I'm a prospective first time owner of an S2000 and am 22 years old. I'd like to consider that I'm a safe driver who knows his limits.

I was shocked to learn that S2000's before 2006 didn't not have traction control.

I have test driven the S2000's a few times and haven't noticed the tail slipping to be much of an issue even in aggressive driving. But, I haven't been in many scenarios with the car.

My primary concerns are:

1. Cornering at high speeds and losing the tail (I go up to the mountains a lot - would like to not fall off the edge!)
2. Hydroplaning in wet conditions
3. Emergency avoidance (avoiding debris on a highway at 70 mph)

Do you guys find this as an issue?

 

Dont drive like an ass in the rain and learn the limits of the car. Many of us drive our cars with no TC daily.

 

been driving my04 with no traction control for almost 4 years now and shes still safe n sound

 

i actually prefer not to have traction control...like stated before, dont drive like a jackass and learn the limits of the car before you attempt to push it

 

Traction control doesn't affect hydroplaning. Major factors affecting hydroplaning include thread depth, thread pattern, tire pressure, and vehicle speed.

Traction control (unless you mean VSA) doesn't really affect emergency avoidance manoeuvres (e.g. Moose test) much either. If you're avoiding a road hazard, chances are that you're not applying a lot of power. It's more of a center of gravity, suspension, tire, VSA thing.

 

I agree with everyone above. Just keep an eye on your tires and replace them when needed.

 

People have been driving without traction control on cars since they were invented.
Question : How did they drive without wrecking?
Answer: Driving skill and preventative maintance/inspections

Before you go driving, make sure you have proper tire inflation and decent tread. If its pulling, get an alignment. Inspect your brakes before they start making a funny noise.

Do not drive beyond you skill level. Traction control is a mistake fixer. It is a last resort for auto manufacturers to make their vehicles safer. They couldn't make people drive more intelligently so they had to make the car able to counter dumb mistakes. Drive smart and you won't need traction control.

 

I guess we shouldn't have ABS either...

 

The biggest thing is to drive safe in inclement weather conditions and to stay within your limits and the car's limits when having fun and you should be fine. I can't stress a good set of tires enough... the S does either extremely well or extremely sloppy depending on the tires you have on it. I originally had an '05 without traction control (VSA) and had a great tire / alignment setup and I could never get it to step out on me, it stuck like a champ. Fast forward to my '08 CR and I"m still working with the crappy all season tires the dealership put on the car when I bought it and it likes to slide out on me.

I've now owned an S without VSA and an S with VSA. I have to say if you can get an '06+, go for it. It's nice to have the extra security with VSA just in case... however, I say this only because you have the ability to turn it completely off. And when I say completely I mean just that, it will turn off entirely... it's not like some of these systems today where parts of the traction control stays on when you turn it off. When it's off, it's off... which essentially makes it the same as an '05 or earlier S2K then without the VSA. To me with an '06+ you can have the best of both worlds and choose whether or not you want it on/off.

 

I'm shocked this keeps coming up. About 30 years ago there was no traction control. If you crashed the car, you got seriously hurt AND many of the cars were rwd. It's amazing as the human race we ever made it through that very dark time!