Honda Civic Type-R GT i-VTEC FN2 - is it as good as my old EP3? 

Had my FN2 7 years now, almost sold it a few times but when it comes to the crunch i take the advert down because i love the thing! Most reliable car I’ve owned.

I've had my Fn2 GT For almost two and a half years now and I love it. Such a great fun car to drive. Great review, subscribed.

Awesome and insightful video! I've been driving my fn2 for 6 months now and always puts a smile on my face. I firstly fell in love with the ep3 but found the interior, seats and overall situation to be a lot more engaging. The fn2 surely was underestimated but till this day, a lot of naysayers! lol

Good, straightforward review and looks like you got a good buy, as I'm sure did whoever bought it off you. I'm in the market for one of these myself, but live in France, where second hand prices for cars make your eyes water (more than double the UK price...!) hence it is a more considered undertaking, so the more of these real world reviews, the better. Had a little chuckle to myself when you mentioned Radio 2 being a good sign... that's something I always used to look for when I bought a car in the UK, a reliable indication of the mechanical sympathy of the owner. Even better Radio 3! Keep up the good work.

Picked mine up about 3 weeks ago and an absolute joy to drive. Being a Honda fan, it's a car I've always wanted to try but being a younger driver it made it difficult with insurance however I've finally managed to get one. It was the cheapest in the country at the time of purchase and ofc high mileage with it ticking close to 157k. But backed with full service history and lots of receipts for work done, I didn't hesitate to purchase and I'm absolutely over the moon with my purchase, cracking cars, plenty of fun and definitely the last of it's kind, I'm pretty sure the new ones won't come close in terms of the raw driving factor that you get with this.

Really good, comprehensive and informative review. Made me want to go and buy one 😊

This was the best car video i have ever watched. Thank you!

Fantastic video Absolutely love my fn2. Had the 2 previous type r.. my 11th civic and love it!!

Great video thanks for uploading. I, like yourself, was not particularly taken by the design back in 2007. However i now have one sat on my drive as a car that does it all. Great daily, although at 6ft i wish the seats were lower (i believe that's due to the location of the fuel tank). Huge boot space and a fantastic occasional track car, which IMO is where these cars shine, upsetting much more modern and powerful cars never gets old. The looks grew on me too and i think in this day and age of bland SUV's it really stands out, with enough subtlety to not be in your face.

Good review, very underestimated car! :) I drove 2x EP3 for 7y in total and I'm now driving an FN2. Just the perfect follow up if you want that bit more kit but still want to have some true VTEC/driving fun. To me it actually feels like it's glued to the road better than an EP3. Also ... It's a perfect daily driver, the trunk is actually bigger than my Audi A4 break and BMW 3 E46 break I used to own and also has better leg and head room in the back than those car.

I had an EP3 about 10 years ago and despite having Nissan S bodies and Evos since, nothing has ever managed to capture my heart the way the EP3 did. I'm considering an FN2 at the moment, thanks for this video!

I had a couple of civic 16i16v in the 90s, but was a Golf GTI man through and through.. So, roll on 2021/22, my city introduced a “clean air charge” my next door neighbour owned Black 2008 FSH 82k TypeR for 8 years, with the last 2 years of which he had it parked up.. To my amazement his car passed for the CAZ .. So negotiations took place and I became the owner. After 5 months of owning this car, I never drove it,but I overhauled the car, the TYPE R forums informed me on the common problems,water ingress, rusty rear beam etc all rectified. Every rubber bush component, shock absorbers, complete fluid flush, refurbed calliper, disks, pads replaced for OE equipment as not to loose the manufacturers drive. Future proofed with apple play double din upgraded speakers and finished with a 3 stage polish .. The drive is hard but I’m getting used to it.. and starting to enjoy my work commute to work..

The glovebox is air conditioned, provided the port in the top of the box is open and aircon is on. Very nice review BTW. Had mine 11 years, heavily modified (250bhp) for the latter 8-9 years of that and almost total reliability. Just a dead coil pack and two snapped driveshafts (common issue). Keep up with maintenance and they're pretty bombproof.

Love how it looks, I have a CRZ and it reminds me of that a little, SciFi looks that just haven’t aged!

Enjoyed the review! I just recently found out about this gem of a car and I love this thing. Wish we got these here in the States. Have to wait 25 years to legally import something haha.

You've also got the 19" Rage alloys on that. Dropping to 18s or 17s will significantly improve the ride comfort, you might want to check if they had coilovers fitted, it's often done to improve the ride, and you said it was quite comfortable (which the seats are, but the ride can be crashy on averagely poor roads with stock suspension). As for the refrigerated glove compartment, there's a dial-type vent on the top right of the glove compartment, to open and close the vent. it basically uses the AC, unfortunately it can also warm the glove compartment slightly I've found, but that might've been when my AC was offline (condensor) but I was still using the AC mode to try and get some air in the summer when I was melting, lol. I heard a bunch about the split rear view when I got mine, but I find it really helps prevent dazzle from drivers behind while still allowing you to see all you need to.

Clarkson has a lot to answer for this is the best civic of them all Comfort lookes performance with Honda’s reliability what a motor even the R 18 rips and you get 42 miles per gallon FN2’s kick ass 😂👍

I own a FN2. 08 plate. GT Version in Red. And its lovely to drive. I agree the seats are great and so is the gear box. The only thing that I don't like the suspension, it's very firm and unforgiving. You definitely won't have any trouble selling yours on, people love them. Also I enjoyed the video.

I’m buying one in the next few months. Want a gt in silver can’t wait. Oh great video btw👍

I have a Type R itch at the moment 😂 Great video she looks great after a bit of tlc ❤

Great review, I always loved the type R , I would own a fn2 any day , I own a 1500 sport with blu spark upgrade giving it 238 bhp and 320 n m much quicker now cheers baz.

ive had my fn2 type R (GT) since Dec 18 and as a guy in his mid 50s now ive had cosworths ,impreza’s bmw’s and all that fast stuff but i must admit i love my FN2 of course its not as quick as a cossie or a scoob but bloody hell its fun to drive when you hit the loud pedal i love the sound when it hits i v tec mode for a n/a engine its bloody good fun ! i won’t be parting with it anytime soon!

This Civic is from ‘peak’ Honda when they were selling 120k cars in the UK, now it’s barely 30k. The humble 2.2 diesel was a real wolf in sheeps clothing and the UK fleet market loved them. With this design it doesn’t looked to have aged in the ways it’s successors have.

I wanted an FN type R but in the end compromised down to a focus ST170 which I drove around for about a year. Ages ago I had a 12 valve 2.0 EXi Accord Aerodeck which was mental, in one instance actually keeping up with a EP3 on full chat. Thing is I’m now yearning after an FN Type R again and hope to get one early 23. So your vid is valuable research on the model. Thanks for the info. 👍

You know the same episode that Clarkson slated the FN2, the Stig called the FN2 an “Absolute gem”

Great Review 👍, new subscriber

Great video enjoyed it. Hoping to upgrade from an FK2 to an FN2 soon. The 'magic seats' also refer to the base of the seats that lift up and lock into place leaving the full floor space free, as well as the option to fold flat, a feature that both my Jazz GE and Civic have.

Great video, I have the 2009 model FN2, you could add a KN Air Filter and this improves the air intake, improves the performance of the car.

i owned my fn2 for over 9 years, loved the experience. for 4 years, the car was stock, then the mod thing happend. carbon tegiwa intake, milltek non res exhaust, tegiwa 421mani, and a proper rolling road map seen me to 226bhp. yes its a lot of money for very little gains (compared 2 turbos) but it totally transforms the car, 9k red line, vtec at 3.5k, flat foot shifting ect ect. proper race car feel. i now own a merc e53, its a total beast of a machine, but on a B road, my ex civic would match it, if not better it! i sold my fn2 last year for 7k, with only 42k on the clock. (59 plate) btw all gt spec cars had a cooled glove box. 58 plate and onwards, were "facelift" which included hids and headlight washers and a usb in the centre console.

The octane sticker is from the video game "Rocket League", a well followed and played game on games consoles. Great video!

Great content new sub👍🏼👍🏼🚘

3:50 that Octane sticker is referencing Rocket League, the Octane is one of the most popular cars in that game. Also you ask about the refrigerated glove box... all that is, is just another air outlet, on the roof of the glove box there's a circular vent that can by twisted to open and close it, it works off the AC and heating system, capable of either cooling or heating whatever it is that you have in there. I have it on both my Type S and Type R.

I think this model just gets better looking! what else looks like this on the road, nothing.

I've driven the EP3 and FK2 which I think are wonderful!

I really fance one of these FN2s.. 😎👍

I've had mine since July 2021, same spec except mine is in Milano Red. I should say, you've also got the optional extra "Rage" alloys fitted to your car, the "standard" car came with 18" rather than those 19". I've heard it said they make the already firm ride slightly less refined, but they do look great on them. I really believe the FN2 is something of a genuine overlooked gem. The shadow of the EP3 is long and dark, but I don't think it will be long before the FN2 is rightly revered for the ability it does possess. I'm trying at present to save up and buy my partner one, as she's in an FN4 1.4 Type S at the moment and I know she'd love the extra power. Just make sure your valve clearances have been done (Honda say every 25K miles) and the gearbox oil has been changed (every 8 years or 75K miles). The rest of the ailments tend to be rust on the roof (the windscreen trim cut into the paint and let water in), water in the bottom boot (variety of possible ingress points from the roof hinge point to the rear light gasket) and finally under chassis rust (corrosion can be nasty if the car has lived by the sea or not been cleaned off properly in the winter).

so cool! Its seems i drive to my own 😆

It's the best looking Type R to date. (Looks are subjective). I love Japanese hot hatchback especially the naturally aspirated. Or maybe a video of Suzuki swift sport 1.6 ?

Magic seats are where the base of the back seats lift up and lock in place. This wasn't available on 3 door civics though. Ive said for a long time If you can find a good EP3 buy it and stick it away. FN2 prices have stopped falling now and are turning upwards, same applies.

These are going up in value now.

Still looks futuristic. While not traditionally handsome, I think it handle's it's irregular egg shape and sharp design cues well. It's not busy like the 2012-2020 models. The brand new civics somehow look older because it's a conservative design. I think the FN2 is a nice blend of futuristic and avant garde

The Octane is a reference to Rocket League. That, the radio station and the NT sticker like you say indicates it’s been a “Dad” car 🤣🤣

Nice video! Your head seems to be almost touching the roof. Is the head room of the fn2 type r limited or are you just very tall?

Beautiful looking cars unless you have the horrible plastic grey panels along the bumbers and sides like me 😄 clutch took a while to get used to compared to other cars I've had. Seats are awesome, rust can be an issue, boot leak has troubled many people but can be an easy fix. Overall great cars that are still going strong 💪

That octane sticker means he plays rocket league 😂

The Octane sticker is just a reference for Rocket League!! It's a videogame

Ohh was it an Impreza at 5:33 ? Though I got my fn2 since a few weeks and coming from a fiesta 1.8l D it is truly amazing in every aspect and especially the engine that is so satisfying Edit : I have the Heritage version and I indeed have the refregirated glovebox

Hi. Can you please tell me which product did you used for cleaning the front headlight. I’ve used a Turtle Wax but mine didn’t came out good as yours did.

Hi sir thank you for sharing your video , and I also just bought a fn2 , my steering wheel are feeling stiff ? How was your?

Far from the quickest car out there but with the k20 engine revving it out will always be fun

I forgot to say before the refrigerated glove box only works when you’ve got the AC on so basically Hasn’t got one 👍😂

The Octane sticker is a sticker for a game called Rocket League XD

Looking to buy 1 of these myself.. Would be interested in yours should you wish to sell it shortly.

Steering feel on the ep3 is woeful

The only serious issue with these cars is the rear torsion beam it rots from inside out and catches the rain water from the outside , so much so the rot can cause rear suspension collapse on older or heavy use vehicles , this increases depending on the severity of the wet climate where the vehicle is owned , a thorough inspection is absolutely essential .

Wish this car was 5 door would have kept mine . Perfect car for family power abd looks

Is it definitely a gt? as ive just bought a 2007 fn2 type r gt and mine also has factory satnav and factory blutooth hands free. Great video 👍

Bit late to comment, I don't think that's actually the GT trim. I think they all had the electric folding mirrors and dual zone climate control. I had the GT trim, which should come with the factory navigation system. This one just has the standard radio/CD player. Also the "refrigerated glovebox" is marketing B/S for having the air-conditioning ducted in there. It was rubbish.

Hello, this set of original 19-inch aluminum rims looks good. Is it forged? What is the weight of a single aluminum rim?

It is nice I have one too

I'm buying another wish I never sold mine, man I miss it 😪

The EP3 and FN2 K20's are completely different.. EP3 has K20A2 and FN2 K20Z4, they are not the same. Also, on paper, the FN came out as 201bhp but on dyno's they were actually producing around the 210 mark.

I ♥️ my Fn2

Octane sticker relates to the car from Rocket League video game ;)

GT is just external trim, It does look a bit nicer with the GT pack though. They have always been good cars and Clarkson has always been 'INVOLVED' with Ford. The FN2 is not quite as nimble and fun as the EP3 but it is still a good drivers car compared to most others of it's time. It also has a better interior and is more practical for day to day use.. The EP3 is of course a little better on track. There is not that much in it though.

the "octane" is a style of car from the video game "rocket league" so i assume someone fairly young stuck it on there ;)

Ive got my first look tomorrow fn2 gt .ive got a toyota celica mk7

I'm looking at an FN2 2011 with 33k , full Honda service history@ £10995 , got a list of questions ready for the dealer Inc has the valve service been done at 25k .....wish me luck ..👍

Tbf i had too pick between a Fn2 an EP3 high miles or buy a MB6 or MC2 Aerodeck vti B18c4 I bought the vti Aerodeck 82,000 miles £2500 a lsd gearbox and long gears 8000 revs in 2nd at 65 😂💥

Fn2 are more popular now then they where 10 years ago brilliant hot hatch low mileage ones are becoming hard to find also ones made after april 2010 with limited slip differential some going for £11k

yes they do have a fridge in the glove box, open it up and on the inner roof on the glove box you will find a round disk, Ill let your good self work the rest out

how much was it?

Hiya you ready to sell it yet mate 👀👀

Fun fact, the octane is a car in the game "Rocket League"

That's not a GT model, the GT model has satnav navigation, bluetooth, and phone calls. I still enjoyed the video though

The sticker is about rocket league btw

The octane sticker is related to the videogame 'rocket league' so you bought a gamers car

it really is an ugly thing, lol. The glovebox just has a hole at the top which lets the A/c into the glovebox. So if you want to freeze anything you would have to also freeze yourself.

Had 1 of these for 2 months then sold it.My old Clio 200 was much better.

This isn't the gt , the gt has sat nav and climate control ?