We might not get to have the Toyota GR Yaris in America, but we can admire how much power it has. What happens when the Honda Civic Type R and Toyota GR Yaris battle head-to-head?
The Toyota GR Yaris is one of the most recent additions to the hot hatch market. This small, souped-up car brings the heat with plenty of power and a lightweight build. That said, the Honda Civic Type R has been a standard in this class and isn’t about to give up its crown anytime soon.
What’s under the hood?
The Honda Civic Type R brings a more conventional engine and one that’s made in the United States. This engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder model that pumps out 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. This is more than enough to be one of the fastest FWD hot hatches in the entire world.
Turning to the Toyota GR Yaris, we see a 1.6-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine that puts out 257 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. This engine is the smallest and lightest turbocharged 1.6-liter engine in the world, making it the most powerful three-cylinder engine in production.
Which car rides better?
This question comes down to how the car is set up and whether or not you prefer FWD or AWD. The Honda Civic Type R offers an FWD layout, while the Toyota GR Yaris provides an AWD system for your drive.
The Type R uses a six-speed manual transmission and an incredible dual-axis strut front suspension which decouples the front shocks from the steering knuckles to reduce torque steering. The rear suspension is a torsion beam setup instead of a multilink version, giving drivers a consistent rear contact patch and an improved ride.
The GR Yaris also uses a six-speed manual transmission but delivers power to all four wheels using a helical-gear transfer case. This system includes a fast-response center coupling with three modes, Normal, Sport, and Track. The difference in the modes is the amount of power sent to each set of wheels.
Does a specialized platform matter?
The Toyota GR Yaris rides on a unique platform with some front elements from the new Yaris and a rear area adaptive from the platform used for the Corolla and C-HR models. The Honda Civic Type R is built on the same production line as the four-door Civic hatchback, but Type R bodies get more strength from added structural adhesive and spot welds.
If you’re looking for one of these cars to be unique, it’s the Toyota GR Yaris with its specialized platform.
Which car performs better on the track?
This is where the real test takes place. Will the Toyota GR Yaris outperform the Honda Civic Type R? The Circuit Pack version of the GR Yaris comes in at a lightweight 2,822 pounds, while the Civic Type R weighs 274 pounds more. That said, the Civic is 22.2 inches longer, 2.9 inches wider, and has a heavier engine. The power-to-weight ratio is 10.1 pounds per horsepower for the Honda, which is 10 percent better than the small Toyota.
The sprint time for the Type R is 5.0 seconds flat to hit 60 mph. Going further, this car can finish the quarter mile in 13.7 seconds at 105.9 mph and has a top speed of 170 mph. The Toyota is claimed to hit 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, doesn’t have a quarter-mile time, and is electronically limited to 143 mph. These numbers give the Honda Civic Type R the performance edge on any track.
Where can the GR Yaris catch up with the Civic Type R?
Unless the track is a straight line, and most aren’t, the Toyota hot hatch can do some catching up with the Honda. The shorter wheelbase, tight turning ratio, precise handling, and AWD system give the GR Yaris an advantage in the corners. This could be enough of a reason to say the Toyota hot hatch is more fun to drive, but that would be an insult to the Honda. The Honda Civic Type R holds the FWD record at Nürburgring, which is pretty impressive.
In conclusion, the fight between the Honda Civic Type R and Toyota GR Yaris is one that must be fought on foreign soil. The GR Yaris isn’t offered in America, which makes our choice the Civic Type R. Of course, that could change with the new GR Corolla that is offered in the United States.
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