So my brother owns a civic si. He says that driving the s2000 is just like driving the civic si until you get to vtec land, which is a whole other story? Is this true? He says that if you don't count the vtec or don't usethe vtec in the s2000 you have no torque just like in his civic si? I think he's wrong. I haven't driven the s2000 yet so I don't know, but I think he's way wrong.

CAN SOMEONE CLEAR THIS UP FOR ME?

THANKS.

 

Drive one...

 

If you drive an S2000 like most people drive a civic, then you're wasting about $12000. But an MR2 or a Miata. Does it have gobs or torque? Nope. Is it like driving a Civic Si if you shift before VTEC? Nope. But neither is an MR2 or Miata.

You have to drive it like you hate it, which will in turn make you love it.

 

I remember reading someone's thread about them beating a Civic Si in a street race without vtec. Both cars being stock.

 

I honestly don't think your brother has never driven a S2000! Or he's green with envy!! LOL...

Just looking at paper, you can see the S2000 has a torque-to-weight ratio that is about 30% higher than the Civic SI. In fact the torque-to-weight for the Civic SI is almost exactly the same (less than 1% difference) as my 95 Civic EX. I can tell you there is a HUGE difference between the two cars (even when I don't take the S2000 past 5500rpm)!!!

 

Great. Thanks for the boost...I was getting doubtful about the stook. I should have never doubted it ! I am such a trader. This car will be my first stick car too!

 

To add a little moderation to the bonfire you've started here... with regard to the feel of acceleration I find sub-VTEC driving to be very similar to a Civic. Yes, the S2K goes faster in a standing 0-to-whatever but with the same flat torque curve as many other fine Honda products. So you don't get any musclecar kick in the butt. But you will be going faster (than the Civic) because of the higher level of constant push.

Your general phrasing of "does it drive like a Civic?" is asking for heat since the S2K handles like a go-kart and you can feel that at any speed. But since you mention torque I assume you mean to only reference the acceleration characteristics of S2K's.

 

One of the the big car mag's (R&T, C&D, Motor Trend or Automobile) had a quote that was nearly verbatim to what your brother says about the S2K driving like a Civic SI below VTEC engagement. I'm pretty sure it was from the R&T article entitled "Modern Gladiators" or something like that. The article compared a Boxster S, S2K, BMW M Roadster (240hp), and Audi TT Roadster. The Stook barely lost to the Boxster S (despite matching or beating every performance category for much less money) because of "intangibles". Whatever, I say $25K in my pocket is pretty tangible.

Anyway... of my soap box.

I strongly suspect that he is a voracious car mag. reader (like me) and is using that quote as his point of reference.

By the way, it's not exactly true. The Stook, IMO, has more useable low end torque and pulls very nicely without VTEC, thank you.

 

this really clears it up for me. thanks a million !

 

The S lost by 1 point. The boxter received a 10 for trunk space and the S got 5 (only 1 trunk), however on price the S got 10 and the boxter 8. Go figure.