Thanks for looking.
I have not purchased an S2K yet but have dreamed about it for years. Eventually I will. Here are some questions I am interested in from you all...

1) Which year would be the best to purchase? 07 with the slightly modified body style? 01 - 03 with the higher RPM engine?

2) How does this car handle in the snow? Not that I want to, but I am curious to see if anyone else drives it in the winter... keep in mind, I live in MN.

3) Besides new intake and new exhaust, is there a turbo kit available for the S2K? If so, would you recommend it? If not, are there any other mods that can help with HP?

Thanks, I am hoping your answers will help me with my decision.

 

1) i would personally get an 07 due to the facts that you get new seats, VSA. DBW and other goodies and if you want raw driving/track AP1 might be better but AP2 is better for DD.

2) I dont think our OEM tires are suited for snow(maybe a set of all season/snow tires will work, CA doesnt snow )

3)Theres indeed Turbo available for our S2k, but most member will tell you to go supercharger. I personally like my car N/A

GL with the buy!

Hipopkboy

 

i think if you search you'll find a lot of threads asking the same questions. but i'm bored...so:

1) '03! 9k rpm, no dbw, last year of ap1 so most kinks have been ironed out

2) handles great, with snow tires. dunlop wintersport M3s were rated very high on tirerack.com. i got those, and have been very happy with them. i drive in chicago.

3) FI, i can't really help, sorry. check the FI forum. more options (not necessarily FI) are available for '00 - '05 cars, though. pretty sure.

 

1) personal preference. Do you want a new car? AP1 is a bit more raw. AP2 is a bit more refined with updated styling, interior, tad more power down low, lower redline, newer models have stability control

2) you cannot drive this car in the snow with the OEM summer tires.. emphasis on SUMMER tires.. unless you want to end up in a ditch (that is, if you're even able to move at all). The car handles winter perfectly well with dedicated snow tires.

3) There are several turbo kits ranging from $4k to over 7k, and come with various levels of completeness. There are also a couple supercharger kits (and a couple more on the way). New final drive gears are the best bang for the buck in the performance category. They won't give you more power, but they make you quicker.

 

Wow thank you all for your input. I appreciate it.
Honestly, I would get it used I think. Sounds like the 07 model is the fit for me. I like the stabilty control and new seats... etc.

As far as snow, yeah, I could definately understand the snow tires as well. I currently drive a Mazda 6 S with summer tires and I have already been in a ditch. The thing is FWD and is terrible in the snow. My biggest problem was what to do with this car in the winter... drive it, or store it and get a winter car.?
Thanks for the info!

 

If you can afford a second car, get a second car for winter. The S is the best (or even average) car for winter. I use my S as my DD, and in the last 3 weeks I kept telling myself that I have to get a winter beater later this year. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, and salt don't go well with the S.

Also, your Mazda6 slid into a ditch because the tires, not drivetrain layout. You should be ok with all-season tires, a lot better with snow tires.

 

There's also the factor of "driver skill" that comes in to play. Driving in snow and ice, like any other driving, is a learned process. But it's not the same learned process as driving on dry pavement.

 

You can't go wrong with any model years.
I personally like MY05+ (AP2) better than older models because of the exterior upgrades. And for engine wise, they both have pros and cons and it's personal preference i guess.

And i drive my S all year around with stock tires on. I haven't had any problems with it but its certainly little scary with stock tires on.

 

For your boost questions, you can go here:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showforum=142

http://forums.s2000turbo.com/index.php?sid...0865f3a0f2217cb

 

Sorry to hi-jack the thread a little bit, but I thought the newer seats only had a change in the headrest?