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Coupes & Convertibles Honda S2000 Honda S2000 vs. Nissan 350Z
183 messages, Last post on Sep 08, 2007 at 11:04 AM
You are in the Honda S2000 Forum. Your Host is claires
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| There are a couple of guys in the NE club that drive theirs year round with a good set of snow tires. But from what I gather, anything over like 3 - 4 inches of snow and you are pretty much dead in the water. The S is really not a four season car IMO, so I would probably steer away from it as a DD. Trust me, there may be 364 days of perfectly acceptable driving weather, but that 365th day will be the worst day you'll ever have to be stuck with an S2000 as your only car. | |
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Replying to: centreville (Mar 24, 2006 9:14 pm) |
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First, I'll state my credentials below so you will understand the invaluable addition I'm about to add to this thread. The S fits me, the Z doesn't. Done.  The S is like an extension of how I see myself. Perhaps because I am a gymnast, not sure. I sit in the S and I feel at home. Perception is reality. Now that that debate has been settled, I'd like to comment on some other issues that have been brought up here... Dash/instrumentation: Brilliant. I love the dash. You glance down and see how fast you are going. None of this asking yourself, "Does that little tick represent 3mph, 5mph or 10mph - bang! You just crashed into a state trooper because you were too busy counting the ticks on your odometer and weren't paying enough attention to the road." The dash is innovative, weather you agree with me or not. Innovation is how they developed the S in the firs place. Fuel Economy: Yes, it takes premium. So. I have a WRX Turbo that uses the same premium gas but gets nowhere near the mpg with or without spirited driving. Fun-Factor: You have to drive this car to truly understand what it means to flick your wrist to change gears. Okay so the defroster comes on occassionally while shifting. So. Turn it off. Top Up/Down: Only the miata maybe quicker but we are Americans and we are lazy, we want buttons. Visual Appearance: The S is sexy and smooth (again, how I see myself but I digress). The Z is industrial which I don't care for. For those of you keeping score, the Z doesn't fit me and I don't care for the way it looks (the G35 visually does look better but the last I checked, the G35 isn't available in a roadster). Z = 0, S = 10 (bonus points were added just because). Me: I'm 5'9" 140#; my waist line is 29" and my inseam is 32"; and I'm very broad shouldered. While everything above is opinion, this last statement is fact and I consider the debate closed. I do need to add that I don't have an S yet but I plan on it within the next 6 months. I've waited long enough.
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Replying to: tnjrobi1 (Mar 19, 2006 5:54 pm)
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Replying to: ga_king (Apr 24, 2007 2:12 pm)
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Replying to: ga_king (Apr 24, 2007 2:12 pm) You must have confused the Z with something else. While it uses the same platform as the Infiniti G35, it was designed from the beginning to be a roadster and a coupe. It definitely handles like a sports car, not a sedan. Which you might know if you'd ever driven one.  Matter of personal preference, but to me the Z looks and feels like a fun-to-drive sports car. The S2000 looks, handles, and sounds like a toy. But choice is a good thing. If you're happy with what you've got, that's all that counts.
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Replying to: biancar (Apr 26, 2007 8:58 am) I think you are the one that is confused. The 3,600+ lb 350Z convertible is about as far from a "ground up" roadster as Rosie O'Donnell is from a trim, fit, female athlete. Nissan's ingenious engineers borrowed the engine from the Maxima and Pathfinder, the chassis from a coupe and just about everything else they could get their hands on from the spare parts bin. The coupe is no better, outweighing the S2000 and Cayman by 600 lbs. If you think that makes for great two seat sports car like handling, then I wish you and Rosie the best on those hot dates on winding roads. Perhaps if you have her lean in the opposite direction of your turns, you could improve the handling to only one rung below S2000 level.  P.S. I have nothing against Nissan, per se. My 1995 Maxima SE 5-speed is still going strong at our second home with 154k miles on the odometer. But even it weighs 600 lbs less than the 350Z convertible and 400 lbs less than the coupe. Somewhere between the idea of bringing back the spirit of the original 240Z and the execution of the current 350Z, Nissan went into cost cutting, parts sharing, the hell with building a real sports mode. They ended up with a car that is closer in weight to our former Isuzu Trooper than a real 2 seat sports car like the S2000, Cayman or Boxster. That may have made the company a lot of profit from mass market John Q Publics, but it didn't win any respect from real enthusiasts, like me, who not only have driven the 350Z, but also the original 240Z. And, Senator Quail, the 350Z is no worthy successor to the 240Z. Not even close.
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Replying to: habitat1 (Apr 26, 2007 3:45 pm) 
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Replying to: biancar (Apr 26, 2007 8:58 am) I think you hit the nail on the head - the S2000 is a "toy." A fast, playful, responsive, and fun toy. Other "toys" that I would love to own include the Lotus Elise, Porsche Boxster, BMW Z4, and Mazda Miata. The 350Z is certainly a fast and capable sports car, but it's more of a broadsword to Honda's rapier. |
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