Tale of Two Hondas: ’20 Honda & ’02 Type R Civics Battle it Out
Lads of Throttle House trot out the newest Type R to meet a 2002 EP3 Type R to see which among them is Best Type R of all.
Do you remember what you were doing in 2002? Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 50 years on the throne. New England beat St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI. And Honda sent a few K20A engines on a round trip to Swindon, England to power the JDM-spec EP3 Type R. Once the completed cars brought the engines back to Japan, the togues came to life with the sound of music.
Eighteen years later, Type R fans in the United States have theirs at last.
It certainly looks the part of a track terror, and has the chops to back it up. But how does the FK8 era compare to the EP3 era? Thomas Holland and James Engelsmann of YouTube channel Throttle House decided to find out on the country roads of Canada.
“The envy of Europe and North America, the more aggressive JDM Type R retained its helical LSD from the previous gen,” said Engelsmann, “and the red Recaro race seats. But most significant of all, it got the Made in Japan (but shipped to England) 212-horsepower K20A VTEC engine.”
Meanwhile, as Holland says, some Civic fans aren’t fans of the current Type R, either because they haven’t driven one yet, they did drive it, or “they have eyes that work.” Yet, even he wonders if the big blue machine could live up to one of the greatest hot hatches ever built.
“What can I say about the Type R,” said Holland, “other than kind of what I’ve said before: you have to drive one of these just to understand how good it is […] Completely throw away everything you think you know about rear-wheel drive and front-wheel drive […] It’s not which wheels are driven. It’s how the car is set up. And the Type R, from factory, is set up so well.”
Holland’s statement applies to both Hondas. The EP3 is set up differently compared to the big blue beast today, though. For one, it’s naturally aspirated, whereas the FK8 is turbo’d. Another point, per Engelsmann, is it asks you to be “more accurate with your shifts, more purposeful with your throttle input.” The whole affair is driver-focused, too, including the shifter’s three-inch placement from the driver’s left hand.
“When we drive the old versus new, sometimes we find that the character is lost when you go back or forth,” said Englesmann. “But these two are birds of a feather. Everything about it is driving experience: vibrations, noises, intake sounds, driver involvement — something we’ve lost in so many cars. It’s so awesome to go back in time and see that the Type R stayed true to its roots.”
As for which one the hosts would choose to drive, though, Holland opts for the EP3. For him, the old-school Honda offers the “frantic Honda experience” its small size and light weight deliver to fans. Meanwhile, Englesmann chooses the FK8 for its refinement, ease of driving, and its retainment of fun and value. We think everyone wins, no matter which Type R they choose.
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