my impressions of the s2000 vs. my old miata
11-09-2007, 08:19 AM
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my impressions of the s2000 vs. my old miata
i owned a '94 miata (base/no frills package) for the past six years, and as a new owner of an s2k i'm noticing all the little differences between them. this is not an apples to apples comparison because there's a ten year difference between the cars.
the miata had the old world charm. the lack of power steering (or power anything except brakes), plus the little retro chrome door handles gave it extra personality points. it had no more or less storage than the s2k; a normal glove compartment inside but not much else. and the trunk has a different shape (longer front to back, but shallower in depth than the honda) but seems like about the same storage.
the s2k is a modern car, retro only in the fact that it uses the classic sports car architecture. it looks new and clean, especially with the ap2's 17" wheels. and it's not a trendy design, so i think it will stand the test of time. i like that it has built in rollbar hoops, because my aftermarket bar on the miata made it hard to operate the top, and cut into visibility (though the s2k has more blind spots around the c pillars with the top up). the seats on the honda have better side support, and are more comfortable to me.
the miata was rev-happy, even though it "only" went to 7200rpm. but you could use the higher ranges of the tach more often around town. you could drive that car hard all day and not get yourself in trouble, and it was fun to do so. yes, i wasn't going all that fast, but it's a joy to drive at its limits. like the honda it doesn't have much torque in the lower end, so it can be very docile around town. this also made it pretty easy to drive in bad weather. the borla exhaust i had on the car had a nicer tone than the honda's, and it was like music (though the engine felt more labored at high rpm).
with the honda, just a few fun redline shifts and it's over, i have to settle back down to normal highway speeds. but that limitation is a strength, as it has gobs more power than the miata, available when you need it. shifting at 3-4k means you can slink around quietly in traffic, or avoid spinning tires in the wet. but you get the fun half of the tach as well, and can live there easily if you have a lonely road ahead of you. or can get through traffic quicker if you need a squirt of power. the sound of the car is racier, harsher, than the miata's, but it's also quite exciting to hear it scream through the v-tec switchover.
both cars do well around corners, and you can adjust either with the throttle by tightening up with a little oversteer. with the miata you can make more noise (higher revs at the same speed) but the honda can pull away quicker. this is probably due to my inexperience with the honda, but it seemed like the miata was more progressive at its limits, and i could tell when oversteer started to come on. my admittedly very few hard corners with the s2000 gave me the impression it would snap out more suddenly. this could be due to the wider tires, or just my ham-fisted driving. the miata does feel more tossable, due to its 700 less pounds. as for steering feel, i'd give more points to the honda.
the honda makes, overall, a better highway car (cruise control, easy climate controls, more insulated), but it also revs higher and has more engine drone than the miata at the same speed. i often feel like i want to shift into 7th gear. and of course the flip side to that is i can pass in 6th, whereas the miata usually needed a downshift from 5th to 4th. speaking of which, i can't decide which gearbox i like better. they both beat any other car i've ever driven. the honda is newer and has a tighter, more solid feel, but the miata's short stick had a very solid feel for its age, with quick, short throws.
even though i'll miss the mazda, i have no regrets about having an s2000. it's still a real sports car, with the loads of fun that go with it.
s2000 pros:
* faster
* modern design
* quick steering
* built-in rollbar, power top
* seats
* luxury goodies (well, relative to the base miata)
miata pros:
* charming personality
* drive at limits more often
* exhaust tone (maybe unfair, since i had aftermarket)
* pedal placement
* *slightly* better rear visibility
* left arm out window
tossup:
* storage
* transmission
* handling
the miata had the old world charm. the lack of power steering (or power anything except brakes), plus the little retro chrome door handles gave it extra personality points. it had no more or less storage than the s2k; a normal glove compartment inside but not much else. and the trunk has a different shape (longer front to back, but shallower in depth than the honda) but seems like about the same storage.
the s2k is a modern car, retro only in the fact that it uses the classic sports car architecture. it looks new and clean, especially with the ap2's 17" wheels. and it's not a trendy design, so i think it will stand the test of time. i like that it has built in rollbar hoops, because my aftermarket bar on the miata made it hard to operate the top, and cut into visibility (though the s2k has more blind spots around the c pillars with the top up). the seats on the honda have better side support, and are more comfortable to me.
the miata was rev-happy, even though it "only" went to 7200rpm. but you could use the higher ranges of the tach more often around town. you could drive that car hard all day and not get yourself in trouble, and it was fun to do so. yes, i wasn't going all that fast, but it's a joy to drive at its limits. like the honda it doesn't have much torque in the lower end, so it can be very docile around town. this also made it pretty easy to drive in bad weather. the borla exhaust i had on the car had a nicer tone than the honda's, and it was like music (though the engine felt more labored at high rpm).
with the honda, just a few fun redline shifts and it's over, i have to settle back down to normal highway speeds. but that limitation is a strength, as it has gobs more power than the miata, available when you need it. shifting at 3-4k means you can slink around quietly in traffic, or avoid spinning tires in the wet. but you get the fun half of the tach as well, and can live there easily if you have a lonely road ahead of you. or can get through traffic quicker if you need a squirt of power. the sound of the car is racier, harsher, than the miata's, but it's also quite exciting to hear it scream through the v-tec switchover.
both cars do well around corners, and you can adjust either with the throttle by tightening up with a little oversteer. with the miata you can make more noise (higher revs at the same speed) but the honda can pull away quicker. this is probably due to my inexperience with the honda, but it seemed like the miata was more progressive at its limits, and i could tell when oversteer started to come on. my admittedly very few hard corners with the s2000 gave me the impression it would snap out more suddenly. this could be due to the wider tires, or just my ham-fisted driving. the miata does feel more tossable, due to its 700 less pounds. as for steering feel, i'd give more points to the honda.
the honda makes, overall, a better highway car (cruise control, easy climate controls, more insulated), but it also revs higher and has more engine drone than the miata at the same speed. i often feel like i want to shift into 7th gear. and of course the flip side to that is i can pass in 6th, whereas the miata usually needed a downshift from 5th to 4th. speaking of which, i can't decide which gearbox i like better. they both beat any other car i've ever driven. the honda is newer and has a tighter, more solid feel, but the miata's short stick had a very solid feel for its age, with quick, short throws.
even though i'll miss the mazda, i have no regrets about having an s2000. it's still a real sports car, with the loads of fun that go with it.
s2000 pros:
* faster
* modern design
* quick steering
* built-in rollbar, power top
* seats
* luxury goodies (well, relative to the base miata)
miata pros:
* charming personality
* drive at limits more often
* exhaust tone (maybe unfair, since i had aftermarket)
* pedal placement
* *slightly* better rear visibility
* left arm out window
tossup:
* storage
* transmission
* handling
11-09-2007, 09:13 AM
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That is a nice write up. In 99 I moved from a 90 Miata with 100,000 hard miles on it to the then new 2000 S2000. I personally liked the steering feel on the Miata better but otherwise I agree with you 100%.
The Miata was a blast to toss around and was much safer to drive near it's limits on the street without threat of crashing or going to jail.
The Miata was a blast to toss around and was much safer to drive near it's limits on the street without threat of crashing or going to jail.
11-09-2007, 09:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Jacques79,Nov 9 2007, 10:39 AM
That's funny, I prefer the steering feel of the Miata.
On the other hand, I prefer the turn-in quickness of the S2000.
On the other hand, I prefer the turn-in quickness of the S2000.
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11-09-2007, 09:53 AM
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Zero,
Since I almost bought a Miata I find your comparison very interesting. One thing that really strikes me about what you said is your familiarity with the Miata. I have to wonder how you will feel after you live with the S for a year or two?
Thanks for the write-up.
Since I almost bought a Miata I find your comparison very interesting. One thing that really strikes me about what you said is your familiarity with the Miata. I have to wonder how you will feel after you live with the S for a year or two?
Thanks for the write-up.
11-09-2007, 01:50 PM
#10
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i have owned a 1990 for 6 years and then a 2001 ls for two years, the quality of both cars was inferior to the honda,period. but the best bang for the money is the miata no contest.
the honda can easily take mini vans and suv's to the next light, which my miata's rarely could. the mileage isabout the same as the 2001 and the 1990 was about 2-3 mpg better and it used regular.
i had a hard dog roll bar i put on my 2001, added a dual tip exaust and intake, liked the way it sounded...in the end i wanted more car and it was severly apparent when i drove my first 2001 S2000, i was sold, but it took a few years to get my 2004 S.
I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the little roadster, in fact i am a roadster kinda buy, i had a 1974 914 2.0 also. the honda is just that much better a car, as you mentioned and then some.
i got to drive the mazdaspeed version and liked it, and perhaps a new miata with factory turbo would be great, but i am completely satisfied with my honda.
this year my good friend bought a used 2004 boxster S, with higher miles on it than my honda and for allot more money, i have driven it over 100 miles and as nice as it is, with larger trunk, perhaps better seats, more extras and more hp...i have not interest over my honda, go figure that?
the honda can easily take mini vans and suv's to the next light, which my miata's rarely could. the mileage isabout the same as the 2001 and the 1990 was about 2-3 mpg better and it used regular.
i had a hard dog roll bar i put on my 2001, added a dual tip exaust and intake, liked the way it sounded...in the end i wanted more car and it was severly apparent when i drove my first 2001 S2000, i was sold, but it took a few years to get my 2004 S.
I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the little roadster, in fact i am a roadster kinda buy, i had a 1974 914 2.0 also. the honda is just that much better a car, as you mentioned and then some.
i got to drive the mazdaspeed version and liked it, and perhaps a new miata with factory turbo would be great, but i am completely satisfied with my honda.
this year my good friend bought a used 2004 boxster S, with higher miles on it than my honda and for allot more money, i have driven it over 100 miles and as nice as it is, with larger trunk, perhaps better seats, more extras and more hp...i have not interest over my honda, go figure that?