Are you thinking about the F22A engine that came in the Accord? The H22 is better than the F22A. But the F20C and the F22C are S2000 engines. They use a completely different block, they are better engines than the F22A and H22.

 

if honda put i-vtec to the ap2.. would be lot better...

 

Car & driver sucks.. Ive had a subscription for 3 years & have read only a handful of decent articles.

Gonna get a subscription to Honda tuning, modified & project car.. at least those have cool projects & info I might actually use.

 

You guys are all generally right about the validity of the letter. Honda LET the S die off. They created a technical marvel with the F20 in the AP1, went to the F22 to solve some of the complaints about engine noise, but just like most of you are saying, Honda didn't REALLY update it. As the other competitors kept progressing, the S was allowed to remain stagnant. With some true work, Honda could have kept the S alive, but the uncompromising nature of the S (that all of us love!) is what dooms ANY "non-exotic" car. The Miata is/was/and will continue to be a big seller because it's watered down (and personally I hate the Miata on looks alone). If Honda watered down the S (along with the $32k-$34k price) it would sell more units, but it wouldn't be the same car and the S enthusiasts would blast it! Hand building cars adds price, not offering an automatic (I wanna vomit in my mouth just saying that word in the same paragraph as S2000) eliminates potential buyers--f'n Corvettes come with lazymatics yo! Leather seats add cost, thats why they're an OPTION on other cars, etc... Lets face it, Mazda has a formula for success with a roadster and it obviously works because is sells. Money talks. Cars that sell keep getting improved and built, dead weight gets cut. I plan on keeping my S until they pry it away from me like the last slice of cake from a fat kid, or until they bring the S back, but I place the blame of the demise of the S, and the validity of the editor's letter, on Honda.

Excuse me as I go out and take a quick lap around the block to sooth my mourning.

This rant brought to you by a fellow S driver. "I don't always drive a 4 cylinder, but when I do, I drive an S. Stay thirsty (for curves) my friends!"

 

Really, who gives a damn.

The car was great when it came out and still is. Is it old tech? Yes. Are there plenty of things out that can get a run on it for the money? Sure there is. So what. If anyone thinks the S is keeping them from reaching their full potential as a driver, that Honda abandoned it and failed to develop it, stop bitching, grab a wrench and go to work on it. There is a huge community and plenty of options available out there for improving performance.

10 years down the road and one thing has not changed. The car in stock form has more ability than an overwhelming number of people that drive it.