Which chav chariot?! Turbo vs vtec

[Xcore]

Right im now in need of a 4 seater as I can’t get both my boys car seats in my van.

I have a budget of 3-5k for a weekend run about when the misses is working and Iv got both kids. I also want to do afew track days this year!

I’m currently torn between something vag with the 20vt in or a tfsi mk5 golf etc or a ep3/fn2 civic type r.

I’m curious about the civics as Iv never owned a vtec car, and I want to see why everyone raves about them.

I am however concerned that I will miss the torque of a turbo car but as the car will purely be used at the weekends maybe it will make the Honda more of an event?

Iv had afew Turbo hatches previously, mk2 focus st, mk4 20vt, 2-3 imprezas and older r5gtts etc so I’m well versed in boost.

I did have a 172 cup which I did enjoy driving but is a tad small imo, and my current weekend car is a 4.6 chimaera, which unfortunately will be going to make way for the “practical” car.

So basically I guess I’m asking has anyone gone from a turbo car to vtec? And did you regret it?

Also if anyone knows of a non rusty accord type r let me know!

[Roboticarm]

Assuming it's the fn2 civic you are looking at I would say test drive one, i did as a potential replacement for the clio 172 a few years back and previously had the 1.8ex as a company car.
As a pure weekend car it's a good shout but for mix duties the clio was much easier to live with.
They are fun when driven hard but the lack of torque and the fact you have to rev the nuts off them to get them moving at any sort of pace makes day to day driving a real pain, certainly not a relaxing car to drive.
The GTi golf is much better day to day imo

[Xcore]

Looking at the ep3 or accord type r, it won’t be used daily as I have the work van for that, but I can imagine the constant rev chasing could wear a little thin on the commute

[LordHaveMurci]

I had a Mk5 GTI, shortest I’ve ever owned a car, 9mths. Great all rounder, bored me to tears.

Had my 172 Cup for nearly 10yrs, doubt I’ll ever sell it!

[rustfalia]

No need to be chasing revs on a commute? Infact makes them the ideal two cars in one package, a normal civic that runs like a sewing machine on one hand, and an engaging revvy engine on the other.
I bimble around in mine on the commute which makes going for a more spirited drive more of an experience.
I found my previous turbo cars (Fiesta ST) fairly dull in comparison.
Certainly less to go wrong with an Ep3. Watch for rust on the rear arches which is easy to see and a good amount of service history.
Fairly raw experience but that depends what you are used to.

[aka_kerrly]

Xcore said:

Looking at the ep3 or accord type r, it won’t be used daily as I have the work van for that, but I can imagine the constant rev chasing could wear a little thin on the commute

Remember that when people say things like a Honda has NO torque, its often them being drama queens with no context,

the K20A2 engine fitted to UK spec Ep3 Type Rs (02-05era) has 140lb-ft at 6000rpm and 200hp at 7400 an continues reving to 8400rpm.
306 GTI-6 engine, a 2.0l 16v 142lb-ft at 5500rpm and 167hp at 6500rpm rev limit 7200
Renault Clio 182 which makes 148lb-ft at 5250rpm an 180hp at 6500rpm rev limit 7000-7200,7500 - diff sources.


The combination of low gearing and final drive ratio means that in normal driving when accelerating from 5-40mph, 20-40mph, 30-50mph using 1st to 4th gear a Type R is not "hard work" nor constant rev chasing. It's got a 6 speed gearbox, in less you are racing to get to 6th gear by 25mph in which case yes a Type R engine will not be in its element then you will not struggle to make progress! Drive it properly and when the revs start creeping towards 5000rpm you can feel the engine keen to show you what it can do, at 7000 where other motors regardless of NA/Turbo start to tail off the honda will still be surging towards 8000rpm hilst wanting more. If you consider a modified one the HondaData KPRO/K100 ecu gives really good midrange gains and allows control of the vtec point which can dramatically change how the engine performs in day to day driving as much as when you are flat out!!

Being quite the VW fan (dozens of Golf Gtis, Sciroccos, Corrado) I was dead set on getting a mk5 Golf GTI tfsi having driven a few standard and lightly tweeked ones plus a rather mental 400hp Ed30. I then got offered a Civic Type R by a friend & decided that there are plenty of TSFI engine'd cars around but there won't be many more opportunities to enjoy a N/A Honda so i bought the EP3 for barely a couple of grand. The plan was to throw around for a summer whilst looking for the optimum spec Golf GTI.... nearly 2 years ago now.