Weighing up pros and cons: AUDM DC2r/DC5r versus AUDM S15 200sx

[EVLGTR]

rear tail light water leakage,( lift up plastic cover in the boot to reveal space tyre make sure no rust in there)
and usual wear and tear items.

If it leaks just replace the rear tail-light gasket(s)....or otherwise its been in an accident when you see rust anywhere inside the cabin

Conclusion is possible that some dodgy panel beater hasnt done a good job to seal the monocouqe body of the damaged area

Ahh EVLGTR, you are the king of the dubious post lol.

LMAO, why thank you very much!!!, i'll take that as a compliment.

[Jamer]

Ahh EVLGTR, you are the king of the dubious post lol. As Burak said, I'm not after the fastest car (haven't you read my previous posts?). And I specifically said that before that I don't want this thread to be a FWD vs FWD pissing contest.

DC5 rocks, but I wouldn't say it's the best car in the world. I'm assuming u r talking about the Type S Burak? Don't u have one of those? Actually there are a couple of Type Ss selling atm for <$24k. I might consider a Type S, they are nice and I like the facelift look. But realistically, they will be slightly out of my price range.

I had this same decision, but I went with the DC5R. Over all, for me, its the best car to live with on a day to day basis, and I love the interior and exterior. The one I bought, was mint, had about 80000 km on the clock and no issues apart from a few chips and scratches. The dealer was asking $29K for it, but I talked him down to $21.5K, because I'm sneaky like that lol.

But i never regret the choice, and I see a S15 and am still happy with it because I know he isn't sitting in the sweet interior of the DC5R!!

So I'd go for a DC5R, and you can always talk the price down.

[Mikecivic78]

I had this same decision, but I went with the DC5R. Over all, for me, its the best car to live with on a day to day basis, and I love the interior and exterior. The one I bought, was mint, had about 80000 km on the clock and no issues apart from a few chips and scratches. The dealer was asking $29K for it, but I talked him down to $21.5K, because I'm sneaky like that lol.

But i never regret the choice, and I see a S15 and am still happy with it because I know he isn't sitting in the sweet interior of the DC5R!!

So I'd go for a DC5R, and you can always talk the price down.

Nice one Jamer, you really did get a great deal on your DC5R. As a buyer, I am like you, why pay asking price? Its becoming apparent that you don't need to sell your kidneys to get an R.

I do kinda like the s15 interior though. Its not very hard-wearing, but if it's been taken care of, it looks nice IMO. Seating is also nice and low.

It's been a while since I've been in a DC5R, can u tell me if the seat is height adjustable? (with Recaros I'm guessing not).

IMO the s15 and DC5R are both sexy looking cars, but I don't like the reflectors on the back of AUDM s15s. They look out of place, like they belong on an Excel, not a 40 grand (when new) Jap sports car!

[burak213]

hey mate,

The seats in the DC5S has height adjustment, not sure about DC5R

cheers

[Mikecivic78]

hey mate,

The seats in the DC5S has height adjustment, not sure about DC5R

cheers

Cheers mate. Just one question, did all of the type Ss come with leather seats, and how supportive are the side bolsters?

[DC2-PWR]

Here's my opinion man, I've owned all three cars (DC2R, S15 and DC5R) in that order.

What you really have to look at is what you want in the car. My S15 had just a touch under 200rwkw, which I built from the ground up just after selling my DC2R to a mate. It was an absolute straight line weapon, got sideways easily and was a pretty fun car to drive. All was well and good, until I drove the DC2R I'd sold to my mate once again a few months later. It was then I realised that the S15 gearbox felt notchy and fragile and the interior was cheap (I had an 02 SpecR GT). The DC2R steering was just so precise, the gear shifts on the Honda (which was 2 year OLDER than the S15) just felt so smooth.... it's hard to describe, but the car was just SO much more fun to drive than my S15 with double the wheel kilowatts. Anyone who owns or has owned a DC2R I'm sure will agree with me here! My S15 had coilovers, swaybars, bracing, the works, so it's not like I neglected suspension tuning.

I had originally decided to sell the DC2R because I was sick of the lack of low down torque and having to hit vtec just to merge lanes in front of a commodore off the lights. As a daily driver (like all my cars have been) it was just starting to grate and I just felt like a change.

So I sold the S15 and picked up a mint 02 CW DC5R from NSW. The moment I jumped in the car, I knew I wanted it! The gear shifts felt even nicer than the DC2, it had plently of low range torque and you could really feel the research and development that was put into the car. Both the S15 and the DC5R being 2002 models, I didn't think they would be so many worlds apart, but the DC5R really did make the S15 feel like it had been thrown together from spare parts by Nissan.

At the end of the day, it will end up being your personal choice. Straight line power RWD or a fun and precise FWD. Before the DC2R I owned a 180sx and an R33 Series 2, so I'm definitely not one sided when it comes to Nissan and Honda.

As far as insurance goes, both cars were roughly the same, if I had gotten a jap-spec S15 it would have cost more. 2-door coupes will always be expensive though, so there's no real escaping it whether you're turbo or NA.

Things to look out for... the
-S15s almost always have a scratched up centre console and it's hard to find a clean example with so many 99 Jap spec models going around.
-Make sure all mods have been done properly and if the turbo has been replaced, make sure it isn't a KKR piece of junk and that the car has been tuned to the new turbo. If it is a bigger turbo and the car doesn't have an aftermarket tuned ECU, walk away.
-If it has a FMIC, is it cut through the battery tray neatly? Is the piping on the turbo side larger than the turbo inlet? This will cause laaaaaag.
-Make sure the gearbox doesn't crunch.. the S15 6-speed is a piece of crap.

For the DC5
-Make sure the oil's at the correct level to see if eats any.
-Make sure it doesn't blow white smoke on vtec.
-Check for general oil leaks, mine had a drive shaft seal leaking.
-If it has coilovers, have they been set up properly? Some people are stupid enough to not bother with a wheel alignment after.

I guess I could go on forever... I'm sure others on here will be able to tell you more about the issues with DC5Rs and DC2Rs. Or just give it a search, I'm pretty sure I've seen threads on the topic before. I hope what I've written about my own experience helps with the decision man.

Very well said.

[r3ckless]

Cheers mate. Just one question, did all of the type Ss come with leather seats, and how supportive are the side bolsters?

the side bolsters arent that supportive compared to SR4's..... and they are height adjustible, but very minimal to be honest.

[Mikecivic78]

the side bolsters arent that supportive compared to SR4's..... and they are height adjustible, but very minimal to be honest.

Thanks. I'm sure they are more comfortable for long trips though.

And what about leather, was it standard, or optional?

[infurNOS]

ROFL!!!!!!!, in terms of performance theres hardly any arguments. FR cars are better than FF layout in general. Adding to the insult (im kidding) a tuned S15 craps all over tuned DC5 and DC2...

...but then again this is a Honda forum and im not allowed to bag Honda's FF car coz i might get in trouble by one of the senior member(s) from this site.

typical, one minded nissan driver :P

Any car manufacturer can make a car go 'fast' in a straight line (dont get me wrong, the s15s fly lol), but the real skill is making it a pleasure to drive when throwing (and having the confidence) it into a corner, thanks to the supreme tuning setup (out of the factory mind you), LSD and 50/50 weight distribution. The DC2R was rated officially the best FF car IN THE WORLD! Sophisticated engineering > brute force turbo charging. simple as that.

Yes sacrifices were made to make the DC2R what it is by removing the sound deadening, 15% thinner windscreen etc so it doesn't make it that great of a Daily Driver, which would make people lean more to the s15 or dc5 completely understandable!

IMO all 3 cars are in the exact same league (price, performance) etc, but you cant go past the DC2R for that true race experience. Im in the new market for a new car, DC2R or S15 but im pretty sure i got my mind set on a DC2R It all depends what you want.

S15 - easy power to be made. great looking car. great daily driver.
DC2R - Type R legend, Race aggression that you wont find in anyother factory production car in its price. pure awesomeness
DC5R - Type R legend (not as familar than the DC2 tho) more of a Daily driver than the DC2R)

[Jamer]

Nice one Jamer, you really did get a great deal on your DC5R. As a buyer, I am like you, why pay asking price? Its becoming apparent that you don't need to sell your kidneys to get an R.

I do kinda like the s15 interior though. Its not very hard-wearing, but if it's been taken care of, it looks nice IMO. Seating is also nice and low.

It's been a while since I've been in a DC5R, can u tell me if the seat is height adjustable? (with Recaros I'm guessing not).

IMO the s15 and DC5R are both sexy looking cars, but I don't like the reflectors on the back of AUDM s15s. They look out of place, like they belong on an Excel, not a 40 grand (when new) Jap sports car!

Yeah man, don't get me wrong, I still like the S15, but as I said, I just loved the Type R! And no, they aren't adjustable, but there is no doubt that you will be able to see if thats what you are concerned about. I have a mate who is about 5 foot 5 and has one and he has no problems, in saying that though he might not be able to see anything and just guesses where he is going lol! - hope that helps

[Mikecivic78]

Yeah man, don't get me wrong, I still like the S15, but as I said, I just loved the Type R! And no, they aren't adjustable, but there is no doubt that you will be able to see if thats what you are concerned about. I have a mate who is about 5 foot 5 and has one and he has no problems, in saying that though he might not be able to see anything and just guesses where he is going lol! - hope that helps

On the contrary, I'm 6'1" and adjustable height seats rob me of headroom. :S I like sitting really low.

That was one of the drawbacks of upgrading from a '96 ej8 coupe to an Em1 (my current car). Ej8 driver's seat is non adjustable which is lower and better for me, but Em1 isn't. When I first drove an Em1 it felt strange sitting so high!

[deanos]

Thanks. I'm sure they are more comfortable for long trips though.

And what about leather, was it standard, or optional?

Leather was standard on the Type S seats. They are heaps more confortable for long trips because the suspension isnt as hard as a 'R & higher gear ratios for high speed, not completely because of the seats...