The Differences

I have always wanted to write about the differences of the pre-facelift (2001 - August 2004) and the facelift DC5 Type-R (Sept 2004 - 2006) since I own the car. Most of us know that the newer version of the DC5 has a 'sleeker' exterior look compared to the 'bug-eyed' previous model, but there are much more improvement made by Honda on other things as well.....

JDM DC5 Front End 07-2001 to 08-2004 (AKA Pre-Facelift)

JDM DC5 September 2003 to August 2004 (AKA Pre-Facelift) Minor Changes

• Adding answer back performance to the radio wave type key-less entry system
• Applying the body color to the washer nozzle
• AM/FM tuner attaching MD player +4 speaker
• AM/FM tuner attaching MD/in dash 6 concert CD player +4 speaker
• Privacy glass
• Rear wiper + electromotive housing type remote control door mirror (C package)
• Less setting discharge headlight
• Emergency flat tire repair equipment set

JDM DC5 Front End 09-2004 to 07-2006 (AKA Facelift)

JDM DC5 September 2004 to 2006 (Facelift) Major Changes

Exterior design

• New front headlight and the rear combination lamp design.
• Newly designed front and rear bumpers to match the redesigned head and tail lamps.
• The newly designed front grille which emphasizes V letter type.
• The low wing type rear spoiler & the colored side sill garnish of standard (kicking up type) it sets to TYPE S anew. High wing type either one it made selective system.
• It adds the new color blue pearl to the body color, setting all the 5 colors.

Interior design

• Large diameter 4 connected white meter of TYPE R private design.
• The new design adding ornament panel of hairline pitch, adopting the aluminum shift knob, the aluminum emergency brake knob, and the aluminum pedal of titanium color.

Travelling efficiency

• With the modification of suspension damper oil seal structure, the hardness down and rear suspension bump stroke enlargement etc of the section bushes, stroke it does pliantly, actualizing the underside which continues to catch the road surface securely.
• Adoption of the left and right symmetrical winding spring (the front) with improvement straight advancing stability and stability.
• Focusing on suspension installation section body high rigid conversion (wall thickness rise of front performance rod pipe, pipe wall thickness rise of front strut tower bar and rise of installation point rigidity and board thickness rise etc of rear damper gusset).
• With the rigid rise and the like of the steering column, actualizing steering wheel feeling which is superior in operativity and responsiveness.
• Improvement of brake pedal rigidity by (rise of master cylinder diameter and rigid rise etc of the pedal bracket), actualizing the brake quality where the control characteristic which is effective securely even with little foot pressure is good.
• With the optimum arrangement of the lightweight acoustic material and the decrease etc of wind cutting sound, silent characteristic as it improves substantially, feeling only of the sport car such as engine sound as been able to enjoy good sound, executing sound tuning.

Comfortable equipment extras

• Speech recognition HONDA HDD navigation system correspondence (Manufacturer option).
• Immobilizer & security alarm standard equipment.
• Key less entry of TYPE R private design (?).
• The discharge headlight (HID) adopting automatic leveling mechanism for the low beam.
  

I hope that this would be of help to those who are uncertain of which model to be purchased. Of course, the 2003 model is cheaper but considering the enhancement that comes with the 2005 model, it's worth your money. From my observation on the current market prices, most of the 2005 DC5 prices have gone up significantly after the new National Automotive Policy being announced by the government. The newer and last batch of the DC5 - year 2006 - is being advertised at RM175,000! That's is almost 20% increment compared to the prices earlier this year. I believe the prices will be stagnant (if no further increase that is!) in these upcoming years as come 2016, Malaysia will no longer have imported cars coming in.

Thank god I've made an early decision to buy Black Mamba. :-D