Should I buy a CTR ep3? Opinions needed please.

[Lewis2014]

Hi all,
Id like to say hi as I've just joined the forum .
Im thinking of buying a CTR ep3 as I've always had a soft spot for them. My budget will be between 5 and 7k and would just like some opinions before I take the plunge. If I was to get 1 id be keeping it for a good 3 years as would get it on finance so really need it to be reliable. Most of the CTR's online have a lot of mileage and thats what is putting me off as dont want it to end up going pop in the future. Are they as reliable as people say? Does say 60,000 miles matter?
Im 29 years old so insurance not a problem although Admiral want £700. I previously owned a ex demo 2008 Corsa VXR was mint at the time ) 8000k onit. Had stage 2 done at Thorney. All was well for about 2 years then aircon compressor blew, bearings went, radiator leaked, heating only worked on number 4, seat release handle snapped so got shot of it. Had a brand new DS3 THP was quite refined but problems from the start. I currently drive a Nissan Qashqai ( heavy on petrol but with out any go lol ) I understand you run the risk when buying 2nd hand but I want something that'll tick all the boxes such as do the school run, make me smile on the weekend but with reliability.
Many thanks
Geraint

[willmagrath]

Well coming from knowing the power the low down grunt of a stage 2 vxr, the civic will feel pretty slow in comparison. Personally i'd only have one as a second car as the lack of low down grunt would drive me nuts. BUT i can 100% see why revving the nuts off them is addictive!

[Boobonman]

I always find them crashy, tiring and a bit hard work around town. Massive fun when pushing on though.

[XPushX]

You could get a pretty decent DC2 for that sort of money with change left over or if you could stretch maybe 500 - 1000 more a decent DC5 although there are a lot around the 6500 mark. I'd say in my opinion both are better but at the end of the day buy what makes you happy.

[Neith]

The lack of low end power isn't as big a problem as it's made out to be in all honesty. It just means you normally have to end up dropping a gear to overtake from what I found when I had my EP3. The most annoying thing was the (relatively) small fuel tank and rattles from the interior, which are normal but nevertheless irritating after a while. Also be aware that A/C wasn't standard (was an extra option, which mine didn't have...)

60k miles shouldn't be an issue normally but bear in mind that a lot of these have been thrashed to death given the nature of the car. Check to make sure you can change gear easily while in VTEC and check 2nd gear in particular as the synchros are known to wear out. Any VTEC problems you'd have to check on the move as there's a limiter in place while in neutral if I remember correctly.

The steering rack is apparently a common fault on pre-facelift cars, mine was a facelift so I can't comment on that myself.

Mine seemed to like blowing fuses constantly and going into limp mode for a few minutes before deciding everything was fine again. I don't think this was a problem with EP3s as such though, more that my car in particular was rife with problems.

I'd recommend an EP3, mine turned out to be a beater, but there are good ones out there if you look hard enough. The noise alone is worth it

[Chicanery]

Go for it, they're a cracking car. I ran one from 72000 to well over 100000mi, it never missed a beat and only ever had routine maintenance (apart from the air-con, a notorious weak spot). The steering is a bit numb it's true, but the right tyres can definitely help with that, and the car is an absolute scream to drive. Link here to a buying guide, well worth a look.

http://civictype-r.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&a...

Personally I'd say have a look at a Premier Edition (2005-2006) with main dealer or specialist history (good specialists are common knowledge on the forums). Don't worry too much about higher mileage cars, especially if you plan on keeping it a while - the history and the type of use is probably more important.

[Willy Nilly]

erm, is it really wise to finance a car that is 10 years old and likely to have been driven hard?

[Buff Mchugelarge]

As a another choice,
I paid £5000 for my mint 37k mile Renault Clio 197. 3.5k miles on, no problems and I still love it, needs lot of revs much like the Honda but adds to the fun.
People are scared of the frenchness and therefore the prices stay quite a bit below the CTR for no real reason. Either way, enjoy!