Hello,

I've been waiting for a 2004+ S2000 to come up for sale in my area for about 5 months.
Unfortunately not many show up.
I'm interested in the 2004+ only because of the better handling (so I've read)


Am I right to be concerned about earlier models being difficult to handle?
I've been driving the 1990 Miata for about 24 years now so I'm a little concerned about the extra power and the finicky handling that the earlier S2000 models seem to have as I will be driving year round in Canada.

 

As far as I know, the suspension and handling should be the same or close enough to not exclude pre 2004. Where did you hear pre 2004 are difficult to handle? I had a 2003 and drove it year round in New England; snow and all.

I'd also expand your search area and have a car shipped to you. There's not many S2000's as it is, so you need to have a wide net to find the right one.

 

Hi Moses, (cute dog)

I got the info from doing a lot research online.

I've read that in 2004 Honda improved their stability.
Something about the back end can get out of control on earlier models.

 

Pre '04 models were more prone to snap oversteer while the 04 and later models are more stable. As a general rule of thumb, I recommend buying the newest model S2000 you can afford.

 

AP1 has a different rear suspension geometry that causes a large change in toe over it's range of operation. 04+ is different but not necessarily any better depending how you quantify it. I only spun my AP1 once and that was at a track. As long as you respect the car and know that it can be a little tricky then you will be fine. I wouldn't have any problem getting an AP1 if the right one comes along. 06+ also has VSA traction control and the ability to use Flashpro.

The bottom line is I wouldn't automatically reject an earlier model year if the right one came along. Patience is key if you are looking for a specific car, I browsed casually for almost 2 years.

 

Thanks guys.

 

I've owned a 01 and oversteer was more apparent especially in a heavy down pour. The 01 was more raw of a car with rattles and buzzes..etc

My currently own a 06 and I couldn't be happier. The seats don't hurt my back after 30 minutes of driving like the 01 did. The transmission doesn't buzzzzzzzzzzz loud on down shifts. Feels more stable more controlled at the limit or past. I especially like the lower end torque for city driving. The only complaint is the car needs a highway gear for long distance trips. While I know the s2000 has no issues operating at 3.5k on the highway for hours on end it still bugs me to an extent.

 

The big thing to consider on the S2000 is the tires. Buy good ones and don't let the tread get too low.

 

The big difference is when you are near the limit. If you are buying the car to cruise around in it shouldn't make a big difference. Even the AP2's (2004+)can be a handful when pushing it in less desirable conditions (i.e. rain), with cold tires, or on slippery tarmac. Remember they are all rear wheel drive with aggressive suspensions and no traction control (similar to Miata in some aspects). I'd get an AP2 due to financial reasons; IMO they do and will continue to hold their value much better than AP1's. Many of the perceived issues with AP1's are actually very narrow in scope or don't apply at all; but people unfamiliar with the car simply read 'get a 2004+' as soon as they start researching it. Examples of the aforementioned could include the differences in valves, the transmission, etc.

 

If AP2s hold their value "much better" (not that I necessarily agree), then they should cost much more used, right? So, for financial reasons AP1 makes more sense.
If buying used, you save money going with a car that *doesn't* maintain its value as well.
If it's an '03 for $9500 vs. an '04 for $11,000, all else equal, I'd probably opt to save the $1500 and go with the AP1.


Back on topic, if you have a ton of Miata experience in year-round Canadian weather, you're probably fine.
The AP1s do have funky rear geometry that absolutely does catch a lot of uninitiated drivers. Basically, if you lift of the gas when it starts to get squirrelly, you get a big extra dose of oversteer due to the outside rear toeing relatively outward (on top of the natural dose of oversteer from unloading the rears).