I DROVE IT!

Ok, so I finally took it out for a spin at the dealer. It was actually an 01 used model, because they dont allow test drives on the brand new ones, unless you are willing to walk out the door that day with it, which I wasn't.


After about a 25 minute drive through various winding turns and streets in the warehouse complexes, as well as some town driving and some highway stuff, I have to say that I loved it! heh

I'm actually not sure what I was so worried about. After a bit of normal driving, I did things that I wouldnt normally do, like take corners much faster than I normally would try, and the car felt just fine. I wanted to see just where my panic was going to kick in. It never did. The car always felt under control. The handling didnt exhibit any of the sluggishness that I associated RWD due to my limited experience with the Trans Am and the Mustang GT that I drove recently. I was basing my fear of RWD on the way those cars felt and on the reports on this site about inexperienced drivers losing control in turns. I have to say that even with the used tires that were on this car (not super bad shape but certainly not brand new), the car never once gave me a fright. It felt very responsive and shifting felt comfortable. I didnt experience any of the "jerky" shifting I had with my friend's GT. (I can never seem to get the RPMs right between 1 and 3rd on that car...always jerks on me).

Now, most of you will roll your eyes and say I'm under-using the car, but hey, if I buy it, that's my choice I never took it into VTEC , even though I tried a bit. (Ok maybe not hard enough, but without VTEC it was super fast enough for my tastes) I know the car is supposed to not have great torque at low RPMs, but hell it was spiffy enough for me I was passing people and moving about just fine. I could see myself driving this car and hardly ever taking it into VTEC, but maybe that will change after I get it.

So, as soon as I finish up the sale on my house, I'm taking it for one more drive and then most likely taking it home....well not THAT one. I told him I want an 03 in yellow with front and rear spoilers


Oh and thanks but I'll pass on the Miata

 

You rock dude! Enjoy!

 

Oh, I forgot about the noise. I didn't find the car noisey at all. We had the top down and were cruising about 60 mph (it was a short highway run) and we held a conversation just fine. Maybe the terrible noise levels I've heard about are when the car is in VTEC?

Compared to my current POS ride, this car was a dream. In my car, I feel and hear every bump on the road. I have horrid tire noise and other nonsense, because its an old plain Civic. The noise levels in the S2000 (at least the way I was driving it) were just fine to me

I dunno how the radio fares, because I didnt bother with it. Its the least of my concerns, and if I decide it sucks, I will rip it out and put something good in there after-market.

 

If you had any doubts at all you'll lose em when you V-tec the beast. I agree totally with what you said about handling and performance I drove a C5 Vette the same day as an S2000. I felt the S2000 was a lot lighter on it's feet, and the shifter had a much better feel to it.
About the noise, It's a roadster so it's gonna be loud but you can upgrade the stereo alot easier than trying to get another car to work like the S2000.
Good luck on selling your house,and hope to see owner status by your name soon.

 

Don't get me wrong. I just hate to see someone buy this car and then complain about "It's not what I was expecting from a Honda" due to tire wear, road noise, etc. AND spend $10K more than they should have anyway. His follow-up, however, clarifies his position such that "... never bothered with the radio...". However, I would have stated it doesn't matter what *you* think about your stereo volume because he stated it was important. I also suspect he'll drive it harder than he stated... but that isn't what he stated or asked.

----as to the rest of your reply---------
I'm agree 100% with you about this car slaughtering the Miata "above 6K rpm". Now go back and re-read his original post where he states he can't even imagine flooring it around 6K. And if you don't VTEC this car, then you might as well buy a Miata, in terms of performance. <EOS>

---------------------------------------------
I totally disagree about your shake statement (as opposed to totally disagreeing with your entire post). Wow, you've driven one. I own one. If the guy isn't going to be pushing the S2K beyond 6Krpms, he won't push the Miata enough to spin it out from a shaky chassis standpoint. Besides, for $1.5K, he can seriously improve the handling and still be way ahead in his bank account. I have 6 speed ramps on the subdivision road I live on and I drive that Miata over bumps all the time. No windshield shake, etc. as you've mentioned. Maybe that one drive was a previously wrecked Miata? (As to "smaller size" - he didn't state an issue about size or storage. While you're right about trunk space, the Miata's inside storage convience is far superior to the S2K. That's simply a matter of personal style/need.)

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And finally, if you have never heard of "inside tire wear" then you haven't been reading this site much. A quick 5 minute search and glance at a few posts provided these threads, along with a relevant quote or two I've included from each thread (about different individual's experience). <EOS>

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...threadid=100315
"Our cars run quite a bit of negative camber which causes the insides of the front tires to wear at a faster rate than the outsides (Unless, of course, you take corners fairly agressively all the time)"

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...threadid=103179
"Negative camber did my tires in. The inside is worn too much while the rest has a fair bit of life left."

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=90196
"I checked my front tires this weekend, and they're wearing on the inside..."

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=86899
"I just realized that the inside of my S2K front tires are worn more than the outside."

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=88331
"the very inside of the tires has the most wear."

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=92769
"What does it mean when the inside of the front tire wears more than the outside? ...Inside tire wear is often just a characteristic of negative camber."

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=93098
"I see the wear on the rear tires are mostly on the inside edge of the tread. ... I am not overly agressive and I have the same wear patterns on my front tires. The rears also showed inside wear patterns when I replaced them at 11K. Maybe I need to start driving harder"

 

Well, I liked the car and I suppose at the end of the day, that's all that really matters. I needed to test drive the car to see if I was going to be afraid of it, which I wasn't.

I am NOT buying a Miata! LOL...thanks but no. I hate the look of the car (no offense to Miata owners) and the ones I have seen in the parking lots have just not held up very well (paint, etc). I just think they aren't aging well.

Im aware that this car will require more maintanence than my previous Hondas, but I'm expecting that. What I am also expecting is that the Honda tradition of RELIABLE and quality-built machines will be part of this car's bloodline. I expect that if I take care of it, I shouldn't have to worry about it leaving me stranded. All of my Hondas have been very good to me, and they've just held up nicely. The paint never flaked or faded and the dashboards weren't coming apart, for example. I see that stuff all the time on so many other vehicles on the road. Sure, they might be running but they look terrible. Honda seems to use good materials. The inside of my 8.5 yr old Civic (which I seldom clean) looks brand new for the most part. My co-workers 5yr old Chrysler has a sagging roof, cracking leather and the dashboard is coming apart in numerous places.

Maybe its a waste of a car for me to buy, and some guys are going to roll their eyes when I say that I don't plan to live in VTEC mode, but I like the car. If I chose to take it into VTEC only seldom, then that's my choice, because its how I like to drive. I may gradually grow into the car more, and find myself driving it more aggresively. My friends own new Vipers, Vette's, Stangs and Trans Ams. I plan on letting these much more experienced guys teach me how to really handle the car, if I want to be more aggressive. My Viper buddy builds engines in his shop and has a couple of race cars. I'm pretty sure I can count on him to give me some performance driving school

Thanks to everybody for their input Its been very helpful. I'm going to take the car out for one more spin, right before I put down the money. I'm going to do it on a day when there has been some rain, just to get a feel for wet pavement.

 

First, stop referring to the F&F so many freakin times! Most people on this board know enough to not have much respect for that movie...ex. Vin D's character points out a supposed flaw in the other driver's technique "you're not dbl clutching," after a race that required only upshifts...BS

Just my opinion, sounds like you're not a good fit for this car. I don't understand why you would "put up" with all the "disadvantages" of a sportscar if you're not interested in the benefits. When I hit a bump and its rough, i'm ok with it cause I know that when I do a bit of "spirited driving" the suspension will more than pay me back :-)

You're probably gonna regret getting it when the ride ain't as smooth as you're used to, and the engine is noisy at decent RPMs... look at the torque and HP out functions of the car...why pay so much if you're going to keep it under 6K...might as well get something that will generate the same power and will be easier to drive and ride.

:K

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by TWashburn
[B]First, stop referring to the F&F so many freakin times!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by TWashburn
[B]First, stop referring to the F&F so many freakin times!

 

sniff.....Gchambers, thanks for the support My lone defender ...heh

Perhaps I should tag all my posts with this little icon, because apparently, "I'm not worthy!! I'm not worthy!!!"

LOL