Stick with the 02 and wait and see what honda delivers in 07. If it's a new S, that would be a worthwhile upgrade. Atleast, you will have the 02 paid off by then and then can decide to hold on to it and shop for something else alltogether. My $0.02.

 

Your MY02 is only 35k miles, a lot of upgrades and in great working condition. Why do you want to spend 6k to trade for MY05 and and then several thousands to upgrade again ?
There is not much differences between MY02 and MY05 to justify $10k.
Save your $ for many things: down payment for a house, or IRA, or if you already have a house then spend some $ to remodel the ktchen or bathroom, or take a vacation ...
If you do not like any of these, then wait for the next generation of the S, to see if they will be much better than the current generation to justify the cost for the new car.

 

I do love the wider usable power on my 04, but with all the cash you poured into the 02, I would hold off for a more noticable change. . . maybe hang in there and get a barely used NSX.

-B

 

As far as I know, the clutch delay "is not" common among manual transmission vehicles although I could be wrong.

I think the general consensus on this forum is that Honda added it to protect the drive train (transmission & differential) from those who have a tendency to do high rpm clutch drops at a frequency that Honda never anticipated.

There have been more than a few blown up transmissions and rear ends on the S2000 through the years due to guys getting their jolly's by dumping the clutch at 6k+ rpm. The delay valve helps to alleviate the problem by forcing the clutch to slip rather than allowing the full impact to be transferred to the tranny and beyond.

FWIW!

Drive Safe,
Steve R.

 

Another vote for just keep what you have - you dont have that many miles on yours and the differences on the 04-05 are too subtle to merit the depreciation hit again.

 

I'm in the same boat. My decision: get a new 2005. I like all the changes. The car seems like it's been refined so it's easier to drive at the limit, and it's faster in a straight line and through a road course. I plan to track the car a lot in the next year and I think learning in the 2005 will be easier.

Also, is there any proof to a new S2000 in 07 or is that just the usual rumor. I'd hold off for a 07 if I knew there was going to be changes.

Ryan B.

 

Hi Ryan,

So far as I've seen in my 3 odd years loitering around here, there's never "any" proof of a given year model until "after" it's on the market!

"Every" year, there's been "someone" who's claimed that "this" will be the last year.

It's been that way, pretty much from the beginning. The general assumption at this point is that Honda wouldn't have spent the money to make the changes they did on the '04 models if they didn't plan on keeping the car around for a few more years. If that's the case, there may be a pretty good chance that there'll be an '07 model but I'll believe it after I see it!

Drive Safe,
Steve R.

 

Highrpmpek: Is the general concensus that the 04-05's are quicker in a straightline and through a roadcourse? I can understand them being easier to drive at their limits, or perhaps easier to get the full potential out of them...but I was under the impression that they're both more or less equal in terms of performance?

I know mag times have achieved equally quick times, a best of 13.8 @ 100mph for the AP1, and 13.9 @ 100.2mph for the AP2 right? As for roadcourse data...I haven't come across any direct comparisons that had conclusive results.

 

I often found it weird that you hardly see "Honda Spy Shots" in any magazine. Honda keeps their new cars under pretty good wraps. I figured there was no real truth to that, just speculation.

As for the MY00-03 vs MY04-05 performance issues. Every owner thats gone from an AP1 to an AP2 has claimed faster lap times and better acceleration. As for comparing magazines times in both cars, its pretty irrelevant because a 1/4 mile time done in Jan. of 03 in an AP1 will not have the same variables as a test done in an AP2. Testing the cars back to back on the same day with the same variables is the only way to get a true comparison. That being said, when the MY04 came out, C&D was given a chance (by Honda) to drive both an AP1 and AP2 around a track, in which they stated the AP2 was consistently faster than the AP1.

With better gearing, more rubber, revised suspension, a smoother powerband, smoother transmission, better aerodynamics (minimal) it's kinda odd to argue this.
But alas, some people will.

 

Mickfluff, I was just muddling through this myself. I have an 02 and love it. Husband says, why don't you get a new one. I wrote down all the pros and cons for me. I then went and drove an 05. My decision was made. KEEPING MY 02. I could not get the interior I have now (all red-including dash). I did not like all the frills in the 05. And I did not like the 8K rpm. I love the 9k!

Anyway, you must weigh both sides for yourself. Whatever way you keep trying to talk yourself into is not the way to go.