2019年本田思域Type R

The Type R suffix is hallowed amongst Honda aficionados as the pinnacle of performance, and the 2019 Civic Type R continues the storied name in fine style. Whereas the previous iteration - not brought into the USA - set out to conquer the Nurburgring at the expense of a crashing ride, the new one has taken stonking performance and equipped it to one of the best front-wheel drive chassis ever engineered, all with enough comfort to use on a daily basis. The ride may be noticeably firmer than a standard Civic, but it's still softer than a Focus RS, while still maintaining near supercar levels of grip and composure under duress. The turbocharged powertrain is responsive and eager to respond when beckoned.

But the duality of daily comfort is ever-present, with sports seats - perhaps a little overly styled with liberal amounts of red suede - providing comfortable support, while the interior space seats four adults with ease. Material and build quality are high, while practicality is uncompromised. If you can live with the outrageous styling, there's no better hot hatch in our books.

The front-wheel drive Golf GTI simply can't compete with a Type R, so it gets its big brother, the all-wheel drive Golf R to join the fray. With similar power outputs to the Type R, it's the Golf R's AWD system that gives it an edge in performance, with a sub-five-second 0-60 mph sprint, particularly when equipped with the DSG automatic transmission. But once rolling, the Type R claws back with immense grip and an immersive experience, while the Golf R is rapid point to point at the expense of driver thrills. It's fun and sounds better than the Type R, but there's an underlying impression that you're only enjoying as much as the electronic nannies allow you to, whereas the Type R feels like it's at the command of the driver. Both of these hot hatches are equally practical, but the Golf R feels more premium with leather upholstery and a more refined infotainment system. It does, however, cost more than the Type R by nearly $5,000. If a rapid point and shoot experience with high levels of refinement are what you're after, the Golf R is the pick, but if you want a hot-hatch for the thrill of driver involvement, the Type R simply can't be beaten.

The Ford Focus RS straddles a higher 'hyper-hatch' category thanks to outputs of 345 horsepower and all-wheel drive with a trick 'drift mode.' It matches the Type R for a six-speed manual transmission, but the Civic simply blows the Focus out of the water when it comes to driving experience. The Focus RS rides harshly, and while it covers ground in an aural, and teeth-shatteringly rough bombardment of the senses, the Type R manages to ride pliantly while covering ground just as quick, if not quicker. The Type R also offers better levels of driver engagement, from the sweet shift of the manual gearbox to the sublime seating position in comfortable-for-days bucket seats. The Ford beats the Type R on come metrics though. It's quicker to 60 mph and features an easier to use infotainment system, but the Type R's interior feels of higher quality and boasts better interior space and practicality, all at a lesser price. They say you choose horses for courses, but there's really only one horse to choose here, and it's the Type R.