Alright, this is my dilema. Next spring I will either be purchasing an EVO8 or an S2000. This will be daily-driver car for the summer, which is one of the reasons I am considering the EVO due to its backseat and more spacious interior. In all honesty, is the S2k comfortable enough to drive everyday and take a road trip if necessary? I drive 2 1/2 hours on the highway quite regularly, and do enjoy driving from Minneapolis out to Chicago (about 6-7 hours). For those of you who have driven both cars, can you please give me feedback on how they compare as far as comfort and funness to drive go?

 

with all the reliability and warranty issues with the EVO, i'm starting to like the STi more...both cars wouldn't make very good long commute or road trip cars...probably the STi would be better in both respects

 

S2K would probably be a blast in the summer esp. with the top down. If you like the attention of a sporty car during the summer, the S2K is definitely has more sex appeal and is more of a head turner than an Evo.

However, if you're driving the boys to a Cubbies or Sox game or making a Michigan Ave roadtrip, the backseat definitely helps. The only real attention grabber on the Evo initially is probably from the carbon fiber spoiler.

In terms of comfort, the S2k probably takes the cake. The Evo has great Recaros for short drives, the track, and high speeds. But for long road trips, they are absolutely killer on the back.

Both are fun to drive and you'd probably be happy either way due to each of their plusses. Since we're mainly concern with comfort/fun I won't get into the other adv/disadv of each.

Now the real question is does funness equal a VTEC or a 16G turbo?

 

A car thats fast has to have looks in my book. S2k def beats out the boxy cars

 

I road all the way across the country and back in an evo and by day 3 it was hell. I would choose the s2k just for the convertible aspect of it. There will be a problem if you have to take luggage with you on the trips though..

 

No reliability or warrenty issues here. As stated before in MANY other threads, the warrenty and reliability issues have been blown WAY out of proportion. I'm at 23k with zero problems.

The EVO is a great car. It's got plenty of power, great handling, and practicallity. I've taken the car on two 5 hours (straight through) road trips and it was not bad at all. It was just as nice a drive as our Mazda 6s. The seats are great, and definitely the best I've ever sat in. Here are a few things to think about:

1.) no cruise control - for some this a must have item....for me I rarely use it anyway.
2.) gas mileage - I average 19-22mpg regardless of city or highway...I think the S is around 25 highway
3.) surface conditions - The EVO's suspension is tight and may be uncomfortable on some neglected roads.

Also, some may say that the EVO is not a head turner but I get looks all the time. According to the kids in my neighborhood, I have the coolest car on the block . I get stopped all the time for comments. Not sure how it compares to an S but I certainly see less EVO's around than them.

 

 

If you're in Minneapolis, you do need to consider "winter" and what that means if talking a daily driver. I don't know much about the EVO, but I do drive year-round here in Rochester, MN. Winter tires are a must - with those, the S2000 handles winter just fine, provided the front is above the snow (i.e. wait for the plows).

The S is driveable for a distance and comfortable, and it does have cruise, which for road trips is a must in my book. But no back seat and limited, although usable, luggage space must be considered, too. For gas mileage, I've hit >30 on the highway, if you care. The S suspension is also tight, and you'll notice it on bumpy roads. Again, more of an issue for a long drive.

Tony

 

well....the only major complaints i hear about the S is minor things like clutch rattle, 2nd gear notchiness, etc.....
go to the EVO forums and you hear a lot worse....yes i'm sure some of it is due to abuse and such, but i've never heard so much complaining about problems and rejected warranty claims....

 

Wombat and I are both very active on the Evo boards, too. That is why he is so certain about the true lack of reliability problems, etc. The VERY few (%-wise) that have problems are the most vocal. Mine has been more reliable than I ever expected, even with a ton of mods, cross-country drive (which I found much more comfortable than my S2K has ever been), etc.

Once again, I hate to see the whole "vs." thing in the threads. They are two completely different cars for completely different situations. That's why I own both an S2000 and an Evo and not an STi and an Evo. As far as the comments and thumbs-up, I get WAY more in the Evo than I ever did in my '01 S2K or my current '04. No kidding. So to wave the BS flag is kinda funny...

This topic has been beaten to death. If you come to an S2K forum, which car do you think most people will suggest? Same goes for an Evo forum, Subie forum, etc. Hell, if you went to a Kia forum (please God, don't let one exist), I bet they'd say buy 3 Rios in different colors.

Last thing - you might actually be more comfortable in the summer in the Evo than the S2K. The Evo has some might A/C - I needed it when I lived in VA. I tend to cook a little too often in the S2K.

Good luck either way - both are fantastic cars.