The 2004 Honda Civic Si Is a Quirky, Forgotten Hot Hatchback
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2022
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Honda Civic Si review! The EP3 Honda Civic was a quirky, interesting hot hatchback -- and today, I'm reviewing it. I'm going to show you all the quirks and features of this unusual car, and I'll also drive the EP3 Civic Si hatchback and show you what it's like behind the wheel.
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my favorite part about this car was the rear wiper fluid mechanism. it basically sprayed backwards into a shield that reflected it back onto the rear window. well my 'shield' fell off and the rear wiper fluid just blasted backwards like 15 feet. was amazing for being tailgated and watching people turn their wipers on in confusion.
Mine does this 😂 I squirt my friends when they follow me
omfg, I need this
need a anti tailgate water gun in my life
Bond. James Bond.
Haha all cars should come with that feature
70-year-old Grandma buying a civic SI with a performance package. Definitely a very cool Grandma
Grandma Dynamite 🚙💨🧨
Or a grandma with a late-life crisis.
she wasnt 70 when she bought it nearly 20 years ago
@@schizofennec 8:13
Just rewatched it. She(old lady) bought it in her seventies, and sold it in her eighties)
@@kevintang5473 ‘Tis facts 👌
Love these more common car reviews from Doug. I know supercars are probably better clickbait, but these common man cars are what keep me coming back. Nice work, Doug 👍
These are probably better Clickbait from actual enthusiasts
Agree! This is a type of car many of his viewers are actually interested and able to get. I've always liked that they were distinctive in comparison to other civics of the era.
I don't even watch the supercar videos (unless it's a weird supercar like the Vector W8).
This should be a Hoovie's Garage episode.
Nothing about this is common. Shut up.
My parents used a 2002 version as a daily driver, and I learned to drive on it! Not only that, but they got it in limited edition "pee yellow" as my mom called it. Such a fun ride, especially with the shifter like that, even if I mostly was in the back seat and that kind of sucked. My dad always said the shifter was "rally style", not quite sure how true that is. Still chasing after the drive this car gave, my Mazda kind of works but still nothing has matched up.
Your dad was right! It’s a rally inspired placement for the shifter, so it’s quick to grab close to the steering wheel
These were type R here in the UK which had 200bhp. Engine, drive train and gear change were beautiful. Very well engineered and mega fast once the revs were 5500rpm. Great car
nah hondas aint fast (in a straight line) its on a track where they open the can of whoopass.
Here in the USA the were slow since they got the base model rsx engine and trans just has an aluminum intake to spice it up a bit haha
"Mega Fast"
You also had the Si in UK as the type S i would believe. Also "in a straight line" is rarely used in europe beside germany, our roads almost always have corners.
this si is the type s but with some type r body panels and seats. the type s had the same engine and 5 doors
I had the EP3 type R in the UK. The engine and gearbox combo was fantastic, and handling superb. This was the hot hatch that changed the rules… nothing would touch this in the same price bracket. These were selling for 17k new. Pound for pound one of the best cars ever made by Honda. It’s still regarded as the best Type R by many… shame the US only got the Si…
I agree
True, but the US got the Acura TSX (Accord mk7) with a V6 engine choice. We only got the k24a3, even their K24 was the a2 version with VTEC on both the intake and exhaust camshafts. So it's swings and roundabouts really
a good low milage one is about £16k and up nowadays!!!
Thankfully the next generation Si in the US got the 8,000 RPM K20Z3
@@anthonybelton-ford3124 v6 tsx were auto only though (and honda v6 autos eat themselves)
you want the larger 3.2 TLs or the 3.5 TL Type S with the 6 speed manuals, which have LSD and bremboes ;)
This was the first manual car I ever owned, and learned stick on. It was such a versatile champ, drop the backseats for makeshift overnight camping, and the backseat was actually pretty spacious to haul friends around.
I love how doug takes his time to review little gem and affordable cars like this, when he can so easily just do super cars. thanks doug never change :)
this is a super car lol
joking, but its absolutely a relic
Yeah idk, he raises up the prices of these cars and makes them not affordable with his auction site
@@jordanhill4870 ua-cam.com/video/KFVDCSgQNwc/v-deo.html
@@uglyjihad ua-cam.com/video/KFVDCSgQNwc/v-deo.html
He’s getting paid
I had a black 03’ EP3 just like this minus I put a type R body kit on it. I loved it dearly. Had a nicely built Frankenstein motor swap (the K20A3 is fine but so much better with a K24) , 6 speed swap. LSD. Peakboost turbo… fuuuuck I miss that car. Was such a fun build and an even more fun drive. And despite the hate on it, I loved the shifter mounted on the dash.
Edit also fun fact- the front seats were actually made by recaro. The reason they were not branded so, is to keep the cost of the vehicle down
shifter is what i love too
I bet this car sells of over 40k
ahahahaha, our neighbor has this exact black one next door and parked on our driveway all the time. i ask him about it and he says he's trying to get his daughter to learn manual so she can drive it. 😂🤣
I have one (just the 1.6 vtec though). I love the shifter on the dash
Sounds like a ripper
Kudos to the owner. Definitely well preserved. I remember when this model came out
Me too. These took me a few years to love. They were a huge departure from the previous gen. B to K. Coupe to Hatch. Losing the 8k redline was a huge deal. Even if this was a more usable 160hp. I remember loving that shifter location when I test drove one back in the day lol. Took some getting use to for sure though.
@Skip Baseless agree. They got a lot of flack for this one at the time. Was not crazy about it at the time. But now I feel it's aged much better than the prev. Gen.
@Skip Baseless not the case in Europe.
Here in EU this gen civic was also sold as the the type R and it had the last ever high revving engine from Honda if we don’t count the s2000
Yeah they messed up by not giving the car the K20A2
@@J.Wick. ua-cam.com/video/KFVDCSgQNwc/v-deo.html
That car was the most unloved back in the day even though it was amazing. My sister had an ep1 90hp 1.4 sport with factory type R suspension. It was extremely awesome. The ep3 type R is still today one of the most fun cars money could buy.
The Type-R of them with 200hp were great, so much fun to drive, controlable and safe lift off oversteer and so adjustable, great great car!
And it should stay forgetable, nothing compared to golf
@@markoblagojevic56 The Ep3 Civic Type R especially here in the UK is a very popular car with a great 2.0 NA 197hp engine, regarded as one of the best handling fwd hot hatches. The Mk4 golf was terrible and the mk5 is a good car but still not as quick even being turbocharged or as fun so wrong to suggest they were better.
@@markoblagojevic56 You must be from the US and not into cars lol, Type R this gen was much better than GTi, Golf R32 was comparable but more expensive.....
He just drives on straight roads of America
@@markoblagojevic56 The Golf isn't even all that great wtf lol
Living in California when this car was available, was really the hot item among the tuner crowd. Lots of great items like turbos, highly tuned suspension, ground effects and a host of outasite goodies that made this the model to have.
Not sure I can agree... this SI model made my 2000 Si sedan go up in value.
@@mrkang4080 I didn't say it made them any more valuable. Only that they were the choice of all the tuner and modifiers. And obviously, while they were big on all that, I have to agree it did nothing a as far as value.in fact when the were available for sale, they were generally trashed and abused.
What about the previous générations of Civic in California ?
@@julienbee3467 Honda has always been the tuners choice. Even since the 80's and before. But here in the S.F.bay area, it was king👍🏼
Ya Noone was fucking with them in ny. It was to heavy and Noone bought them. And people who bought them ended up getting rid of them.
Doug forgot to mention the two mote cup holders beneath the shifter giving this hatch a total of 4 cupholders and there’s even some space beneath those cupholders and also above the radio and on the side of the parking brake and the two pockets on the side lf the doors. As an owner of a civic 7 gen hatch, I truly love how spacious and practical this small hatch is
You do know you can use a comma, instead of saying and so many times
@@corpsenugget455 I apologize, English is not my native language.
There's also the carpet lined pocket underneath the driver side pocket/cup holder. Before i bought my 05, i never heard anyone talk about that fun lil pocket
@@Salsa_ Yeah, I love that pocket, you can hide little things there and no even knows this pocket exist unless they had this civic
@@user-ex1yk6ky5o oh ok my bad
I love this body style the most from this generation of civics. And the fact that these ep3s are rare makes them even more desirable to me
Nice to see Doug review more affordable cars at times.
Right. Doug just doubled the price of every existing ep3
They’re not affordable after Doug reviews them 🥲
What I've always liked about Hondas isn't that they're fast, but that they feel fun and quick and have what Jeremy Clarkson called "a sense of urgency". He even credited that version as having more sense of urgency than the generation after it even though it has way less HP. Even my old 87 and 88 Accords felt fun and had a sense of urgency only to find out they had just under 90 hp.
I whip my ep3 through city with some extra urgency... No idea why but it's just so tossable
But miataaaaaa
the next generation (european Type R, FN2) had exactly 1 HP more (201) :)
Most of the the late 80's-2000's Hondas had double wishbone suspension on all 4 corners, which gave them an extra 'quirkiness'. I've owned over 7 civics in that 88-2000 era and they all kicked ass at the auto-x.. I remember the SCCA bumped our EM1 civics (99-00si's) up a class in 2000 because the 99's were dominating the class.. I don't know if that was a nation wide thing or if it was local..? Either way those double-wishbone hondas really kicked ass in corners and then the turbo K motor swaps made them drag-strip nightmares.
@@Alien36 ua-cam.com/video/KFVDCSgQNwc/v-deo.html
First car I ever owned - absolutely loved it. Learned to drive stick on it. Learned a bit of electrical, a bit of wrenching/maintenance. Drove wonderfully. Now I only wish I could find an unmolested one to buy as nostalgia
I learned on mine too last year lol, its fun and handles great - compared to my Tacoma. Mine's a 2005 ep3 si, 71,000 miles, quite low. Stock everything except rear "wing" and I'm going to replace all the control arm bushings and maybe struts if they go bad.
HAHAHAHA The added "more horsepower" line is the funniest thing I've ever seen in your videos.. That's just the cutest.. I hope she enjoyed the SHIT out of her car :)
I mean, she probably bought that one because she preferred the hatchback to the sedan, and they sold her on the performance package.. but still, if she got joy out of it, all the power to her!
I used to work at an Acura dealership as a lot guy... Once I was moving a car that someone just bought and the owner left sales chat notes in it, one line said "VTECH (spelled just like that) like turbo but better mpg"
People had the "typeR" version of this model in Europe with around 200 HP.Was a very good hot hatchback.
And in Europe definitely not forgotten
@@joedimaggio9444 Im from europe and still today this is great car the type r version with 200 hp and is price is climb up in the last years.
They can be pretty expensive now.They were that good!
@@joedimaggio9444 From what I read ,they gone up in value!A very light Type R!
Yeah the EP3 is a great car
The EP3 was my first new car purchase. Wasn’t fast but it sure was fun. The shifter on the dash was actually in a good position. The drivers side cup holder was fantastic.
It's weird to use the shifter for a minute but you get used to it really fast and wish more cars did it.
I've been trying to find the old owner of my 2002 EP3 for a long time. You should try and find the new owner of your car just to see where it is now!
Thats the thing with Hondas. They are not "fast" (for today standards) but they always have been very fun to drive and to ME, that's the more important thing.
I got talked out of buying a brand new 05 from my buddy who had a 2000 S2000. He was telling me “it’s trash, slow and had a stupid shifter.” He kept telling me to wait for the new gen. The salesman at Rock Honda Fontana, Ca said he had located one in Taffeta White. I wound up buying an 05 Civic Sedan EX in Satin Silver Metallic which I kept for 13 yrs. Oh, I did end up buying a brand new 08 FA5 in Taffeta White.
Was my first new car too. $16k OTD. Just wish it had the same engine the RSX Type S had but it was a great car. Had it for 12 years and wish I didn't sell it now
I've got an EP3 Type-R and I have to say I love it.
The gear leaver is actually closer to the steering wheel than in normal cars, so that is great for quick gear changes.
The seats in this Si model are from pre-lift models of type-R (2000-03). That's why they are green. Lift models (2004-05) have a red center which helps with the looks.
Got myself a garaged/minted 8K rpm stock ep3 Type R for EU market last year and I remember looking up for a Doug DeMuro ep3 quirky video and here it is now! I can't believe it, amazing to see this one on your channel. Mind blowing how they had a factory performance package, what a rare little gem for USA with a wholesome background
Let's just appreciate the no BS video's Doug makes. I have yet to see (Clickbait titles, selling us junk and all the other annoyance of YT). A man, a car and good information.
Doug: the Si is the high-performance EP3
EP3 Type-R: am I a joke to you?
you nailed two things in yor post:
not remotely funny
not remotely original
nice score Thatguy
@@slowery43 thanks, your opinion means so much to me
Not sold, not available in USA, of course type-r better. Only Europe and Japan.
Fun fact: the EP3 was built in Swindon England in the very same factory that produced spitfires for the Royal Air Force during WWII. Unfortunately Honda had to close that plant a couple years ago and not sure what it is today
The wierd part of the shifter is that you're used to seeing a trans tunnel or at least a mock one in fwd coupes, directly under it, which is where it would usually be. The motor in this car is transverse so the transmission is off to the left or right, so it probably even makes more sense to have it more forward.
0:01 intro
1:52 overview
3:03 engine
4:30 price and exterior
8:48 Interior
11:50 back seats
12:57 boot
14:44 driving
18:52 conclusion
🤔
First like and during you writing
It’s been only 6 minutes
Ty
19:29 Fart
19:34 Urinating
20:03 Additional farting.
20:09 Exasperated Sighs.
I liked these when they came out. I remember a friend of a friend bought one new and the dealership was heavily discounting them because they weren't selling. Hatchbacks are great
I suspect they didn't sell well because they were more expensive, less practical (only 2 doors), and required premium fuel vs the Mazda 3 hatch that had the same power and a nicer interior.
@@stephenj4937 the ep3 actually called for only 87 octane, because it has a k20a3.
@@stephenj4937 it didnt sell well because anyone with that kind of money was buying the rsx type s which had the k20a2 vs the economy bs a3 they put in the ep3
It calls for regular, actually.
My cousin got one of these new at the time at it was cheaper than the EX coupe model.
Woah Doug! I have this car as an 05' in Blue and absolutely fell in love with in in HS when it came out for me. It wasn't until my 30s that I found one for sale in stock condition - What a gem of a car. Thanks for spot lighting it.
Hey Doug! The segment also included the 2003 & 2003.5 Mazda Protégé MAZDASPEED edition! Despite being a 4 door, it was comparable in horsepower and price range, also in weight class!
Thanks Doug for making the price of EP3s jump 35% 👍
🤣🤣🤣
I just got one at the beginning of the month and told my lady Doug just did me a solid
Yay
Yeah, wish he did this right before they were assessing the value of my totaled one. Totally got ripped off by insurance.
What’s interesting about this car is that it was developed in Europe. So it is extremely stable at high speeds due to its time spent on the German autobahn. Truly is a gem of a car. My brother had one for years and he loved it. The type R was the same body style but just had the better motor. VTEC in these was only on the intake camshaft. In fact I the believe the K20A3 was the same engine as in the base Acura RSX
the base rsx k20a3 has the plastic intake manifold and the better oil pump, whereas the ep3 has the better aluminum intake manifold but the worse oil pump
@@lafave2555 did not know that! Interesting. I wonder why they gave the k20 in the SI a worse oil pump. That seems like a oversight. Also didn’t know about the intake. I remember looking at my brothers seeing the metal intake manifold but didn’t realize it was exclusive to the si
Wasn't the RSX just the Integra or the Civic Euro Trac or something like that
"i-VTEC" and it was only on the intake.
@@itscochino in the US, the DC5 integra was renamed to RSX. So yes it was the same as the 01-06 Integra, with similar engine options as other markets
Man!!! Your enthusiasm is contagious. Love your videos.
Currently have this car as my daily driver. My uncle got it when it came out in California. About 2 years ago he and my dad drove it all the way from cali to Massachusetts. I love it so much. I even learned to drive in it. 💜💜
I have a friend that bought one brand new same color and I love the stick shift lever like a rally car .He replaced his previous jewel CRX SI w/it and I believe he still drives it , fun cars and well built
I lucked out and bought a 2002 Civic SI for $1000 two years ago and was a rust free car that just needed an AC bearing. Love the styling, practicality and great visibility. Just a terrific car that I wish Honda would make again.
They did, fk 7 and fk8 is the direct decentan to this. But sadly the UK plant is closed down.
@@SHADOWBONELESS Exactly, even more because it's body style is in line with older Civics including universally loved EK9. Euro civics better embodied Civic spirit than sedan versions for the rest of the world.
How on earth did you ever find a Civic Si EP3 for a grand??? 😮 Was it a flood car? Fire car? Salvage title? Rebuilt title? Total loss??
I bought an 03 and learned to drive stick with it. Was a fun little car for sure. Ended up trading it for an 08 Si years later.
These are pretty special. Went to a car show and sat in one when new, the seats and shifter feel are really really good.
I had a silver 2005 model from 2012-2016. It was my first car and I loved it! It taught me how to work on cars ! It was slow but so much fun to drive on mountain roads. I actually bought the very last HFP rear spoiler that Honda had in stock for the ep3 it cost me like $600 😅 but anyway I only sold the car because I wanted a rwd car.. sold for a FC RX7 that lost compression after 1 week of ownership lol and my EP3 got totaled in a car wreck by the guy I sold it to 😞 I would’ve loved to buy it back. Someday I’d like to import a Type r ep3 to daily! Also on another note 10 years ago no 99% of the Honda community from my experience didn’t like the Ep3 they also got hate because of the engine. But the EP3 owners club was awesome and prob one of the best car communities!
For some context, those seats are the same seats from the pre face lift 01-03 Civic Type-R, European model. The only difference is that the ones in the Type-R have the Type-R logo sewn into the head rest section, just under the hole at the top. Those were the only ''sports'' seats available for the EP3 at the time, I'm surprised they didn't have SI stitched in instead.
Red Recaros FTW 🙌🏻
The seats were also the same on the S2000 but leather
YT is getting eerily good with their recommendations. I have an 02 swapped and converted to 04-05 JDM Type R spec. I took it out for a rip this morning since I haven't done so in well over a month. Every time I do so I fall in love with the car again. Bought mine in stock form for college 15 years ago. It's a love hate relationship with these cars from the import crowd. I'm glad I still have my little gem.
Nice review, Doug! I had a 2005 Civic Si hatch in silver I absolutely loved. It was cool because it was fun to drive and it was indeed rare, as Doug said. Not fast but reasonably quick and fun to toss around.
We had two young sons at the time and they would have outgrown the backseat before too long, so I traded it for a new 2007 CRV and almost immediately regretted it. The CRV was a great family car (and we were coaching youth baseball at the time, so it was great for hauling the team’s gear) but it was so boring to drive. I hated it. It pretty much ruined SUVs for me forever.
Anyway, of the dozen or so cars I’ve owned, that Si remains my 2nd favorite, right after my ND1 Miata. I see one in silver parked sometimes in a friend’s neighborhood. I keep thinking I should slip a note under a windshield wiper asking the owner to please call me if and when they ever want to sell it!
This car reminds me of the 2nd gen CRX a buddy of mine had back in the day. Really modern styling for it's time, easy to park and good build quality. They drove very good too since they weren't as tall as a hatchback. You should definitely review one here on the channel if you haven't. 91 was I believe the last model year of these.
The Type-R of this generation is a gem
Timing is impeccable on this one, I genuinely started to get interested in looking for one of these after owning an EM1 Civic SI a few years back. Need me some of that Honda high-revs again 😌
I’ve owned one of these for over a year now. I absolutely love it. Super fun to drive, just fast enough to be fun, low maintenance cost and really reliable. Simple and pure. Great choice for a car enthusiast on a budget or in general.
My buddy has one of these and nobody gives it a second look. It will be the next civic to go up in value
In the UK these got a proper 197hp engine with a proper 8k+ redline and sold like crazy. Loads of them in every car meet in the early 2010s. They're still very popular today and prices are starting to rocket on them.
I love mine 😊
Man, what a throwback. My friend had one of these back in high school (not HFP trim, just the Si hatch). His had an aftermarket two-tone paint job on it, where it would shift from green or purple depending on the light it was in. We all called it "The Barney car"
The seats didn't start green. They must have gone that way over the years. I had one of these for 8 years. Even did a K24a2 swap and then supercharged it. Also autocrossed it lots. The true definition of bulletproof.
They came green from the factory. The face-lift seats in the UK were red instead of green too.
And all versions in the UK had Type R stitched into the seat.
There goes my dude Doug, bringing back nostalgia on Sundays!!!
One of the nicest Civic's imo.
No such thing as a nice civic
"nicest civic's" what?
@@jjlegend3922 it is not my favourite Honda, ( i am not really a Japanese car fan ) but i like this Civic.
@@jjlegend3922 and btw why so angry immediately?
I’m just a young mexican stoner that smokes weed on my UA-cam channel, tryna me it out the hood One Day👌 When i look at the top where all the successful people are… there isn’t NO mexicans bro😭
I had one of these for a couple years! Handled wonky (for a civic any way) but the console mounted shifter was amazing and the K20 sounded so damn good, even with the stock exhaust. I Ioved it so much and regret selling it every day.
@@ComedyTVWeb you boomers need to go back to watching Scotty Kilmer
Doug! I have this Si not sure if its just me but i love the drivers side cup holder in front of the AC vent because on cold days it keeps my drinks warm and on hot days it keeps my drinks cold!
When Doug said that the original owner was an old lady, it reminded me of my middle school English teacher, who also drives a Civic Si as her daily driver to this day. Not an EP3 though, although a classmate of mine had one in high school.
My wife is a school psychologist, 18 years in to her career, and she drives a 2020 Civic Si. She wanted a fun manual car to drive to work that was good on gas. Perfect match.
Hopefully my significant other will be an enthusiast
I loved the heck out of my high school English teacher! She driver her Harley to school some days - in all leathers - and always mused about the different men who were trying to tie her into a relationship. 🤣 She was amazing! Also, I honestly imagined driving my EP3 to the grave and thought about what I’d look like as an old Betty in my Lil Blue Devil. 🥰
wow no one came here to hear about your supposed middle school teacher.. why on earth would you think anyone but you would be remotely interested in hearing about your middle school teacher? This isn't the Tell us about Louis mdille school teacher" channel
@@slowery43 I was interested to hear that people you'd expect to be boring drive not boring cars. My 8th grade math teacher drove a Chrysler Sebring. She was the only middle school teacher whose car I knew. I knew all of my high school teachers' cars, you'd be surprised what some of them drove.
"dude, i sold the civic si to an old lady"
"No way"
"WITH the performance package" - the sales guy who is now the manager probably
I drive the 2002 SI, I love the positioning of the shifter and my favorite feature is the cup holder to the left of the steering wheel right in front of the air vent. The worst part is the black on black can get terribly hot especially if you’re parking it on the street.
I was about to comment how my 2003 ep3 was a God tier cup holder on the left that makes me never want to sell it 😂
That’s great doug my favorite that I have been waiting for you to review.
I had this but the ep3 2004 Type-R version. 200hp stock, mine was 242hp modded. Drove it 100 000km and knew it well, so its fun to see Doug reviewing it, even if this is not exact same model as mine, was black too.
I was looking for this comment because I think Doug said the Si was the high performance Civic :)
Unfortunately the US didn't get the type -R version...😪
Always loved these and wanted one. The shifter placement is great
I used to drive a Jazz (EU Fit) from this generation and everything about it was awesome. It was practical, performant, handled well and it was super reliable. If I had the option to get a Civic Si in this condition I'd absolutely go for it
I just bought one of these in January! It’s a 2005 model in the OEM blue and aside from some paint fading and chips on the bumper, it’s in great condition with only 96K miles right now. It’s my daily driver and it’s such a fun, zippy car. I can’t see myself ever selling it.
I've been waiting for a RSX TYPE S A-Spec but this was cool too! Didn't know this package existed, very cool
I enjoy the description of "quirks" and interesting features in these vehicles. It keeps me coming back to this channel.
My buddy bought one of these brand new in 2003 while we were in high-school. I was so jealous. I considered one in blue but was surprised to see the placement of the shift knob and was turned off by the hatch body. I ended up with a red Lx coupe. Loved it.
In Portugal we have those as the EP3 Type-R, powered by the K20A Engine with 200hp, 6 speed manual. We also have the "normal" versions of it, 3 ou 5 door, from a 1.4 litre, to a 1.7 CDTI Diesel (acctually an Isuzu powerplant).
The fact that Honda would put an Isuzu engine in their Civic shows that it must be a reliable unit.
@@foxwithtubesox1075 nah, its because Honda didnt have their own diesel engine until later.
@@foxwithtubesox1075 Isuzu diesels were used in Vauxhalls/Opel's in Europe, Honda didn't have any diesels and tbh honda engines weren't great either, by European standards they are thirsty and slow.
It was the beginning of the end for Honda in Europe.
Only Japan had the K20A, European type Rs had a k20a2
I've owned a 1.7 ctdi isuzu model for 9 years before i found myself a mint type R last year. I drove that 1.7 from 140.000km (bought from dad) till 344K km before the clutch gave up literally drove 200.000km without anything but a flat tire from driving country roads, that 1.7 ctdi sport model kicks ass. I drove many cars from audi to bmw from that age and nothing drives like that civic
EP3 Type Rs are everywhere in the UK and are highly regarded as the best Type R
Not as common as they once were though. A lot probably got written off.
Mine is completely standard, almost rust free and sat on the drive now.
Great little car.
I have an ep3 2003 and I love it.
Depending on the package ordered they came with 4 lug 15 inch wheel, I upgraded to 16×7.
Great review Doug!!!
Spends whole video talking about how cool this model is, then gives it a 3 for cool factor on the Doug score 😂
I currently own an 04 ep3 type r (I'm from the UK) and I absolutely love the way it drives and feels in the corners. The type r model came with 197 bhp as standard so it's still not fast but what we call nippy or quick.
Still got my 03 EP3 from UK out in AU with me now since 2009. It's been running around the 240 hp mark since 2006 (lots of NA tuning) and it hasn't missed a beat. These were the K20A3 engines in the Si rather than the K20A2 in the EDM Type-R's and Acura RSX Type-S's (USDM Integra)
definitely wished the us received the type r variant. A friend brought over a type r from germany while living here, it was very cool.
Mine is also a 2004. Satin Silver. Wonderful little car.
I have a 2002 EP3 and I love it. It's fun easy to work on. It's hard to find certain parts since its not super common. I almost never see them on the road and I like that, its original and unique.
Where can you find parts??? I need interior parts
I had one of these back in the day and I agree it had a great clutch good clutch. Very reliable clutch.
What was your favorite part of the car?
@@wb6004 The clutch apparently
These are so much fun and I was seriously considering buying one, this video was a pleasant surprise to wake up to
Honestly well worth the money i love mine
Well you better act now before they go way up in value
Always had a soft spot for these
11:00 reminds me of my '76 Rabbit, the under-dash knee bolster had cool storage spaces for cassette tapes, sunglasses, gloves and such. The shifter reminds me of being an exchange student in Germany in the 80's and learning how to shift a Renault 2CV, that car's lever came out of the dashboard, push in, pull out, rotate, crazy!
I always had 2-door Rabbits. The 4-door had regular front seatbelts, retractor mechanism on the outside with the triangle ring on the B pillar, and no knee bolster. The 2-door ('76 to '78 only IIRC) had the retractor inboard for the shoulder strap, it buckled in at the top of the rear of the door frame. So you'd open the door, slide under the shoulder belt, close the door, then there was a separate lap belt you'd buckle in. Outboard retractor like a normal seatbelt, buckle next to the parking brake, like a normal seatbelt. The knee bolster was required in case someone forgot to buckle in the lap belt. The 4-doors didn't have this (nor did the pickup), because the front doors were shorter so having an anchor point on the door instead of the B pillar wouldn't fit right. So they didn't have the awesome knee bolster / parcel shelf one could retrofit to any pre-1980 Rabbit (in my case, awesome upgrade on a '79 Rabbit Diesel Pickup I wish I still owned, crazy what those are selling for). I think this was an option on the 2-doors called "Passive Restraint System."
Later cars from a variety of manufacturers had the fixed shoulder belt, but those were track-mounted and slid forward to ease entry/exit. Regardless, this sort of thing disappeared as quickly as they appeared, because airbags.
I was in 4th grade when this car was new and they weren't common then. I did have a Hot Wheels (still have it somewhere in the basement) of this car that had a relatively mild body kit and bigger exhaust on it, so I always liked it even if it was a bit underwhelming performance wise, and had the weird dash mounted minivan-like shifter placement
My favourite Civic Si ever. I especially love the Type R version of these. I had absolutely no idea this was available in the United States
They got a lot of hate in the states for some reason. My favorite too
@@MrMegatron85 They had quality issues but the 8th gen was much better
@@MrMegatron85 The hate I remember was for 2 reasons. It wasn't any faster than the previous EM1 it was replacing and on top of that lost it's rev-happy 8k rpm redline in favour of more torque (an improvement around town sure, but not as fun to beat on). Secondly was just the jealousy of North America not getting the type R which would have fixed the above downfalls.
Good review, Doug. I'm surprised, though, that you didn't mention the "hidden" dual cupholders and storage area beneath the sliding cover between the front seats as one of your "quirks and features."
When he was talking about if they had mounted the shifter on the floor I was stunned he missed that storage area
@@BrandonAilion Exactly! That's one of the main advantages, other than the rally shifter (which I was also surprised he never called it) being extremely fun to shift. My son is still
driving the black 2003 Honda Civic Si I bought brand new. Other than some wear on the driver's seat, it still looks nearly brand new, and runs great after over 160,000 miles!
This car had five cupholders within easy reach of the driver. It used to really amuse me how many cupholders it had.
Thank you Doug. great review.
I live in Finland and I have a type R ep3, amazing car to drive! Love the n/a 200hp response and vtec in these is just amazing, its like another engine would have switched on! Bought mine two years ago, no they are almost 3000€ more expensive than then..
Hey Doug, thanks for this! Just a note - I'm surprised the VW GTI wasn't mentioned in the competition... I think the base model VW GTI with the turbo 1.8L (most of them in those days were 2 dr models too) would have been priced very closely to this; and was one of the most popular 2dr "hot" hatchbacks of the era... Wasn't it?
It definitely was. I had a 2003 GTI and got it for $19,500 at the time. Everyone I knew that was looking at the Civic Si ended up with a RSX-S instead
Absolutely it was. I grew up in a small town when cars like this were popular, and there were more than a few GTIs running around. Mostly Hondas, and a few DSMs, but VW was definitely represented.
Absolutely. I was watching the video thinking Doug practically had to go out of the way to not mention the GTI. The MK 4 generation wasn’t the best but was definitely the clear cut example of this segment at the time.
Take that gay ass golf somewhere else to die
I had a seat leon fr theat was £15000 and 180bhp had climate control the honda aircon was an extra
Grandma woke up feeling dangerous when she bought the civic lol
My friend bought one a few years ago and was swearing up and down that it was so quick. I raced him in my eg sedan dx with a d16z6 and ex trans and it was even up until the end of 3rd gear. I would start to walk him. A few months later he sold the ep3 and bought an eg hatch lol. I personally like the ep. It is unique and plenty fast with the right setup but a little anemic in stock form.
I love my silver SI, it turned 18 this year and still runs and looks just perfect.
I've had mine for 16yrs. Same color and HFP bodykit as this one, however mine is an 03 with K20/K24 swap making 280WHP. A K24 completely transforms the driving dynamics of the car. Too bad Honda didn't offer the K20A2 for it as a factory option in the U.S. Fun fact the CTR version is so popular in the U.K. that there are one make CTR cup races held there till this day.
I drove the HASport SI with the K20 and it ripped. I lived down the street from the owner and they were the first company to successfully make that swap work. Its what Im guessing a Type R was like, or at least close to it.
I have a few friends here in the RF who own EP3 Type-R's and regularly track them.
Still have my 02 with k24a2 and JRSC, so 320hp and total riot!
Love to have a k24 swapped one. When I get my turbo 8th gen trans sorted out that is the goal.
I think b/c at the time the EP3 came out, the DC5 RSX Type S got the K20A2 and I think Honda was worried about the Si robbing sales of the Type S if they put that motor instead.
I would love to see Doug review the 8th gen Civic Si. I think he would have a lot of fun in that car
I’d love to see that too. I have a 2010 FA5 Redline orange Pearl with some subtle mods. Low miles (38k miles). Would never sell it.
Last Si with VTEC on both sides
I had an 07 (HRP)
@@HOTPLATEGAMING the 9th gen has stickers on the side too I think
It should be a Mugen Civic Si if he does
@@raver208 I'll give you 1 million dollars.
I’ve been waiting so long for Doug to make a video about this car, I own one for like seven months I loved it. It was so fun and unique forsure👌
i got the 02 si, its SOOO good, low original miles and even a custom paintjob, with all the panels glassed together, lowered w some decent rims and only 47k miles...LOVE.. i was SO lucky when i found it
witH MORE MODS ON THE WAY!! BUT im keeping it TIGHT, no junky bs
Wish he mentioned how cool/odd it was that it had electric power steering and it being one of the first introductions of K Series platforms in the US as the other civic models of this generation still had the D series platform. Love this oddball Si generation.
ahh finally someone that mentions the ep2, and even the ep1. People forget they even exist.
Wow, it's funny how these points systems work out. It makes it seem like the Ford Fiesta was the car to get. My friend had one, for a short while, until it became a problem. I had a Type-R. I drove it every day for like a decade until my needs changed. The Civic Si was probably one of the nicer cars on the list to actually live with.
The 2004 si was my first new car, and it was awesome to see its unique qualities appreciated here.
Great video.
I always wanted one of these.
I thought they were completely badassed cars.
What the VW GTI walked away from when they went four door.
Awesome little car.
Doug, we love you Doug
This is probably the most forgotten SI out of all them.
I have one
I had a 2002 Si after owning a 2000 Si. I love the little EP3. This car was the face lifted version. '02/'03 had different front and rear lights and 4 lug hubs. I can't wait until the EP3 Type Rs are legal for import. The shifter was in the perfect spot. Very little distance from the wheel to the shifter. Extremely fun little car. I wish I had never sold it.
how close are we for them to being imported? i had a 02 si and while i have other cars now i would definitely would pick up a euro R
@@mike1691 They have to be 25 years old before they are legal to import.
Thanks Doug! It was nice to go back in the time machine as the Si was out when I bought my SRT-4 (neon lol). I never got to dive the Si so this was cool!
I had a 2002! That was a fun car!
Edit: When I bought my Si I was told the shifter placement was rally inspired to put it closer to the steering wheel.
My only complaint which Doug didn't mention was the lack of a center armrest.
OMG, the lack of arm rest was infuriating. I put a lot of miles on this car and I never got used to that.
One of the things I like about Honda is that Honda listens! ❤️🙌🏻 Ever wondered why Civic Sedans and Coupés have different rear stylings? Because Honda asked and people liked it in that way, or see the new 11th Gen Civic and Type R? Everyone complains that they are too plain, well, just the generation before that everyone was saying "Oh, Civics are horrible because they are over styled and too agressive 🙄" Well, Honda delivered with the 11th Gen being calmer but now everyone complains about having exactly what they asked for 🙂🙂
I think the people complaining now are the ones who liked the FK8 design. It's just their turn to speak up now lol
Honda doesn't listen. That's why we got the hybrid-only CR-Z. They were a hair's width away from greatness but they didn't listen to their enthusiast base either here or in Japan despite playing heavily on nostalgia for an enthusiast car in it's marketing. Then it flopped. Now they're doing the same thing with the Integra as an ILX replacement with a higher starting price with nostalgia baked in.
@@wun1gee I mean, they don't always listen 😂😅 But as a BMW fan, I can tell you Honda listens a lot 🥲 * Cries in big grilled SUV making fun of the 7 series *
@@2egenjerry Well, yes, that makes sense! 🤔 ngl I'm actually one of those who liked the FK8 (Other than the rear) But the new one is very much a Honda "Not good looking, just not offensive, practicality is the priority over styling" :)
Yo tuve uno que en Europa se denominaba Sport, con un motor 1.6 Vtec de 110 cv.Era una versión por debajo del Type- R y aunque tenía menos caballos de potencia respecto a este,me proporcionó muchas satisfacciones.Estéticamente siempre me ha parecido precioso y ganó enteros con el restyling.
Muy buen video saludos.