EP3 CTR are fine in the steering department on the later years, and my 52 plate was far tighter than my mk5 or ED30. That said they drive harsh, on or off as has been said there is no build up. It's balls out or granny style. And the gear stick although taking some time to not reach down makes brilliant sense for quick changes. Gearbox is tighter than a mk5 or Leon having driven my mates Cupra. Brakes are a little small for my taste and no traction control can make it fun come snow. But as put the box silly tight hot hatch its a killer. But has to be driven hard and does make it obvious.
That's the driving side. But the trip is terrible. Easy to maintain yes, but not very tactile. Seats can be creaky, mine wasn't bad but mates 05 was noisy. Stereo is sh!te. But can chain and Honda reliability make running costs quite low. They do eat oil when pushed. Not as much as the TFSI but similar. Parts are not cheap. But neither are VW. Or Mazda, or BMW.
