🤩 FL5 Type R Owner Review First Impressions! (after 270ish miles and counting)

[Y82OneTwoSix]

If you have a FK8, there are very few compelling reasons to really move into a FL5.

I can think of many good reasons to purchase an FL5.

What exactly do you not like about the FL5 and how many miles do you have on your FK8 and how long have you owned it?

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[AspecR]

I can think of many good reasons to purchase an FL5.

What exactly do you not like about the FL5 and how many miles do you have on your FK8 and how long have you owned it?

I love the FL5, it’s better in every way. I’ve never owned an FK8 but I have driven a version of every single year since they were introduced including the LE.
I was speaking from the perspective of performance and I should’ve qualified my statement with “right now” at the end. Outright performance over the FK8 is minor, the design is more polarizing(again I prefer the FL5) interior and infotainment is leagues better in the FL5, and if you’ve poured thousands of dollars into your FK8. Guaranteed it outperforms the FL5.

 

[Y82OneTwoSix]

I love the FL5, it’s better in every way. I’ve never owned an FK8 but I have driven a version of every single year since they were introduced including the LE.
I was speaking from the perspective of performance and I should’ve qualified my statement with “right now” at the end. Outright performance over the FK8 is minor, the design is more polarizing(again I prefer the FL5) interior and infotainment is leagues better, and if you’ve poured thousands of dollars into your FK8. Guaranteed it outperforms the FL5.

I also love the FL5 with respect to the new body design, wider wheels & tires, lower stance, increased HP and torque, more boost, active exhaust at high RPM, lighter flywheel, bigger rad and wider front and rear track.

If I end up with a new FL5 it will of course come with that beautiful carbon fiber rear wing and terrific looking optional 19" wheels as they look outstanding on the Honda website.

Really enjoy the Cup 2 tires and lightweight BBS wheels on my FK8 which are actually larger than any of the GT350R's that I had owned and added many CF parts such as the hood scoop, wing, mirror caps and instrument panel and like the look a great deal.

With respect to braking, steering, handling, acceleration and lap times, is there any performance data out there to back up a comparison between the last model year for the FK8 V the new FL5 which confirms that the FL5 is in fact equal to or possibly slower in overall performance times than the FK8 or is everything pure speculation up to this point?

 

[AspecR]

I also love the FL5 with respect to the new body design, wider wheels & tires, lower stance, increased HP and torque, more boost, active exhaust at high RPM, lighter flywheel, bigger rad and wider front and rear track.

If I end up with a new FL5 it will of course come with that beautiful carbon fiber rear wing and terrific looking optional 19" wheels as they look outstanding on the Honda website.

Really enjoy the Cup 2 tires and lightweight BBS wheels on my FK8 which are actually larger than any of the GT350R's that I had owned and added many CF parts such as the hood scoop, wing, mirror caps and instrument panel and like the look a great deal.

With respect to braking, steering, handling, acceleration and lap times, is there any performance data out there to back up a comparison between the last model year for the FK8 V the new FL5 which confirms that the FL5 is in fact equal to or possibly slower in overall performance times than the FK8 or is everything pure speculation up to this point?

Keiichi Tsuchiya did a back to back drive earlier this year and the FK8 was faster. He does provide commentary on both cars.
His YouTube channel is drift king television if I remember correctly

 

[Y82OneTwoSix]

Keiichi Tsuchiya did a back to back drive earlier this year and the FK8 was faster. He does provide commentary on both cars.
His YouTube channel is drift king television if I remember correctly

Thanks!

Really looking forward to some detailed performance data provided by various American automotive journalists that will utilize our road courses after which time I will then be convinced one way or another as to just how good or mediocure the new FL5 performs?

 

[Naija Bull]

Thanks!

Really looking forward to some detailed performance data provided by various American automotive journalists that will utilize our road courses after which time I will then be convinced one way or another as to just how good or mediocure the new FL5 performs?

If it's anything like the 11th gen Si compared to the 10th gen Si (which I suspect it will be), the FL5 will be a little dialed back. I feel like Honda played it a little safe performance wise in these new Civics compared to the last generation.

 

[Y82OneTwoSix]

If it's anything like the 11th gen Si compared to the 10th gen Si (which I suspect it will be), the FL5 will be a little dialed back. I feel like Honda played it a little safe performance wise in these new Civics compared to the last generation.

Good point but for all of us enthusiasts I hope that is indeed not the case.

I realize that the final drive ratio for the FL5 was reduced by 6% which normally would result in slower acceleration times but when combining a slightly shorter tire height on this new model along with increased boost, torque/HP I would hope that would have offset the reduction in the rear axle ratio.

With a lower center of gravity, wider tires and terrific braking/steering the overall handling should be at least as good or better than the FK8 but suggest that the biggest unknown at this time is whether the advertised HP/torque increase will actually result in lessor or better performance times?

At the end of the day it looks as though the MSRP for the 2023 model was increased by ~$5,000 from the 2021 model which is a significant jump in price especially if the overfall performance times do not improve let alone go backwards for the new FL5!

 

[lrk322]

@crash___ do you see the weight listed anywhere on the Monroney label or paperwork? Honda lists the car as 3,118 lbs on the specs, but I'm not sure if it is a typo.

 

[Y82OneTwoSix]

@crash___ do you see the weight listed anywhere on the Monroney label or paperwork? Honda lists the car as 3,118 lbs on the specs, but I'm not sure if it is a typo.

Good catch and suggest that is a typo.

Believe the correct curb weight for the 2023 Touring Model is 3,188 as published by Honda Auto News October 27th, 2022.

Having said that I have been wrong many times before.

 

[lrk322]

Good catch and suggest that is a typo.

Believe the correct curb weight for the 2023 Touring Model is 3,188 as published by Honda Auto News October 27th, 2022.

Obviously a 70 pound discrepancy between the proper curb weight and listed curb weight.

I guess an extra 67 pounds isn't too bad. I had a BRZ before the fk8 and loved the lightweight feel of it. Removing rear seats and adding the lighter wheels gets closer to that feel, it is hard to stomach adding an extra 67 pounds though going from the fk8 to the Fl5.

 

[VarmintCong]

I wonder if they did improvements to the cooling that hurt single lap performance a little? Going back to 19s might also hurt a little.

 

[Shred]

I wonder if they did improvements to the cooling that hurt single lap performance a little? Going back to 19s might also hurt a little.

The onboard footage from here doesn't bode well for much more impressive cooling:

https://www.civicx.com/forum/thread...ing-fk8s-lap-time-on-sodegaura-circuit.77971/

Having lighter wheels with a bigger contact patch should have helped times as well. If they added a massive sidewall maybe not but 265/30 isn't much larger on sidewall than 245/30.

 

[Village911]

just picked up my fl5 and it comes with civic hatchback manual lol wtf

 

[citrus]

just picked up my fl5 and it comes with civic hatchback manual lol wtf

That ain't right man

 

[Midnight-VTEC]

That ain't right man

Pretty sure my FK8 was the same...

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