neveronlines2k

I did not know where else to post this, but I have been getting lots of PM's asking my opinion on the EVO X compared to the S2000 so I thought I would try and help everyone out by posting this thread were people can see it If anyone has any questions feel free to ask in this thread or PM me if you want........

Comparing the two:



How does the Evo X compare to the S2000? Well they are two totally different cars, but for comparisons sake here is my opinions on the differences/upsides and downsides of both cars.

HIGH POINTS
The best features of the Evo are its stability control features (AYC/S-AWC) and how easy it is to mod and make great power and TQ. When you drive a stock one it really does not feel much faster then the S, but remember they run very rich from the factory and can benefit greatly from a custom tune . The S has its race car like handling and a much better driving experience, unfortunately for the Evo it just does not compare here (The Evo can be very boring at times, unless being driven aggressively). If I were coming from just about any other tuner/mid priced sports car I would say I would probably appreciate the Evo X more, but coming from an S2000 it would be difficult for almost any car to measure up as far as driving experience is concerned. Both cars are somewhat bumpy on poor road surfaces and the suspensions are not really designed for cruisers (though this version Evo is a little more subtle then its earlier versions.... The S would be the stiffer of the two with stock suspensions).

MODDING
One major downside to the S is mods are pretty pricey and unless boost is on the list of mods, then power and Tq are going to be somewhat hard come by (though its not the S's fault, it was so well thought out and built that it is very efficient in its stock form). The Evo on the other hand (as well as most boosted cars) makes power from mods very easily. The Evo has a ton of JDM tuners with high priced parts just like the S has (i.e. Varis, Voltex, Ralliart, HKS, etc. etc.), but there are also some stateside tuners with less expensive parts that are making tons of power and not lacking in the quality department (i.e. AMS, Road Race Engineering, Perrin, etc. etc.).

INTERIOR
When it comes to the interiors of the two cars the S2000 wins for fit and finish by a long shot (not to mention the fact it feels more like a cockpit then the inside of a car), while the Evo just barely beats it as far as space is concerned (only because it has rear seats... the trunks on both cars are about the same size ). The Evo's interior leaves a lot to be desired the seats and gauge cluster are its definite high points, everything else is just seems cheap and has the feel that this is where the company decided to save $$$ to keep the price of the car down. Both cars suffer from rattles and annoying noises and I no longer even try to fix them , I am over chasing sounds.

PROBLEMS/ISSUES
I had little to no problems with the S in the 3.5 years of ownership and the Evo has had one issue with CEL's in the 3-4 months I have owned it so far (faulty steering position sensor). It also makes a feint clunking sound when you start it and there is a TSB out for that, but I have not had a chance to take it to the dealer as of yet. I expected things like this though because 2008 is the 1st production year and there will be bugs to be worked out .

EXTERIOR
In the looks department the S looks like a true sports car... 2 seats short wheelbase, and one of the sexiest exteriors of any car available. The Evo X is somewhat of a love it or hate it. In my opinion its very aggressive looking from the front I like the use of black on the exterior and think it separates itself nicely from all the other sedans on the road . One downside is the sticky tires combined with flared fenders = rocks pelting the rear quarter panels and chipping the hell out of the paint I have added mud flaps to help cure the issue but its seems that they are still taking a beating. Since lowering the car last week it seems to have helped make the mud flaps more useful and they are not allowing as many rocks to make it to the rear fenders (I have probably 25-30 pencil tip sized chips on both side, and 3-4 large chips )

MAINTENANCE/RELIABILITY
I have been in the Honda scene for a long time and most of the maintenance I had done on the S was very inexpensive.... I have a feeling this is not going to be the case with the Evo X but I can still have some of the regular stuff done at friends shops so I am not too worried. but maintenance is something people should consider when getting different cars. Tires for the Evo are expensive (245/40/18's all the way around and most people are going to 265/275's) its not like the S where you just were out rears, on this car you wear out all 4 tires and the OEM Advans wear out pretty quick. I would also have to say the S2000 would be the more reliable cars of the two, since the Evo has a lot more electronics within it and Turbo's usually need rebuilding/servicing sooner than all motor cars.

Remember I did not by the EVO X to have a faster car than the S or a better/smoother ride. It was just a space issue for me and I made the decision based on my families needs. I wanted a car that would fit the family and could still be a blast to take to the track/canyons/autoX. Some of the other cars that I considered were: RX8, STI, WRX, TSX, , RSX, Civic SI, Mugen SI, and even ITR and out of all of them the 2nd runner up was the STI, but I could not get over the understeer (though it did have a better interior and I have always like hatches....LOL).

I like the choice I made and feel I made the best one for what I was looking for out of the new car (+ 0% APR and a sticker price of $28,000 wasn't bad either )

Sorry for the long review and I hope it helps

S2kMikey

very nice review. i myself am looking into a evo. maybe a 9 though. =)

neveronlines2k

I was looking at the 9's too but with 0% apr I decided to go with the X, the nine is lighter, but I actually think its easier to make power with the X

Mr.Aqua

How much power can you make with the standard set up? TBE, Boost controller, and a tune?

Onehots2k

Thanks for the write-up! I've toyed with the idea of getting one. I just wish I got some more refinement will all the other positives it offers.

neveronlines2k

I hear you, but if you have some extra money to throw at it you could have someone re-wrap the doors, visors, and roof and it would look a lot better . I am thinking about doing it at somepoint marbe use some alcantara in the inside of the car

Mr.Aqua - I have very few mods just a Road Race UICP, HKS mid-pipe, Legamax exhaust and drop in filter with an ECU Tune and boost pill and I am making 323.3HP and 341.3 ft lbs. of tq to the wheels on a dyno were most X's make around 250 or so when they are bone-stock. Sky is the limit if you want to change out cams, turbos, better intakes, injector's, stroker kits, etc.

Vik2000

Excellent review man. Your S was hot. Blue EVO X looks good too

Mr.Aqua

[QUOTE=neveronlines2k,Apr 28 2009, 11:02 AM] I hear you, but if you have some extra money to throw at it you could have someone re-wrap the doors, visors, and roof and it would look a lot better

LEE72

Thank you for taking the time to put out a review. I too was considering getting an Evo X, although I would get the MR for the SST gearbox as I am hoping that it will fill my preference for being able to manually choose gears while being painless in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

I take it from your review, that the X doesn't offer anywhere close to the agile feel of the S due to its heavier weight? How about the steering feel? Would you say that the X has better feedback and communication than the S?

neveronlines2k

I haven't seen too many crazy builds yet, but I have seen a few making in the 400-450 range. I think it wont be too long before people really start uping the power a lot more though once more builders spend time disecting the 4B11. BOZZ Speed had an Evo8 that was just shy of 1000HP

Ya, after the tune this car is night and day it used to fall on its face right after about 5000 rpms, but no it pulls pretty hard up to 7500rpm's and with the extra HP/TQ it feels like it wants to rip the tires to shreads on its way to redline