THE BEST? OR THE MOST FUN?
Oh God, okay, here we go.
Right, here’s all the wishy-washy stuff that might have you demanding a refund. Both cars are superb, it’s a minor miracle they exist at all and the truth is you’d happily own either. And know that whichever one you go for, nagging doubts that you should have bought the other will come.
They’re undoubtedly rivals in that they’re both sensational hot hatches. There the similarities kind of end. You know when you watch a really sorted GT or Touring Car take pole, its speed obvious yet entirely at odds with the complete lack of apparent effort? That’s the Civic Type R. It’s a solo on a Stradivarius. The GR Yaris? It’s a battered Gibson wired through every weird home-brew effects pedal you can lay your hands on. It is the scruest, loosest, most eye-watering WRC footage your mind’s eye can summon – all shredding engine and frantic (mostly forward) progress.
If that paragraph doesn’t give you your answer, perhaps this one will. Get analytical and the Honda has superior ride comfort, less cabin noise, more space, a better driving position (for everything other than seeing over low walls and hedges – the Toyota’s better at that), a nicer gearshift and stronger brakes.
The Type R’s gearbox isn’t miles better but its accuracy wins out the faster you go, as fellow tester Seth Walton points out. ‘I enjoy the Toyota’s mechanical notchiness – it makes it more satisfying to use at medium speeds. But the faster you go the more you find yourself getting stuck, that notchiness now working against you. In the Civic you just glide through the ratios, up and down, with total ease.’
The steering’s a tougher call. I adore the Honda’s laser-like precision but wish it had more of the Toyota’s fizz. A slightly faster rack would really help. Seth can’t get enough of the Toyota’s pin-sharp accuracy, excellent weighting and instinctive feel (its ratio is a fixed 13.6:1; the Honda’s is variable). The Civic Type R’s alcantara rim almost steals the points here but then you remember being mid-corner in the Toyota, everything working as it should, you and its steering so connected it could be via Neuralink implant.
Essentially, the Honda is the better car and the GR Yaris the more involving one, its rawer feel, more extrovert dynamics and infectious punk spirit engaging in a way the cooler, calmer Civic struggles to match. Seth again, because he’s good at this stuff: ‘The Yaris is the more exciting car but it’s also the harder to drive. With the jittery ride, trickier gearbox and awkward driving position, you sometimes feel you’re battling it just to drive it smoothly. It’s frenetic and highly strung, and – despite the unconventional all-wheel-drive powertrain – it’s the more authentic hot hatch of the two. But I reckon you’d have a better time long-term in the Civic.’