Now that the Honda Civic Type R is available in the U.S., everyone’s curious how Japan’s forbidden fruit will compare to what’s currently on the U.S. market. We’ve now got our first taste thanks to Motor1's comparison between Honda’s little front-wheel drive beast and the Ford Focus RS.
Jon Quirk and Alex Goy got a chance to drive the new 2018 Civic Type R in Germany, so they brought a Ford Focus RS—“the hot hatch of the moment”—along with them. Watch the two gents argue over which ridiculous little hatchback is better:
In the end, despite its worse ride quality, lacking turning circle, ho-hum interior, and compromised everyday practicality, the Focus RS comes out on top as the champ.
Goy and Quirk praised the Blue Oval’s all-wheel drive hatch for its nice sound, great handling (despite the car not quite having the “finesse” of the Honda), and quick acceleration, saying its “highs are just that little bit higher.” Above all, they loved how easy the Focus RS was to drive, declaring that “it offers more people more kicks more of the time.”
As for which is actually faster around a track, we still don’t know. Goy thinks the Type R would come out on top. I can’t wait to see that claim put to the test.