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Can't be arsed reading 18 pages of the Top Gear test results. It's called "entertainment" and contains the odd reference to cars. It’s no longer a true representation of motoring and more a light hearted view on the presenters opinions only.
People are taking it all so seriously and your always going to get people saying their cars better than the new one....purely because that is what they have. Yeah things move on. For me the FN2 is a better looking car and better to drive on a long run. It feels more solid and has a better feel to it. Suspension is a bit choppy but no big deal. Its a hot hatch! Seats are better than the EP3. I never let people get in the drivers side anyway as the seats don’t have a "memory" but then they didn’t have in the EP3 either and that annoyed me. I only need to set it the once then.
For anyone that doesn’t know me I had an 03 NHB CTR from new. It got heavily modified (NA) with 5 different sets of camshafts tested, was drag raced and tracked. I sold it back to the dealers a few months ago with 85K on it for a new FN2 NHB non-GT on 18's as I didn’t want aircon and the added weight of that and the gizmo's. I have driven and owned the EP3 so I know what the older car was like.
I have now got 6K on the FN2 and am very happy. Its more economical over a long run than the EP ever was and feels very lively in pretty much any gear. Steering feel is better and overall there is more space inside. Vtec changeover is smoothed out so you don’t get the lag. Ride as I said is a bit choppy on a bumpy road but I can live with that. Personally I think it could be lowered about 20mm and this would help as it feels the cars rolling a bit on fast corners.
Push the car hard on a corner and it does wash out, but then the EP3 did that. What its screaming out for is an LSD. £1K will get you a Quaife supplied and fitted then I honestly don’t think the standard or even lightly modified EP3 will live with it on a track. Brakes also feel a lot better as standard with is good.
There is the weight thing of course and this is a big issue if your comparing the 2 cars. I mentioned I have the Non GT, I also have the 18" rims. 19s look good, aircon is nice but all adds about a good 20-30kg.
Now as for power. Honda are quoting same figures as the older EP3. We all know that the K20A2 didn’t start loosening up until it had about 20K on the clock and never made book figures unless you had one of the very rare good-uns we have seen. I knew the car was pulling similar power if not more than my old EP3 even with the extra weight and had also heard figures banded around of dyno tests throwing up figures of 205-215bhp which I did think a bit optimistic.....until I attended a rolling road day recently at TDi North.
People will moan about dyno's not reading true numbers, finger in air figures but over the last few years and money invested in the software Paul’s dyno at TDi is reading pretty much same as the CPL and a couple of other Dyno Dynamics so can be used as a benchmark.
A standard EP3 IS reading 195-200bhp as seen many times.
My FN2, Totally standard made 211.9bhp/156.7ft/lb :twisted:
Now to put this into perspective, I made 211bhp with my EP3 with a GruppeM, Spoon catback and a Kpro.
Now imagine what you can get with a good basic NA setup on the newer engines. Couple that with an LSD and you will have a pretty potent package.
So to summarise, I have lived with an EP3 for 4 years and chopped it in for an FN2 and made the right decision. Better car to live with, better car to drive. My opinion anyway.
Stock FN2 tested on a CTR Dyno day.
People are taking it all so seriously and your always going to get people saying their cars better than the new one....purely because that is what they have. Yeah things move on. For me the FN2 is a better looking car and better to drive on a long run. It feels more solid and has a better feel to it. Suspension is a bit choppy but no big deal. Its a hot hatch! Seats are better than the EP3. I never let people get in the drivers side anyway as the seats don’t have a "memory" but then they didn’t have in the EP3 either and that annoyed me. I only need to set it the once then.
For anyone that doesn’t know me I had an 03 NHB CTR from new. It got heavily modified (NA) with 5 different sets of camshafts tested, was drag raced and tracked. I sold it back to the dealers a few months ago with 85K on it for a new FN2 NHB non-GT on 18's as I didn’t want aircon and the added weight of that and the gizmo's. I have driven and owned the EP3 so I know what the older car was like.
I have now got 6K on the FN2 and am very happy. Its more economical over a long run than the EP ever was and feels very lively in pretty much any gear. Steering feel is better and overall there is more space inside. Vtec changeover is smoothed out so you don’t get the lag. Ride as I said is a bit choppy on a bumpy road but I can live with that. Personally I think it could be lowered about 20mm and this would help as it feels the cars rolling a bit on fast corners.
Push the car hard on a corner and it does wash out, but then the EP3 did that. What its screaming out for is an LSD. £1K will get you a Quaife supplied and fitted then I honestly don’t think the standard or even lightly modified EP3 will live with it on a track. Brakes also feel a lot better as standard with is good.
There is the weight thing of course and this is a big issue if your comparing the 2 cars. I mentioned I have the Non GT, I also have the 18" rims. 19s look good, aircon is nice but all adds about a good 20-30kg.
Now as for power. Honda are quoting same figures as the older EP3. We all know that the K20A2 didn’t start loosening up until it had about 20K on the clock and never made book figures unless you had one of the very rare good-uns we have seen. I knew the car was pulling similar power if not more than my old EP3 even with the extra weight and had also heard figures banded around of dyno tests throwing up figures of 205-215bhp which I did think a bit optimistic.....until I attended a rolling road day recently at TDi North.
People will moan about dyno's not reading true numbers, finger in air figures but over the last few years and money invested in the software Paul’s dyno at TDi is reading pretty much same as the CPL and a couple of other Dyno Dynamics so can be used as a benchmark.
A standard EP3 IS reading 195-200bhp as seen many times.
My FN2, Totally standard made 211.9bhp/156.7ft/lb :twisted:
Now to put this into perspective, I made 211bhp with my EP3 with a GruppeM, Spoon catback and a Kpro.
Now imagine what you can get with a good basic NA setup on the newer engines. Couple that with an LSD and you will have a pretty potent package.
So to summarise, I have lived with an EP3 for 4 years and chopped it in for an FN2 and made the right decision. Better car to live with, better car to drive. My opinion anyway.
Stock FN2 tested on a CTR Dyno day.
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