Hi, I am new to this forum and would like your input on this decision I need to make. I was all set to buy/wait for a 2005 G35 Coupe 6MT when my wife suddenly gave me the option to not be all that practical and buy an older (2002ish) S2000 if it can save us some cash. I was thrilled (I love Hondas including my GSR) until I read all the stories of oversteering S2000s. That scares me, especially since I live in Chicagoland. I'm also still getting over the trauma of spinning my 87 Starion into the median.

Is there anyway to get the MY02 to become a slightly understeering to maybe neutrally balanced car - for safety reasons? I'm not even concerned about driving it in the snow, I'm fearing the hydroplaning, the gravel, the occasional lack of concentration on my part.

Can I get softer rear shocks, stiffer front roll bar, fatter tires, different camber settings to the point where the car actually slightly understeers (like the G35, Z or vast majority of RWD vehicles in America)?

I really want to get the S2000 if it can save me a little cash, please give me a way to justify it!

 

The stories are generally overrated. The major problem is of (ahem) young people who 1) never drove a RWD car and 2) overdrive their limits on the street. If you are showing off to a friend as you take a turn from a stop light, are at the limits of traction and then hit VTEC, voila! - oversteer to the max. The car, all by itself, is very neutral with OEM tires (this is important because the OEM S02s are much wider than anyone else's 225s). Don't drive like a nimrod and you'll be very pleased with the handling. I've never spun on the road nor even been close to it.

If you want to oversteer, go to a track or autocross. That will also help you learn the true limits of both yourself as well as the vehicle in a safe manner.

 

A stock '02 S2000 actually has mild understeer on the skid pad, is pretty neutral in cornering and is easily induced into oversteer with the throttle. It is less understeer biased than the 350Z/G35. It is not "oversteer crazy", especially if you drive normally or put in the correct driver inputs. It will punish you if you do something stupid.

That being said, the OEM tires widths are 205 front, 225 rear. With non-OEM tires its 205/245 to get the same tread ratio. If you want more understeer, the easiest mod is an alignment adjustment (fully adjustable out of the factory). The second most common mod is probably a bigger front anti-roll bar. All the other normal changes can be done also, like tire pressures, widths, shocks/springs, etc.

 

i agree.. mine will understeer more that oversteer, and the tracking is 100% correct.. I have been pushing it round some large roundabouts recently.. and there is def more understeer, you can turn in more to get the grip back..

it only oversteers if you try and be clever.

 

It'll do it in the rain if you give too much throttle during stoplight turns. I've never spun out, but I have received an unpleasant 30 degree pivot

 

The stories ARE over-blown.... and other important considerations are owner vehicle maintenance (rear tires) and "proper usage". This means if you live in, say, Chicago you want to avoid driving in winter months without changing the tires to something more appropriate. Foolish driving behavior, poor maintenance and takling chilly roads with warm-weather tires seem to be the most common causes of over-steer-related incidents.

I know from personal experience. I spun my car because I pushed too hard on wet roads with worn rear tiers. I knew I was asking for trouble, and I got it. Lesson learned and no problems since.

 

I suspect that the 02 has a touch more understeer built in from the factory than 00-01. The car is no where near scary, however bear some things in mind. With about 10k on the tires (and the outside visible portion of the rear tires appearing fine) the inside of the rears may be fairly well worn. When the first Fall cool weather approaches, the worn rears - more worn in relation to the fronts in effect narrowing the stagger - and effect of cool weather on ALL ultra high performance tires, not just on the S2000, can introduce sudden oversteer at the same cornering g's that a week before in 30 degree warmer weather you'd seen a perfectly stable car. Not necessarily a spin (that could just depend on one's reaction to the oversteer of course) but an interesting moment.

For some, the fall/winter and cool weather in general allows for moderate speed 'fun' in select areas. For others it can lead to a call to the body shop and insurance adjuster.

Add a cool, wet day, with those apparently fine 10K tires

 

I have an 02 and what i have experienced so far is that you really have to try to oversteer to make it oversteer, and it will understeer, though I bought my car used so it has 205's in the front and 225's in the back, not stock tires this may make a difference too.

 

Along those same lines I found a large amount of understeer this weekend at a local autoX. Running on S02s I rarely have any understeer at all, but I had just changed my tires a week ago. I was running new rears and an old (1year+) set of half used fronts. The fronts had been track tires and must have gotten pretty hard compared to the fresh rears. Understeer city, not that much fun.

 

I find I really have to work to get oversteer, like extra throttle on a turn... I have an '01 with bald tires

well almost bald. It's not that bad, if you drive like someone would normally drive a sedan you would NEVER have a problem, if you drive a LITTLE faster, no issues, if you push it, be ready for it and you'll be ok.

Cool weather is another story, but as with all cars with performance tires, I had the same issue with my RX8, the other day (already getting cool here ) I was powering down the road and my rear end was wagging for a good 20-30 feet.