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Old 10-17-2020, 12:01 AM   #113
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I finally got to drive an S2k today.

Cabin space falls in between Miata and FRS/BRZ. I'm a bit over 6' and I still need a lower seat in the S2k, but I am very sure the Miata would still be uncomfortable with a low seat. There's no headroom and no space to push the seat back in the Miata, while the S2k had space behind me to spare. How the 6'2" guy down the street drives his stock Miata everyday to work is a mystery to me. Obviously, the BRZ has by far the most space in any way you can measure.

Acceleration is underwhelming in the S2k, and the better engine noises don't really make up for it (I am surprised I'm saying this given how much I value revs and engine noise). Still, better than the BRZ, which has no traction, no power (I tuned my car and tried running with 30% ethanol, so I know how it feels with ~215hp on tap), and sounds horrible. An ND with bolt-ons and tune ranks number 1 IMO.

Interior quality the S2k beats the Miata narrowly. Both are very pleasant cabins, assuming you fit in the Miata.

Steering feel on the S2k is numb, worst out of the three, but it's not really a dealbreaker for me.

Chassis on the S2k seems to be quite rigid based on the few bumps I drove over. The ND isn't as floppy as I expected but it does flex a bit. BRZ is pretty rock solid since it has a roof.

Overall, I liked the S2k especially considering it was bone stock, but it really wasn't as exciting as the internet said, and the prices these days are ludicrous. I don't think I'll be buying one anymore if the prices don't come down.

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Old 10-17-2020, 05:01 AM   #114
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have driven an s2k once briefly. was fun. would love to own an nd or nc one day. nd especially! or at least drive one..
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Old 10-17-2020, 10:53 AM   #115
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I don't know how taller people like convertibles. Every one I have ever driven I end up looking over the windshield to see, and I am only 6'2". I have never been comfortable in any convertible.

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I finally got to drive an S2k today.

Cabin space falls in between Miata and FRS/BRZ. I'm a bit over 6' and I still need a lower seat in the S2k, but I am very sure the Miata would still be uncomfortable with a low seat. There's no headroom and no space to push the seat back in the Miata, while the S2k had space behind me to spare. How the 6'2" guy down the street drives his stock Miata everyday to work is a mystery to me. Obviously, the BRZ has by far the most space in any way you can measure.

Acceleration is underwhelming in the S2k, and the better engine noises don't really make up for it (I am surprised I'm saying this given how much I value revs and engine noise). Still, better than the BRZ, which has no traction, no power (I tuned my car and tried running with 30% ethanol, so I know how it feels with ~215hp on tap), and sounds horrible. An ND with bolt-ons and tune ranks number 1 IMO.

Interior quality the S2k beats the Miata narrowly. Both are very pleasant cabins, assuming you fit in the Miata.

Steering feel on the S2k is numb, worst out of the three, but it's not really a dealbreaker for me.

Chassis on the S2k seems to be quite rigid based on the few bumps I drove over. The ND isn't as floppy as I expected but it does flex a bit. BRZ is pretty rock solid since it has a roof.

Overall, I liked the S2k especially considering it was bone stock, but it really wasn't as exciting as the internet said, and the prices these days are ludicrous. I don't think I'll be buying one anymore if the prices don't come down.
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Old 10-17-2020, 05:41 PM   #116
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I don't know how taller people like convertibles. Every one I have ever driven I end up looking over the windshield to see, and I am only 6'2". I have never been comfortable in any convertible.
Some convertibles don't have this problem. Have you sat in a Porsche Boxster or an MR2 Spyder? They're pretty roomy inside. My head is well below the windshield and I pretty much never drove my MR2 Spyders top down. Occasionally I do need to duck a little to see traffic signals, but in a Miata the top of the windshield frame is right in my face and I can't see anything.
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Old 10-17-2020, 06:41 PM   #117
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If the BRZ didn't exist, I would probably own a ND Miata RF. I would prefer a lighter, fixed hardtop, but I feel like I could settle for the RF. There are CARB legal FI options like the Edelbrock SC and Flyin' Miata turbo kit. A K-swap would be great. Actually, I would love to find a cheap wrecked Miata and totally weld the roof on the car and do a swap.
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Old 10-18-2020, 06:56 PM   #118
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I owned a 2006 S2000 for about 10 years before the BRZ. I loved it, and often have second thoughts about selling it. As others have said, the S2000 doesn't have much low-end torque, but that's not what the car is about. It's a revver, a high-winding engine in the spirit of F1 motors.

It's more of a pure, hard-core 'sports' car than the Miata, and a couple of steps up in performance. You really need to wind it out to beyond 6000 rpm, past where the VTEC kicks in, to get the true performance potential out of it. Driving it and shifting at 5000 rpm and it'll feel slower than a Miata. Shift at the redline and it'll take your breath away (in a good way).

The S2000 is amazing in that it's a hard core sports car but one with working heat and A/C, a water-tight top, and Honda reliability. No Lotus owner could ever dream of those things. Like with many specialist cars, Honda didn't sell a whole lot of them, but there's a passionate following. Check out what they sell for on Bring-A-Trailer and it'll take your breath away.

Most people that want a 'sports car' are happy with the Miata, which offers more in creature comforts. It's a car that can be used as a daily driver and for long trips (albeit with very limited storage space in the current model). The limitations of the S2000 are that it's hard (at least for anyone older than 20's/30's) to use the car as a primary daily driver, or for long trips. I bought the car when I was in my 50's and had so much fun with it. But as I approached my 60's, the ride was getting a little too stiff, and the car a bit hard to climb out of (don't laugh; wait until you get old yourself). My wife was less tolerant of it than I was, and just found riding in it for more than an hour or so to be too hard on the bottom (the secret to a successful marriage: keep your partner's bottom happy).

I wanted something that was sort of a cross between the overt sportiness and sheer fun to drive of the S2000, with the greater comfort (roominess, more interior space and storage, and easier to climb out of) of the RX8 I had. The BRZ was kind of a love child between the S2000 and RX8, and fit the bill.

In hindsight, there are times I wish I kept the S2000 (for the pure, unvarnished, visceral thrills) and the RX8 (because it was such a neat car, though a needy, maintenance-intensive one). I thought we'd be using the BRZ for a lot of weekend trips and getaways, for which it would be much more practical than either the S2000 (its roomier and more comfortable ride) or the RX8 (it's more reliable and less needy). The pandemic threw a wrench into those plans.

If you're looking for a pure toy, something just to have fun in, don't need to rely on it for transportation and it'll be a second or third car, the S2000 is hard to beat (but grab one soon, prices are going up).
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Old 10-19-2020, 09:13 AM   #119
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Originally Posted by serialk11r View Post
Some convertibles don't have this problem. Have you sat in a Porsche Boxster or an MR2 Spyder? They're pretty roomy inside. My head is well below the windshield and I pretty much never drove my MR2 Spyders top down. Occasionally I do need to duck a little to see traffic signals, but in a Miata the top of the windshield frame is right in my face and I can't see anything.


That is the first time I've seen anyone say the Spyder is roomy.

I had to autocross mine top down in the pouring rain because my helmet would contact the latches. And I'm 5'7", 150 lbs.
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Old 10-19-2020, 11:43 AM   #120
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That is the first time I've seen anyone say the Spyder is roomy.

I had to autocross mine top down in the pouring rain because my helmet would contact the latches. And I'm 5'7", 150 lbs.
Are you sitting super straight up or something? That sounds like the case if your helmet is touching the latches.

On stock seats, I would sit pretty far back to avoid my knees hitting the wheel, and could then lean the seat all the way back till my arms couldn't reach the wheel anymore.

With my bucket seat bolted to the floor pan directly, I could sit up with a helmet on and there would still be a few inches to the roof. I had it tilted backwards as far as it would go, and my knees still cleared the steering wheel despite my legs being pretty long.

On a S2000 with stock seats, the top of the windscreen is more in my face, though I think I could squeeze a helmet under the roof without touching. On a Miata, I think a helmet would definitely touch because the seat doesn't go far back enough for me to lean it backwards. I can fit in the passenger seat of a Miata because I can sit further forward, giving me space to lean the seat back.
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Old 10-19-2020, 01:10 PM   #121
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Some convertibles don't have this problem. Have you sat in a Porsche Boxster or an MR2 Spyder? They're pretty roomy inside. My head is well below the windshield and I pretty much never drove my MR2 Spyders top down. Occasionally I do need to duck a little to see traffic signals, but in a Miata the top of the windshield frame is right in my face and I can't see anything.
No. An MR2 might be the only one I would actually consider trying. They can be really fun to drive, but they all seem to be made for short people.
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Old 10-19-2020, 02:37 PM   #122
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Are you sitting super straight up or something? That sounds like the case if your helmet is touching the latches.

On stock seats, I would sit pretty far back to avoid my knees hitting the wheel, and could then lean the seat all the way back till my arms couldn't reach the wheel anymore.

With my bucket seat bolted to the floor pan directly, I could sit up with a helmet on and there would still be a few inches to the roof. I had it tilted backwards as far as it would go, and my knees still cleared the steering wheel despite my legs being pretty long.

On a S2000 with stock seats, the top of the windscreen is more in my face, though I think I could squeeze a helmet under the roof without touching. On a Miata, I think a helmet would definitely touch because the seat doesn't go far back enough for me to lean it backwards. I can fit in the passenger seat of a Miata because I can sit further forward, giving me space to lean the seat back.
I honestly think the car would have been a lot more comfortable were I taller. Same for a Miata. For me to be really comfortable with the pedals and the steering wheel, I have my knees jammed up against the dash. An S2000 is FAR more comfortable for me.
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Old 10-19-2020, 06:25 PM   #123
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I finally got to drive an S2k today.

Cabin space falls in between Miata and FRS/BRZ. I'm a bit over 6' and I still need a lower seat in the S2k, but I am very sure the Miata would still be uncomfortable with a low seat. There's no headroom and no space to push the seat back in the Miata, while the S2k had space behind me to spare. How the 6'2" guy down the street drives his stock Miata everyday to work is a mystery to me. Obviously, the BRZ has by far the most space in any way you can measure.

Acceleration is underwhelming in the S2k, and the better engine noises don't really make up for it (I am surprised I'm saying this given how much I value revs and engine noise). Still, better than the BRZ, which has no traction, no power (I tuned my car and tried running with 30% ethanol, so I know how it feels with ~215hp on tap), and sounds horrible. An ND with bolt-ons and tune ranks number 1 IMO.

Interior quality the S2k beats the Miata narrowly. Both are very pleasant cabins, assuming you fit in the Miata.

Steering feel on the S2k is numb, worst out of the three, but it's not really a dealbreaker for me.

Chassis on the S2k seems to be quite rigid based on the few bumps I drove over. The ND isn't as floppy as I expected but it does flex a bit. BRZ is pretty rock solid since it has a roof.

Overall, I liked the S2k especially considering it was bone stock, but it really wasn't as exciting as the internet said, and the prices these days are ludicrous. I don't think I'll be buying one anymore if the prices don't come down.
Try the s2k with the airbox cover off.

Acceleration in the s2k is worse than the 86 or ND, except when you're in VTEC. In VTEC, acceleration is on par with a header/e85 brz.
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Old 10-19-2020, 09:18 PM   #124
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Try the s2k with the airbox cover off.

Acceleration in the s2k is worse than the 86 or ND, except when you're in VTEC. In VTEC, acceleration is on par with a header/e85 brz.
Oh actually this particular car had the resonator cut off and the cover trimmed, so it should've been a little bit more induction noise than stock. It was pretty quiet, though I liked how it sounded.

All 3 cars have a similar gear reduction ratio in 1st gear, so I guess you're right since the FA20 has a slight advantage in torque. The extra rpm the S2k has on tap and its smoother sound does help though, as it makes me more willing to use the higher revs. Also, the flywheel on the S2k is lighter which closes some of the gap in 1st gear.

I found it more satisfying than my tuned FR-S, but not enough of an improvement. The ND1 being 500lbs lighter and having smaller diameter tires feels very quick until it runs out of steam at 6000rpm.

Honestly, I do like the car and find it very fun, but it's not 18k-for-a-high-mileage-car-fun, because a Lotus Elise is within reach.

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Old 10-21-2020, 09:37 AM   #125
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I'm just shy of 6'2" and never had enough legroom in my S2000. Additionally, I had to "cheat" at the broomstick test to pass safety at track events. Which yes I realize is dumb because the consequence can be severe if something went wrong (death, paralysis). With a helmet on my head would be above the line from the windshield to rollbars.

Really the only way I'd pass the broomstick test in that car is with taller rollbars that would make the convertible top impossible to use. Even with extremely low seat mounts, I'm not sure I could make that work. Was definitely a factor in me selling my S2000.

Now, if the S2000 had been sold as a fixed roof coupe, I'd probably still own one.
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Old 10-22-2020, 08:03 PM   #126
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6'6" here. I can't begin to wedge myself into any flavor of Miata. Never tried on an S2K but if a 6-2 guy is wishing for room that's out. And the various Caymens I tried on were like a pair of 34 - 36 jeans - I might have gotten into one at one time - but those days are long gone.
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