Hi guys,

New here (obviously...) been driving a subaru wrx for the last 3.5 years (running around 320bhp). Always liked the S2K and the rave reviews folks make about these cars. I think there's a chap on here called Saxo Boy who made a similar move?

What do you reckon then - I love the looks and top down facility but are they as good as the reviews make out?

Everyone says how unburstable they are, is this true (I know from the Subaru forum that owners experiences tend to show many failures - particularly engines yet magazines say they're ultra reliable).

And finally which model should I go for got up to 23K

 

The S is a great car, but just make sure you know what to expect. Coming from a turbo like the WRX, the S will probably feel a little slow, because they make their power at opposite ends of the rev range Truth is the S is very quick, but low end power has a way of feeling faster. Once the S gets moving it makes up for its slowish start, so it is in reality that much faster given the times it does.

What you gain is precision and subtltly in the chassis. A car that challenges you be a better driver, and when you are it rewards you. The viceral thrill of ripping through VTEC with the roof down on a warm night. The sexy lines of the body, the beautiful and purposeful interior.

Both cars are a rock solid reliable, but if you abuse them they will break. Honda's are very reliable car, but S does require more care than a Civic, so keep that in mind.

They are both great cars, and very different. The best solution is to have one of each.

 

Hi Scrappy and welcome along. Check out the UK Section - there is a list of some for sale there in the UK, and a buying guide, FAQ etc...

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showforum=25

 

Welcome, Scrappy doo! Dr. WOT is right, too. Consider that.

 

Hey bud, I was in a similar situation with my 05 STi. I loved that car to death, felt very fast, was easy to drive on the twisties, AWD owns street races! Now I'm in a 2002 S2K, and I cant tell you how much I wish I would have bought one of these earlier! Easily the most fun car to drive on the market. You dont have that annoying Understeer and RWD is a blast! The only thing I really miss from my suby was the front brembos and updated ABS. Having said that, I am 100x happier in my S2000! Once you figure out how to drive it in the VTEC, you'll forget all about turbo happiness

 

I never found stock WRX suspension to be very.. appealing. To be fair, this was coming from RWD cars and heavily modded FWD cars. The s2k is leaps and bounds more fun, challenging, and percise in that deparment. The interior and overall car quality is also significantly higher, IMO. It does take more care to drive well and frankly not crash, which is even more apparent in subpar weather. This is part of having a good, sharp suspension set up though. Stock power in those cars will not be impressive against the S2k, even with improved torque and powerband, arguably. Mods can retract all of that, as is the case for most cars.

STI's are a bit different story, the transmission and gear ratios alone make the car come alive, muchless 300/300, but I still find a s2k [especially with a single exhaust w/TP and gears] more fun to drive in 90% of situations.

 

i too am pondering the s2000 as my next daily. My WRX has over 100k of hell(20psi boost last 60k). I am use to having around 300whp, but 9000rpm and the top down is sexy.

Should I get power hungry with a s2k, how do they do? For instance i replaced the stock wrx 5spd w/the sti 6spd drivetrain to better suit the power. I guess what i am asking is is the s2k motor mod friendly and will the gearbox take the extra power.

I too am tired of the understeer. I have a s202 suspension on my wrx and rear sway bar modifications and it still plows more than i like.

-mikey

 

Hmm... Mod friendly? Well, there are some awesome mods, but few are cheap. More power, in particular, is an expensive proposition.

The motor is is basically tuned at the factory for just about as much as you can get with the stock components. To get more naturally aspirated power, there are some great mods, but they're costly. My personal favorite is individual throttle bodies (if you have to ask how much it costs, don't do it). Your best bang/$ is forced injection which is also expensive but it's the only ticket to a big leap in power.

Stock components can handle the power, but expect things to wear out faster, particularly the diff and I would imagine the clutch as well. Often, folks who go FI change their gears to get the most out of their increased power.

That's pretty much the story, Mike. The purists here will spend ungodly amounts of cash on lightening this or trimming that, or whatever, but my advice to you is have a lot of cash on hand if you want to get serious about engine mods.

 

thanks for the reply chasmo, I love the s2k as is but you know how it is after driving a car for 6 months, gotta do something new with it. Hopefully ill get into one this summer

-mikey

 

i recent got an s2k myself and i love it. it sure isn't faster than the wrx but with the top down and 9000rpms to play with, who cares.