What to pay for an EP3 in 2020?
Discussion
Kingdom35 said:
Never driven an FN2 but i have the Type S, had it for 7 years, never let me down, spacious, spaceship and can look stunning, see the Mugen Bodykit.
Im tempted to purchase an FN2 also, as you say, plenty of decent 2010 examples around teh £5k mark or under with decent mileage. But i believe theyre not as light and fractionally slower than the EP3;s. But FN2 imho look better then kitted out.
Watching with interest
I had a type S for about 5 years, did you not find the ride more than a little unforgiving? I agree on your other points, I thought it looked fantastic, was cavernous with the seats down and the only thing that went wrong was a thermostat that sorted itself out (for a day it told me the external temp was 50 degrees).Im tempted to purchase an FN2 also, as you say, plenty of decent 2010 examples around teh £5k mark or under with decent mileage. But i believe theyre not as light and fractionally slower than the EP3;s. But FN2 imho look better then kitted out.
Watching with interest
BevR said:
I had a type S for about 5 years, did you not find the ride more than a little unforgiving? I agree on your other points, I thought it looked fantastic, was cavernous with the seats down and the only thing that went wrong was a thermostat that sorted itself out (for a day it told me the external temp was 50 degrees).
Ive had mine for about 7 now, i do need a change but back when i bought it, i had a budget of £6k and no more than 6 years old. I cant find anything in comparison now that sits up to the Civic imho. Ride can be unforgiving and i have had a bad back for years on and off, but ive got used to the ride that i dont even notice it if that makes sense.
I think in the last 7 years i worked out ive paid £100pm overall ownership excluding fuel.
Thats pretty decent imho. Its a commuter car to me but through all of this lockdown etc ive been really tempted to go the Porsche 986 route but i just know id buy a dud and it would cost me even more than the initial £5k.
But then buying an FN2 over a Porsche, is playing on my mind too.
Mark-t said:
It depends what you want from the car but the fn2 was arguably always the better buy over a (UK) EP3.
You probably know that one of the reasons for the negative press was the fn2 changed from independent rear suspension to a beam, but my fn2 handled way better than my EP3 ever did, not to mention the improved steering feel (the EP3 suffered from a numb sensation when loaded into sharp corner which takes a bit of getting used to).
The fn2 added creature comforts may detract from the driving experience or make it useable, depending who you speak to or what you'd use the car for. Also, the added engine balance shaft refines the k20 engine but also robs a little power, but many owners remove this (a few hundred pound and an opportunity to renew the timing chain and tensioner).
Fn2s suffered a bit with rust above the windscreen seal but Honda were rectifying this (along with a revised seal) but mine was great apart from that.
Yes my take on it is that in 2007, the motoring media were expecting much more than additional 1BHP and marked it down thus, especially with the controversial torsion beam suspension, bearing in mind that every other manufacturer had moved on considerably from launch of Ep3 to Fn2. Then there was that famous Top Gear Test where JC slated the FN2. However, the FN2 has plenty going for it IMO, in that it still looks very modern, the interior has most of the kit you want on a car and its still a n/a V-tec engine. Also, I've watched articles on You Tube from reviewers where the EP3 and FN2 are very closely matched on performance and A to B speed out of the box.You probably know that one of the reasons for the negative press was the fn2 changed from independent rear suspension to a beam, but my fn2 handled way better than my EP3 ever did, not to mention the improved steering feel (the EP3 suffered from a numb sensation when loaded into sharp corner which takes a bit of getting used to).
The fn2 added creature comforts may detract from the driving experience or make it useable, depending who you speak to or what you'd use the car for. Also, the added engine balance shaft refines the k20 engine but also robs a little power, but many owners remove this (a few hundred pound and an opportunity to renew the timing chain and tensioner).
Fn2s suffered a bit with rust above the windscreen seal but Honda were rectifying this (along with a revised seal) but mine was great apart from that.
For me the main drawback would be the ride. I understand its particularly harsh and I am not sure I would be able to put up with that these days on a daily driver. I've got to an age where crashy rides irritate me a little! So I need to drive one really. But at under £3K for a 2007 or 2008 car with history that is likely to prove extremely reliable, can you really do better in the Used hot hatch market?
Today I have found an EP3 on EBAY (and Autotrader) going for £2450. Its a pre facelift (not desirable), on 140K miles, which is below average for year but fairly high in the scheme of things, but crucially since 2006 it has only failed one MOT and that was on a minor item. Its very rare these days to find a 17 year old car which has only ever failed one MOT, believe me! Most I look at fail most years at that age.
I am sure someone will tell me that's strong money for a pre facelift EP3, but to me it seems quite a rare thing in 2020, a standard, non modified EP3 with a very good looking MOT history which points to a car that has been looked after. I find myself quite tempted.
BTW, there are currently only 4 EP3s on Autotrader in the entire country for under £3K, so there's not much choice out there!
I am sure someone will tell me that's strong money for a pre facelift EP3, but to me it seems quite a rare thing in 2020, a standard, non modified EP3 with a very good looking MOT history which points to a car that has been looked after. I find myself quite tempted.
BTW, there are currently only 4 EP3s on Autotrader in the entire country for under £3K, so there's not much choice out there!
mstrbkr said:
Jeeze, I sold my decent 06 plate premier edition on 108k for £2700 in August 2017. Truth be told I could've got more but I hate selling cars!
That’s the exact trade in price I got on my 55 plate premier with 64,000 miles in Jan 2017 against the FK2. I could have easily sold it for double that but I didn’t want the hassle of trying to get a private buyer. Just sold my JDM mats last week that I had stored away for £100 also. Edited by mstrbkr on Friday 29th May 23:27
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