Compare the2024 Honda Civic Type RVS 2023 Ford Mustang

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda Civic Type R have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Ford Mustang doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Civic Type R are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Ford Mustang doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic Type R deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic Type R’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Mustang’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the Civic Type R and the Mustang have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Civic Type R is safer than the Ford Mustang:

	Civic Type R	Mustang
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	31 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	189/372 lbs.	330/502 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda Civic Type R is safer than the Ford Mustang:

	Civic Type R	Mustang
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	268	422
Hip Force	516 lbs.	741 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
HIC	260	513

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the Civic Type R for 2 years or 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Mustang.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 17 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

The Civic Type R’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 5 more horsepower (315 vs. 310) than the Mustang’s standard 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Honda Civic Type R is faster than the Ford Mustang turbo 4 cyl. (manual transmissions tested):

	Civic Type R	Mustang
Zero to 60 MPH	4.9 sec	5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12.1 sec	13 sec
Quarter Mile	13.5 sec	13.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	106 MPH	102 MPH
Top Speed	169 MPH	155 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Civic Type R has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Mustang. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Civic Type R higher (6 out of 10) than the Ford Mustang (3 to 5). This means the Civic Type R produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Mustang every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Civic Type R’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Mustang:

	Civic Type R	Mustang
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.6 inches

The Civic Type R stops much shorter than the Mustang:

	Civic Type R	Mustang
70 to 0 MPH	151 feet	165 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	104 feet	111 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Civic Type R has larger tires than the Mustang (265/30R19 vs. 235/55R17).

The Civic Type R’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mustang’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Civic Type R has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Mustang.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Civic Type R is 1.6 inches wider in the front than on the Mustang.

The Civic Type R Touring handles at 1.04 G’s, while the Mustang GT Premium Fastback pulls only .96 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Honda Civic Type R may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 750 pounds less than the Ford Mustang.

The Civic Type R is 7.6 inches shorter than the Mustang, making the Civic Type R easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Civic Type R a Large car, while the Mustang Fastback is rated a Subcompact.

The Civic Type R has standard seating for 5 passengers; the Mustang can only carry 4.

The Civic Type R has 16.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Mustang Fastback (99 vs. 82.8).

The Civic Type R has 1.7 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, 2.3 inches more rear headroom, 8.4 inches more rear legroom, 1.5 inches more rear hip room and 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Mustang Fastback.

Cargo Capacity

The Civic Type R has a much larger trunk than the Mustang Fastback (24.5 vs. 13.5 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Civic Type R’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Mustang has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Civic Type R’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children from operating them. Ford does not offer a locking feature on the Mustang’s standard power windows.

If the windows are left open on the Civic Type R the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Mustang can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Civic Type R has a standard rear wiper. The Mustang doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Civic Type R’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford only offers heated mirrors on the Mustang Premium/Mach 1.

The Civic Type R Sedan has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Mustang doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Civic Type R has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Mustang.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Civic Type R has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Mustang doesn’t offer rear vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Civic Type R has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Mustang doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

The Civic was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 9 more times in the last 40 years. The Mustang GT/Bullitt hasn’t been picked since 2019, and the Mustang GT/Bullitt has only been chosen once.

The Honda Civic outsold the Ford Mustang by over four to one during 2023.

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