what do you guys think should i make the switch and leave the civilized go-kart we all love to drive?

 

i know the feeling. the S is my primary car and many times i wish i had something more practical that doesnt attract unwanted attention, can seat more then 2 and easier to drive after a long day of work.
but for me, i actually enjoy driving in the snow and the challenge of RWD in not so summer like conditions.
if the S had never existed at all i would be driving an evo right now.

 

Don't know what to tell you. The s2000 wasn't designed specifically for what you're looking for. But then again, you live in SoCal. How often do you really see rain and deal with snow? The number of perfect S2000 weather you have in SoCal outnumbers the number of days you need AWD.

I do have to agree with you about one thing though; the S2000 is really a better 2nd car. My daily is a 2008 Subaru Outback. Oh what do you know...it's AWD. hehehe...

 

Sell it.

 

Not saying this in an offensive way, but didn't you know about these "nuisances" before you purchased the S?

 

THE primary driver for me with the S was rag top. It seemed to me to be the best combination of values, costs, and performance coming in a rag.

The lack of rag keeps me from getting the sti or several other cars. It's a lame position, I know.

I didn't pick the best candidate, just the one with the least downsides.
(kinda like voting in our elections anymore)

That is why I cannot understand why anyone would put a shell on the S. If I was gonna be forced to wear a shell, I NEVER would've gotten the S.

 

Well, for snow, you can't beat AWD and/or four wheel drive. For snow, that's the best you can do. But for snow, given the choice between RWD and FWD, I'd chose RWD by a mile. On snow, compacted snow, or ice (which we have here in Okla.) FWD cars all tend to follow the crown in the road, which means they try to pull you off into the ditch to the right. That's why all four of my vehicles are RWD!! Now, if I lived in an area with more snow or ice, I'd get an AWD/4WD, as they are the best. But for my circumstances with occasional snow/ice problems, I sure as hell like RWD better than FWD.

Tires can make all the difference in the world. My S2k now has Falken FK 451 tires that are really pretty good on snow. On the ohter hand, our sedan has Michelin Energy MVX4's which just make that car like a sled on snow. They are about worn out, and will be replaced with another model of tire. But the way things are right now, if we have snow, I take the S2k instead of the sedan.

Right now, we have four cars (which includes a RWD pickup). We are considering a move to Colorado. If we do move, we know that one of the vehilces must go, in exchange for an AWD/4WD vehicle. But it won't be the S2k.

 

Finally someone else who purchased the S because the top come off and everything else was just gravy. I have never driven a mommy car/wagon, I purchased a RWD convertible in 1974 when I got my license and that is all I have ever driven as my primary car. There is nothing wrong with RWD in the snow and if they require chains you can get chains that will not harm the wheels. Not cheap since they have limited use, just a few times but they work great.

 

In your shoes I would think I have three reasonable options:

1. get dedicated snow tires and compromise a bit on the summer tires to allow for wet/sub-ideal conditions. that sounds like your biggest real problem, from your post.

2. if tires aren't enough and still want to keep your s2000, get an aftermarket traction control unit to clean up some of the RWD unsafe issues. TCS+dedicated snow tires make my AP2 as safe to drive (IMO) as my wife's AWD honda element with its all-season tires.

3. if this isnt the whole issue and it's not worth it to you anymore to keep the car with all its nuances and drawbacks, sell it and get the evo/sti you want more. i love the s2000 because it suits all my needs better than any other car i know of. if i really wanted a mustang GT to tune for power and drag race every weekend, i'd be foolish not to sell my s2000 and buy one.

 

AWESOME!