Because we have at least a couple of recent converts from the 2-liter, 9K AP1s to the 2.2-liter 8K (or so) AP2s, I thought I'd see if they and others have opinions about this. (It may be that these new cars aren't broken in enough to have been driven to red-line yet, though -- so get out there, ladies, and pack on some miles!)

I shift mainly by sound, particularly when driving aggressively, because I like to watch the road rather than the dash. And when I'm accelerating hard, I find myself hitting the rev-limiter before it seems like I should. That is, it "sounds" to me as if the powertrain would be quite happy with a few more hundred RPMs before that red-line shift.

Maybe I just need to train myself more carefully, but I've worked at this and haven't succeeded. So maybe I'm an AP1-er at heart (or at ear) and just don't know it. Whatever, it seems like that extra top end is really relevant to the way these little cars behave and perform.

What other experience is out there? HPH

 

Did you have an AP1 before or are you just commenting? I agree with you that the AP2 sounds like it could keep going. It sure doesn't scream like the AP1. You know we have an '01 and an '05, and it took me a good six months to get used to the new '05, after putting 58,000 miles on the '01. I was truly disappointed for months, but then I got over it. I love my AP2 now. It just took a lot of getting used to. Now I prefer it to the '01.

 

I'm just commenting. And I don't mean to whine or suggest a dislike for my AP2. I suppose it may just be my excuse for hitting the rev limiter when I'd rather not -- but, dang, the car wants more! HPH

 

You want more!

 

Just got my '06, up to 900 miles. My thinking was that I was going to have a hard time adjusting to the 8K but really, it's no big deal. My'03 was supercharged and while rippin' 9K shifts was totally insane at the boost, it just was for show most of the time. The 98% factor of my driving is so much more enjoyable in the '06. No disappointments, no regrets. As I grow older, I buy newer...............

Zacksdad2 (Scott)

 

I tried an AP 2 at the autocross this past weekend. I noticed the missing RPMs right away. I'd have a hard time going to the AP 2.

 

If you install Modifry's shift beeper you'll have an accurate acoustic clue to keep you off the rev limiter. As for your missing RPMs you could put a 2.0 AP1 engine in your car.

 

I love the looks and feel of my new car, but I'm having a great deal of difficulty in adjusting to the lower redline and the different gear ratio. It shifts beautifully, but it is quite an adjustment from the 01 to the 06. I now have a little over 2k miles on the new one and thought I'd be past the adjustment point by now, but I'm not. Where I really notice a big difference is when I'm entering the highway from an entry ramp and I always wound the older one out. I have to be careful with the 06, or I'll hit the red line. A difference that I have enjoyed is the start off which is much faster in the new one and I guess its the higher torque. I really didn't expect to be able to feel a torque difference, but I've noticed that it seems to zoom on out faster in first than the 01.

As an aside, I really like the outside temperature gauge and the clock right below the tachometer. I do not like the new design on the fuel gauge (semi-circle) and preferred the straight line.

 

I love my AP2. I would like to have a higher red line but I am in tune with the sound of the engine. I rarely look at the tach. When I run the Dragon is when I am very sensitve to the sound of the engine. It's a little tricky driving the road in 3d gear most of the way. The trick is to keep the revs in the high torque range without hitting the limiter.

 

In the AP1 you could keep the revs up for the curvy windy roads and hear it much better. I never had to look at the tach on the AP1 and I never hit the rev limiter except once when I was a newbie with it. I drove most of the time in 3rd and 4th, only went into 5th when I was at highway speeds and 6th rarely when I was on the interstate.
With the AP2, you reach your power range much more quickly in lower gears. It almost feels to me like I need a few more gears. What I DO like about the 2 as opposed to the 1 is the VTEC feels more pronounced -- its like a whoosh. I knew in the old one when I VTEC'd, but in the new one it feels almost like a rocket booster.