 A and 1.5 A, both up front. There is no USB-C, no wireless charging and no rear ports.

Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock and push-button start are standard. There is no remote start and no phone-as-key.

Only a multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines is fitted. There are no parking sensors, no surround view and no LaneWatch.

No head-up display is offered.

It has four doors, LATCH in both rear seats and a big 25.7 cu ft hatch for strollers. But it seats only four, rear legroom is a modest 35.9 in, and the low ride height makes loading car seats awkward.

The shared Civic hatchback body earned Good IIHS crash ratings. But the 2019 Type R gets none of the Honda Sensing driver aids (no automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise or lane-keep) that are standard on the regular hatchback, a gap closed only for 2020.

Luggage space is excellent for the class. However, the firm ride, tire roar, lack of rear USB ports and four-seat limit make long family trips tiring.

A light clutch, slick rev-matched shifter and Comfort damper mode make it docile in town. But the manual-only gearbox in stop-and-go traffic, the firm ride and the wide turning circle add fatigue.

EPA 22/28/25 mpg is reasonable for 306 hp. Premium fuel and short-lived 20-inch summer tires still push per-mile costs above a regular compact.

The compact footprint helps. But the 39.5 ft turning circle is large for a compact, there are no parking sensors, the wing cuts rear visibility, and the low front lip must be watched on curbs.

There is no tow rating, and the car is front-drive on track tires. Only the large hatch gives it any light-hauling use.

The K20C1 drivetrain is robust, but the low suspension, aero splitters, suede-effect seats and expensive 20-inch wheels and tires do not suit hard use.

There is no power outlet beyond 12V, no hitch and no roof-rail provision.

The supportive seats and a 12.4-gallon tank good for about 340 highway miles help. But 2019 has no adaptive cruise or lane-keep (Honda Sensing came in 2020), and tire roar and the firm ride limit endurance.

It is a low-slung front-drive car on summer tires with no tow rating or roof rails, so it is pavement-bound. The hatch can still hold camping gear.

With 25.7 cu ft seats up and 46.2 cu ft folded, plus a 60/40 split seat, it hauls bulky luggage better than most hot hatches. It has no roof rails or hitch.

The FK8 is widely regarded as the benchmark front-drive chassis. Its dual-axis strut front suspension kills torque steer, and the helical LSD and adaptive dampers give huge grip.

The dual-pinion variable-ratio steering is quick, precise and free of torque steer, though electric assist filters some feedback.

Brembo four-piston front calipers give a firm pedal and strong, consistent stops. The 2019 car still uses one-piece front rotors; the lighter, better-cooled two-piece rotors arrived for 2020.

The 306-hp K20C1 turbo four pulls hard from low revs with little lag, and the close-ratio 6-speed with automatic rev matching is among the best shifters on sale.

The triple-outlet exhaust is subdued, and reviewers find the engine note uninspiring. The powertrain is audible but never coarse.

The wide 245-section tires and dual-axis front strut limit steering lock, giving a 39.5 ft turning diameter near the worst of the hatchback band.

The low-mounted bucket seat, tilt/telescopic wheel and well-placed shifter and pedals give an excellent driving position, and the 2019 volume knob and steering-wheel controls helped. The big rear wing and thick pillars hurt rearward visibility.

Enthusiasts and the press widely rank the FK8 as the best hot hatch of its era.

The single trim came loaded: adaptive dampers, Brembo front brakes, a helical LSD, 20-inch wheels on summer tires, dual-zone climate, navigation and a 7-inch touchscreen with CarPlay/Android Auto (gaining a physical volume knob for 2019). The main gap against the 2020 refresh is that Honda Sensing driver-assist was not available at all.

At $36,620 it delivered 306 hp, class-leading chassis dynamics and track ability and a full standard spec, undercutting the Golf R by several thousand dollars while matching or beating it on track — standout bang for the buck among hot hatches.

Exactly one configuration: FWD, 6-speed manual, single trim. No automatic, no AWD and no cheaper entry point; the Limited Edition did not arrive until 2021.

A niche enthusiast-volume model selling a few thousand units a year with healthy demand, but far below the regular Civic, GTI and Golf R in volume.

The Type R badge carries deep enthusiast heritage, and the FK8 held the FWD Nürburgring lap record; the halo shows in its near-MSRP resale years later.

Honda ran no Type R-specific incentives; after the 2017–18 dealer-markup era cooled the car typically sold at or near MSRP, and Honda raised the price mid-year rather than discounting.

MY2019 was the third year of the FK8 (launched for 2017) with only minor interior updates; the mid-cycle refresh came for 2020, so it was current but not new.

Widely rated the best-driving FWD car on sale and a regular hot-hatch comparison winner, and the Civic line (including the Type R) made Car and Driver's 10Best for 2019.