Are you thinking about buying a 2020 Honda Civic Type R to live out your boy-racer dreams and tear up the streets with all of its turbocharged VTEC glory? You might want to consider some alternatives first. That’s not to say that the Civic Type R isn’t a good car, it is, but there are also other options like the Volkswagen GTI and Hyundai Veloster N. However, what if you want to stay within the Honda family? Then consider this one option before going head-first into the Type R world.

An Accord sedan could be a better choice

Since its redesign in 2018, the Honda Accord has been a popular choice among sedan buyers and enthusiasts alike. It’s larger dimensions, comfortable ride, updated interior quality, and potent engine choices have made it stand out among its rivals, but its tunability has made it a standout performer in the aftermarket tuning community even more so. The Accord’s standard turbocharged 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine is a solid engine as produces 192 horsepower, but the available 2.0-liter engine is where the real power is at

The upgraded turbocharged engine produces 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque straight from the factory. In stock form, the Honda Accord is able to get to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and down the quarter-mile in 14.1 when equipped with the 10-speed automatic transmission, according to Car and Driver’s testing. However, the optional six-speed transmission could net better times depending on the driver.

The Accord is quick and comfortable, but how could it be better than a Civic Type R?

The beauty that lies within the Honda Accord’s current 2.0-liter engine is only partly due to the fact that it’s derived from the Civic Type R engine. While it does share some parts with Honda’s hot hatch, the main benefit is the fact that it’s turbocharged and every aftermarket tuner knows that a turbocharged engine can be tuned for more power. And by opting to tune the 2.0-liter engine, it’s possible to make more power and torque than you would get in a Civic Type R with the added comfort of a mid-size sedan.

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How to get more power

If you do happen to purchase a 2018 to 2020 Honda Accord with the 2.0-liter engine, then you’ll be happy to know that there is a well-known tuning option that you can go with: Hondata. While other aftermarket systems could currently exist, this brand is the most popular today and presents a variety of tuning options as there are many tuning shops nationwide that know how to tune the Accord 2.0 turbo properly and extract the most power.

How much power can be extracted?

According to Hondata’s website, there are two different stages of tuning maps that can be added via the “Flashpro” tuning kit. The first stage changes the air/fuel mapping can increase the horsepower and torque by 25, while the “stage 2” map has revealed increases of 45 horsepower and 40 lb-ft of torque for Accords equipped with an automatic transmission. Those equipped with the manual transmission are likely to see stronger increases of around 80 lb-ft of torque. As you can imagine, with a total output of around 287 horsepower and 377 lb-ft of torque, a tuned Accord Sport or Touring with the 2.0-liter engine can easily blow the doors off a Civic Type R.

A more comfortable option

While the Honda Civic Type R does present a tempting proposition with its loud colors, aggressive styling, and stout performance, the Accord sedan with a 2.0-liter engine can offer the same attributes albeit in a much more comfortable fashion. Also, with the current manufacturer incentives and dealer discounts, it’s much easier to get the Accord in whatever configuration you desire and at a much lower price than the Civic Type R. So before you go and pay a dealer mark up for that big-winged hatchback, we advise to give Honda’s comfortable mid-size sedan a second look.