I have to sell the WRX due to financial issues (basically my parents need help paying for school so i need to drop car payments pretty decently )
Problem being, i want something reliable, and something that is fun in it's stock form, fast means nothing to me any more, i just want it to be "fun". I'm gonna get to the point.

How is the EP3 to drive? I know there are some killer deals out there on them now...Some dealers have 02's on the lot even now, they were GIVING them away 6 months ago when they still had them, now the STARTING offer i got is very attractive, i can probably work them down some more. I'm just looking for general driving impressions, quirks, likes, dislikes, ergonomics, stereo, etc...Really only looking for stock impressions only, as that's how this car is going to stay for quite some time. Thanks for helping me out

 

I'm totally stock, still under 1000 mi., and loving the car. very solid, excellent fit and finish, very crisp shifting. handling is fine for what I'm currently doing with it; commuting, etc., and since it's still low miles, I'm not really flogging it, but I'm sure it will be fine when I need it. and, it does have torque. you've got to test drive it; you'll know then if it's right for you.

 

To be quite honest, I did not like the car at all in stock form. It wasn't until I put the suspension on the car that I really began to like it.

Power is ok and is plenty for a daily fun driver in stock form. However, those wheels/tires and the suspension (at least some $150 springs) needs to be done to get some enjoyment out of the car.

But that's just me. The only stock Honda I have ever liked was the Type R. If someone would have told me that I can get the EP3 but it must remain stock, I probably would have looked at something else.

 

I just got an 03'.

Mine is still stock @ the moment. It drives fine now, handles as good...if not better than my 99' Si coupe did w/springs, wheels and tires. Suspension is a must though IMO, and will be my cars first mod. Power is lacking compared to most of the 'upper' hondas i.e RSX-S and GSR. But, for what it is...its quite fine. With the addition of a header, exhaust, intake and maybe a hondata unit..it would be a kick *** little fun car. You're wanting the same thing I wanted and got, a car that is just fun.

Oh yeah, almost forgot. I just rolled over 2k. @ around 1500 i started to drive it a little harder. It is pretty kick *** on back curvy roads, pulls real good out of the apex. I can't wait to get my Tein set-up under it. (then wheels and tires of course)

 

the car is definitely a rough piece. it's drivetrain/suspension have the typical honda polish, but lack the cuts and angles of honda's more sporting predecessors - the gs-r, 6th gen si, etc.

I will say that this car stock was a better car than the 6th gen si I had prior. They're about the same speed, but the chassis is MUCH more solid on the ep3.

But you will be sorely disappointed in the wheels/tires that come stock, as well as the stock suspension. But all of that stuff is relatively easy to fix. I have about 320 dollars in suspension mods, and this car has AMAZING grip around turns. . . . well, including the wheels and tires, it's more like 1520 dollars in suspension mods. i have 225/50/15 tires, h&r sport springs, spc camber kit all around, and the rsx-s rear sway (20$ mod!)

Anyhow, i've had the car for over a year now, and i've racked up 50,000 miles on it. The engine runs perfectly, the clutch is holding strong. The only issue i've had really is an intermittent CEL that tells me my cat is operating below threshold efficency. But it resets itself after a hundred miles or so. It's most likely due to an exhaust leak i have between the cat & the exhaust midpipe.

 

So the type S rear sway was a noticeable mod? My buddy has an EP3 and I'm wanting to get a type R sway for my type S, so I was kinda interested in him trying out my rear sway. So you think he should try out my rear sway?

 

Put decent rubber on them and they are very fun.

brian g

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lube &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So the type S rear sway was a noticeable mod? My buddy has an EP3 and I'm wanting to get a type R sway for my type S, so I was kinda interested in him trying out my rear sway. So you think he should try out my rear sway?</TD></TR></TABLE>
yea def.
ep3 has 15mm . rsx has 19mm. huge difference if you ask me.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chunky &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the car is definitely a rough piece. it's drivetrain/suspension have the typical honda polish, but lack the cuts and angles of honda's more sporting predecessors - the gs-r, 6th gen si, etc.

I will say that this car stock was a better car than the 6th gen si I had prior. They're about the same speed, but the chassis is MUCH more solid on the ep3.

But you will be sorely disappointed in the wheels/tires that come stock, as well as the stock suspension. But all of that stuff is relatively easy to fix. I have about 320 dollars in suspension mods, and this car has AMAZING grip around turns. . . . well, including the wheels and tires, it's more like 1520 dollars in suspension mods. i have 225/50/15 tires, h&r sport springs, spc camber kit all around, and the rsx-s rear sway (20$ mod!)

Anyhow, i've had the car for over a year now, and i've racked up 50,000 miles on it. The engine runs perfectly, the clutch is holding strong. The only issue i've had really is an intermittent CEL that tells me my cat is operating below threshold efficency. But it resets itself after a hundred miles or so. It's most likely due to an exhaust leak i have between the cat & the exhaust midpipe.</TD></TR></TABLE>
yea. car is very nice , no problem
although i do not like stock tires we have but i will replace them later on.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lube &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So the type S rear sway was a noticeable mod? My buddy has an EP3 and I'm wanting to get a type R sway for my type S, so I was kinda interested in him trying out my rear sway. So you think he should try out my rear sway?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I tell you my experiences with the type-s rear sway.

I had the following mods prior to the type-s rear sway: wheels/tires, h&r springs, caber kit all around. The car had only moderate understeer with that setup. The back end would rotate a bit with lift throttle. With the 19mm rear, the car has even less understeer, and turns that once required some lift throttle action to go around now can be traveled at full throttle. Lift throttle now allows me to take 90 degree turns at +10mph v.s. what I could do before the rear sway.

So the 19mm rear sway is a great bargain for the price. I got mine for 20$, and i think new, they go for under 100 bucks easily. I will say however that I want the 22mm JDM rear sway or the mugen 24mm bar. I want the car to be almost perfectly neutral at full throttle.

 

Are you still on the stock struts? Was a camber kit necessary with the H&R springs? I've got Tein S-techs on my car, and my friend with the EP3 really likes the look of the drop and how much better it handles. Just to trying to get some feedback for him before he buys anything.

 

I'm still on stock struts. the H&r progressive rates match up very well with the HPV shocks (honda progressive valving).

I didn't have to have the camber kit, but, I wanted the adjustment in the front & rear. the ep3 is still within stock spec for camber in the rear at -1.5. The h&r springs only exceed that by a little, about -1.75.

I have nothing but positive comments about the h&r springs. perfect drop, EVEN drop front & rear (no saggy hatch look), the bottom coils have a plastic sleeve over them to prevent noise from coil contact. And they're a lot cheaper than the tien and a bit stiffer from what I hear.

 

I have 30,000 miles on my car and short of the 3rd gear syncro ring that needed to be replaced last week, (common issue) under warranty of course it's a dream, it looks and feels like new even after 30k and drives even faster.

People talk alot of trash about the stock tire setup but i can tell you unless you are auto crossing there is nothing that those tires can't handle on the road, I pushed the **** out of my car 60 on hard curve off ramps etc. car didn’t slip once, its just the confidence you must exude to trust the setup.


I did replace the stockies though /

 

you can only have as much confidence as those tires will let you. the stock suspension is capable of handling corners well, but the tires loose traction long before suspension setup becomes an issue. The first thing i did on my car was replace the tires. turns that were once 65mph turns were suddenly 80mph turns.

tires make a HUGE difference. the ep3 is horribly under equipped in that dept in stock trim. I'd even go so far as to say it's dangerous - the engine & chassis are capable of far more than the tires are, you could easily get into trouble with that setup. Better to have more grip than you could ever possibly use. :D

 

You guys do realize your talking to a (soon-to-be) former WRX owner, right?
You should see how bad the scooby owners complain about their stock RE-92s.
lol.

xjohnx, I was in the same boat. Traded in my WRX sedan for an Si, mainly just
to lower my payments/insurance a tad. It hurt, but it wasn't too bad.

The Si is kinda fun - for one, you can now do burnouts. The handling is
better, I think - I haven't taken it to an autoX or anything, but even with these
crappy stock tires, the car just feels lighter/more tossable. I think the interior
is nicer on the Si, plus I now have a sun/moonroof. And the usability of the
hatch is nice.

All in all, despite the groans I got when I went from Subaru-&gt;Honda (myself
included), I'm pretty happy. I put in a $55 (thanks Todd00!) rear sway bar from
an RSX and it noticeably improved the handling. Cheap mod that should have
been included stock. There seems to be a lot of potential, both turbo and swap
wise, giving me something to look forward to in the next 3-5 years. And for
the price, I really can't think of another car that equals the Si. (That is, if you
get the Si for 16,5 or under.)

 

I put in a $55 (thanks Todd00!) rear sway bar from
an RSX

yeah, and it's blingin' red too

19mm rear RSX bar is a great upgrade for the ep3.