For me, a hot hatch is a more or less affordable daily car that suits most practical needs AND invites you to take the long way home in all conditions. So what is the point of a special edition with no air con, no stereo, dry weather only tyres and carbon bits that cost a fortune to replace when scratched? The regular versions of both cars make a lot more sense to me
Totally agree and have a 2019 touring. Swapped the stock 20" wheels for 18" forged RSR wheels and likely achieved 50lbs of weight savings without eliminating the creature comforts. The car now rides significantly better, the (all season) tires have 3x the lifetime, and my "seat of the pants" feel tells me that the acceleration of the car also improved. Steering feel is not quite as razor sharp as it was with the 20's, but that's a trade-off that I can live with.
Great video and I really appreciate the analysis. Honda Civic Type R all the way! What Honda was able to accomplish in that car is simply AMAZING! That car is already a legend. I truly believe the FK8 Honda Civic Type R has that special something that will lead to people singing its praises long into the future and will also lead to a sense of regret for those who had an opportunity to get one but did not. All I can say is that I am so glad I was able to get one and I am never selling it :) Keep up the great work!
i have one too, and its a real perfect car.. no FWD is better. who needs AirCon in such a car.. put a aftermarket stereo 2DIN radio in it and its better than the original one. now i have 2k km on it and its a real fun car. (i dont use it daily)
I own both a Type R and a Cayman GT4. There is a lot of Group-Think about cars in general, but for the Type R is its looks, the GT4 for its long gearing. I happen to LOVE the Type R’s in-your-face looks and the GT4s tall 2nd and 3rd gears.
That’s the thing, not everyone has the same outlook or opinion on these cars and not everyone wants the same exact thing, so it’s hard to say until you drive both and see what suits you better. I think both cars are awesome and I personally dislike the look of the type R, but I do like the longer gears in the Gt4.
I have a Type R and I have to say I have never really been a Porshe guy but there is something about the Cayman GT4 that really speaks to me. Go figure. Congrats on your 2 outstanding vehicles. For me its one down and one to go :)
I reckon the Honda Type R is for me the better hot hatch, but with no aircon forget it, wouldn't go for this limited edition, the standard model type R for me.
Golf still with the 20year old "design" or lack of design better said. It's just a simple square box on 4 wheels with a droopy face. No thank you, i'll take the Type-R without a doubt.
Wut... The Civic is not the "better hot hatchback", it's the better performance car/track car obviously, but the best hot hatchbacks are about all-around excellence and usability. It's practical, but the Type R freebases fuel, the tires last 10k km's, and the insurance is bananas. Styling is subjective, so I won't get in to that here. It's probably the best chassis tuning and performing front wheel drive car ever made, but that does not make it a great daily. I do not want the Golf to be that hardcore, I don't live at a track, or anywhere near one really. I want it to be a car that makes my daily commute a pleasure, and to be good at almost everything.
It’s not really that harsh as a daily driver it’s still a civic at it’s core which is one of the best compact cars to drive and live with. Insurance premiums are variable and is completely different for everyone
No chance in hell you'd ever notice the weight savings of a infotainment delete unless you're Ayrton Senna. Why stop there? It should have crank windows, manual locks, no rear defroster, no intermittent wipers, dome light delete, fog light delete, cruise control delete, console delete, glove box delete, door-pocket storage delete, map light delete, no floor mats, remote trunk release delete... and charge $5,765 extra for it.
😂 Best comment here by far! Strange how the reviewers quickly went over the fact in fear of criticising the world’s perfect automobile! Am curious as to what would. have happened if it was the Golf that didn’t have an aircon?
The original concept of the hot hatch was to have an car that could do the everyday stuff while offering the sport performance that enabled you to turn on the fun when you wanted it. The Honda is not a hot hatch - or at least it fails to cover the everyday usability. Sadly I think these guys and so many other motoring journos have missed the point. The Honda may well be a great drivers car but the Golf is the only hot hatch in this review.
@@barryduff3047 Rubbish, drive one. We just now got back for a rip and my father in-law was quite impressed by how well it was damped even in +R. It’s almost too soft in comfort. So I have no idea what you’re talking about or referring to. Are you confused with the RS maybe?
@@NvSrAgE679 A hot hatch is a car that is both useful AND fun to drive. You can put a large dresser in the back of a Golf with the back seats down. Can you do that with the Honda? They are both great cars, but the Golf "won" in the review because it is OOB usable as a daily driver.
It matters not how good a VW product is, reviewers will always find a way to rip it into shreds, and toss it to the nearest automotive trash bin. Strange how they always manage to rope in other models that are not part of the review like the mentioning of the Ford Focus ST and the BMW Ti just to criticise the Clubsport. Which they don’t do with the Type R. Wouldn’t be surprised if they also made mention of the Mercedes AMG A45s because I stopped watching when they started comparing the Golf to everything else other than the Civic Type R, which is what the video is about! 🤷🏻♂️ Good thing that Clubsport and its siblings have better street-cred than the much-worshipped Type R; Focus and the BMW combined! And no amount of hate could ever change that! The Golf is the gold standard for the hot-hatch segment period!
I know journalists don't comment on aesthetics, but come on the honda has all the charm of a baboons bottom, even your guide dog would take the Mickey.
No way I could live with the looks of the Civic... The creature comforts of the CS GTI, plus the fact that it is still a great car for every eventuality means that is the one that I would have. Not everyone takes their cars to the track, and even those that do spend 99% of their time going to the shops, work, out with mates etc...
Eh? I've got the regular Civic and the infotainment is not as bad as Matt makes it out to be. It's better than the 1 series my mom has. But yeah I wouldn't get a car without air-con. Regular Type R would do me just fine.
I came to the FK8 from an old Acura TL with a blue LCD backlight and a tape deck as part of the infotainment. So, any modern infotainment is an upgrade for me. That being said, I agree it may lag or be slow comparatively, but Apple Carplay or Android auto remove all of that.
Part of me wishes/thinks Honda should have gone the whole hog with the limited edition, their version of a Megane R26.R. If you’re going to do away with creature comforts to market it as very much track focussed then you may as well do the job properly and strip/cage it!
@@ALMX5DP when you park your car, lock it and walk away you turn your head and admire - that’s the right car. You should never turn your head and cringe
@@f00lxpl My docter says, that the white golf looks like a square box on wheels with droopy face. Like a white washing machine especially from behind. And Type-R is just more fun to drive and with great manual transmission.
More of Lane, please. Could tell from his writing he was one of the good ones, video confirms. Prior already the best in the business, so more of Lane will make for a really strong channel.
I disagree that VW released the Clubsport early because the GTI was only half baked. VW is following the new BMW business model of reserving the really good stuff for the 'specials' ($$$); BMW M2---> M2 Competition---> M2 CS; M5---> M5 Competition---> M5 CS. Get it?
Never thought I’d say it but that Golf looks like it had an argument with a road roller and I wouldn’t have one in a present Honda all the way and I’m 56 👍🏻
Yeah because the Honda is lovely looking, if you are blind. Looks like it's driven through Halfords and come out the other side with every Ripspeed product ever produced stuck to it.
@@Wargwarn you have to actually SEE this car with different eyes, man. This thing didn’t come to please your spouses/wife’s tastes…it’s like a GT3 911 in a slightly less powerful version, way less expensive but similarly refined.
@@bikemike1118 you can't compare that monstrosity to a 911. If anything the Golf is more like a Porsche. Understated, evolved, been around for years, still the best all round hothatch you can buy year on year.
@@Wargwarn I actually didn’t compare it to a „normal“ 911. I compared it somehow to a GT3 which is also more radical in its technical approach and with big rear wing and front splitter etc. These cars are really capable for race tracks …the wings and spoilers aren’t for show, but for downforce reasons!
A great car the Civic, you'd have to be very keen to get one without air-con. Will be more interested in the forthcoming model with more coherent styling......
@@rvind92g I don’t mind if it’s wild, I just hope it doesn’t look as childish as the current Type R does. The Gt3 Rs is wild, but it comes off in such a good way and doesn’t look childish at all imo. It looks like it’s there for a reason and isn’t riced out, I like the 11th Gen civic styling and the 10th Gen type R driving experience so I’m hopeful for the 11th Gen type R
@@PapiAndrey I don't get this complaint. I've seen the Type R in the flesh several times and it looks fantastic. The rear is probably it's weakest point but overall still far better looking and more special than any hot hatch on the market.
My Type R’s infotainment has performed flawlessly over 24,000 miles. It’s fast enough, intuitive, and reliable. That was the only off-base comment I heard. Good comparison with some insightful analysis but sort of a dull edit and feel.
It will probably be older folk like me, who buy such cars new. I would feel a t** in the over-styled Type R ….. not so in the Clubsport. It is that simple really.
I stopped being so concerned how I look some time ago. Life is short and I'm all for a driving experience that is something close to a Porsche gt3. I don't mind anyone else extracting humour out of the appearance of the type r
But people (like me) who love the Type R wouldn't think you were a t** driving one. Indeed I would have plenty of respect/admiration for anyone who buys one.
I have leon cupra 19" with 7dsg and I can not see any big differences between that and this gti... I had civic 8 typer, and my cupra is very fast but boring car... Looks like similar situation
The Golf looks classier, more sophisticated more refined & more mature compared to the over-styled Civic which in my opinion is OVERPRICED. Didn't car wow test these two together with other cars and the supposedly more powerful civic was blown into the weeds? For day to day motoring the Golf wins convincingly. Yes I used to own MK6 GTI.
Waste of time review perhaps. As well done as it was. . I tried but can’t buy a Civic. All done and end of production. . So any comparison somewhat academic really?
Idk,this kind of reviews seem so pointless,i mean,who is gonna blow 70k$ for a hatchback.Unsuprisingly,special editions of the hothatch editions,count for like 4% of the entire sales for those models.
The Civic is no oil painting, but better that than the usual bland jelly mould garbage. It’s one of the all time great drivers cars - we’ll miss it when it’s gone…..
Well it is proven that the 128ti is much slower especially in turns because it is a understear monster compared to the Clubsport weather you say it would be better... Also Clubsport has a mechanical differential and not just an electronic one like in the normal GTI, stopped the video after this part of miss judging and missinformation.
Honda: WHY DON'T you build the Civic Type-R with the COUPÉ BODY you already have? The coupé is not as unbearably hideous to look at as the 4-door so you would fix its main problem.
🤣 If cars have become about weight-saving, why even bother with the designs? Just plonk a plywood box with sides glued together as screws will add weight.🤷🏻♂️ EDIT: What impressed me was the weight of the Golf’s indicator stalk.🤓
Did I miss something or is this a comparison between a car you can buy and one you can't? 30 limited edition FK8 Civic TypeR's for the UK and all sold. Sorry but a bit of a pointless review if anyone is actually interested in buying a car.
Exactly, I see them talking about the Civic as if it will be waiting for you in the showroom they didn't mention once that it's no longer available for sale. Also, there's a noticeable difference between the normal Civic type R and that Limited Edition one, so it's clearly a pointless comparison at this moment
That ass though, personally I wouldn’t take it to a rock fight. And if I did I’d quickly become the main target for the color never mind the ass. This from the owner of a ‘09 Civic SI, ‘21 GTI S, and a ‘86 Corvette in yellow back in my youth (both long gone). As in this comparison it’s my SI for driver engagement, GTI for every day livability, but not much between them excepting the transmissions (manual/DSG); both fabulous cars. Waiting patiently for the new Type R, it could finally pull me away from my purchased new SI assuming a less Godzilla like approach to the styling design. Excellent comparison and commentary on the cars, thank you for sharing!! Ciao.
@@jryalls yeah he was clear but incorrect. The standard functionality is a bit crap but it DOES come with apple car play and android auto, so as soon as you plug your phone in it functions like any other system would. I've had one over 2 years and I dont think ive done a single journey without using the in built android auto and its great.
You got the cars mixed up.The VW is a horrible with with those child like stickers cheap interior and horrible tacky VW badge.Cost cutting all the way.
@Jaime Ricafrente it will be just as dull only a bit faster. I've got an fk2, only now I'm thinking of selling it after 5 years. There an incredibly capable car. Build quality isn't the best however
I do prefer a Yaris GR over anything alse at the market,small,4wd,have a real hand brake I cant understand what the hell are they doing creating a hot hacth front wheel drive and electronic hand brake,its crazy
I would never trust a Golf. Problem-prone rust buckets ever since the mk5. An ex-colleague of mine had a mk7 gti and he had to replace the timing chain due to stretching at 90k km, the control unit for the DSG let go at just after 100k and he finally got rid of it as the sills started to bubble. He had an inspection camera inserted into the sills via one of the drain holes and they were absolutely brown.
@@GERONIMO326 exactly bro, lots of car "enthusiasts " who only cares about drag racing from stop light to the next are the ones who get so easily impressed by this Yaris, theyre like ..."oooooh, aaaaaah, wow sooo fast" , blah blah ... lol when in reality a stock Type R will pass and smoke a lot of sports cars in a roll race either from 50 or 60, etc and guaranteed to smoke them after 100 mph almost all the time. Also a stock Type R top end on paper says 169 mph top but in reality its been proven to hit all the way to 180 mph top end, aaaand will still pull strong. Yeah its slow from 0 to 60 and would lose on lame drag races but thats ok, coz its not designed nor engineered for drag racing anyways. Its only those shallow people who cares about 0 to 60 coz it feeds their egos lol.
@@berlinmae07 pack it in - sure itl beat the CTR off the line (because the CTR is slow) but once you go round the twisties in the wet the CTR would be lost. How about off road too 😀
