LeVeL
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- Joined
- Jun 16, 2007
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Took my friend's recently-acquired S2000 out today. Its a 2000 with 42k on the clock; black with red interior.
First things first - getting in is a bit tricky (as is getting out) since the car is low, the seats are narrow, the roof is low, the door sill is high, and since your legs are almost straight when seated its a bit challenging (even compared to his old CRX) to sit down, as you have to stick your feet way out in front of you and under the dash. Once in I was comfortable but there wasn't any room to move about. The door is right up against your elbow and the transmission tunnel is fairly high - good to rest your right arm on though. The tech dash is cool. I didn't think I'd like it, but its pretty nice actually.
Naturally, I couldn't start it for 20 seconds untul I remembered that it has a start button. The electric power steering, which still works even if the engine is off, can be easily turned with one finger. The shifter is great - nice and notchy, just the way I like it, and the throw is short and precise. Below 5-6000rpm the S2000 feels no faster than my Accord. Its more responsive, sure, since it doesn't take the time to shift on its own, but certainly not quick. Once vtec kicks in (yo!) it becomes a quick little car but, once again, I wasn't impressed. Even after driving a 150hp Accord, I was far from blown away. The engine is pretty quiet and you have to look at the tach a lot, since it sounds pretty much the same at 7000rpm as it does at 9000. The powerband is short but it does wake the car up a bit. As I said though, I expected it to be faster.
I didn't get a chance to drive it anywhere near the limit, as I was on the street, but I can report that the ride is relatively harsh. This is not a very good daily driver or long distance cruiser. The steering is a lot quicker than in the Accord, naturally, but also compared to almost all cars that I've driven, and offers a decent amount of feedback (once again, I wasn't exactly blown away). The handling limit is definitely higher than in my car, although at the speeds that I was driving at I bet its mostly down to the tires - summer performance vs all-seasons. Pulling up at a red light was a reminder of just how small the car is - I'm 5'10" and the driver's seat has been lowered with new brackets (my friend is 6'7") and I still had to duck down to see the light. My buddy reported after a recent autocross that the car is really snappy at the limit and doesn't really give out warning signs before sliding.
The S2000 is not a good daily driver but neither is it a hardcore autocross warrior. Its nice to putter around town hitting vtec when the popo aren't looking, and I'm sure it would be a lot of fun on a back road, but I walked away feeling like its nothing more than a weekend toy - not a daily driver and not an all-out driver's car. A wider powerband, more power and torque, and a little more room inside (like I said, I'm 5'10" and found it pretty darn snug) would make the S2000 pretty awesome.
First things first - getting in is a bit tricky (as is getting out) since the car is low, the seats are narrow, the roof is low, the door sill is high, and since your legs are almost straight when seated its a bit challenging (even compared to his old CRX) to sit down, as you have to stick your feet way out in front of you and under the dash. Once in I was comfortable but there wasn't any room to move about. The door is right up against your elbow and the transmission tunnel is fairly high - good to rest your right arm on though. The tech dash is cool. I didn't think I'd like it, but its pretty nice actually.
Naturally, I couldn't start it for 20 seconds untul I remembered that it has a start button. The electric power steering, which still works even if the engine is off, can be easily turned with one finger. The shifter is great - nice and notchy, just the way I like it, and the throw is short and precise. Below 5-6000rpm the S2000 feels no faster than my Accord. Its more responsive, sure, since it doesn't take the time to shift on its own, but certainly not quick. Once vtec kicks in (yo!) it becomes a quick little car but, once again, I wasn't impressed. Even after driving a 150hp Accord, I was far from blown away. The engine is pretty quiet and you have to look at the tach a lot, since it sounds pretty much the same at 7000rpm as it does at 9000. The powerband is short but it does wake the car up a bit. As I said though, I expected it to be faster.
I didn't get a chance to drive it anywhere near the limit, as I was on the street, but I can report that the ride is relatively harsh. This is not a very good daily driver or long distance cruiser. The steering is a lot quicker than in the Accord, naturally, but also compared to almost all cars that I've driven, and offers a decent amount of feedback (once again, I wasn't exactly blown away). The handling limit is definitely higher than in my car, although at the speeds that I was driving at I bet its mostly down to the tires - summer performance vs all-seasons. Pulling up at a red light was a reminder of just how small the car is - I'm 5'10" and the driver's seat has been lowered with new brackets (my friend is 6'7") and I still had to duck down to see the light. My buddy reported after a recent autocross that the car is really snappy at the limit and doesn't really give out warning signs before sliding.
The S2000 is not a good daily driver but neither is it a hardcore autocross warrior. Its nice to putter around town hitting vtec when the popo aren't looking, and I'm sure it would be a lot of fun on a back road, but I walked away feeling like its nothing more than a weekend toy - not a daily driver and not an all-out driver's car. A wider powerband, more power and torque, and a little more room inside (like I said, I'm 5'10" and found it pretty darn snug) would make the S2000 pretty awesome.