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Honda S2000

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#11 of 604 Edmunds drives 2004 S2000 by geepers Oct 01, 2003 (8:07 pm)
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadtests/firstdrive/100600/articl- e.html?tid=edmunds.h..reviews..19.*
#12 of 604 blacktalon by ksoman Oct 03, 2003 (6:54 am)
the s2000's can be had with a hard top....
#13 of 604 no wonder i couldn't find this discussion by ksoman Oct 03, 2003 (8:16 am)
but the name is still officially s2000 !!
#14 of 604 2004 S2000 by blacktalon Nov 16, 2003 (7:44 pm)
From everything I've read, Honda has managed to do the near impossible -- make the S2000 a much better daily driver while keeping it just as fast on the track and through the twisties:   - More torque - More usable power - Better ride - Greatly reduced tendency for snap oversteer - More rigid body - 17" tires - Similar or better 0-60, 1/4 mile, and track times - Similar or better roadholding   Despite my preference for fixed-roof coupes, the S2K is rapidly climbing to the top of my must-drive list...
#15 of 604 by sphinx99 Nov 16, 2003 (7:49 pm)
Ditto - believe it or not, I am hoping to check one out the next time I have to visit the dealer for scheduled service.   You forgot to mention the improved stereo   Any idea when the '04s will be available, if not already?
#16 of 604 Improved? by habitat1 Nov 17, 2003 (2:08 am)
I had the opportunity to test droive the new 2004 S2000 and chat with a Honda regional rep who is a serious enthusiast.   My take - echoed by him - is that the new S2000's impprovements, while looking good on paper, are almost indetectible. In my opinion, the "more torque" and "more useable power" were not as evident to me as the lower redline. The 2004 did not seem as quick as my 2002, but that may be because it only had 300 miles on it. I noticed no difference whatsoever in the handling. There probably is a difference, buut I suspect you need to take the car to a track or be a much more aggressive driver than me to notice.   Don't get me wrong, the 2004 S2000 is a nice logical refinement of the original. But it's no cushy sports car and it's torque won't be mistaken for a Boxster S. If I were in the market today, I'd buy it for exactly the same reasons I bought a 2002.   P.S. As far as the stereo goes, I never turned it on, so I can't comment on that.
#18 of 604 blacktalon by geepers Nov 17, 2003 (6:38 pm)
I've got an '03 S. Haven't driven an '04 but read lots of posts elsewhere by those who have bought them. I think "much" better daily driver is an overstatement. I never really got the lack of torque issue. Sure it's not up to par with the competition torquewise, but it's a high reving engine with a 6 speed manual transmission. One expects to be shifting a lot. I think "lack of torque" was a mantra that got repeated so much that Honda felt they had to do something. It ain't that much more torque. The '04 is probably an improvement over earlier models but it's still got the original spirit and isn't a good daily driver for lots of folks.   But, boy is it fun and you can get a nice factory hardtop as an expensive option. I'm not a stereo buff but it wouldn't be hard to improve the stereo in my '03. And '03 was an improvement over the original.   You owe it to yourself to go try one.
#19 of 604 by sphinx99 Nov 22, 2003 (12:19 am)
I spent several hours with a '04 S2000 thanks to dealer kindness   There's significantly more engine grunt right around 3000 rpm. It was enough to open my eyes. I also like the wheels which really open up the design and give the car a less docile, more aggressive stance. The stereo's also a quality unit, finally. There's even a dealer-installed option for midrange speakers within the headrests!   Suspension definitely has been tweaked. The '04 is quite a bit smoother over bumps. I'd say the road feedback is as desirable as before, but less punishing. It's hard to explain. The revised model definitely felt "better" on bad roads. The RE050s certainly seemed more silent; I wasn't able to break their grip sanely on public roads so I assume their dry weather traction is comparable to the S02s.   '04 has switched to RE050s, I haven't seen a lot on s2ki.com about these tires. There are intimations that they are better wet, poorer dry tires... basically max performance summer tires with a slightly greater bent toward "all-season" than the S02s.   I found this to be a VERY attractive car... gorgeous to look at and more responsive than the original. As the previous poster mentioned, I think it's a much better daily driver than previous years, while retaining most of the spirit of the original. Honda did a good job of going through all the details; the thoughtfulness shows from the extra wiggle room to the S2000 logo'd master ignition key to the LED taillamps.
#20 of 604 by habitat1 Nov 22, 2003 (5:44 pm)
I got some more seat time in the 2004 S2000 while we were shopping for a Pilot agian this afternoon.   On the "improved" stereo, I was unimpressed. The sales manager and every sales person came over to listen to the "fantastic" stereo in my 2002, courtesy of $225 Polk rear speakers from Lucid Automotive that were installed by me (an MBA) in less than 75 minutes. The 2004 still doesn't have rear speakers and sounded barely better than my 2002 with the fader adjusted all the way to the front. Balanced between front and rear, the Polk addition in the 2002 completely blows away the 2004 system (at least with Evanescence playing). For anyone with an 2002-2004 S2000 that gives a hoot about a good stereo, the rear speaker addition from Lucid is a must. Pre-2002 models didn't have sufficient amplifier power to run the rear Polks, so an improvement would require a new head unit.   On the aesthetic revisionsof the 2004, I generally like them with two exceptions. Although I like the 17" increase in wheel size, the new design looks too busy for my taste. It even looks a little after-market. Also, I don't think the center console, which is all leather in the 2002/2003, looks as good in the leather / plastic combination of the 2004. I could take or leave the aluminum trim look on the radio cover. I do like the new digital dash instrumentation better; but it's made partly possible because 1,000 rpm has been removed from the redline and tach range.   Which brings me to my next point. The 9,000 rpm redline of the previous S2000's vs. the 8,000 rpm redline of the new one. That's not a change I like. The "additional torque" of the 2004 would take a dynomometer to detect. Like I said before, anyone who didn't like the low torque high revving nature of the previous S2000, isn't going to suddenly mistake the new one for a Boxster S or 350Z. But the lower redline takes a bit of the high end edge off the car. Just my opinion. Replies to this message: jcool1 (Mar 11, 2005 7:44 am) terpfan2 (Mar 16, 2005 8:04 am)

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