The best buy is the 2002, as that has the slightly restyled interior, door tweeters, and glass rear window among other features. They also updated the rear suspension of the vehicle so that it doesn't have the nasty snap oversteer that the 00 and (to some degree) 01 did. The 2005 is quite a bit faster due to an upgraded 2.2L engine good for about 10 more wheel horsepower (however, Honda says it has the same horsepower - don't believe it) and much more driveability due to added midrange torque. It was also restyled front and rear slightly to make it more agressive. However, the new 2.2L engine dropped the redline to 8k RPM. If you're like me and cherish the extra 1000 RPM that can be had, go with the 2.0. The changes from 2002-2004 were minimal and typical Honda.