Lumbar support - the join between the back section and the side bolsters is open. You can poke your fingers in here and pull the back section towards you a bit. This means that you can stuff some padding in the lumbar area if you wish.

Dash lights dim when headlights are turned on. Pushing and holding the + button for a few seconds will return this to full brightness (eg driving in daylight with headlights on).

Interior storage - have you found the "secret compartment", if you have not you aren't alone. There is a whole thread about how long it took people to find this. It is located directly under th windblocker and above the centre compartment.

Suspension - check the dealer removed the spring spacers (black rubber bits in spring coils) before he gave it to you. If they are still there the suspension will be quite hard, and can be hazardous. Just pull them out if they are there. Various cross-braces/strut braces are available. Check the forum sponsors websites.

A wheel alignment can give the car a whole new feeling around corners. This was especially the case on early models. You may want to check some posts on the various forums as to what people recommend on the 07 models.

Large V8 cars often have a good combined fuel economy ratings due to very high top gears. Cruising down a highway at 1000rpm helps bring the combined fuel economy figure down. If you check the city driving figures for these large cars you will find this figure is quite high.

When you pass the break in figure your fuel economy may get worse as you keep hitting vtec. Whilst somewhat of a novelty at first, it never really does wear off

Roof switch can be modded. There is a speed sensor + a handbrake sensor. Fix basically involves cutting one wire.

Stock brakes work great. But yes they do have a lot of brake dust.

Aesthetics - if anything I would say the last model Miata is trying to look more like the S2000.

 

of course she likes the miata. it's a girl's car

 

[QUOTE=tiger1964,Aug 20 2007, 03:39 PM] Interior storage, without a conventional glove box, is going to be a challenge, and I will need to plan where I keep things (including both between-seats boxes), particularly our large, old garage-door opener. So far, the trunk

 

Yes, really.

S2000 = 22 mpg average.
Corvette = 25 mpg average.

I could cruise the Vette at 70-75mph on the highway and the tach would read just over 1,750 rpms. I'm sorry if my experience is not recorded in your online source.

Edit: My '03 Miata = 26 mpg averaged with the BRP supercharger. In addition, I would like to appologive for the off topic posts.

Good write-up and comparison to the original poster!

Mike

 

You are not alone, coming from a miata, i had a 1990 and a 2001ls...the build quality is superior and so is the longevity of the quality, that you will find out.

the power is superior and so is the handling, it is different, in that you are going alot faster withe honda alot sooner, over all both cars handle well, especially the miata when moded.

the gearbox is just better in the s, and it needs time to break in...in fact the whole car needs a good 10,000 miles to become really nice in my opinion, there are no facts on that one...better power, mileage, gearbox smoothness, etc...

i hope you like your new ride, it is a better car, different, just a level above the miata, and the seats, at least my seats, are alot better.

granted the honda is a bit dated and has not changed like the miata has over the years. i expect honda will stop making it after 2008, my opinion as well and you will see less of them on the road than miata, boxsters, adn other roadsters. the performance equals a stock boxster, an older boxster S, a z3 roadster, etc..cars costing thousands more, still to this day.

your mileage may vary, in return you get a nicer car, with more features, better power and best of all people tend to give you the right of way as you drive a more substantial car.

 

Responses to the responses (well, some of them, perhaps more to follow later):

"I've been a Miata driver for 7 years, the S2000 is going to have to be a great car to live up to the good experiences I've had in the Miata. So far it's looking like I'm not going to be disappointed! {SNIP} I have to disagree about the top latches - I thought the S2000 latches were much easier and intuitive to use."

Hmmm; perhaps it is a matter of familiarity, and once I have more practice dropping the top in the S2000 perhaps I'll revise my opinion. I could drop or raise the Miata's top in a couple of seconds; even faster after both latches wore out prematurely!

"The S's trunk is quite a bit LARGER than the one on the Miata. I have/had 2 Miata. The basic trunk is wider and deeper plus you have the 2nd layer of the cut out which just so happens to be just the size of a carry on bag."

I'll have to do a test, fill both with water, and see which comes out ahead in volume. I've already found things that won't fit in the S2000's trunk and would in the Miata's, but to be fair that was a function of shape, not size.

"The DBW throttle will "learn" how you drive. I am pretty happy with the way my pedal response feels now, there is not noticeable lag or mushiness.

This is encouraging. Alas, I'll probably continue to drive two different ways; rather easy on my commute, and with more 'brio' when driving just for fun. I hope the DBW does not develop schizophrenia.

"I've not had any difficulties reading home-burnt CD's, I don't imagine you will either."

Good news. Next step: learn how to burn CD's. Any, it's probably just a generic disclaimer so Honda is not responsible for borderline recordings... When I shop for my next home stereo (replacing my 1970's junk) maybe I can "burn" something in the store, take it out to the parking lot, and only buy the system if it plays in the S2000.

"Don't know exactly HOW large your garage door opener is, but if it's somewhat standard sized, it can be tucked away underneath the dash to the left of the steering wheel. Use your left hand to reach under the dash, and you'll find a small ledge perfect for clipping a garage door opener to, hidden out of sight and out of mind."

Neat idea -- if I can find the long-removed clip for the opener. It's a Stanley unit, they do not seem to be in the business anymore, and the remote is almost the size of a pack of cigarettes! As an alternative, there used to be a "mini" version from Stanley, and looking on eBay I see those are available there, and it might be smart to pick one up.

"Yes, the OEM shocks are more than decent, and should do you well. The suspension as a whole is very well sorted out, and there's no "quick fix" solution to make it much better."

Well, maybe I'll be tempted to leave it roughly stock. OTOH, I said that about the Miata, and that didn't last long.

"There's an easy way to tighten the turning radius on 2 lane roads: Turn the wheel to the Left until it locks. Mash gas in 1st gear. You'll be facing the other direction in no time."

Remember, I own a Tiger; I know about throttle-induced oversteer.

"If you've never broken past 5000 rpm just yet, you're in for a treat. Eventually you'll learn to adjust your driving style to take advantage of the Jekyl/Hyde personality of the car's powerband. 6000 and above"

Remember, my wife drives an RSX-S. Somebody has to take it to the top of the RPM range from time to time.

"Some people are able to eek out 30mpg from the car on sedate cruises. Check the "300 miles on one tank" thread to hear other people's results re: gas mileage."

That would be great. No sense driving -- ahem -- enthusiastically on my daily commute, might as well save up the gas for the weekends.

"There's plenty a thread on this forum detailing how to disable the speed sensor so the top can be dropped while rolling. Most people leave the e-brake sensor unmolested, as you can pull the e-brake up 1 click and "trip" the sensor, while not applying any pressure to the brakes."

Sounds like Search Is My Friend.

"The top is vinyl, not canvas."

Nice vinyl, then, which is why I said "if that

 

Notice how he says he looked under the hood and was dispelled of that idea

 

I noticed that but, sadly I had two aftermarket inflatable lumbar supports that fit in the same space on pre-2001 Miatas, and let them go with the car. Neat, but I found they pushed you forward a tiny bit, and away from what little side support the seats had (S2000 much better for side support). I'll come up with something.