Hi all,

I am a former MR2 Turbo owner and have just sold my REV4 Turbo.

I have wanted an S2000 for years and until now could never afford the insurance.

Now that I am 25 however this has become affordable so an S2000 is fair game. I guess falling insurance premiums are the one good thing about getting older...

Anyway, I took a rev2 S2000 out for a long test drive today.

Loved the quality feel of the interior, the support of the seat, the dash and digital display, the hard top and of course the stunning looks of the car. The different wheels and bumpers make a huge difference to the presence of car compared to the earlier rev1's. I still think it is one of the most beautiful cars on the road at any price point.

Overall the whole car felt very much like a premium offering despite the Honda badge. Not that I am a badge snob anyway...

The thing that got me however was the power delivery, or rather the lack of it.

Honda fans always refer to the 'screamer' vtec engines and the adrenalin rush of pushing the car hard into the Vtec zone.

Well I have to say I hardly noticed a difference when the Vtec came in in 2nd and 3rd. i know I have been driving a high power turbo previously but was still expecting more than the slight increase in torque that the engine gave me at the top of the rev range.

Also, the exhaust note sounded...well...crap! Even with the roof off, it just made a pretty generic VRRROOOOOM sound. No burble, growl or rasp. Is there a popular aftermarket exhaust that you guys fit to give the exhaust more of a snarl?

Another thing I noticed was when cruising in 6th gear doing 70mph the revs were at 4,000 rpm. What is the point in having a 6 speed box if the car cruises at such high revs? Surely the MPG even on the motorway (or 'freeway' to you guys over the pond!) is terrible? On the subject of the gear box, it felt awkward changing gear. Twice I changed from 2nd to 5th when trying to push the car. I guess you would get used to this with time though?

The most frustrating thing is that I wanted to love the car. I have been lusting over an S2000 for five years now, yet found the drive of the car to be an anti climax. They are touted as fast cars and Boxster rivals, yet the car never felt very fast, certainly not pinning me to my seat like my MR2 Turbo or my mate's E46 M3.

What input and opinions can you experienced S2000 drivers offer? I still think the car is jaw dropping and with the recession biting the cars have shed a lot of value and are now quite attainable. Just a bit surprised about a rather lack lustre driving experience.

Please give me your input guys and tell me how your first S2000 experiences were, not mention how you enjoy living with the cars (or not as the case may be).

 

You have lots of options to add the "speed". Put a turbo on it, supercharge it, change to 4:77 gears, the list goes on and on.

That's what I like about my S2000, the list of options and add-ons is tremendous.

You can almost design your own car.

 

Sounds like you'd be happier with a different car. There are lots of fine automobiles to choose from.

 

I understand your criticisms, and it truly sounds like this isn't the right choice for you. It took me a while to accept the power delivery, but I'm pleased with the difference between the ap1 model I owned previously. I just love the feel, the looks, and the true sports car the S2000 is, but I do wish the car had that pull.

I've owned much faster cars in the past, and ultimately had to choose one really nice car, and although I sacrificed a lot choosing this car over the likes of my STI, and MazdaSpeed 6, to me it's simply a more fun car to drive. Now the MR2, a friend of mine had one of them, and that in my opinion was an equally fun car to drive. You can't go wrong with one of them, that's for sure.

There is plenty of aftermarket support to make this car what you want, as stated previously, but not without very high cost. It's sad for us older car buyers that the recession, and over-production has ultimately depreciated this car badly. It's just not a rare car anymore, like when I purchased my first S2000. They simply made this car too long, but in your position you cannot overlook the benefit you personally get from the recession. Deals are insane.

If that muscular feel is what you are after, this is definitely not the right choice, but the car has a way of growing on you, and accepting it, like I have. I overlook the downsides, because of how beautiful and fun the car is to drive.

I'm still waiting for forced induction to become more affordable in the future, but I'm pretty happy with my car in stock form.

My only real problem is that the car is so abundant now, and seeing so many on the roads now, and the depreciation hurts, but it is what it is. Hopefully after production is stopped, the depreciation will level off. I truly miss the early 2000s when this car was a rare and unique vehicle, and I'm gonna hate seeing this car transformed into a typical Honda is, but now with these prices, the affordability is gonna have plenty of young new owners taking away the true heritage, but that's how it goes.

Don't overlook this car just yet. At the pruces now, you can modify the car and pay what many of us paid before the car lost it's appeal and value.

Best of luck in your decision.

 

The VTEC transition has been "smoothed out" from AP1 to AP2 (or your reference of rev1 to rev2), due to safety reasons. The VTEC "kick" tends to throw the balance off in the first two gears if the tires and road conditions aren't at proper levels. A smoother transition minimizes that issue.

As for the exhaust, it's hard to find a deep growl from a 4-banger. There are aftermarket ones, but you would have to be able to live with some high noise levels for some of them.

As for the revs ... that's one of the things that people live with. To me, it's not a bit deal, but it's not for everyone.

I suppose the S2000 isn't really your cup of tea ... perhaps something like M3 would be more of what you want? The CSL version is great, but pretty though to find unfortunately. Those are fantastic cars, and probably will fill up what you are looking for from an S2000?

Nevertheless, good luck!

 

I've been debating between getting an S2000 and an E46 M3 for quite some time now. They're both quite different cars...

I think that the character of the S2000's engine is perfectly matched to what the car is all about though. With the M3, not so much. A high-revving engine in a 3,500+ lbs. car just doesn't make that much sense to me, maybe it just takes getting used to. Wasn't that astonished when I drove one though, I thought my friend's M Coupe felt much more connected and fluid.

Anyways as far as speed goes, the S2000 is by no means a slow car. I think the reason that people feel it's not that quick is because the power delivery is so linear and consistent. There is no "punch," but the speed is definitely there. The first time I drove one I was going 110 mph before I knew it. In my opinion this car is more about skill and driving precision than sheer grunt and drag-racing faggotry. I am almost set on getting it because I'm still young and feel that I should experience something like this while I have the chance. Plus I really want to up my driving skill, and what better way to hone that than by driving a true sports car flat-out through a crowded neighborhood?

 

Invidia Exhaust and a good aftermarket intake or SC or TC..., Like previously mentioned these cars are so customizable. We had 60 at the November meet in Vancouver and hardly any two were the same.

 

You asked about mpg. You can easily get 30+ on the highway even if you cruise at 70-80 mph. I came from cars with less power so the pull of the s is more than enough for me. I do understand how good it feels to be sucked back into your seat by 500+ hp though ..

 

These are certainly valid criticisms....different people different strokes and it certainly doesn't sound like the s2k is you cup of tea....have you considered a supra or an FD RX7?

On the comment regarding power delivery, the low tq characteristic of the F20c(I'm assuming you're in GB) is extremely deceiving. Often times I find my self merging way too fast because I didn't bother to glance down at the speedo....the acceleration is.....brisk.

 

I wouldn't say "safety reasons" - the AP2 makes more power below VTEC so you don't feel the changeover as much.