Hi all, not yeat a S2000 owner but i've been hanging around a while behind the scenes.
I plan on buying one this winter or latest next winter because it is easy to find some killer deals
The question i had was would you guys reccomend a AP1 or a AP2? I plan to buy the car low mileage, earliest a 2002 and latest probably a 2006 or so because of financial stuff. I want to get into auto crossing and road racing with it.

For me the AP1 has it's charm with it's 9k redline but the AP2 has VSA and such. So what would you guys reccomend. I will continue to do research but want some peoples actual experiences with the cars.
So if anyone's owned both what did you prefer and why? Or why did you choose one over the other?

(p.s. i did some research so i know about a lil more torque in the mid range and better gearing for AP2 etc) but outside of the facts, what car, i dunno, touches you more? lol.

 

well, first off, alot of people here will tell you to search. this topic has been discussed a million times.

second, only the 2006's and up have the VSA. they also have a drive by wire throttle setup. the DBW can limit the mods you can do, and alot of people here try and avoid it.

as for my opinions on the car, i love my ap1. the 9k redline is orgasmic, and i love the way the car looks and feels.

best thing you could do is try and drive both and decide for yourself. just make sure you let the cars warmup fully before you vtec.

be safe, and have fun!

james

 

I was actually in your boat a week ago exactly, and I was looking at AP1s and AP2's. Dealership after dealership I test drove and test drove.

I did note that some AP1's had a plastic back window with no defroster, some were cracking. Price was definitely a big thing for me. I did happen to see an AP1 with about 50k miles for around 12k, but an AP2 with the same mileage for 16k.

The AP2 was an 05, and the undercarriage and engine bay was a LOT cleaner than most the AP1's, which I saw, the one I was interested in particular was made in 2000.

Between driving the AP1 and AP2, the AP2 also felt better cruising, I don't know if it's because of the increased torque, improved suspension, or what; it felt a lot more solid to me.

Though both are great, I personally decided to go with the AP2 for the price that I got it for, I couldn't really pass.

I think it will depend on personal preference and what you like better.

Good luck on your search!

 

I agree to test drive both.Usually buying the newest car with the least miles you can afford is best;but the 9k redline might do it for you.

 

Yeah well i live in Minnesota and it will be a daily driver so i need a rear window defroster. So earliest is a 2002. I guess i'll try test drives.
I wonder if the dealerships would let me test drive em. . . .hmmm. . . .

Anyone know if there are some limitations on who is allowed to test drive a car? I'm 18 so i'm guessing the last thing a dealer wants is some young kid messing up their cars.

 

i might have some people come after me for this but.....AP1 FTW!!

 

i dunno man, i use to live in minnesota, (new ulm area) and i wouldnt dare try to have it as a daily while living there,...you will go no place at all when there is snow on the ground.
id see what you can get approved for if u are financing cuz that will be your decision maker,..you can finance a newer car longer, where with a 2002 you might only beable to go 3yrs on it which will make your payments more than a newer one possibly. warranty was a big seller for me, so i went newer with 100k warranty, if you are not gonna have lots of money to put into it,(rims, lower, etc) i think the ap2 looks better in stock form, and i HATE ap1 ligths) I do like the ap1 redline but not enough to give up the more refined interior(ap2 doesnt have carpet on the center)

 

Nooooooooo

 

lol?

 

It's definitely and the only answer is test drive, test drive, test drive. No one can tell you what your personal preference would be.