If you have seen the new Honda Civic Type R, then you are familiar with its in-your-face, aggressive styling and boy-racer charm. And if you’re familiar with its specs, then you know that it’s one of the fastest front-wheel-drive cars on the market today. But what if you wanted a Civic Type R, but are a grown-up with a family? Then consider the 2020 Honda Accord Sport 2.0 with a manual transmission.

No comparison

We won’t bore you with a spec-for-spec comparison between the Accord Sport 2.0 and the Civic Type R. But just know that they share the same turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that are mostly similar internally. The Accord engine has a smaller turbocharger, more conservative tuning, and a non-performance cylinder head, so it produces 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. In contrast, the Civic Type R puts out 306 and 295, respectively.

It’s not a huge difference, but the curb weights between the two are factors as well since the Accord is heavier. Comparisons aside, the main highlight is that the Honda Accord is available with a six-speed manual transmission, which ups the “fun-to-drive quotient” to a higher level than most sedans in its class. So, if you’re looking for Type R fun, but don’t want to feel like you’re holding onto your high-school racer fantasies, the Accord Sport 2.0T with the manual transmission is a great choice.

The inside

The Honda Accord is now in its tenth generation and as anyone might tell, it’s gotten bigger over the years, thanks to rigorous U.S. safety standards and the growing American public. That’s a benefit for those with families and friends as the added space of this five-seat sedan has made it much more accommodating than ever before.

The interior is a really nice to place to be as the Sport trim level does come with leather seating surfaces and front heated seats. The sleek dashboard design gives it an elegant look, while a large 8-inch touchscreen takes center stage for the infotainment duties. Android Auto and Apple Carplay are standard as is a 12-way power driver seat and a 180-watt sound system with eight speakers. To top things off, the Accord Sport 2.0 comes with the Honda Sensing suite of driver-assist features, which is interesting, considering it has a manual transmission.

Performance

Performance-wise, the Accord 2.0T with the manual transmission is no muscle car, but it does get some pretty good numbers. Car and Driver put it through its paces and achieved a 0-60 time of 6.1 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 14.7 seconds. We never said it was a racecar-like the Type R, but it will surely suffice on deserted roads and long onramps.

Case in point, if you’ve been eyeing the Civic Type R since it first debuted, but then had a good look in the mirror and realized that pulling up to your kids’ school in a big-winged, body kitted Civic might actually make you lose “cool points.” Then we suggest the much more mature choice that is the Accord Sport 2.0T with the manual transmission.