Is the EP3 a good road trip car?

[bobdobbs]

Please give me your opinion on this: Do you think the EP3 is a good car for a road trip, say a couple of hundred miles of driving per day? Assume two adults in the car, maybe a dog in the back,luggage, and a small cooler. Type of driving would be interstate highways and twisty mountain roads from sea level to a few thousand feet. A blend of sportiness and practicality would be ideal and the car should not beat the crap out of you either physically or sonically. Would the EP3 be up to the task?

[civic hatch boi]

i think so.. ep's are good for anything :) plus the hatch gives alot of room. esp if only 2 people are riding. have a fun vacation

[bigcase]

i take mine on a twelve hour round trip every three or four weeks. i think it is an awesome car to road trip in. nice and fast when you have to pass too.

[Spidey]

the car is excellent on long road trips. I'm going on one soon about 450 miles each way. There is plenty of room for luggage and the car is fairly quiet, even with the engine revving at 4000 rpm.
Drive Safe!

[fsugatorbait]

Car is amazing on road trips. I recently got back from a 3100 mile road trip to miami beach. Couldnt have been happier with the car. Perfect, no problems, and a blast to drive.

[k20ASi]

just made a 300 mile trip last weekend. me and my girl it was great hit some nice back roads and some dirt roads. did not have to fill up, on the trip. im at 320 miles on a tank:D

[02TafWhtSi]

Not with the Mugen suspension its not :o

[fsugatorbait]

Originally posted by 02TafWhtSi
Not with the Mugen suspension its not :o

is the mugen suspension that rough?:confused:

[BlackNRedSi]

Drove from PA to Florida in it and back, loved every minute of it!

[bobdobbs]

Originally posted by 02TafWhtSi
Not with the Mugen suspension its not :o

Please, more info. Is it that bad?

[RiceCzechs]

Well, the EP obviously isn't a battleship-sized turnpike cruiser, but I think it acquits itself quite well. I've always felt that our cars could use more stoplight gusto and in around town stop n' go, but out on the highway I've found them to be plenty powerful for most driving, and the seats are fantastic (IMHO) for long term travel without aches and pains. The a/c leaves something to be desired if you're travelling to warmer climes, but I don't see any reason why you and yours couldn't subject it to a weeklong trip.

I've bombed around the country every year now for 7-8 days, running anywhere from 3,400-5,500 miles in one week (route changes every year), in everything from a D.C. PT Cruiser to a Subaru Outback to an '03 Land Rover Range Rover, and they've all got their quirks. Though I haven't done it in an EP, I don't doubt that it would be a reasonable mount to make the trip in. The biggest component in long-distance travel is having a good copilot - one that fits your moods and rhythms, and doesn't make you any more/less tense than you're comfortable with....

[Karim]

I don't know about the EP but when it comes to road trips thats when I really miss my celica. The s2k isn't a great road trip car. My celica pulled up to 39 mpg (way home from reno), could carry plenty of luggage, and was very light (barely 2600lbs with driver) and easy to drive on the freeway.

Don't get me wrong a RWD roadster is a blast and great to drive but the rough suspension, low space, and semi good mpg makes it subpar for a 5 hour road trip. It's amazing how far you'll go for big autocross events :D

Karim

[IceD out N CALI]

i went to vegas 250 miles one way + a lot of traffic and was fine. no problems or anything like that. the seats are pretty comfy over the long haul

[ep pilot]

I have driven mine from Sacramento to Los Angeles X2 now. It runs well on the open road. But I find my lower back is fatigued and sore after more than an hour behind the wheel. The seats work awsome when driving through canyons and tight sweeps, but I find the overtly bolstered contours punishing for long distance.

You will want to upgrade your factory stereo, after an hour it will dawn on you just how un-sufficient the factory setup really is. You will love how easy it is to pass slow traffic, as in most cases it is un-necessary to take the car out of 5th, just go for it.


-Ryan

[CleanBlackSi02]

The seats don'r have enough lumbar for my back for long trips.

[NBP_03Si]

i think is great i drove 400 miles the other day @ around 80mp/h and it was awsome, good response in the gas and good braking (abs) recommended ;) :D

[chubbychu]

its a little too sporty for LONG trips....i took a 6 hour trip to oregon...sure it was fun and all racing everyone on the road. but after a while you kinda miss the luxury of quiet engine, quiet rpm range, no roadnoise...ect ect...

[redronin22]

its a decent road rip mobile. ive taken it to vegas. only down side is that its a pain in the ass without a arm rest after awhile.

[natesi]

I think the EP is sufficient at long road trips, but no better than that....

It's definately not a smooth riding, quite feeway car. I took a 6 hour drive and felt like shit. My passenger kept complaining about the seats becuase his shoulders are so broad. It felt good at first, but was hurting him later in the trip. The only plus, was that half of the trip was stuck in rush hour, and the car can switch lanes very easily because it's so agile.

About the stereo... yea; you'll definately want to get a small sub or something for lots of freeway travel because the wind and freeway noice will do away with any bass the stock speakers have (which is hardly any). I have a small, light Infinity Basslink that's complements the stock system perfectly.

As for space, there isn't a whole lot. It's good for weekend trips, but if you're packing more heavily and have a passenger in the car, going over mountain passes, etc... I think the 4 cyl is going to start showing the lack of torque and power with the car weighted down...

[SiR Medic]

I think the EP would be pretty good for a "road trip car".

Hopefully before my road trip to Montreal and Windsor, Ontario, I plan on making a few "road trip freindly mods" like:

1/ DC/AC converter to charge a laptop.

2/ Alpine head unit with MP3.



I plan on making the trip with just me and the girlfriend... How big is your dog? If it's a Chihauha, you should be okay, if it's a Irish Wolfhound.... You're in trouble...;)

[KickerSi]

I think the EP is good for road trips. I traveled about 300 miles one time to Daytona and the ride was great, especially with a TV. I have Tein springs and it still rides nice, not a whole lot of noise, just nice and comfortable.

[foilpan]

EPs are fine for road trips. i took mine to virginia the first week i got it. it handled really well and kept us comfortable enough while stock.

there's enough room in the back for supplies. if you need more, just fold down the seats. i like to keep essentials on the floor behind my seat while i'm driving so everything's within easy reach.

i noticed the lack of lumbar support on a recent trip to montreal, though. you might want to get one of these (http://www.ems.com/products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444234 0003&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574488340403&bmUID=1061660534971) or something like it. i have a small travel pillow i toss behind me. it works just fine.

with the car lowered, rough roads can be a pain over a long period, but i wouldn't worry about it too much. it shouldn't be a surprize... if you want your car to handle really well on rough roads with potholes, don't lower it. what did you expect?

i've found mileage is only "okay" compared to my old '91 si. i went from MA to miami a few years ago in that thing and filled up maybe four times on the way down. it felt like the thing was practically solar powered... the EP guzzles a little more gas, though i think it's probably a consequence of my driving style in the new car. it's fun to get on it, so i do. i'm sure if you drive conservatively, mileage will improve.

the bottom line: get one. drive it everywhere! :)

[02si]

You don't know what you are driving until you take this car out for a road trip.
Forget passing power you'll be skipping from pack to pack as some try to keep up with you and you out run some who want to tempt you.
The car will totally adapt after the first couple hundred miles. Everything will open up
Fourth and fifth gear will be your friends like never before.
You'll have a new appreciation for these k series engines
seriously.
nuff said.

[bobdobbs]

I'll post my own report in a few weeks because I brought my new EP3 home today! I love it. It's a great car. Not perfect, but the fun per dollar ratio is extremely high. My wife and I will be taking a week-long trip mid-September through Northern California: winding coastal roads, redwood forests, mining towns. Man, we can't wait.

[natesi]

Originally posted by 02si
You don't know what you are driving until you take this car out for a road trip.
Forget passing power you'll be skipping from pack to pack as some try to keep up with you and you out run some who want to tempt you.
The car will totally adapt after the first couple hundred miles. Everything will open up
Fourth and fifth gear will be your friends like never before.
You'll have a new appreciation for these k series engines
seriously.
nuff said.

I wouldn't say there's *that* much freeway power.... in my opinion.

Yes; it has more than a significant amount of other 4 cyl cars, but a decent V6 with some grunt will put our car to shame on the freeway--in terms of pushing you in your seat when you floor it in either 3rd, 4th, or 5th..... Say from cruising at 50 (downshifting)and going to 80, or cruising at 70 (downshifting) and going to 100mph.

note: I said "decent" V6--like something 200hp and up; not a dinky one.

[SUNEBOY]

I took a 4000 hour trip one way and it was da bomb!
YEAH RIGHT!
The seats are this...
The seats are that....
My back! Your Back! blah blah blah...
everyones opinion is different...
everyones back is different...



Just take your damn car on a road trip. If it's cool it's cool if it's not it's not...did you ask the dealer if it was a good road trip car before ya bought it?

........oh yeah ...on my 4000 hour trip I drove to Vegas, Reno, Florida, etc. etc. etc. LOL

[02TafWhtSi]

Originally posted by bobdobbs


Please, more info. Is it that bad?

I meant to say that its (the Mugen Sport suspension) not ideal for long trips and when compared to the stock suspension is totally different. When traveling long distances the stiff nature of the ride can be a little irritating. Thats not to say you can't do it - its just a much more "involving" cruise than in lets say an Accord...
In other words, when I went down to Virginia last week I got a great deal on a 7 day rental (a Mitsubishi Galant) and it was an EXTREMELY relaxing trip down :)

[HondaMan]

I went on a road trip to Dayton, OH and back (430 miles each way) and it did very well even with my Progress springs. These lowering springs (like them all) make highway bridge crossings and the like rough at times but tolerable. BTW, we had 3 adults and 1 child and my 78 year old grandpa didn't complain much about it...our comfy seats help. We also got 29 MPG on one leg of the trip doing 75-80 MPH. :)

I say go for it...you will not regret it!

[TheMutt]

Personally, the longest I've had my car is about 2 hrs. It was nice and the armrest thing didn't bother me at all. I rest my arm on my lap, and probably would even if I did have an armrest.

However, this Friday I'm leaving to take a 5 hr. drive in my Ep. I'll update my opinion on the whole road trip thing afterwards :D

[EP33]

My road trip to do list:

1. Install 14" 2002 Civic LX rims (w/wheel covers:D)
Very smooth and quiet. . .also very lightweight

2. Set Konis to full soft F & R

3. Install the full nose mask

4. grab the DC/AC PWR supply

5. Roll out.

On my last 900 mile road trip I did forget which tires I had on and almost drifted right off of a FWY interchange :o

Tein S-Techs Alpine V12/Type R audio make the ride very nice.

[bobdobbs]

Originally posted by TheMutt
I'll update my opinion on the whole road trip thing afterwards :D

Yeah, let's hear how it went!

[abstrack]

ive taken my ep from vegas to LA about 2 times already... the rides not bad.. kinda wish i had a 6th cuz i hate being around the 4000 rpm range... Im taking it their this weekend for D1 :D anyone in the LA area going? Im also gonna go hit up san diego to see my girl.

[bobdobbs]

Originally posted by SUNEBOY

Just take your damn car on a road trip.

Hey, clueless, I didn't *have* the car when I posted this question. It was part of the decision to buy it.