So my story is quite wordy, so those that don’t want to read everything overall I thought the FL5 was a big enough step up from the FK8 despite the extra money.
bit about me, I’m late 40’s owned many Type Rs over the years and driven all performance Hondas except NSX Type R and new NSX. I feel privileged to have owned the FL5 and I appreciate it is a lot of money and for many out of reach which is such a shame the Civic was always affordable, not now. It was a third car so sat in the garage most days on trickle charger, with my daily Tesla.
So as you may well I put the first deposit down at a dealer that was recommended to me, sadly the dealer that sold my FK8 moved into Kia. To say I was less than impressed in December 2022 when I started reading about others getting their cars in January 2023 so questioned the dealer. It transpired that someone who put a deposit down in July 2022 was ahead of me despite having a written record I was the first, think I did it in February 2022. So after a complaint I got a call from the dealer saying the person buying it would be happy to sell it on for a 5k premium, I was fuming.
I wrote to Honda Japan and U.K., fast forward and the matter was resolved via Honda U.K. and dealer, got the car and colour I wanted (Blue) deliverEd March 2023 so a 23 plate which was great and as it happened I was away most of January and February and the weather awful so nothing lost. I’m not one to hold a grudge so moved on from the debacle but to say it has tainted the whole experience is an understatement
First impressions was like wow, those rear and front arches, purposeful but smooth with such lovely lines front to rear, front of the car is not fussy nor the rear. The front appears to sit higher than the rear, don’t like it but otherwise the colour and look is bang on. Sit in another car and look in the mirror at an FL5 and you will go wow that looks aggressive and special.
Interior is a huge step up from all previous Honda models in every possible way, way better than everything else I hVe owned. Guess what even the AC works even on really hot days, I found the FK8 system was always lacking on those few and far between hot days. The switch gear works the screen size is fine and everything is simple to use. Seats are phenomenal, I did some big trips in mine and felt my back had been massaged. I suffer from back issues and others have said the opposite to me, I did spend sometime getting the seating position just right though. Rear space for adults is very good my wife sat in the back the majority of our 3k mileage trip around Europe.
I didn’t us Log R much as never one for times, but took a while and some assistance to properly set up.
The ability to make all suspension, steering, engine etc settings individual is a massive game changer for me, comfort suspension is a god send on the motorways, as the other settings are stiffer comparably to FK8, will come on to that.
I like the engine to be responsive and prefer the display as R+, I can go on., but the flexibility is a real plus point.
On our Europe trip, 2 adults and two teenagers and all the luggage comfortably fitted in with comfort, brilliant!
The negatives the phone charger is crap, the storage in the front is really poor, the window rattles when anything more than all the way down or all the way up, there are rattles, I fixed mine, one on the seat belt drivers side, one just behind the sat nav. Why is the reverse camera such poor quality, it’s like the FK8‘s but this is a 50k now to acceptable, same could be said about the windows and rattles.
Steering is incredible, the ability to apex the car is on another level, as with the FK8 I drove the car on b roads and track with as much off as I could get. The turn in is better than the FK8 which was brilliant, but really is unreal, the seat positioning, feel/grip on the steering you feel like a race-car driver, simply popping to the fuel station which you have to do a lot, too small a tank, come on Honda!
Handling is too stiff in anything other than comfort but fun if you want that raw feel that FK2 owners mention they don’t like about the Fk8. For me FK8 is the sweet spot, comfort is comfortable, Sport is sporty and R+ stiff enough to use on the roads but not overly.
Yes you can drive in R+M but on the road it isn’t that great, think most use Sport, but at The Ring, my times were slightly quicker in Comfort than any other setting for balance I have driven 500+ laps over the years so relatively consistent, but so may variables traffic etc I don’t think you can take a lot from it but something to bare in mind. Silverstone, R+ all day. long.
Engine feels punchier than previous model, engine note is a bit meh, sounds in the cabin actually were ok, outside exhaust note was alright, better than FK8 standard. Overall felt a faster car, on the same roads I drive a lot.
Gearbox - The best, move on.
Tyres still had plenty of tread when I traded in at 6.5k mileage, for balance I got through fronts on FK8 in 3.5k mileage, MP4S, predictable tyre handling wise good in all weathers, car benefits from the smaller wheels imho, didn’t kerb them once, didnt since when going over a pot hole either.
Point to note they are reverse lip wheels so special note to mention to your tyre fitter!
On track it is a fabulous thing, oversteer possible, reminded me of the DC2 on that front, tyres run out pretty quick but this is no light weight car so to be expected. Brakes as standard were very very good, the revised set up over my earlier FK8 light and day. If you are to track more, fluid and braided lines would be needed but think I would keep brakes standard otherwise, really liked them. In the wet on track very predictable and confidence inspiring, enjoyed my wet Ring laps and nothing came past at all.
The problem is at 50k crashing is not cheap and I’ll come to that too
So why sell on, I loved it, had my FK8 5 years and had every intention of keeping this car until later years after all could be the last petrol Type R.
1) I haven’t been well and we all have dreams right so used all the money to get into a dream car, which I don’t own outright but will go back soon with minimal loss, agreed a buy back price, lucky as they wouldn’t have done it now plus the car hasn’t been impacted overly yet!
2) Also like many I foresaw the crash in the market and felt the FL5 would be subject to a correction and whilst it hasn't happened fully yet I guarantee you won’t get what I got for mine now. I lost 1.2k on the car. Insurance £200 but spent nothing else other than a detail.
3) The cost to repair, now I appreciate this isn’t just an FL5 thing but my bill was 3.5k, no bodywork damage, hit a sheep which popped the stupid passenger safety system. Apart from getting the parts which was a nightmare it had to go through insurance, fortunately I had excess protection and for what ever reason hasn’t impacted on my premiums on my other cars, renewed all since the incident. The worst thing was it was not hard, the sheep was fine btw, took the shine off the experience as very nearly couldn’t take around Europe.
4) Finally all the bloody safety systems as mentioned above, beep, warning that, indicator flashing on heavy braking, some you can turn off some you can’t it was like your mum in your ear every-time you get a racey on the roads, incredibly frustrating. It is very much a new car thing some of which was on the FK8 but is enough to put me another sporty new car.
Sorry no pictures, I always struggled to put them on.
So you won’t be disappointed if you bought one but there are some niggles some engineered by the modern any state we live in some Honda ones, but the car is so nearly perfect, if they drop another 5k off my old car I might buy it back
Happy to answer any questions for prospective buyers or interest.
Thanks
Matt
FL5 by Simon Gee, on Flickr
