s2k...not a bad car for cruising...
10-31-2003, 05:49 AM
#1
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i made my first road trip in my s2k last night. i drove from the san francisco bay area to los angeles. initially i was worried that the ride would be too firm and that i would get tired after a couple hundred miles, but it turned out to be quite a comfortable car for highway cruising. i basically set the cruise control at around 83mph the whole time, had a bunch of CDs at hand that i manually swapped throughout the drive, and just relaxed. i managed to squeeze around 26mpg on the trip, which was a nice surprise considering i average around 16.5mpg from my day to day driving. anyway, here are some of the things that i'd like to point out about the s2k on roadtrips
- as everyone knows, luggage space is limited. although i traveled alone, my 3 days worth of luggage took up about half the trunk (and i am a light packer.) i imagine the trunk can accommodate luggage for 2 for a long weekend, assuming your gf doesn't have the habbit of packing 4 pair of shoes and 3 purses, plus all the makeup she owns for a weekend trip.
- the suspension is firm, but not harsh or bouncy on highways. in fact, i found that the shocks did an excellent job soaking up the bumps. it was not until i reached LA county where the highways is covered with ripples where i began to feel slightly disturbed.
- the firm seats are very supportive. i'm 6'2" 210lbs so the seat pretty much hugs me. and when the car is set on cruise control and you stretch your legs by sliding your feet under the pedals, the seat cushions does a great job supporting the thighs. also, the cushion has a slight softness to it so that it helps to absorb some of the shock that transfered through the chassis, making the ride minimally fatiguing. i actually tired out faster the last time i made the same trip in a dodge neon rental. my only complaint about the seat is that it can use a little lumbar support.
- the center console with the cupholder cover closed provides a very comfortable and supportive place to rest your whole right arm and imo is at the perfect height. i've never owned or know of another car that allows you to rest your whole right arm. the center console helped me to feel even more comfortable and relaxed.
- the floor area underneath the pedals has a very natural angle for resting your feet when the car is in cruise control. if you have your seat adjusted perfectly when your legs are stretched out, the bottom side of your thighs rests flat on the seat cushion, your heels rests at the angle of that floor area underneath the pedals, and the rest of your feet and toes just naturals rests on the inclined part of the floor. very very comfortable.
- although the steering wheel is set up perfectly, imo, for spirited driving, i find it can benefit from a tilt feature for long drives. i had to constantly shift my hands around the steering wheel because my wrist felt tired from being bent backwards. i'm not suggesting that honda offers one for the car, cuz personally i don't really care for it, but still my wrists were the only parts of my body that was extremely tired from the trip.
- no new news here, but the lack of torque made climbing high speed hills more engaging than i would like when crusing. basically, when i hit the grapevine (a 4-5 miles uphill climb on the highway) i had to downshift to 5th and sometimes to 4th to have the torque to climb the hill briskly. there's nothing wrong with having to downshift, but after having been on cruise control and humming along at 4500rpm for 4 hours, having to rev the motor above 6000rpm kinda killed my relaxed mood.
- the corner where the center console and front left edge of the passenger seat meet is the perfect place to rest a water bottle. when the seat is nearly all the way back, the floor in that area is raised due to the crossmember in the chassis. resting a water bottle there allows you to grab it without having to lean over or reach down. this is not only convenient, but it is also very safe for i do not have to take any attention off the road.
over all, the drive was a lot more pleasant than i had anticipated. the drive i made was around 387 miles long. i made that trip straight with only one 6 minute break for gas and restroom and took me around 5 hours and 15 minutes. i was not tired at all when i finished the trip. in fact, i could had easily gone another 387 miles straight.
- as everyone knows, luggage space is limited. although i traveled alone, my 3 days worth of luggage took up about half the trunk (and i am a light packer.) i imagine the trunk can accommodate luggage for 2 for a long weekend, assuming your gf doesn't have the habbit of packing 4 pair of shoes and 3 purses, plus all the makeup she owns for a weekend trip.
- the suspension is firm, but not harsh or bouncy on highways. in fact, i found that the shocks did an excellent job soaking up the bumps. it was not until i reached LA county where the highways is covered with ripples where i began to feel slightly disturbed.
- the firm seats are very supportive. i'm 6'2" 210lbs so the seat pretty much hugs me. and when the car is set on cruise control and you stretch your legs by sliding your feet under the pedals, the seat cushions does a great job supporting the thighs. also, the cushion has a slight softness to it so that it helps to absorb some of the shock that transfered through the chassis, making the ride minimally fatiguing. i actually tired out faster the last time i made the same trip in a dodge neon rental. my only complaint about the seat is that it can use a little lumbar support.
- the center console with the cupholder cover closed provides a very comfortable and supportive place to rest your whole right arm and imo is at the perfect height. i've never owned or know of another car that allows you to rest your whole right arm. the center console helped me to feel even more comfortable and relaxed.
- the floor area underneath the pedals has a very natural angle for resting your feet when the car is in cruise control. if you have your seat adjusted perfectly when your legs are stretched out, the bottom side of your thighs rests flat on the seat cushion, your heels rests at the angle of that floor area underneath the pedals, and the rest of your feet and toes just naturals rests on the inclined part of the floor. very very comfortable.
- although the steering wheel is set up perfectly, imo, for spirited driving, i find it can benefit from a tilt feature for long drives. i had to constantly shift my hands around the steering wheel because my wrist felt tired from being bent backwards. i'm not suggesting that honda offers one for the car, cuz personally i don't really care for it, but still my wrists were the only parts of my body that was extremely tired from the trip.
- no new news here, but the lack of torque made climbing high speed hills more engaging than i would like when crusing. basically, when i hit the grapevine (a 4-5 miles uphill climb on the highway) i had to downshift to 5th and sometimes to 4th to have the torque to climb the hill briskly. there's nothing wrong with having to downshift, but after having been on cruise control and humming along at 4500rpm for 4 hours, having to rev the motor above 6000rpm kinda killed my relaxed mood.
- the corner where the center console and front left edge of the passenger seat meet is the perfect place to rest a water bottle. when the seat is nearly all the way back, the floor in that area is raised due to the crossmember in the chassis. resting a water bottle there allows you to grab it without having to lean over or reach down. this is not only convenient, but it is also very safe for i do not have to take any attention off the road.
over all, the drive was a lot more pleasant than i had anticipated. the drive i made was around 387 miles long. i made that trip straight with only one 6 minute break for gas and restroom and took me around 5 hours and 15 minutes. i was not tired at all when i finished the trip. in fact, i could had easily gone another 387 miles straight.
10-31-2003, 07:45 AM
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VTEC_Junkie,
I've driven from Nor Cal --> So Cal in the S2000 a whole bunch of times, and have also driven it from Nor Cal --> Las Vegas once. I'd agree with your observations. The drive isn't bad at all. The one thing I did notice is that the engine cruises at relatively high RPMs, and after a while I start to notice the droning sound. Besides that, there's not much to complain about.
I've driven from Nor Cal --> So Cal in the S2000 a whole bunch of times, and have also driven it from Nor Cal --> Las Vegas once. I'd agree with your observations. The drive isn't bad at all. The one thing I did notice is that the engine cruises at relatively high RPMs, and after a while I start to notice the droning sound. Besides that, there's not much to complain about.
10-31-2003, 08:14 AM
#4
My wife and I did 700 highway miles one-way in the S2000 to visit family last Thanksgiving. It was a weeklong trip, but we packed light, even took a few gifts along. After 11 hours straight(with stops), I felt better than I have in any other car. The seats are perfect for my 5'10, 180 size.
10-31-2003, 08:28 AM
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after a while I start to notice the droning sound.
10-31-2003, 08:31 AM
#6
Top up or down? I did a two-hour drive to a track (spectator only) Spent the day at the track, and then drove back. On the way back, I could NOT get comfortable and my neck hurt from all the buffeting. I am 6'1" but I think it's more my upper body length. My eyes are level with the bottom of the top rail.
I think with the top up it would have been MUCH easier on me.
I think with the top up it would have been MUCH easier on me.
10-31-2003, 08:41 AM
#7
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I think its pretty much top-up for any long trips. I drove from Calgary, AB to Seattle, WA... after a couple hours of top-down it just gets tiring. Top-up and a/c on is much more comfortable when you're driving for 12-14 hours straight.
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10-31-2003, 08:43 AM
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ruexp67,
I usually drive with the top up on long trips. On long trips where I maintain high speeds (say 3+ hours at over 80 MPH), I always have the top up. I don't like the wind rushing past my ears that loud for that long.
To be fair, I'm about 5'9" and only 125 pounds, so I don't have any problems with fitting into or being comfortable in the S2000 or just about any car.
I recently drove a friend's Jeep Wrangler from San Jose --> Las Vegas, and that was far bumpier than the S2000.
I usually drive with the top up on long trips. On long trips where I maintain high speeds (say 3+ hours at over 80 MPH), I always have the top up. I don't like the wind rushing past my ears that loud for that long.
To be fair, I'm about 5'9" and only 125 pounds, so I don't have any problems with fitting into or being comfortable in the S2000 or just about any car.
I recently drove a friend's Jeep Wrangler from San Jose --> Las Vegas, and that was far bumpier than the S2000.
10-31-2003, 05:30 PM
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by VTEC_Junkie
- the corner where the center console and front left edge of the passenger seat meet is the perfect place to rest a water bottle.
- the corner where the center console and front left edge of the passenger seat meet is the perfect place to rest a water bottle.
11-01-2003, 07:58 AM
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I'm in agreement that the engine was not designed with low rpm cruising in mind. Although my civic is even more torqueless than my s2000, I prefer it during cruises because the rpm at any given speed is lower than the s2000's. Of course, the civic gets nowhere near the respect of the s2000 but that's another story altogether 