At our last slalom event- i drive an '03 stock s2000- friend and I traded. He has '08 CR. both in STR.

my impression was the clutch take up is smoother, transmission smidge less mechanical, little more torque. i liked the wider tire option- again, stock sizing in same RS-3 tire i use, but in 16" for mine/CR his.
brakes better in the AP1- he has upgraded pads over stock. seat more cushy and comfortable in the CR.

Overall, i'd go with a CR AP2 if i could. but for now, i prefer the AP1 over a base AP2.

that's just me.

darcy

 

I started with an AP1, then upgraded to an AP2. I have a lot of free time on my hands now that I don't have to tell everyone I meet how 'raw' my car feels.

 

 

I haven't driven an ap2 but owned a 07 si so I know the dead throttle feeling I'm lucky though I purchased my ap1 with an ap2 trans so I guess I got the best of both worlds , it also has all the ap2 exterior goodies except tail lights and a CR lip for a measly 10 grand

 

Just have to say this, but the DBW in an AP2 is far better than the Civic Si. Night and day difference.

 

I owned an 02 and AP1 and now have an 04 AP2. For a more fun driving experience AP1 is the winner. 9k redline, no clutch delay and, more oversteer . AP2 feels a little faster in the midrange, Suspension feels more planted, overall its better looking with the interior and exterior upgrades. You can make the AP2 just as fun to drive though. All it needs is an AP1 flywheel,and get rid of the clutch delay. that alone should liven up the car. 9k redline is cool but, seems like it didnt do much between 8 and 9k anyway.

 

just need to add flash pro to an 06+ and it gets rid of the rev hang/throttle issues. The CDV issue takes a bit more, requires lighter fly wheel (AP1 or aftermarket) and stronger pressure plate. Removing the CDV is not the solution FYI

 

Biggest difference is the way you have to drive the two cars. I always considered the AP2 more German-feeling and the AP1 more Civic-feeling with input and response.

I remember driving a new 03 AP1 and a new 04 AP2 back to back when I was deciding which one I wanted to go with.

 

Removing the CDV isn't the "entire" solution but it is certainly a huge step forward in fixing it. I have done only the CDV delete and the car is much improved now. I still can't shift as fast as I'd like without the heavy flywheel deciding to rear its ugly head, but it's still much more fun to drive than it was before.

 

They both seem fairly similar with the way everyone descrides the dbw on the ap2's. Meaning the flat pedal feeling and rev hang.