JonBoy

I wish every vehicle of mine had a digital gauge. I loved the gauge cluster on the S2000, in terms of functionality. It was easy to use, center properly, allowed you to see speed and rpm at a quick glance and generally minimized the clutter or details that weren't truly needed. I still think the S2000 has the best "basic" interior of any car. Everything you regularly need is at your finger tips. It's low on frills but it's high on functionality and practical use.

My wife's Civic (which I just inherited for my beater) has a digital speedometer as well and I love not having to truly look at the speedo. One less thing to focus on (with any real effort) in the car...

Nerd-Vol

I like the digital gauges. I am a sucker for information, so I do wish it had an oil temp and/or oil pressure gauge.

I genuinely feel as though the S2000 will age quite nicely. I don't think the NB has or the NC will.

honda606

The S2000 will always hold a special place in my enthusiast heart but sadly it is looking quite dated these days. I've always loved the front end but have never been crazy about the rear.

honda606

The S2000 was never designed to compete with the Miata so I really can't see it as a fair comparison. I see where you're coming from with regards to the age of the two but the S2000 was built to compete with the Boxster and Boxster S. In today's market value the MSRP on a new S2000 would be $40k+. Totally different category from the Miata despite the two being roadsters by design.

titch

Well, no, true, they weren't direct competitors, but if someone is wanting to compare them, at least keep them of the same vintage.



FWIW, I've not long since swapped from a modified NA Miata (~150bhp with ITBs) to a lightly tuned '02 S2000, and the way I always describe it when people ask is that it's just like a Miata on steroids. Everything is amped up that little bit (interior space aside, that's amped down, although I do prefer the dash & layout), it's simply bigger, faster and more aggressive.

MaximumAttack

Haha. This was the quintessential Miata fanboy rant... exactly like what you hear from about 80% of the guys on the Miata forum. "Oh, the Miata is more affordable. Come on, it's still in production! It killed the S2000! It won!" Very little about which is more exciting to drive, which is generally faster on track, which has the complete package (great handling AND a great engine, not just great handling...), etc.

As for the styling, the guy said his favorite design before the ND was the NC... I know very, very few people who think the NC is an attractive looking car in any way. As for the ND, I do think it looks pretty good, & it's more modern looking than the S2000, but I still think the S2000 is a good looking car. I feel the same about other older cars like the S15 Silvia, FD RX7, NSX, etc....

It's a bit strange to me he says that the ND has nailed the handling and has raised the bar well above all of the others. Nearly every reviewer has complained about the extremely soft stock suspension, and I believe many of them also complained about the light steering. I'm sure it handles really well with aftermarket coilovers, but have a hard time believing it would be night and day vs an S2000 or RX7 with equally good aftermarket coilovers. =P

zumns2k

After buying my s2 my dad realized just how much my mom had yarned of owning a convertible.

Now with all of us out of the house my mom got her wish...

And i must say that after driving it ... the MX-5 really does have a way of putting a smile on your face.

Yes the suspension is soft and you do get a bit of body roll but the mechanical grip it generates is phenomenal and the car is sooo predicatable which makes driving it fast easy and awesome.

Not to mention its body styling is gorgeous.

would i trade my s2 for a new MX-5 ... YIKES! that is a loaded question ... lets see well , The fully loaded Grand Touring model weights less then our cars... My moms has the auto transmision with paddle shifers, heated seats, navi, bose audio, bluetooth, backup sensors, lane departure sensors, cruise control radar sensors, has less cabin noise, and comfy seats all of this makes the MX-5 one hell of a great daily convertible roadster.

Of course it's not as powerful as our s2 and doesn't handle as good stock for stock, but it is amazing to me that 16 years later all that technology was crammed into the MX-5 without sacrificing weight...

now most of us would probably perfer the club version which is MT AND LIGHTER then my moms AT GT

Final thoughts... no i would not trade my s2, BUT! if down the road Mazda finds more power ... I might change my tune

couple more pics

WolfpackS2k

Where did you hear/read that the Grand Touring Miata weighs as much as an AP1 S2000? Because I'm pretty sure that is incorrect.

TsukubaCody

^That.

All ND's are much lighter than any production S2000.

zumns2k

allow me to correct myself

MX-5 Grand touring GT auto 2,380

MX-5 club sport MT 2,332

ap1 was 2,809