Honda Civic Type R (EP3) or Focus ST

[Speedy369]

Hi all!

Im new to piston heads.

Can anyone offer me some help. I narrowed down my next car choice to either a Honda Civic Type R EP3 or a Ford Focus ST. I have been a passenger in both cars and think they’re both great.

Does anyone own these cars or know what they are like to live with on a day to day basis e.g. Fuel, servicing etc.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

[H_Kan]

I don't much like the new Civic Type R, would probably plump for the old breadvan shape Civic Type R.

The ST looks good but is meant to be very poor on the fuel.

[nottyash]

H_Kan said:

I don't much like the new Civic Type R, would probably plump for the old breadvan shape Civic Type R.

The ST looks good but is meant to be very poor on the fuel.

The EP3 is the breadvan shape.

Drive them both and buy the one you prefer

[Welshbeef]

Do you like to chase the red line lots? If yes CTR if not ST.

Fuel economy ST is renouned to be very poor mpg ie low 20's yet oddly in auto Volvo estates the same engine returns high 20's ... Doesn't make sense to me seems there is a LOT of joining done in the ST's.

If it's the breadvan fully independant all round whereas the new one doesn't.

[H_Kan]

nottyash said:

H_Kan said:

I don't much like the new Civic Type R, would probably plump for the old breadvan shape Civic Type R.

The ST looks good but is meant to be very poor on the fuel.

The EP3 is the breadvan shape.

Drive them both and buy the one you prefer

Ah, ok- in that case I'd say Civic all the way. One of my mates had this shape and really enjoyed it, in particular he seemed to like the Recaro seats and gear shift on it. One point to be aware was that ac wasn't standard so not all cars have that.

[Welshbeef]

I would go for the CTR BUT I would change the engine for a spoon power plant... That's mega

[Krise]

The ST is a thirsty car, I did 125k in mine in 18 months and my average mpg was 30.1, it's comfy, handles well and is quicker than a type r, except when the roads get very twisty.

I had a type r and did 10 k in it and found the seats to firm, the ride very crashy. Managed to get 34mpg out of it mind, but it did have cruise, something that the ST misses and would greatly improve the mpg on the motorway.

Both have similar running costs all round.

The ST however makes the better noise, the 5 cyl is great, if your not used to driving a vtec yo! It's hard to get used to thrashing it to get the best out of it.

Krise

To add also for a few hundred quid you can re maP the ST to over 260 bhp

Edited by Krise on Sunday 2nd January 19:28

[CaptainAhab]

Civic definitely. Great around town if pottering, easy to hoon (if you like revving), cheap to maintain.
Mpg is excellent, can easily get 35-40mpg on a run, 25-30 mixed driving.

Stereo is crap! Not many toys and as mentioned AC is a cost option so not all come with it.


Mine still puts a smile on my face every time I drive it!

[p4cks]

ST would get my vote. Just not in ABSOrange.

Never been a big fan of the VTEC engines, yo.

[r1ch]

I guess its largely down to which power delivery you prefer. I think i prefer the civic, its cheaper too.

[nottyash]

I would probably go for this
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2208523.htm

Its cheaper than the other two and not so many around. I imagine it shouldnt be too difficult to get more power from it either.

[vryes]

I had a CTR a while back, engine is amazing as long as you don't mind reving it. Its bullet proof as long as its got the right oil in and has the all important FSH. Can get a bit loud if you do a lot of motorway miles though.

If you're planning on doing big miles I would recommend Golf GTi or Octavia vRS, but for back road thrashing nothing beats a CTR.

[ClintonB]

Welshbeef said:

Do you like to chase the red line lots? If yes CTR if not ST.

Fuel economy ST is renouned to be very poor mpg ie low 20's yet oddly in auto Volvo estates the same engine returns high 20's ... Doesn't make sense to me seems there is a LOT of joining done in the ST's.

If it's the breadvan fully independant all round whereas the new one doesn't.

There is a certain amount of plop talked about ST fuel consumption. Those who moan the hardest (and talk of low or even sub 20 mpg) often tend to be those who do 90% urban miles, didn't go into things with open eyes (financially) or who plain old just can't drive properly.

There's no pretending it is great & if you do mostly urban stuff then due to the nature of VTEC Yo!, the Civic will be better. However, in a more varied mix of driving, the variation might not be as big as would generally be suggested. I'd say the variation then would be somewhere around 3-5mpg under similar circumstances (based on 130k miles across the 2 cars). Generally around 25-27mpg in the ST and 29-31mpg in the Honda for me.

With current fuel prices, some might say that's high enough to be a factor. However, the other thing to consider in relation to running costs is the differences elsewhere. Servicing & parts are more expensive for the Honda (from memory) and even though they're in the same insurance group, I was looking at an extra £400 - £500 pa insurance had I kept the Civic.


OP - The best advice has already been given. Think about what you want (they are quite different) and then have a good test drive in both. You'll know then which is best for you.

[doodles19]

CTR FTW.


The End.

[twazzock]

Krise said:

The ST is a thirsty car, I did 125k in mine in 18 months

230 miles a day, every day, for a year and a half?

[Welshbeef]

No spoon engine fans on PH then??

[Ordinary_Chap]

The CTR is a lot better of a drivers car than the ST.

The ST is more of a torquey cruise, softer, more toys and comfort than the CTR.

CTR everytime for me.

[Mr2Mike]

Krise said:

The ST is a thirsty car, I did 125k in mine in 18 months and my average mpg was 30.1,

That is a pretty good average IMO considering the car.

[Defcon5]

Mr2Mike said:

Krise said:

The ST is a thirsty car, I did 125k in mine in 18 months and my average mpg was 30.1,

That is a pretty good average IMO considering the car.

Yeah, friend has one, currently averaging 23mpg.

[thehappyotter]

Welshbeef said:

Do you like to chase the red line lots? If yes CTR if not ST.

Fuel economy ST is renouned to be very poor mpg ie low 20's yet oddly in auto Volvo estates the same engine returns high 20's ... Doesn't make sense to me seems there is a LOT of joining done in the ST's.

If it's the breadvan fully independant all round whereas the new one doesn't.

There isn't hardly a part shared between the Focus/C30 T5 engine and the V70/Big Volvo T5 engine. They're totally different, T5 just referring to them being turbocharged 5 cyl engines.

My ST's average currently reads at 21.4mpg. The average in my works V70 currently reads 13.something. It's definitely how they're driven that makes the most difference!