FN2 Civic Type R vs Megane R26 230

[911p]

I'm looking to replace my car soon with a budget of about £7k, and I've narrowed the choices down to an FN2 Civic Type R, or a Megane R26 230. I'm not interested in an EP3 Civic, and can't have anything more powerful than these as insurance will be too high. The car will be used primarily on the road, might even see a couple of Euro road trips, and will get to a few track days every year.

I've narrowed the pro's and cons of each one down to the following;

FN2 Type R
Positives; bulletproof reliability, nice interior, revvy NA engine, sounds great, decent gearbox, cheaper to maintain
Negatives; needs some work to be track ready (geo, brakes, LSD etc), lack of performance compared to the Megane, electric steering (lack of feel?)

Megane R26 230
Positives; Track ready (decent brakes and LSD), great performance, easy to tune, more of a drivers car (?)
Negatives; Engine note, more costly to maintain (?), less reliable, basic looking interior/dash

Basically just trying to see which one I'd have the most fun in over a period of about 3-4 years. If any previous owners of either model could chime in with your experiences, that'd be great!

[Butter Face]

I'm a Renault salesman, but drive an EP3


The R26 is a great car, they do have some electrical issues that are common on the entire Megane range of the time and very well covered online. Maintenance is not that hideous, but things like discs+pads can be costly and check cambelts etc have been completed.

They are very good fast road cars, the handling is very good with the LSD and the seats are great (but bolsters do not wear well) also, the rest of the interior is plucked from the standard Megane so not the best looking.

The FN2 is also a lovely car, a bit more of an involving drive (IMO) as the power band is a lot more enjoyable. Also the interior is much much nicer.

The K20 engine is bulletproof and also chain driven so no belts etc.

At the end of the day it is your money and your call. I wouldn't have an FN2 over my EP3 as I prefer the look and feel of the EP3, but then I wouldn't have an R26 either, I would be looking to stretch to a Megane 250 (Mk3).

If you could find a Championship White FN2 it would be a good car, LSD as standard and a bit more rarity helps the residual value (I think the Civic will always have stronger residuals than the Megane anywway)

Good luck!

[911p]

Butter Face said:

I'm a Renault salesman, but drive an EP3

Thanks for the comprehensive reply. EP3 does seem to be the better drivers car, but I'm just not keen on the look of it, shame really!

This is the dilemma, I think the Megane will be a great drive and have better performance on road and track, but the engine and interior of the Civic really draws me to it. Of course I'll test drive both and see how I feel about each one, but in the meantime it's interesting to hear the opinions of others.

[billy939]

911p said:

I'm looking to replace my car soon with a budget of about £7k, and I've narrowed the choices down to an FN2 Civic Type R, or a Megane R26 230. I'm not interested in an EP3 Civic, and can't have anything more powerful than these as insurance will be too high. The car will be used primarily on the road, might even see a couple of Euro road trips, and will get to a few track days every year.

I've narrowed the pro's and cons of each one down to the following;

FN2 Type R
Positives; bulletproof reliability, nice interior, revvy NA engine, sounds great, decent gearbox, cheaper to maintain
Negatives; needs some work to be track ready (geo, brakes, LSD etc), lack of performance compared to the Megane, electric steering (lack of feel?)

Megane R26 230
Positives; Track ready (decent brakes and LSD), great performance, easy to tune, more of a drivers car (?)
Negatives; Engine note, more costly to maintain (?), less reliable, basic looking interior/dash

Basically just trying to see which one I'd have the most fun in over a period of about 3-4 years. If any previous owners of either model could chime in with your experiences, that'd be great!

I've had 2 EP3s and currently own an FN2.

In terms of the negatives:

- It would need a bit of work to be track ready, brakes aren't the best. Geo setup transforms the car and unless its built April 2010 or later it won't have an LSD, So you're right with pretty much all that.

- Lack of performance isn't true though. An FN2 will be near enough identical to an R26 Megane up to and beyond 3 figure speeds. I've had a play a few times with a friend who has a Liquid yellow R26 and coming off of roundabouts in 2nd gear the Civic tends to pull away. The handling is also as good but would obviously benefit from the LSD if really pushed.

- Steering feel is very good in the FN2 the steering is much improved from the Ep3 and doesn't feel electric at all. One of the best parts of the driving experience IMO.

In comparison the Civic with a geo setup will handle as well and go as well as an R26. With an LSD it will be better. To live with day to day the Civic is better equipped, more reliable and better built.
Looks are subjective but to 9/10 people the FN2 is far better looking.
It has a nicer sounding engine as well as you've said.

I think you can't really beat the Civic in this class for fun and if you don't believe me then The Stig also rated it very highly, Top gear Magazine voted it Hot Hatch of the year 2007, over the Megane.

Drive both and you will pick the Honda if you're looking for the best all round drivers car

[911p]

Interesting points - thanks!

Surprised about your findings against the Megane, looking at this EVO test data from a few years back, the R26 is significantly faster.

The comment about steering feel is a nice surprise also - didn't expect it to be better than the EP3. Strange also that the Top Gear mag gave it Hot Hatch of the year considering the absolute slating Clarkson gave it on TV!

[InfamousKeiran]

Honda Integra Type R DC5?

[911p]

InfamousKeiran said:

Honda Integra Type R DC5?

I did have a brief look at these, right at the bottom end of the market with £7k though!

[DanielJames]

911p said:

I did have a brief look at these, right at the bottom end of the market with £7k though!

I've got a good one I'm looking to sell for not much more. Haven't advertised it yet though.

Only selling as I've got a DC2 also. Looking for an M car.

DSC_0399.jpg by DanielJames., on Flickr

[911p]

As lovely as it is, I'm only really interested in an FN2 on the Honda side, as the car will still be my daily drive. Good luck with the sale though!

[Feirny]

I tested an FN2 before I bought my R26, it was a nice drive but the R26 just felt right for me after a few previously owned RenaultSports.

[iloveboost]

billy939 said:

I've had 2 EP3s and currently own an FN2.

In terms of the negatives:

- It would need a bit of work to be track ready, brakes aren't the best. Geo setup transforms the car and unless its built April 2010 or later it won't have an LSD, So you're right with pretty much all that.

- Lack of performance isn't true though. An FN2 will be near enough identical to an R26 Megane up to and beyond 3 figure speeds. I've had a play a few times with a friend who has a Liquid yellow R26 and coming off of roundabouts in 2nd gear the Civic tends to pull away. The handling is also as good but would obviously benefit from the LSD if really pushed.

- Steering feel is very good in the FN2 the steering is much improved from the Ep3 and doesn't feel electric at all. One of the best parts of the driving experience IMO.

In comparison the Civic with a geo setup will handle as well and go as well as an R26. With an LSD it will be better. To live with day to day the Civic is better equipped, more reliable and better built.
Looks are subjective but to 9/10 people the FN2 is far better looking.
It has a nicer sounding engine as well as you've said.

I think you can't really beat the Civic in this class for fun and if you don't believe me then The Stig also rated it very highly, Top gear Magazine voted it Hot Hatch of the year 2007, over the Megane.

Drive both and you will pick the Honda if you're looking for the best all round drivers car

I've briefly driven a standard FN2 1.8 'Type S'. I know the suspension and powertrain are different, but honestly I thought it was quite good. Other than the rear spoiler and strange rear end, I think no FN2 is a 'bad' car.
I think the problem is people with an EP3 Type R, Integra Type R, or turbo hot hatches focused too much on the negative stuff.
EP3 vs FN2 the way I see it:
EP3 lighter but FN2 is quieter.
EP3 softer ride, FN2 firmer but more predictable, with better steering feel and accuracy.
EP3 cheaper but FN2 has a better stereo, interior quality and driving position (for a start the steering isn't adjustable for reach on an EP3).
EP3 slightly better fuel economy but FN2 makes a slightly better noise.
EP3 slightly more neutral but will sometimes lift off oversteer without any real warning. FN2 slightly less neutral but won't lift off oversteer unless provoked.
EP3 has a slightly better power to weight but FN2 has a slightly wider powerband and slightly shorter gearing, meaning effectively the same acceleration.
EP3 has a cult following but the FN2 looks a bit better, other than strange rear end.
EP3 is more subtle but FN2 has an in your face, and in your eye line, rear spoiler.
EP3 early models often criticised for excessive understeer. FN2 early models often criticised for excessive understeer.
On track that's relevant but if you get into an slide on the road, I think you're driving too fast and/or over-driving.

I reckon if you buy an LSD FN2 and/or get that fast road geometry done, then the EP3 isn't a better car. The EP3 is cheaper to buy but older, and it offers a slightly different experience, especially on a track. Also the FN2 gets unfairly compared to the JDM FD2, with an even worse ride and far more expense price. Also the torque disadvantage of having an N/A car over a turbo car is only a disadvantage if you prefer less noise, and a 2.0 is far more than you need for any normal driving. Plus an N/A engine will always give you exactly what power you asked for, when you ask for it.

Long post on this, but that's because more than once I've seriously looked at buying an EP3 Civic Type R.

[themanwithnoname]

I've driven both and have an FN2 so am slightly biased.

In relation to handling and steering feel, I keep saying, the FN2 has no right to feel as good as it does when its being driven hard.

The noise is great, it doesn't quite have the shove of the FI rivals, but its more fun getting there.

Ours is at 95000 miles on servicing and consumables, and wears the miles very smartly.

[911p]

iloveboost said:

I've briefly driven a standard FN2 1.8 'Type S'. I know the suspension.....

Detailed comparison there, certainly done your research! It seems the FN2 is the better road car, but with a decent geo will still perform just as well as the EP3.

I think the lack of torque does give the car less performance even at higher revs; if you look at the torque curve you only get maximum power for a very brief moment near the rev-limiter. I'd definitely enjoy having to wring out every last rev more though.

Feirny said:

I tested an FN2 before I bought my R26, it was a nice drive but the R26 just felt right for me after a few previously owned RenaultSports.

What did you prefer about the R26? Trying to get a balanced viewpoint on this thread, but it's very much going the way of the Type-R at the moment!

[sinbad666]

Owned quite a few hondas incl DC5, driven both the EP3 and FN2 and owned a megane 230 too. If it was my money I'd be buying a CW FN2 with the LSD as mentioned above.

Loads better built, better seats, splitting hairs on handling, fuel and performance. The megane has a more lazy drive compared to the civic and would be better on longer journeys if it holds together but the FN2 will be more fun on track.
The DC5 is better than them all tbh though. The megane handles quite similar to the DC5 upt until 9/10ths but delivers its power in a different way being turbo.

[911p]

themanwithnoname said:

I've driven both and have an FN2 so am.....

It is the noise and power delivery that attracts me to the Honda. I have a mate with a new Fiesta ST which I've driven (1.6 turbo, 200bhp) and although it pulls hard, the delivery isn't particularly inspiring; the power curve is completely flat.

sinbad666 said:

Owned quite a few hondas incl DC5, driven.....

How would you compare the handling between the Megane and Civic? The DC5 seems to have the best handling, hence it must be a credit to the Megane if it's very similar. The CW model with LSD is out of my price range, but I could probably pick up a standard model for £6k and spend the rest on a decent geo and Quaife LSD.

[l80ous]

Drove my Fn2 to spain, and you cant take photos that look as good as these with a Megan.

[911p]

Let's not turn this into a picture thread now

[sinbad666]

As I say your splitting hairs, there just as good as each other but different. I found the FN2 firmer, sharper, with better steering feel, as for the megane i don't know if it was but I felt it had variable assistance which often felt over assisted and numbed the steering feel, however it was slightly better balanced up until 9/10ths and then it went abit squidgy and understeered and the diff was good out of the bends. ( this is where I felt the dc5 excelled) The dampers on the megane where good when the roads where smooth but got abit clunky on B roads, the civic was almost as good on firm roads and on B roads I found it would thud (over damped) but felt it also had a sense of quality about it as it never got unsettled, stiffer chassis maybe.
What I would say is that if your planning any sort of tuning the civic will be loads more fun! Especially if you already like the NA delivery. I modified most my hondas, had both 260bhp NA DC5 and 320bhp supercharged DC5 and I tuned my megane to 265bhp+ at RSTuning and still have access to a remapped megane 225 to compare. I always felt that even with basic breathing Mods the K20 engine comes alive, you feel and hear VTEC more and throttle response sharpens up loads. In the megane It always felt quicker than it actually was. Which could be a good or bad thing depending on your view. Also going from a DC5 to a bmw 130i I didn't notice too much difference in build except the DC5 felt more lightweight but it was an even bigger shock from the BMW to megane in the quality, plastics, electronics, even the sound of the doors closing. Don't get me wrong I think either choice would be good, I loved my megane, but I loved my hondas more, they always seemed to be more than the sum of there parts.

[DUMBO100]

I might possibly know of an 09 Black Fn2 for sale soon

[Feirny]

911p said:

What did you prefer about the R26? Trying to get a balanced viewpoint on this thread, but it's very much going the way of the Type-R at the moment!

Everything really, the driving position, the steering feel. It felt like I could push on and drive it that little bit harder.
The build quality of the Honda is better but I'm a RenaultSport fan and the R26 just feels right.
It does cost a bit to run and maintain but I knew that when buying it.
A few of my friends have even bought one since I got mine and all are equally impressed.