DC5 to FD2 - my views as I currently have both

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Taffyteg

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I was very fortunate on the weekend to pick up a Blue FD2 - Sept 2008 in great condition. During the long drive back I was able to compare the FD2 with my DC5, my findings I'm going to put below and it would be good to see what you think of them also:

1. The suspension - OMG what have they done to it. Fair enough slow speed driving - A roads following other traffic a little harder than the Teg but when you open it up and hit bumps at motorways speeds its shocking. The primary ride (initial bump) is OK, not far off the Teg, maybe the Teg is a little harder, but the secondary ride is awful, the car bounces along like everything is made out of rubber. I have spoken to Litchfields and they have told me why its like this which I agree with. Teg is much much better.

2. Performance - The DC5 has a Mugen intake filter and Mugen loop through exhaust fitted, which all in all gives more power and sounds great, it does not really help much with performance pre-VTEC. Now with the FD2 and I'm not sure if this is down to the pedal map that they have used, I feel as though I physically have to press the pedal a lot further to get similar performance as the Teg, as a result I tend to find myself revving the FD2 (unintentially) a little bit harder. When VTEC does engage - again although the car/power feels more refined, I don't feel as though the car is quicker than the Teg. Two to the Teg, definitely better.

3. Interior - I've got a CW Teg with the red Recaro's and I have to admit I love the old style layout of gauges, the seating position, the only thing I never really got used to was the small seats, especially for long journeys. Now you get into the FD2 and really it just shows how old the Teg really is. The gauges are great, although I feel the Teg is better suited for the track (but remember these are just my thoughts) but overall the seats, gauges, quality and room are all just that bit better. Plus the FD2 has the four doors which is a massive bonus with the family now growing, but its a real shame the rear seats don't fold down. The FD2 just pips the Teg by a nose hear.

4. Exterior - I really love the look of the Teg, but the FD2 is just that bit better again there. The quality of fit and finish between the two is practially the same, however the styling of the FD2 just goes that little bit more further than the Teg. Rear diffuser, combined front splitter into the bumber, the higher sills just make it stand out that little bit more. Again the FD2 just pips the Teg by a nose.

I would like to continue on here but I need to get on with some other stuff now, I hope you enjoyed the read and it will be interesting to see if you think I'm talking out of my bottom or not. Laters
 
As a counter argument :P

Suspension is compromised on road in regards comfort, no doubt about it. However, stick it on track and it literally demolishes the DC5. Horses for courses.

Performance wise, the FD2 has a shorter 1, 2 and 3, then a longer 4, 5 and 6 over the DC5. First 3 give the FD2 quicker acceleration over the DC5, and the other 3 are because the FD2 has a fair bit more torque as a standard car. The FD2 doesn't need to be revved harder, it simply revs a lot quicker than the DC5 because of the short gears. There is a good video on Youtube that has the DC5 go against the FD2. Ito is one of the drivers, I forget the other, but the FD2 wins both races quite comfortably over 300m. That's with +5bhp and +80Kg. Definite proof that despite very little extra power and a lot more weight, the gearbox changes make the FD2 very fast through the first 3 gears. That's why I think that and the noise of your mods on the DC5 are helping make your mind up about VTEC performance, because there is no way a DC5 is quicker straight line wise over the FD2.

Looks wise, I prefer the DC5 exterior but FD2 interior. Recaro seats are nicer than the Honda effort as well IMO. 4 doors and keep the performance of a Type R is a huge bonus I agree. I can be dad with my boy in the car, then a big kid when he isn't 8)
 
1) Yes, the stock suspension is pretty bouncy. My old DC5 was definitely better on the road in that respect, although on the track the FD2 would be the better bet. The AST's are a world apart.

2) Sorry chap, that's just you. Unless you've changed the manifold or ECU there will have been a negligible increase over stock from those parts. The FD2's pedal is a bit heavier and with different travel compared to the DC5, but it certainly isn't slower.
 
Cheers guys some good comments there. Please keep them coming, this is an open discussion after all ☮️

Only thing is now would i go back to the Teg??? Will think about it down the pub laters :P
 
I had fairly highly modified DC5 (GruppeM, RBC intake, AEM pulleys, KPro ECU, TODA header, Mugen Twin-Loop, Spoon Prog-springs + stiffer ARBs + fast road setup) before the FD2 so it had a lot to live up on when I first test drove one. It still managed to impress significantly just after a few miles. The FD2 felt like it already had a remap and mild breathing mods straight out of the box. I was quite surprised how good it felt.

As others have said on various threads - it's the fact Honda better matched the engine power/torque characteristics to the drive/gear box that has made the most difference despite the mild power increase. I did find, like you, the throttle response was almost too quick/light to start with but you get used to it.

I agree slow speed bump compliance is slightly more supple than the DC5 but we all know cruising speeds are a very bumpy experience. The reward in the handling department makes you forgive all this as a driver though. Since moving away from 18s / RE70s to softer rubber on 17s it's helped quite a bit. Having softer cushioned Sparco racing bucket seats has helped too.

Outside the DC5 still has the sportier look for me. Interior wise I prefer the DC5 steering wheel but nothing else really.
 
i drive both a dc5 and fd2 as well. well my girlfriend owns the dc5 there both cw. would love to get a pic of them up but it keeps saying there too big :( i love driving both. think the dc is better to sit in. love the way you sit so low in it, the stering wheel and the seats are better too. but apart from that there is just something that litttle bit better about the fd..
in the looks department its hard to call for me. i think the fd look so good partly because there so rare.

if i was to sell the fd i would happly px for a dc5.

honda can really pull it out of the bag when they want too.
 
Once again some top comments. The more I think about what your saying the more I think the FD2 just does it over the Teg, but the big difference being I feel in the Teg you can use it everyday out of the box as it is. You can drive to work, drive to the track and then drive home. I feel the FD2 as you say is quicker than the Teg round a track, but everyday use especially on our uk roads, it just isn't cut out for and hence why the AST is so popular.

Once again many thanks for the comments, I'm off to bed

L
 
I 've never owned a teg, but i will be the tech nerd here :nahnah: . Honda after the DC5 they learned their lesson, so although the engine block is shared between the two cars, there are quite some differences as well. Better/ more efficient intake manifold, better exhaust manifold, gearing matched better to the engine/chassis combo, lighter flywheel, uprated pistons, uprated connecting rods and the list goes on. Result is that although the car has an electric throttle it's is more revvy than the DC5. Personally i would say the best incarnation of the K20A.

The set-up of the car is definetely track-orientated and only when you blast it around a track you can appreciate this point. This set-up along with the more rigid chassis helps the lsd perform quite quite well. All in all the FD2 is a much more focused car and for many people in the motorsports a better base than the DC5. Would I ever change it for a DC5?..... NO.
Would i buy it again even with one seat inside?.....YES. Would I change the suspension for a coilover set?.....it has to be a proven much better solution. As i call it..... the last of the mohicans!!!!

What I am happy about is that shortly enough there is going to be a race prepared FD2 racing in UK, so a perfect test base for road-going FD2's. I will follow these developments very close.
 
interesting post, I thought similar when I tried a few FD2's compared to my DC5.

On the power thing, my conclusion from driving a modded DC5 and an FD2 was made clearer the more I put my DC5 back to stock to sell it. Mods are great. Clearly they are generally for 6k+ gains, and feel good/noisier, but the reality is they really are a very small improvement on what honda does, or what you can acheive with simple intake/exhaust mods on a K20. Well that and the more power in FF you run the later you can give it WOT, and the more power the more wheelspin so overall the Honda OEM set up is nearly as good, or can even feel better....perhaps why the FD2 feels so healthy?
 
After living with the car for a few weeks now I am starting to see why people are saying they love FD2 and why they wouldn't go back. Once you get over the bumps all is great.
Fitted my Pioneer 7" HU last night, it looks really good in there and I have to admit it was one of the most easiest installs I have ever done.
The speakers aren't too good though even though they have some Alpines in the back, might need to either change them or run some speaker wire through to the rear instead of using stock.
 
I love this thread as I too have owned a few type r's, 2 of them being a DC5 and now the FD2. For me it was a clear cut of my love for the FD2. I wanted a car that I can transport the wife & kid but also still have "me time" on the track etc.. and for me it is certainly the FD2 all day long. The one and only thing I dont like about the FD2 is that the rear seats do not fold...but hey its such a small price too pay. Given time you will never look back 😉
 
Regarding Item 3:

The retractable steering column on the FD2 makes a big difference when getting the optimum seating position.



Taffyteg":35olg1kg said:
I was very fortunate on the weekend to pick up a Blue FD2 - Sept 2008 in great condition. During the long drive back I was able to compare the FD2 with my DC5, my findings I'm going to put below and it would be good to see what you think of them also:

1. The suspension - OMG what have they done to it. Fair enough slow speed driving - A roads following other traffic a little harder than the Teg but when you open it up and hit bumps at motorways speeds its shocking. The primary ride (initial bump) is OK, not far off the Teg, maybe the Teg is a little harder, but the secondary ride is awful, the car bounces along like everything is made out of rubber. I have spoken to Litchfields and they have told me why its like this which I agree with. Teg is much much better.

2. Performance - The DC5 has a Mugen intake filter and Mugen loop through exhaust fitted, which all in all gives more power and sounds great, it does not really help much with performance pre-VTEC. Now with the FD2 and I'm not sure if this is down to the pedal map that they have used, I feel as though I physically have to press the pedal a lot further to get similar performance as the Teg, as a result I tend to find myself revving the FD2 (unintentially) a little bit harder. When VTEC does engage - again although the car/power feels more refined, I don't feel as though the car is quicker than the Teg. Two to the Teg, definitely better.

3. Interior - I've got a CW Teg with the red Recaro's and I have to admit I love the old style layout of gauges, the seating position, the only thing I never really got used to was the small seats, especially for long journeys. Now you get into the FD2 and really it just shows how old the Teg really is. The gauges are great, although I feel the Teg is better suited for the track (but remember these are just my thoughts) but overall the seats, gauges, quality and room are all just that bit better. Plus the FD2 has the four doors which is a massive bonus with the family now growing, but its a real shame the rear seats don't fold down. The FD2 just pips the Teg by a nose hear.

4. Exterior - I really love the look of the Teg, but the FD2 is just that bit better again there. The quality of fit and finish between the two is practially the same, however the styling of the FD2 just goes that little bit more further than the Teg. Rear diffuser, combined front splitter into the bumber, the higher sills just make it stand out that little bit more. Again the FD2 just pips the Teg by a nose.

I would like to continue on here but I need to get on with some other stuff now, I hope you enjoyed the read and it will be interesting to see if you think I'm talking out of my bottom or not. Laters
Click to expand...
 
Very true


BillFD2":3nml1bjn said:
Regarding Item 3:

The retractable steering column on the FD2 makes a big difference when getting the optimum seating position.



Taffyteg":3nml1bjn said:
I was very fortunate on the weekend to pick up a Blue FD2 - Sept 2008 in great condition. During the long drive back I was able to compare the FD2 with my DC5, my findings I'm going to put below and it would be good to see what you think of them also:

1. The suspension - OMG what have they done to it. Fair enough slow speed driving - A roads following other traffic a little harder than the Teg but when you open it up and hit bumps at motorways speeds its shocking. The primary ride (initial bump) is OK, not far off the Teg, maybe the Teg is a little harder, but the secondary ride is awful, the car bounces along like everything is made out of rubber. I have spoken to Litchfields and they have told me why its like this which I agree with. Teg is much much better.

2. Performance - The DC5 has a Mugen intake filter and Mugen loop through exhaust fitted, which all in all gives more power and sounds great, it does not really help much with performance pre-VTEC. Now with the FD2 and I'm not sure if this is down to the pedal map that they have used, I feel as though I physically have to press the pedal a lot further to get similar performance as the Teg, as a result I tend to find myself revving the FD2 (unintentially) a little bit harder. When VTEC does engage - again although the car/power feels more refined, I don't feel as though the car is quicker than the Teg. Two to the Teg, definitely better.

3. Interior - I've got a CW Teg with the red Recaro's and I have to admit I love the old style layout of gauges, the seating position, the only thing I never really got used to was the small seats, especially for long journeys. Now you get into the FD2 and really it just shows how old the Teg really is. The gauges are great, although I feel the Teg is better suited for the track (but remember these are just my thoughts) but overall the seats, gauges, quality and room are all just that bit better. Plus the FD2 has the four doors which is a massive bonus with the family now growing, but its a real shame the rear seats don't fold down. The FD2 just pips the Teg by a nose hear.

4. Exterior - I really love the look of the Teg, but the FD2 is just that bit better again there. The quality of fit and finish between the two is practially the same, however the styling of the FD2 just goes that little bit more further than the Teg. Rear diffuser, combined front splitter into the bumber, the higher sills just make it stand out that little bit more. Again the FD2 just pips the Teg by a nose.

I would like to continue on here but I need to get on with some other stuff now, I hope you enjoyed the read and it will be interesting to see if you think I'm talking out of my bottom or not. Laters
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
One other thing I've noticed now that I've had the fd2 for a couple of weeks, why is the FD so much worse on fuel than the DC5???
From what I've read so far there is no reason to explain why the engine should be any worse :roll: - any ideas????
 
How many miles has your FD2 got on it? If it's not many miles, maybe its still a bit tight and will improve with mileage? What type of driving are you doing? 1st, 2nd and third should be shorter, so to drive it economically you might need to change up sooner?
 
uknowiama":90jf08va said:
How many miles has your FD2 got on it? If it's not many miles, maybe its still a bit tight and will improve with mileage? What type of driving are you doing? 1st, 2nd and third should be shorter, so to drive it economically you might need to change up sooner?
Click to expand...

Hi - the car has done about 21K miles now, so should be nicely free'd up. As for gear changes initially I was revving it a little higher due to the shorter ratio's but now I'm upshifting about the same rpm as the DC5. I've also noticed on motorways the FD2 is not as good as the DC5 which really doesn't makes much sense as 6th gear ratio's are very similar.

uknowiama????? - is this the same uknowiama from PUK?
 
I wonder whether the FD2 is not as slippery as DC5 hence the fuel? Correct though, off the top of my head the 6th gear ratio is the same, but is the final drive the same?
 
Taffyteg":c6tojlqw said:
uknowiama":c6tojlqw said:
How many miles has your FD2 got on it? If it's not many miles, maybe its still a bit tight and will improve with mileage? What type of driving are you doing? 1st, 2nd and third should be shorter, so to drive it economically you might need to change up sooner?
Click to expand...

Hi - the car has done about 21K miles now, so should be nicely free'd up. As for gear changes initially I was revving it a little higher due to the shorter ratio's but now I'm upshifting about the same rpm as the DC5. I've also noticed on motorways the FD2 is not as good as the DC5 which really doesn't makes much sense as 6th gear ratio's are very similar.

uknowiama????? - is this the same uknowiama from PUK?
Click to expand...

Yep :-D
 
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