Honda Civic Type R Drag Races Toyota Camry TRD And Honda Accord

The folks at Throttle House enjoy setting up drag races with unorthodox vehicles. This is probably your only chance to see how the Honda Civic Type R performs up against a Toyota Camry TRD and Honda Accord.

As a refresher, the Civic Type R has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 306 horsepower (228 kilowatts) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque. The only gearbox choice is a six-speed manual driving the front wheels. Prices start at $37,495 (plus a $955 destination fee).

It's going against the Camry TRD with a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 making 301 hp (225 kW) and 267 lb-ft (362 Nm). An eight-speed automatic sends the power to the front wheels. The sporty Camry is a bit less expensive than the CTR with a price of $31,170 (plus $995 destination).

The drag race is fascinating. The Camry takes an early lead because the Civic Type R is difficult to launch. The Toyota stays in front for a while, but the Honda eventually comes into its power. The hot hatch wins but not with an overwhelming victory.

In a run from a roll, the Honda wins again and does it with a larger margin. The Toyota still puts in an impressive performance, though.

Next, the Honda Accord enters the race. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is related to the one in the CTR and makes 252 hp (188 kW) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) in this application. A 10-speed automatic routes the power to the front wheels. The least expensive Accord with this engine in the Sport 2.0 trim that goes for $31,910 (plus $955 destination).

Despite having less power than the Civic, the Accord's 10-speed automatic helps the engine remain in the peak of the power band. The result is a race with a far closer finish than the specs would suggest. The CTR wins by a nose.

From a roll, the Civic Type R does a little better, but the Accord is still nipping at its heels. Given the lower price, the races make the 2.0-liter Accord seem like a performance bargain.