TheHeggi,
I owned a model year 2004 for 4 years; it did not have DBW. I currently own a model year 2007 that I've had for almost 4 years; it does have DBW. I honestly cannot tell the difference between the two. There may be ever so slightly more delay with the DBW throttle in my 07, but it's nothing large enough that I've been able to quantify. My car is a daily drive, all year round. I have no problems double clutching on the street, or at HPDE's.

My suggestion is to simply drive both an S2K with and without DBW to make up your own mind. No one will be able to tell you what you think is best; you'll just get a boat load of opinions and rants. You have to decide for yourself.

Regards,
Christopher

 

I got an 05 over an 06+ for this reason alone. I had DBW in my GTI and it is cool and everything and I've test driven an s2k with it, but I just want the mechanical feel when I balance the throttle and clutch during shifts. This car is truly connected to the road, and I think DBW negatively affects that feeling. This is just my opinion.

 

As B6 A4 owner with DBW and an 06 S2k owner also with DBW, I will attest that the DBW is less noticeable in the Honda (i.e., the Honda DBW system is superior IMO). That being said, I do like my A4, and I have no problems with the DBW. I think that the delay is also compounded in the A4 by the dual mass flywheel -- that may be the real culprit, or the real cause of your "trouble with clutch engagement and pressure/timing." All S2ks are single mass; so, no problems there.

 

I used to own an 02 and an 04. I now have an 06. Can't tell any difference. DBW in the S2000 is great.

 

How on earth does a cable throttle "feel" different? It's a spring at the end of the pedal vs a spring at the end of a cable! A spring is a spring. They feel like springs. If we were talking EPS I could understand, but the "feel" is not an argument I can agree with.

Bad programming, rev hangs, sure--argue those--but not "feel."

And I don't have any issues with DBW on mine. VSA is a great safety feature and the FlashPro is a great option on the table, it's a net benefit IMO.

 

Subjective option:
VSA and DBW are just poor excuses for lack of driving ability and throttle cable incompetence The more RAW the BETTER

Objective option:
DBW is proven to reduce or ease maintenance of the vehicle. With less mechanical parts, less is bound to go wrong. When I had my '06 Honda Civic Si, I never had to worry about periodically checking the throttle cable and adjusting it accordingly. Such was not the case for my '92 Miata. The cable got crusty with dirt and debris, and checking the cable tension every year or so wasn't anything I was too thrilled to do. Furthermore, I have heard horror stories of S2K throttle plates getting stuck open.

HOWEVER,
DBW on the Civic Si lagged noticeably. So significantly that Buddy Club decided they could make money selling an e-Throttle Booster (depicted below). You need all these parts to accomplish what a traditional throttle cable does so well. When I bought the '92 Miata, the throttle response astounded me so much, I nearly vowed never again to acknowledge the advantage of or condone DBW. Sure, periodically inspecting and maintaining the throttle cable isn't a load of fun, but the learning experience improves your mechanical know-how as a driving enthusiast.

Conclusion:
If it's a sports car, opt for the throttle cable. High performance is the reason you bought it, right?



*Note: I've never driven a DBW AP2. My opinions are based on research and experience. People have said great things about the response of the AP2 DBW system. STILL, though, I stand firm on my reasoning

 

I have EDM F20C 2004 ... my friend has 2008 EDM F20C also...

We almost have same mods.. CAI..

regardless of the fact that you can buy hondata reflash for 06+ and tune, you can also have AEM V2 EMS for 2004, and if you found that the 04 car is cleaner and much cheaper than the 06+ one.. then it will make up for that..

Now let me tell you something I experienced between the 2.. same engine.. same Domestic market, difference technology...we tried like million times.. if we're above 6000 and we launch together... we're head to head..same power.... . if we launch say 4th gear..3000 RPM... his car is much faster than me...much faster like by reaching 9000 RPM he's 1 car ahead of me.. again try 4th gear 6000-9000 we're head to head.. so it's not about power..it's about response..and yes DBW are more responsive and you can see it at low RPM.. since the car is very slow.. and any difference can be noticeable....

NOTE: If you drive both, you can't tell which is which ... we did that...me and my friend..and neither of us were able to tell which is which..I had a 2007 for a year...before my 2004 one..and never felt it's different...

 

Nice post. One of the more educating and entertaining posts from the "My right foot is my VSA" crowd.

Most all high performance cars, including Ferrari and Lamborghini, have passed to DBW years ago. It's not hard to see that no cabled throttle control will be available in very near future.

 

I guess it was in my head then. Do they have the same spring and resistance?

 

If DBW is good enough for F1, it's good enough for my S2000.