FN2 Civic Type R - The one they love to hate.

[uncler]

Randomly came across this thread and read it from start to finish. Made me really miss my FN2 (I had one new from late 2007 to late 2009). I'm a serial car changer also so changed it just because, but almost wish I hadn't now. Got a huge ribbing from anyone who 'knew' anything about cars st the time saying it was rubbish and nota proper R, generally without ever having driven it. Had the fast road setup done by ABP Motorsport on mine, well worthwhile IMO.

I'll probably buy one again in future once I have space for more than one car!

Anyhow, great car OP, look after it.

[Type R Tom]

uncler said:

Randomly came across this thread and read it from start to finish. Made me really miss my FN2 (I had one new from late 2007 to late 2009). I'm a serial car changer also so changed it just because, but almost wish I hadn't now. Got a huge ribbing from anyone who 'knew' anything about cars st the time saying it was rubbish and nota proper R, generally without ever having driven it. Had the fast road setup done by ABP Motorsport on mine, well worthwhile IMO.

I'll probably buy one again in future once I have space for more than one car!

Anyhow, great car OP, look after it.

I'm torn with mine at the moment, had it since nearly new but fancy something different. Then I go to civinfo and think maybe chuck £2k at it and get FRS and new springs, a flashpro, exhaust etc. and transform the car. I keep going back to the practicability of the civic, 40+ mpg on a (slow) run, two bikes in the back, the dash and seats. Anything else I fancy can't do that

Oh and I don't bother with the whole EP3 vs FN2 debate, most a talking out their backside / quoting Clarkson.

[HorneyMX5]

After 18 brilliant months this is up for sale as I have put down a deposit on a Skoda Yeti to tow the MX5 to race meets among other things.

I've utterly adored this car and will be sad to see it go. PH for sale advert out there somewhere!

Edited by HorneyMX5 on Monday 18th May 10:58

[Patch888]

Had this been up a month or so ago I would of loved to take it off your hands, lovely example.

[Usget]

HorneyMX5 said:

After 18 brilliant months this is up for sale as I have put down a deposit on a Skoda Yeti to tow the MX5 to race meets among other things.

I've uterly adored this car and will be sad to see it go. PH for sale advert here:

On a totally unrelated subject, has anyone seen this cool FN2 available on Pistonheads? http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/h...

Take your link down before the mods see it mate

[HorneyMX5]

What link?

[HorneyMX5]

Now gone to its new home.

It's been a great ownership experience and I would recommend one to anybody. A truly great car and hot hatch.

[Charlie_AL]

Had a red 09 one for about a month now, love it more than I ever loved the MK5 Golf GTI it replaced. Only a couple of moments so far when the ride quality has actually felt really bad, it's far from brilliant but I can live with it. And that noise!

Averaged around 28mpg so far

I can see myself keeping it for a long time.

[jqhn80]

Thanks for the write ups, they certainly were enjoyable to read. Too bad you didn't keep it, I don't think I will sell mine anytime soon. The Yeti will be more comfortable at least, no rock-hard suspension and all, but then again no 8,000 rpm redline either

[HorneyMX5]

jqhn80 said:

Thanks for the write ups, they certainly were enjoyable to read. Too bad you didn't keep it, I don't think I will sell mine anytime soon. The Yeti will be more comfortable at least, no rock-hard suspension and all, but then again no 8,000 rpm redline either

Yes I'll certainly miss the Vtec (kicking in yo!) and the 8k red line but I do have the MX5 with it's insane charger whine. Now the 5 is considerably faster than the Civic it seemed the right time to move onto a sensible daily. We'll see how that lasts!

[mantis84]

Charlie_AL said:

Had a red 09 one for about a month now, love it more than I ever loved the MK5 Golf GTI it replaced. Only a couple of moments so far when the ride quality has actually felt really bad, it's far from brilliant but I can live with it. And that noise!

Averaged around 28mpg so far

I can see myself keeping it for a long time.

28 mpg? You're not trying hard enough! In my first week of ownership I managed to get it down to 23...

I've had mine a couple of months now and absolutely loving it. The hard suspension is a bit of a pain on some of the badly surfaced roads where I am, but I can live with it. The noise and acceleration more than make up for it and I still find my self peeking out of the window to have a look at it whilst it's sat on the drive. Granted, it's not the best car in the world or even the best in its class (in certain respects), but it's my first 'quick' car and I'm absolutely smitten.

[Charlie_AL]

mantis84 said:

28 mpg? You're not trying hard enough! In my first week of ownership I managed to get it down to 23...

I've had mine a couple of months now and absolutely loving it. The hard suspension is a bit of a pain on some of the badly surfaced roads where I am, but I can live with it. The noise and acceleration more than make up for it and I still find my self peeking out of the window to have a look at it whilst it's sat on the drive. Granted, it's not the best car in the world or even the best in its class (in certain respects), but it's my first 'quick' car and I'm absolutely smitten.

Ha! I'm the same, don't think I've walked away from it in a car park yet without turning around for another look.

[Sko77y]

Interesting read from start to finish, quite relevant as well since I'm coming from an NC1 mx5. Looking for the same driving thrills but more practicality.

Did you have any problems with stone chips on the front? went to view one last night and it was a mess. Off to see another tonight to compare.

V-Tec really is addictive though!

[Type R Tom]

Sko77y said:

Interesting read from start to finish, quite relevant as well since I'm coming from an NC1 mx5. Looking for the same driving thrills but more practicality.

Did you have any problems with stone chips on the front? went to view one last night and it was a mess. Off to see another tonight to compare.

V-Tec really is addictive though!

The paint work is awful; mine was heart breaking every time I washed it. It’s a well-known problem with them unfortunately so I’d budget for a re-spray if you were that keen on one. Some people had luck with Honda in the early days but never going to happen now.

[mantis84]

The indie dealer I got mine from resprayed the bonnet and did some touching up (ooh er) elsewhere for me before I picked it up. So perhaps its worth asking for it before you commit to buying one (the bonnet in particular was a complete mess on mine).

You won't regret getting one, I certainly don't! If you're after a bit of practicality, there's heaps of load space in the back, especially when you fold the seats down - fits my MTB in the back no problem, actually easier than my old 5 door Focus. I had looked at a Megane R26 before buying mine, very nice to drive but the interior on those is fking awful compared to the FN2.

[Commander2874]

Fantastic cars and a great read! I've had my 2007 bronze fn2 for just over a year and covered 6k high revving miles!
Still recommend this car to anyone who loves driving with a smile on their face!

[MikeGoodwin]

150hp at the wheels seems awfully low

Id expect that from the Clio 182 or 197 of the same era.

[Commander2874]

MikeGoodwin said:

150hp at the wheels seems awfully low

Id expect that from the Clio 182 or 197 of the same era.

Sorry I'm a tad confused, 198bhp engine but only 150bhp at the wheels??

[chrismc1977]

150atw is a bit low, but it depends on the dyno lottery of course. They are meant to be ~200bhp aren’t they so 165-170atw would be ballpark

The HKS filter might sound nice but they are traditionally terrible for power...

[TameRacingDriver]

The K20 is a much stronger engine that the Renault engine. It more than likely actually makes it's claimed power, for starters, the Clio engines very rarely do. It also revs better, sounds better and has a much better drivetrain. No comparison.