i have a good mate with an 03 plate ep3, and when i was lookiing to get a type r ,i gave his a good test drive but also had a mate with an ek9 (which i ended up buying off him )
now imo the ek9 was a far more fun and rewarding car to drive just seemed to stop,handle and go so much better,and overall i think is a much better set up car , although i must say my 9 has the 1800 stroker kit ,apexi neo and ferrodo pads so it wasn't a stock v stock comparison,
i think each has its pro's and cons
the ek9 is more exclusive although more expensive
obviousley an older car (for all the plate snobs out there)
ep3 more refined(some would say soft and a bit poofy....lol) and better on motorways etc
i also think if looked after the 9 will hold it's money better
ek9 cant be beat for a good a/b road blast
in the end i chose the ek9 mainly because , better fun , more rare ,hold it's money,and i dont need to use it everyday,
saying that it did take a while to get me head round paying the same money( £7k ) for a 98 car ,when i could of got a 04 plate for the same money