Why do I want an EP3 Type R!?

[AshBaldry]

Guys and girls......
Slight situation.....before I bought my Focus RS (03) I drove a CTR as I've always wanted one.However I bought the RS,maybe working for Ford Stealer helped that decision! Just would love a CTR,driving position,gear change,seats,simple effective but awesome drive! If I got £8500 bags of sand I could get a good CTR for that? Hmmm wonder if they're better on fuel,anythings better than a 300bhp RS daily the money it costs to run is killing me,and the misses wants a birthday present?! Haha

[Old Gregg]

AshBaldry said:

If I got £8500 bags of sand I could get a good CTR for that?

Yes. http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2104943.htm and many others. Enough about that you can avoid the chav'd up ones.

Try http://www.civictype-r.co.uk/forum/ for info, what to look for etc.

AshBaldry said:

Hmmm wonder if they're better on fuel

Low to mid 30's on a good motorway run, dropping a fair bit if you cane it a lot.

[rb5230]

a focus rs is just so much more special. cant you just drive it sensibly (off the turbo)to get better mpg? i know its hard but probably similar to the type-r mpg if you could drive it like that.

i know which i would have.

[itsnotarace]

Buy one, but budget for a Quaife LSD, Hondata KPro ECU and an HID upgrade as they are not that great without. Alternatively have a test drive in a DC5

[VeeTEC]

£8.5 million should see you in a nice premier edition with the tastiest of mods.

Plus change.

[AshBaldry]

I wouldn't go down the modified route (didn't know my RS had been played with,remap,upped boost etc when I bought it) I'm sure it would sell and a CTR would be much cheaper to run,would love 6 gears! Is build quality good? Little rattles drive me crazy

[otolith]

Entirely understand why you would choose an EP3 CTR over a (2003) RS. Equally understand why some would go the other way, but for me the Civic has the perfect hot hatch drivetrain. The only thing it could conceivably use in that department is an LSD. Don't care about torque, light(ish), perfect gearshift, perfect screamer of an engine suits me. I'd rather still have something rear wheel drive, but as modern hot hatches go the Civic is spot on.

[AshBaldry]

May have to test drive one again to see what it's like,some people heavily over sell the VTEC "it's like NOS" someone once said! Do they use loads of oil? I've driven one before through work but it had silly 19" Alloy wheels on it with cheap tyres

[VeeTEC]

AshBaldry said:

May have to test drive one again to see what it's like,some people heavily over sell the VTEC "it's like NOS" someone once said! Do they use loads of oil? I've driven one before through work but it had silly 19" Alloy wheels on it with cheap tyres

It feels like the car takes of when it hits VTEC (in 2nd and 4rd mainly) because it's a bit of a flat spot in the map. Good remaps smooth it out. It is fun though.

Some use oil, some don't. Mine didn't use much. Honda's acceptable spec is something like a litre every 1000km.

Ride will be appalling with 19s on. Stick to 17s.

[rb5230]

VeeTEC said:

It feels like the car takes of when it hits VTEC (in 2nd and 4rd mainly) .

it hardly takes off but it certainly gets a bit quiker and more manic.

you are talking to someone with a 300bhp turbocharged focus, now that takes off.

[AshBaldry]

Yeah it takes off but with slight torquesteer! Think it maybe best from my point of view to sell it in the new year?

[VeeTEC]

rb5230 said:

it hardly takes off

I said it feels like it takes off, because the map has a bit of a flat spot and that causes a noticeable changeover point. Not that it does take off. Of course it's never going to feel like a turbo.

[AshBaldry]

Think I'm going to put the RS up for sale soon! As in tomorrow night

[N88]

AshBaldry said:

Think I'm going to put the RS up for sale soon! As in tomorrow night

You'll miss it!

I haven't driven an RS, but I'd imagine it does have that special feeling which you won't get from the Civic.

[itsnotarace]

Yeah that special feeling that you've crashed into the Ripspeed section of Halfords

[motor mad]

I've owned mine four years and still really rate it. It's been the most reliable I've had and the servicing costs and day to day costs would be significantly lower than an RS. There are some brilliant Specialist Type-R garages such as TDi-North, CPL and TGM Motorsport.

Yes the Focus RS might be the more sought after car and it was one I considered four years ago. I am still convinced I made the right choice for what I needed from a car.

[rb5230]

itsnotarace said:

Yeah that special feeling that you've crashed into the Ripspeed section of Halfords

oz wheels, quaife diff, brembo brakes and sparco seats? you must be a special one.

[motor mad]

rb5230 said:

itsnotarace said:

Yeah that special feeling that you've crashed into the Ripspeed section of Halfords

oz wheels, quaife diff, brembo brakes and sparco seats? you must be a special one.

The quaife diff was always deemed too harsh on UK roads and the Sparco seats weren't actually Sparco, they were just covers. I always preferred the Recaros in the ST170. Standard for standard as a road car there is very little between an EP3 and an FRS mk1. I'd expect running costs to be slightly in an EP3. I generally average 30 mpg.

If you want from a car with Brembos, LSD and Recaros then an Integra DC5 is a great car, however being an import the insurance is higher.

[mb6VTi]

The EP3 is a cracking car all round, fast, amazing handling etc. Plus they are well built and tend to hold their money. As said above though, very hard choice between the RS and the TypeR...I love hondas and even i'm stuck on that one! lol
Fuel wise, I have heard from people I know who own one that EP3 fuel consumption can be a downside. They struggled to get 30mpg, but again, I suppose it all depends on the driver. I know that any VTEC Honda litteraly drinks fuel once in vtec!!! I know my VTi drinks like an alcoholic when it hits vtec, but the smile is worth it lmao

[otolith]

mb6VTi said:

Fuel wise, I have heard from people I know who own one that EP3 fuel consumption can be a downside. They struggled to get 30mpg, but again, I suppose it all depends on the driver.

I kept a record of my fuel consumption for the first 20,000 miles or so that I had mine. 30mpg is easy.