I was considering an S2000 and a winter beater but the 4-door civic SI is the wiser choice as I have 2 kids and it is generally wiser to only have 1 car vs 2

I have owned an NSX before for 3 years and also owned a 2001 M3 as well as a 97 M3 4-door - I hated both BMWs due to the heavy feel and other than the power/torque in these cars, I did not enjoy them at all - now I am convinced 100% that I am not into heavy cars, therefore my decision to think about the S2000 / civic SI - I will get an NSX again but not right now due to budget issues.

looking for input from people that have owned/driven both cars for an extended period - is there a big difference in driving/power between both other than FWD/RWD? - is the extra hp really noticeable in the S2000? Is it really that much more fun to drive (other than the convertible part)?

Thanks

 

Very interesting, sounds like you and I are fairly similar in what we like in a car. Without going to far back in time I will share a brief history on my last few years of car ownership. I bought a new 2007 G35x when they came out(the new body style) and at first loved it, I came from a 04 TSX 6MT, it was comfortable, fairly quick and some fun bells and whistles, though after 6 months of ownership I found myself not looking forward to driving it, not that it drove bad, but after the straight line performance wore off I was disappointed with the handling and overall feel of the car, it rode fairly firm, but didn't handle particularly well, had more body roll then I liked and just felt big, heavy and bloated. Not to say there is anything wrong with the current Infiniti's because I really do like them, but I don't think I would be in a hurry to buy another one, I learned the speed gets old, a car needs to have more then just power to engage me when driving. After owning the car for 15 months I traded it in on a 2008 S2000, which I loved, it was a great car, completely trouble free and despite it being a dated platform it is a fantastic value even today. When I bought the car I had a big real estate project I was working on, and was planning on moving south, which never happened. Thankfully we pulled the plug on the project before we were too far along, the market took a nose dive, my stocks took a beating and my move to a warmer climate has been delayed. While the S2000 is a cheap car to maintain for what it is, it is still much more to maintain then most conventional cars. I went from driving 15-18k miles/year to driving around 6k miles/year and while I could live with the S2k, until the market rebounds and I start making money again I couldn't justify a toy that was significantly more money to operate. I traded my S2000 in on the 09 Si Sedan, my car payment is practically nonexistent and my car insurance went from $1600+/year to just over $600/year, in a tough market when cash flow is low the Si just made sense for me. I am single, have no kids and the car is often way more space then I need or am used to, spending 18 months in a S2000 makes one think a glove compartment is a luxury! I think the S2000's drivetrain is easier to drive around town, it must have more usable power in the extreme lower RPM's, but everything else about around town driving the Si does better - in some cases, like visibility, the difference is night and day. Both required premium gas, but the Si gets noticeably better fuel economy and has a bigger tank so my cruising range on a tank has gone up substantially, and around town the Si SMOKES the S2000 in terms of fuel economy. The trunk in the S2000 is small, the passenger compartment is small, storage for stuff is minimal and not very practical, overall the Si is a MUCH easier car to live with. It is slower, but it's still fun to drive, I feel more confident pushing the Si then the S2k, I know the S2k will bite my head off if I push thing too far, the Si seems much more forgiving. In an all out race, it's a no brainer the S2k would win, short or long track. Not having a back seat or much storage space does not seem like a big deal until you have to live with it, thankfully it was not a big hassle for me, but it was a hassle at times.

The big items I miss from the S2k are: Performance(both straight line and in turns), the shifter in the S2k is absolute heaven the same can not be said about the Si, the seats, while the Si seats are ok, the S2k seats were fantastic, HID's, top down driving and that's about it. The Si is a brilliant little car, that is fun to drive and economical to purchase and own, it doesn't attract any attention(mine is white and a sedan, a brighter color or coupe may be another story), I had a lot of morons try stupid shit on the road when I had the S2k and am happy that is no longer the case. I would not hesitate to get another S2k, but now it's not the right car for me.

 

si is a nice car and there is a lot room for 4dr civic and the parts are available evrywher and good on gas but s2k is more like weekly drive car and there is not a lot diffrents in speed u can keep up on si withe s2k if u put $800 and u gat 2 kids so u can tak theme to the meets with you lol

 

OP, it looks like you already know what the "practical" decision is: Civic Si.

 

Si Sedan.

 

As much as I love the S2000, iTimmy's summary is spot on. Ideally, one could have both but if you can only keep one, the Si is the way to go.

 

SI sedan = super practicality... now if it was an SI coupe vs an S2k... i'd pick the s2k 11 out of 10 times.

 

I'd only get an S2000 if I had a practical vehicle on standby (and I do)

 

 

I didn't know you could send texts to Acurazine


To the OP - Timmy breaks it down nicely, so I'll only chime in with my . With 2 younguns in uncertain economic times, you WILL be getting a Si. They're still awesome to drive and you can perk it up with JDM Type-R bits or aftermarket stuff if you need to sharpen it up. Plus, the safety factor of a new Si will almost certainly be better than any winter beater you'd end up with.

The S2000 will have to wait, but there will be plenty of good ones to choose from once the kids get older and you can treat yourself to a weekend fun car.

-Mirror

 

 

Si.

 

Civic Si...or, Integra Type R -- just to put it out there.

 

Thanks all

I know the practical choice is the SI - but the issue is if I keep buying and selling cars because I don't like them, it does not become practical anymore as you lose money in the process and that's why I forced myself to drive a 96Camry for the last 1.5 years until I make up my mind on what I want - the decision is tough because I can't judge from a test drive. I always need to live with a car for a while to see if there is a connection between the car/driver and so far the only car that has done that was the NSX and nothing else

maybe I need to see a shrink but I don't consider a car like an appliance.

 

Maybe you need to consider other options then...how about a Mazdaspeed 3 or 6

 

Came across an 02 TL-S - one owner Acura trade-in with service records - mint but high mileage (240K kms) - had to grab it

So back to having two cars as I think this is me

S2000, civic SI, miata, Z3 M, what else?? up to $14K

use as a fun-to-drive car/occasional daily driver beside the TL to relieve any stress and/or occasional light track use

 

miata!

 

you can find a nice 02-04 s2000 for about $14k.

 

OK if you're looking for a second car to go with the TL, then S2000. Next!

But a 240k km (150k miles) 2002 TL-S.....hopefully the tranny's already been replaced.

 

tranny was replaced 8 months ago for the first time @240K

 

wow a super high mileage!

 

How much did u pay for the 240k km TL-s?

 

$6K - it is worth about $5K in my opinion but I didn't mind paying an extra $1K for the outstanding service history and how well the first owner took care of his car - not a single dent or scratch and mint interior - drives very tight as well - and it has the A-spec kit on it from Acura which looks really sharp in Silver

 

 

Beware the tranny of glass...and the rattle-box.

 

If you're coming from an NSX get the car that's most like the NSX.

I have a 2009 Civic Si coupe. It's fun, but the S2000 is the same thing, lightweight car with a high-revving motor. So why bother with the lesser drive train if you're dealing with the same manufacturer?

 

Just read you only have $14K, maybe the Si maybe better off, I would rather choose the Si over the older gen S2000.