jmc1971

IMO the ongoing "Is the 04 better or worse" debate can get quite maddening. I was just wondering if the same "fights" happened over the minor changes in the earlier MYs. Or is the change in the engine driving (no pun intended!) most of this bickering?

Thought you Vintage folks might have some insight.

paS2K

Ye gads...00/ 02/ 03 changes are already ancient history

Well...those of us with the original and only best model (MY '00 ) were a little bit perturbed when the first wimpy improvements came out: SPA yellow color, clock, tweeters in the door, console cover, slightly improved radio, tweeters in the door corners, etc. BUT THE BIGGY WAS, OF COURSE, THE GLASS REAR WINDOW

There probably are some '00 owners who actually traded up to the '02 just because of the glass rear windwo

Otherwise, there was never any real pro/ con debate....since the basic engine and drivetrain stayed pretty much the same for 3 entire model years.

JonasM

The closest that I recall is some discussions about possible modified suspension settings on the '02, and the tranny upgrades.

JonasM

ralper

I thought that the "Is the 04 better or worse" debate had pretty much come to an end with the release of the car. This is not unusual.

Over the years, with many different cars, I have seen this happen. In the months leading up to the release of a model change the debate rages. Many owners are convinced the change will kill the car and many are convinced that the change will improve it. Usually, the intoduction of the model puts an end to the debate and every one moves forward.

My experience with the S is that improvements like the glass rear window were welcomed, but the changes in the suspension in MY02 were viewed with apprehension. I don't remember anyone suggesting that Honda was ruining the car. The noise was louder for MY04.

Legal Bill

Lots of discussion about the 02 suspension revisions. When I bought, I could have saved a few bucks on an 00 or 01 but wanted the improved tranny, improved oil bolts, improved clutch, better sound system and glass window. I later learned that the suspension on the 02 gives you a slightly better starting point for autocrossing. Still, no one got upset about all of this. I think the 04 is enough of a change to upset some people who might want the 04 improvements but not have the finances to buy one. While some people are upset about Honda making the car something less than an "all out" street roadster I'm not sure why they are upset. They have, or can get, the original. Who cares if Honda changes it now. There are plenty of 00-03s to go around. Plus the changes really are minor. Just look at how much the Miata changed. That was much more significant.

CoralDoc

I just replaced my '00 with an '03 since I wanted to remain true to the original S2k concept. The new car isn't broken in yet, but from driving friends' '02s I expect a small power improvement and more neutral handling compared to my first one.

As far as the '04 changes are concerned, I stayed with the '03 since I wanted the smaller power plant with higher redline and tighter handling. It will be interesting to compare when I get the chance to drive an '04.

MsPerky

As others said, I think the debate (which apparently got very heated over in S2000 Talk if you take a look at Quik S2K's thread) is the same one with any new model year. Well, maybe a bit more over here since there is lots of testosterone in evidence!

The only thing I wanted that I don't have is the glass rear window, since mine is in pretty bad shape. That's it. I actually like the appearance of mine more than the '04. The discussion seems to revolve around compromising a couple of things to accommodate American owners. I like the tighter handling/harder ride...to me that's what a sports car is all about. But to each his own.

Triple-H

I remember some really ugly threads when the '02 was introduced. The ones that stick out in my mind as the epitome of foolishness were the ones where someone would try to sue Honda or create a class action law suit over the '00 and '01 models not having a glass rear window. Some of the logic in those hostile threads was amazing.

People getting all bent out of shape and not communicating in a polite fashion has been around since the beginning of man, and I suspect it will be here for a long time to come.

jmc1971

^^ Ain't that the truth? Well, except over here in Vintage, maybe.

Thanks for the insight, y'all. Can you just imagine the uproar if Honda announced they were going to produce automatics? That thought always runs through my mind when I read the pro and con threads about the 04.

ralper

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jmc1971