Turbo Honda EP3 Review!-The Ugly Duckling of Civics?
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- For this video, we hop in a turbocharged Ep3 with a pretty interesting motor setup. Thanks for watching!
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Song used-[Electronic] - Candyland & Shoffy - Faces [Monstercat Release]
Outro Song- Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence (Matstubs Remix)
It's not even ugly tbh it's one of the greatest looking civics
I know the facelift model anyway
the literal only problrm u have with the ep3 is the shifter on the dash, i haaaaaaate tgat they did that it ruins it for me but i still love the ep3
majorkin19 it's ugly but works the best
agreed! the fn2 civic is the bastard child in my opinion
it looks like a minivan...
The EP3 got nerfed in north america. Everyone else got the type r.
Carl Johnson All you had to do was follow the damn train cj
There are so many ep3 type r in UK. More than any other Honda. The you for £1500 to £3000
@@avancalledrupert5130 yea for that price here in UK you can get a high mileage un cared for piece of shit EP3 Type R. You will need 4k + if you want a good one
eh just throw a turbo on or a set of tsx cams/intake and itll be the same thing
@@kristianharley7231 I’m jealous with the cars y’all have in the Uk
The Renault Clio v6, Ford cossies, TVRS
I’m so jealous
EP3 Type R's out the box are pretty sick in my eyes, point to point on the twisties in real world conditions a great car. I love the shifter position makes for a very direct feel. Nice video man gives me inspiration for our civic build 🙈
yes!! brilliant car! such an amazing chasis and a feel like no other civic or car even! ive never looked back 😏
100% man! had a white EP and just sold my black EP, just wish we got the type R in Canada the A3 kills it, swapped an A2 into my black one made it move along better, best of luck with your build!
yo dudes!!
Do a Del Sol.
Aarbaaaaawaaaaaaaaaaaaaaqaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaraabadv
i like where the shifter is placed on these cars, its unique
Its really driver orientated which i like easy to move the hand back and forth
That CGT shifter. haha
Yeah it stems from when these cars were in the BTCC (British touring car championship). Makes it much easier to shift quickly
I had an EP3. The shifter is more convenient in some ways, especially when racing. The knob is close to the wheel so when you have two hands on the wheel you can get to the shifter lightning quick. I found it comfy for daily driving as well, my arm kind of just hangs there and didn't get tired.
Southern Hooning the 2008 and up Nissan sentra SE R SPEC V has the shifter in the same place
EP3 Type R's are really popular in the UK. Excellent value for money right out of the box.
I've read you can get a clean one for like 5k right? I looked at the used car ads and found a couple high mileage ones for a tad over 2k a couple years ago. That's great value for money for a Type R IMO :)
Chris Dooley Yeah still priced around that on ebay. Still great value. Im no honda fanboy but I really can't fault the EP3 Type R. It's a shame the US got only the Si. Such a dull animal in comparison. Kinda like a Focus ST and a Focus RS.
Just like the Focus, which is what this looks like (same headlight design, LITERALLY). Like small ugly dogs...
5k for an ep3? You people are lucky, here they cost 12k...
+C Mendoza You can get a decent one in the UK for about 3k. Apart from the JDM ones which are up for stupid money.
What do you guys think of the EP3?
Stay awesome everyone.
its a great starter car
sweet
I have one as my current first car no regrets so far
I miss those little eggs.
I love the EP3, my favorite is the EK4 & EK9 but I do like the EP3 van/focus a lot.
A lot of people hate on these cars but most don't know it's one of the best chassis that Honda has ever created. Its totally quirky but I love it! Would totally rock one as a track/autocross car!
I owned an 04 for 3 years. I loved that car. I had people come up to me all the time asking what it was and didn't believe it was a Civic. I really miss it.
I thought the FN2 was the ugly duckling
it is
i agree
Fnpoo
I think it's the prettiest
old thread haha, but in the US we didn't get the FN2. The ep3 we got has a lot of really negative things stock.(watered down vtec, really soft and high suspension that you couldn't simply fight with just springs...you had to compensate for the high up inner rods going lower)
Interesting how the EP3 is pretty much the UK's favourite Honda but in America it's not
I believe the ep3 was really meant for and made in Europe, we were probably an afterthought.
I think it was designed by a UK team or something. I love em
look like mad once done right
S Miller that's because the UKDM got the EP3 Type R (215hp, 6 SPD manual, LSD etc) while the US got what's basically a cheaper version of the base RSX
actually thats the Japanese model that was produced here and shipped back to japan ours is 197hp 6spd without LSD, but alot of jdm eps are being imported back to the uk
Love it or hate it makes the styling
timeless.
I really like my 05 Civic Si and the longer I've owned it the more fun it's become....10 years of ownership this month. I didn't buy it with the intention of going fast in the quarter mile or street racing, but I wanted a reliable hatchback. But the longer I've owned it the more fun it's become to drive. The more ragged and aged it becomes the more inclined I've been to drive it like I stole it and beat it like a rental car. This thing won't quit. It's not so much about 0 to 60 acceleration times as it is about handling and driver involvement on narrow back roads. I have no delusions about with this car is. It's not the fastest thing out there. But the handling really shines and the fact that it was designed in Frankfurt and built in the UK really shows in its European handling. the wife says I can buy my first gen NSX or any other project car only after this thing dies and I can make room for another car in the garage. Trust me folks...I've been driving this thing hard and it's been a surprisingly fun car to own.
I liked mine so much that I rebuilt it to be a daily driven street/track car. I have owned mine for 10 years as well.
Draufgaenger 9 yr owner here, this car really does not quit and still runs like a champ
What oil you guys run on ep3? 5w20 or 5w30? Heard about 5w20 issues
Charles L. Ray 10w30
Draufgaenger hell yeah bro I had a base Rsx what I loved about it..... it was great on gas ! And kinda fun to drive. Now I have an 8th gen si and it’s fun to drive and not that good on gas lol
Hell yeah! Looks like TOO much fun!
looks are very subjective, I actually believe this is the best looking SI. it's everything Civic should be, small, light, high revving engine, cool hot hatch.
also wanted to thank you David for inspiring my friends and i to starting our channel, were growing more now and its awesome and was wanting to thank you, keep doing what your doing man!
Dude this brings back so many memories. My GF in high school had this car and I drove it all the time. Actually didn't think it was too bad! Good meeting you this weekend, let me know if you are in VA I'd love for you to drive my M3 track build!
T-WRX I had one in highschool. I wish I can go back in time. I would have kept it.
I had a ep3 from hpp for my first car so it was a pretty great experience .. still have it. Been attached Forsure I don’t think I’ll ever sell it
I have a vivid blue pearl ep3! I love my car! I just put a k20a2 (stock RSX type-s engine) and the 6-speed trans in it (videos on my channel) I put the motor it should have had in the beginning! Great video! I can't wait to boost mine!
I love my EP3 owned it 11 years now with no plans of getting rid of it, and once you lower it a couple inches and throw at least some 17's on it, it's a good looking car
i love my rsx-s swapped ep3. few good suspension upgrades and its fun. 4.77 final drive is great. seats are comfortable and supportive shifter is amazing.
watching for about 3min and realized I should change the color of my EP3
Nice profile pic man
+Joshua Ramirez kewl story braghe
B520P if you need the code
same lol
Watching this made me happy that the ep3 im looking at tmw is blue pol
I've always loved this body style civic
finaly a EP3 review, been waiting for this so long!
YOU NEED TO FIND A SUBARU GC8 TO REVIEW DAVID !! THE JAPANESE VERSION OR THE NORTH AMERICAN VERSION
yessa
i've got a boosted GF8 that i think he'd enjoy
I'm a Honda nut and I can't believe I just now found your channel. Absolutely off the hook
Got one of these last Wednesday and I love it so far. I honestly can't complain about the motor, it's surprisingly torquey. Plus, with all the hate this car has had thrown its way it's developed a character that's pretty rare to find in a car these days.
I daily one and I love were the shifter is. So comfortable to shift.
Finally an EP3 review !!
Love that your getting back to reviews again! Thank you Atlanta!
I absolutely love the shifter in mine, got the interior stripped too, feels just like a go-kart
that blue is the best honda color ever tbh. the way it changes in different light is just awesome.
In the UK we got the EP3 civic type R which came with a 197bhp K20A2 which is a very very common car over here. It's a good cheap fun car here, and with a few modification they really come alive.
I saw the video this morning and when I went to school I learned that a friend of mine got an EP3 too. I used some details from your video to talk to him about it.
The cheapest and best way (in my opinion) to go 150 mph
Not stock...
Got mine to 150 still got revs !!! Standard lol
@@Paranormalcoffeelounge that's odd mine was out of gearing at 130
@@sinformant Yours is fucked mate, mine is stock (for now) ive had 140 easily and had more to go
@@snowden5dj its fucked? Literally redline was 130ish. What model do you have though that is the question. Here in America we got the neutered k20a3 in ours.....
Hell yes been waiting for this. EP3s are probably one of my favorite hondas
I almost got one of these around 2010. I really wish I had because it was a sick little car. It was a 2005 EP3 Civic Si HFP. I can't remember how much they wanted for it but it wasn't really that much. It was a trade in at a Ford dealership and they really didn't know what it was. They just had it listed as a 05 Honda Civic. The only reason I didn't get it is because I decided to dump a lot of money in my 72 Torino instead.
I bought my blue 2005 ep3 in 2010. I still love it!
I like the looks of these, and Honda Fit's. Reminds me of the small EF's. Like the tiny hatch look
Been driving my EP3 for 14 years. OG owner. Beat the crap out of it and it keeps on going. Mid pipe replacement, exedy stage 2 with gorilla chromoly fly, tanabe strut braces, magnaflow hi-flo cat, dc sports intake (CARB legal, as I live in California) , short shift bushing and bar mod, a bunch of carbon fiber body parts including a buddy club wing, seibon hood, etc. and some random throttle body spacer with a thermal gasket. It's on cheap lowering springs but they are about to be replaced with something more adjustable. Still shopping for coilovers, and maybe an electric exhaust bypass valve.
The EP3 is my favorite Civic out of all Civics. It has character and stands out, and I dont care if nobody likes it.
Ugly duckling?!? They are HUGE in UK everyone wants one
The type r btw lol
I want an FN2
I actually love this car, it is my favorite Si and the Type R.
It reminds me of all the European hot hatches.
Its sales were crippled because the Acura RSX came out, and it had more power. EP# is wonderful.
Clean! But that muffler needs to go
muffler is so ugly sticking out like that
LoungeAct92 I’m running no muffler but with a spoon b pipe and people wish they had that setup lol
The EP3 is not the ugly duckling imo. The newer Civics aka 'Potato' are just aweful exterior-wise..
Can you guys imagine this is AWD!!! track and even rally! that would be incredible.
It's 2020 , I know someone lol that thing was a pretty crazy build but it's running and it moves 😂
It’s a very easy swap
This car is an absolute legend here in the UK...the type-R spec is hot-hatch perfection. Hopefully I'll own one in the not too distant future
Nice, I'm glad you're reviewing an ep3. I've dd one since 2006
the last nice hatch honda made personal opinion of course! luv the vids yo! how bout one on a clean da9 chassis u know the 90,93 Acura integra hatchback,food for thought! thanks 4 coverage. awesome channel!
Uk loves the EP3! type R madness!
Had a silver 03, swapped it with k20/k24, made 240 whp.
I might have missed it but what's the displacement of the engine?
He said it was a stock engine with a different head from what I could gather, which is a k20a3, 2 litres in displacement if thats the case :)
Not sure but it makes 380 whp
K20 = 2.0L :-)
2.0
He said TSX internals, Si head
So I'm guessing a K24 (2.4l) with a K20 head
this is my favorite out of all the civics
This makes me miss by boosted ep3 same color and all 😕😍 my favorite Si such a unique look and features. Loved it.
Finally a review! I've owned this car for a whole year already and have been wanting to boost!
FN2 is the "ugly duckling". Because it was first spaceship looking Civic.
FN2's the best looking one!
I've never liked Ep3's but then I had a change of heart because it's so sport orientated minus the engine for the US spec.
I developed a foundation to drive manual at 15 with this car. I stalled the first time because I knew nothing. That was my step dad's car. I was so into JDM at that time. Months later I was still 15 I learned to drive my dad's Automatic Acura MDX by myself.
I did not get my L license until 16 years and 8 months. My dad said my car control was very good on my first lesson with him but he knows and understands why? I even did a lot of Go Kart racing in 2013.
I had a job as a Porter at a BMW dealership. I was scared to drive manuals because of that experience. So I took the risk and moved a customer's 1 series by myself. I did it without stalling or burning the clutch.
The shifter is there so it's closer to the steering wheel, it's supposed mimic some of those rally cars with a taller shifter so it's closer to the steering wheel so the time it takes to go from a gear change back to the steering wheel is a lot shorter. You can tell because of the way it is.
I have the 1.6 sport and I love it the best bit about the ep's is where the gear stick is
i had an ep3 type r here in europe. Lovely car, will buy one again one day
My dad owns 1 and I love this damn car, I actually might get 1
Did this happen?
Didn't know what was worse, the amazing music in the intro or the nice blue EP3.
That comment confused me lol
Niko Makras :)
Here we meet again
Keep it up man. The Hamilton Mill community loves ya!
I love the EP3 - lucky being in the UK really because Type R's are readily available! I'd love to have one, one day! Stay awesome David!
My second favorite model si
You would like the blue...
And agreed on the massive front wheel drive power... Got my first taste of some SERIOUS torque steer this weekend and there really is nothing like it. Rear wheel drive, ass end into the wall... front wheel drive? Head first! I find torque steer more dangerous than a loose rear end on acceleration though... I don't know why. It seems less in control now that I think about it.
The Dutch Texan yeah, i mean high hp in a fwd car is not the wisest. RWD can handle more hp because of the weight pushing to the back during power
Definitely a unique civic and with k24a2 swap makes its come alive. I can say this about ep3 for sure out of all the civics its definitely got the best interior design wise and being very practical and sporty.
Only thing I like about how this car looks is the interior. Always wondered how it would feel to drive it with that stick location.
I'm a little biased cause I own one but having the shifter there is awesome. The knob is almost on the same center line as the steering wheel and it is never more than 6 or 7 inches away. Your hand barely has to move away from the wheel.
Blakslee Woody
Yea I do like how it looks. I like the interior alot more then most Civics in general, it has nice seats and I like the layout. The outside is another story LOL. I would never own one because of that.
so much feedback on the knob lol
Recently discovered said cup holder. freaked out like a little school girl because of it.
I have a EP3 . still looks nicer than most cars today. I got the black pearl with black leather
Do you put gas in the cars before you give them back to the owner
nccapnick6 I was thinking about that.
nccapnick6 I doubt since the owners usually want him to drive them for the review.
The 5 speed 5th gear is the same ratio as the 6 speed 6th gear. They just add ratios inbetween to make it more fun to drive. Same freeway RPM
RSX-SI had a daily EP3 Civic stock with a catback and intake but then got a daily RSX-S. I also have an RSX-S turbo
I used to call these mini Mini vans when I wanted one lol. Love the badge. Very nice ep3
Never heard anyone compare the looks to a minivan.
Unfortunately here in the UK insurance for new teenage drivers is high, because of that I currently have the EP1. By far the best and fastest first car to a new teenage driver.
Hoping to upgrade to an EP2 in a few months. Insurance for an EP3 is 3k so gotta wait a couple more years. 😢
Always liked the EP3 Civic! A long as they are done super clean! Lip, Wheels, Dropped.
Hey thanks for throwing in more build details and numbers! That is awesome.
YES FINALLY THANK YOU DAVID NO ONE EVER REVIEWS EP3's
That EP3 looks great! It looks very similar to my old SC EP3, same color too! I miss it very fun car!
Really loving these reviews lately!
A weird car? Yes. Cool? Yes! One of my co-workers had one from new. Unfortunately we work in a filthy steel mill and it turned into a bucket way too quickly. It was the only one I can recall seeing in NW Indiana.
I just wish we got the fg2 in uk, always had love for them
tHEbIGbLACKtHING Chan yeah but the fd2 is a looker
you can change out your front axles to help with torque steer something that wont twist as much
Always liked these. Found out recently all the excess weight can be stripped easily.
I love these cars, I think they look great, my buddy just picked one up for 2200 bucks, tooth broke off on one of the timing chain sprockets
I understand why many Honda enthusiasts shy away from the EP3 but I'm a fan. Yes the EP3 has steering/suspension issues that are difficult to resolve if you want to modify your Civic hatch. I think it's a little sexy 2 door hatchback with manual shift.
the car i learned stick on!!! im in love with it
This is my favourite civic and the only one I would own. It handles much better then the new ones and is much lighter.
finally I've had one fit like 2 years I like it
i heard one of these pulling up next to me and man was i surprised to see one of these
In Europe model EP3 type-r had facelift in year 2004 and it had same front bumber and headlights but those sideskirts are littlebit different. And also that blue colour came available with facelift.
EP3's handling and practicality + a JDM K20 = very good daily driver sports car
Same shifter style as the manual Matrix. Drives me nuts.
I will always have a soft spot for the ep3
Here in Seattle those EP3's are highly sought after!
I had an EP3 as a teen, and I still want one at the age of 30 now that I have money to fix it up
that was one of the things i loved about my old eg. visibility was amazing.
since about 2002 i would say every car ive bought has had shit visibility aside from old cars.
"I like how this one has a lot of blue" 😏okay David
I like to think of these as a slightly more powerful, two door Honda Fit
See these Civics all over in the UK. Called the Type R here though, and make 201 bhp from factory
A awesome car with so much potential.
Nice review David. That is a crazy set up of the engine! Hey, it handles the boost well and can daily with no problem. That sounds good to me!