20K for car what would you do ?

hey guys,
need ur honest opinions on something that has bugging me for a while now ... i have my eyes on a car and i want to get either a Dc5 type R or Ep3 type R ... i know this has been covered before and many would say go the Ep3 as its a real jdm type r, more power better handling much rarer etc and others would argue for the Dc5 ... the things is to me i do like the sound of real jdm type R and better performance etc, however i find that the Dc5 R can be up to about 3-4 k cheaper if you look, and to me the looks of the coupe apeals to me much more than the Ep3 however with that said i do prefer the interior of the Ep3 as it looks more modern ... i have 20 K to play with and was thinking should i get the Dc5 R and use the rest to modify it (there is only 9-10 kw difference between the two and the Ep3 is a bit heavier) or should i get the Ep3 and enjoy it as it is? I do understand that i should go and test drive both and see for myself which one i prefer and also there will be alot of biasness with some replys... but with that all aside what do u guys think ? and your input will be greatly apreciated thxx:D

think you should get a dc2r

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Originally Posted by Bulbasaur

think you should get a dc2r

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mmm nahh dc2r is not really me ... brilliant car yes but just not my taste =)

suggestions: dc5r or ep3r

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Originally Posted by ekcoupe

suggestions: dc5r or ep3r

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those are the ones that i am looking at xP

go to bel garage and look at their DC5 dc5 u will have an answer

i say ep3r, that's my opinion
test drive both cars first n see how u go, dnt go according to what ppl say, make ur own judgement =)
it all comes down to personal preference to be honest.. ^^

I say EP3R, although I believe not all are JDM as some were made in Britain.
I personally dislike the dash on the DC5Rs and considering it's what you look at everytime you're in it I'd go nuts.
I also prefer the look of the facelift EP3R.

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Originally Posted by max9907.0422

go to bel garage and look at their DC5 dc5 u will have an answer

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actually go to their shop or their website?

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Originally Posted by boy180

i say ep3r, that's my opinion
test drive both cars first n see how u go, dnt go according to what ppl say, make ur own judgement =)
it all comes down to personal preference to be honest.. ^^

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yeah i know i should test drive them first but just wanted to know what would people think is better for 20 grand get a dc5 r and mod it or just get ep3 and stay stock =S yerr thats the problem lols i like different aspects of both cars and dont know which one is worth choosing over the other xP

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Originally Posted by Red_EG4

I say EP3R, although I believe not all are JDM as some were made in Britain.
I personally dislike the dash on the DC5Rs and considering it's what you look at everytime you're in it I'd go nuts.
I also prefer the look of the facelift EP3R.

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mmm i do prefer the looks of the dash in the ep3 however i dont mind the dash of the dc5 R but * personally * if it were just looks id choose the dc5 over the ep3 anyday (exterior)
true the look of the facelift ep3r is quite nice but its out of my price range i think =S

EG and B20VTEC or K-swap it :)

cut to the chase i guess - what are ur intentions with the car? looks or performance? simply put it, ur already gonna modify ur dc5 with the left over funds u have, what about the ep3? assuming ur just gonna pay for it n keep it stock? thats ballocks! =) i agree with red_eg4 facelift ep3!! haha cant go pass that..
at the end of the day dude, its 20k!, test both babies out so u know what both cars are like..!!

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Originally Posted by boy180

cut to the chase i guess - what are ur intentions with the car? looks or performance? simply put it, ur already gonna modify ur dc5 with the left over funds u have, what about the ep3? assuming ur just gonna pay for it n keep it stock? thats ballocks! =) i agree with red_eg4 facelift ep3!! haha cant go pass that..
at the end of the day dude, its 20k!, test both babies out so u know what both cars are like..!!

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well its actually just a car that i want for everyday use pretty much and have some fun ( safely ), as for modifications what i mean is that if i go the dc5 i would have money to start modding straight away however if i do get the ep3 then i wont have funds to mod for a while... but the facelift one is out of my price range cause the only ones i can find in sydney are well over 20 k ... but one thing is for sure i will definitly go and test both out and see for myself which type r is right for me ... cheers guys for the feedback
Btw this would be my first car for my green Ps but im not someone with loaded parents i had to save up hard for this =)

u'll get done in the dc5r, if u go 50kmh, the needle on ur cluster is like 0kmh in normal car:P:P i'd say ep3r,looks better, perform better, love the interior and the gear stick position

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Originally Posted by jeffreymui

u'll get done in the dc5r, if u go 50kmh, the needle on ur cluster is like 0kmh in normal car:P:P i'd say ep3r,looks better, perform better, love the interior and the gear stick position

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mmm as for the dc5r isnt that just a matter of getting used to ? mmm i do agree with the interior of the ep3r
but as for the performance that brings me back to my question dc5 and mod it with the left over money or stick with the ep3 stock for a while ? cause with the left over money i should be able to get the dc5 up to the performance of a stock ep3 and some are modded anyways to begin with ? =P

straight out just by an EG and build it ure self, 20k can get u alot of quality parts and power :D

force yourself to like dc2r =] haha best decision ever.

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Originally Posted by lsvtec

straight out just by an EG and build it ure self, 20k can get u alot of quality parts and power :D

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thanks for the suggestion mate but im sticking to those two =)

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Originally Posted by RtN

force yourself to like dc2r =] haha best decision ever.

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i cant do that ^^ xP

Prince_james,
You are in the EXACT same position as me. And when i say EXACT SAME, i mean it! Besides the fact that you've got 20,000$ to spend and i'm still saving. =P

I am too in the market for either DC5-R or ER3-R. Heres why i've decided to go with EP3-R over DC5-R.
I'd choose the EP3-R over DC5-R because:
EP3-R is JDM and has a JDM K20, where as DC5-R is AUDM with a watered down version of the JDM K20. (Right? :S I'm under that impression)
EP3-R is lighter and has quicker acceleration and better handling over the DC5-R (AUDM or JDM).

I've seen some cheaper EP3-R's then DC5-R's (state wide). So you might just have to look harder.
Ozhonda user GEG is selling his for 17,500$. He lowered it before to just 17,000$!

I like the fact that you can leave the EP3-R stock and it still looks heaps better then the DC5-R but thats personal taste :)
I like the dash / interior better in comparison with the DC5-R. But again, personal taste.
It seems like there's way more DC5-R's then there are compared to EP3-R's, so it would be more unique.
I've tried to settle my mind on a DC5-R, but then reading about the countless posts saying DC5-S would be quicker as its got a model engine, leather seats, sun roof - it just starts a whole new mind game.

But then i'm still not convinced, because!
EP3-R being an import, it would attract higher insurance fees then AUDM DC-5. Parts would be harder to come abouts. Post face lift ones are too hard to come about and after seeing all the difference, it makes you want a EP3-R post face lift instead. (interior is much more bling in post facelift compared to pre facelift - ask me for pics if you want :))

Why i'd choose a DC5-R over an EP3-R:
Cheaper to run overall, insurance over a number of years would work out cheaper.
Parts again, cheaper.
I love the look of a GT-Wing on a DC5-R.
The stock recaros are more hugging / comfortable.
Did ya know that DC5-R comes with Air-con and cd player as an option?

Anyway, thats all i can think off from the top of my head.
So happy to see this thread, i was planning on making the exact same thing myself. I'll do the best to contribute my point of view and hopefully we'll both be rolling in the right cars for us!

Btw! when people say test drive it .. Um - Noob question - where can i go to test drive one? :(

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Originally Posted by butter

Prince_james,
You are in the EXACT same position as me. And when i say EXACT SAME, i mean it! Besides the fact that you've got 20,000$ to spend and i'm still saving. =P

I am too in the market for either DC5-R or ER3-R. Heres why i've decided to go with EP3-R over DC5-R.
I'd choose the EP3-R over DC5-R because:
EP3-R is JDM and has a JDM K20, where as DC5-R is AUDM with a watered down version of the JDM K20. (Right? :S I'm under that impression)
EP3-R is lighter and has quicker acceleration and better handling over the DC5-R (AUDM or JDM).

I've seen some cheaper EP3-R's then DC5-R's (state wide). So you might just have to look harder.
Ozhonda user GEG is selling his for 17,500$. He lowered it before to just 17,000$!

I like the fact that you can leave the EP3-R stock and it still looks heaps better then the DC5-R but thats personal taste :)
I like the dash / interior better in comparison with the DC5-R. But again, personal taste.
It seems like there's way more DC5-R's then there are compared to EP3-R's, so it would be more unique.
I've tried to settle my mind on a DC5-R, but then reading about the countless posts saying DC5-S would be quicker as its got a model engine, leather seats, sun roof - it just starts a whole new mind game.

But then i'm still not convinced, because!
EP3-R being an import, it would attract higher insurance fees then AUDM DC-5. Parts would be harder to come abouts. Post face lift ones are too hard to come about and after seeing all the difference, it makes you want a EP3-R post face lift instead. (interior is much more bling in post facelift compared to pre facelift - ask me for pics if you want :))

Why i'd choose a DC5-R over an EP3-R:
Cheaper to run overall, insurance over a number of years would work out cheaper.
Parts again, cheaper.
I love the look of a GT-Wing on a DC5-R.
The stock recaros are more hugging / comfortable.
Did ya know that DC5-R comes with Air-con and cd player as an option?

Anyway, thats all i can think off from the top of my head.
So happy to see this thread, i was planning on making the exact same thing myself. I'll do the best to contribute my point of view and hopefully we'll both be rolling in the right cars for us!

Btw! when people say test drive it .. Um - Noob question - where can i go to test drive one? :(

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cheers for the feedback mate im glad im not the only one in this boat, this just makes life a lot more easier cause there is someone to talk to about this.
yerr the dc5 is watered down but i still cant get over the exterior and the agressivness of it ( personal preference ) but i do agree on the interior of the ep3 that thing is nice
yerr GEGs offer is a really good deal its close by to me as well only problem being is that although i said i was looking for the car im just trying to figure out which one would be better for me as i am planning on buying it next year when i get all the money together ... i just want to know as much as possible about the car i buy before i get it if u understand =D
i always thought the ep3 was heavier buh correct me if im wrong, but the jdm dc5 is much better than the ep3 hands down.
what i was thinking with the cost of keeping a ep3 is it really worth it i mean it is going to be my first car after all and being only on green ps but also the fact that from what i can tell it should be pretty easy to modify the dc5 so that it matches if not surpasses the performance of a ep3 for around the same price as a decent one.
the other problem is the fact that if i go for the ep3 i would want to go for the facelift ep3 but havent found one for under 20k
the interior of the dc5 does put me off just a slight but as its not as attractive as the ep3 but the biggest thing is the wearing of the drivers seat recaros in the dc5
cheers to getting the right cars though i will help contribute as much as i can too ^^
i think they mean like private sellers and take theirs for a test drive but i dunn think many would be too happy about that xP

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Originally Posted by butter

Prince_james,

Btw! when people say test drive it .. Um - Noob question - where can i go to test drive one? :(

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car dealers are always selling ep3s. make sure you make an apointment over the phone because most won't let your rock up and test drive it. or pick a private seller, be honest with him - tell him you are deciding ep3 or dc5r, funds ready, and if you go dc5r his is the one you are after. when you see him, tell him you haven't driven the ep3 yet so to keep in mind that you will have to drive it before you make a purchase decision.

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Originally Posted by pure_na

something to think about (keep in mind, i am not sure, so don't take it as fact!):

i'm fairly certain that a lot of the ep3s are imported from the uk as the uk had the jdm engine. why get it from there? cars are worth peanuts atm in the uk (or at least they were some months ago). now i've heard a lot of bad shit about rust due to snow in the uk, or more specifically, the salt in the snow/on the road when there's snow. so yeh, make sure you check the car over properly underneath.

as for ep3 vs dc5... i can't help you as i do not like the ep3 at all...sorry :P. a few mods to the dc5r and it should rape the ep3 left right and down the straight. so yeh, i like the way you're thinking in all respects other than the ep3 having more power, because that is easily fixed...within your budget.

oh and btw, if you wanna double your budget there's a dc5r for sale that is aparently a monster :P.

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not sure about the first part of that buhh if u mean importing one from their i think by the time the forms are filled out and everything is done it will be as pricey if not more than just buying one here ... but as for the second point i honestly dont think 10 - 15 kilowatss will make that much of a difference ( correct me if im wrong ) and the ep3 r is a bit heavier ( also correct me if im wrong ) but i mean with the dc5 rs up for sale at the moment they mostly have decent mods to them and i mean even if they were stock if i could pick one up for about 17 k or so i still think i can get a decent I/H/E set up and for a bit more a decent set of coilovers and i do think that would be significant enough to be better than a stock ep3
ahahahaha wished i had that type of money my friend being 18 its not that easy getting large sums of money like that unless ur blessed like some 18 year olds with loaded parents who love them too much ( no disrespect intended ) xP

i was under the impression that all ep3s were imports. my bad. i really don't know much about them, other than the fact that they had something to do with the uk lol, hence why i thought they were all imports and some would have been imported from uk.

EDIT: did a bit of research, yeh aparently the jdm engine was different to the edm engine and if you get a jdm one it's a jdm import. lol, told you not to take what i said as fact :P

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Originally Posted by Prince_James

being 18 its not that easy getting large sums of money like that unless ur blessed like some 18 year olds with loaded parents who love them too much ( no disrespect intended ) xP

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wow prince james, aren't you a let down :P

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Originally Posted by pure_na

i was under the impression that all ep3s were imports. my bad. i really don't know much about them, other than the fact that they had something to do with the uk lol, hence why i thought they were all imports and some would have been imported from uk.

EDIT: did a bit of research, yeh aparently the jdm engine was different to the edm engine and if you get a jdm one it's a jdm import. lol, told you not to take what i said as fact :P

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Lolss they were all imports no ep3 was made in aust both the edm and the jdm were built in england although the jdm was shipped to japan so all the ep3s in aust were either imported from japan or england =)

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Originally Posted by pure_na

wow prince james, aren't you a let down :P

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Ahaha prolly am xP nahh it was just a nickname given to me by some friends at basketball one night xP

Prince_james!
Check this video out - this is what got me into liking the EP3-R over the DC5-R in the first place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=860lFW74IUM
Go straight to 3:16 - just looked that up for you then!

Its a battle of stock EP3-R vs DC5-R vs EURO-R all with K20A engines. So it just comes down to the car itself !

I spent some time and typed out the information in-case you didn't want to pause the video :P

EP3 Civic Type-R
Length: 4135mm
Width: 1695mm
Height: 1430mm
Wheelbase: 2570mm
Track: F&R 1470mm
Weight: 1210kg (with A/C)

K20a 215ps / 8000rpm
6MT Helical LSD
Price: 2.53mil JPY (With A/C)

DC5 Integra Type-R
Length: 4385mm
Width: 1725mm
Height: 1385mm
Wheelbase: 2570mm
Track: F&R 1490mm
Weight: 1180kg (with A/C)

K20A 220ps/8000rpm
6MT Helical LSD Brembo Brakes
Price: 2.59mil JPY (With A/C)

SO! Whoops! So i guess i was wrong about the EP3 being lighter then DC5- but from the video, you can say its much quicker off the line and around corners.

pure_na - you're right about the UK thing. All the chassis for EP3-R's are build in UK, hence why they all have the UK badge on them. I never knew about the snow / rust problem. Surely, you can't get a fresh import from UK for $20,000? Isn't it more expensive? And probably easier and less of a headache to get one that someone has already imported?

Thanks guys for the info on the test drive - i guess i'll have to make some calls as soon as enough money too!

dc5r that has minor mods and bolt ons, hawt.

buy what you like man, plus with cars being cheaper and stuff like that both have depreciated alot after financial year. you can pick one up for 18 which sounds ridiculous from a ep3 owners perspective but thats life, f/s section theres a good example of a maintained car + some mods so its a big saving buying it. plus powerwise stock for stock you're not going to notice a big difference from whats written on paper and whats being driven. i think there were too many dc5rs and the price for it put me off 6months ago so i went for the ep3 at the time something abit different.

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Originally Posted by JohnO

buy what you like man, plus with cars being cheaper and stuff like that both have depreciated alot after financial year. you can pick one up for 18 which sounds ridiculous from a ep3 owners perspective but thats life, f/s section theres a good example of a maintained car + some mods so its a big saving buying it. plus powerwise stock for stock you're not going to notice a big difference from whats written on paper and whats being driven. i think there were too many dc5rs and the price for it put me off 6months ago so i went for the ep3 at the time something abit different.

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so what time do u suggest is the best time to buy throughout the year?
sorry what do u mean by whats written on paper and whats been driven ? do u mean like ull feel the difference although the difference on paper isnt that much ?
thanks for the help though =)

oh like i was just saying the cars were worth more before end of financial year or whatever, well as for time it seems good to be buying a ep3 or dc5, theres a ep3 in the for sale section going for a pretty low price and i would be taking a look at it if i were you though not sure which state your from. like with the jap k20a and aus k20a, more power/kw in the jap engine but you wouldnt notice a difference between the two, its not very noticeable if that makes more sense.

end of the day buy what you like!