s2k vs. NSX

So I started out my automobile search with the 135i, after deciding they were overpriced, I started looking at c6 corvettes. I looked 3 years down the road and couldn't see myself still being in love with that car however, and ended up decided (or so I thought) on trying to find a mint ap1 to have and to hold, to death due us part. As of lately though, I have been looking at the NSX.

Initially I fell in love with the s2000 because of the reasonable price and ease to mod. I could pick up a great ap1, moderately mod it, and have a 300whp s2k and only invest about 25k. The alternative to this, find a reasonably priced early 90's NSX (hopefully around 28k) and I'd have to leave it relatively stock.

So what would you do? Slightly modified ap1, or a near stock NSX. Keep in mind, I plan to keep either of the cars forever. I'm not the type to trade in, I just keep buying. I'm comfortable working on the f-series, I don't know how I'd do with the nsx though? Share your 2 cents please!

-Sean

Plastic vs Classic, there is only one car:biggrin:

i have both car. all i have to say is nsx keep their value alot better than the s2000 and also NSX gets alot of looks while s2000 is nothing special.

Welcome!

Lots of good threads in here about the S2K. Enjoy.

They're all nice cars, but I didn't hear what you want for yourself.

I had a 02 S2000, and been looking for a NSX for 2 years now. If you like joining open track days or autocross S2K will beat an early NSX, almost guaranteed. If you don't do any serious form of racing then NSX will get a lot more attention than a S2k. One thing to consider is that you'll probably end up spending 3-5k on top of the 28k after getting it. There are always things to pay for a car that's 15 years old. There are many threads about where and what people paid for after getting an early 90's NSX. You should read it up.

oh no not another s2000 vs nsx thread? :biggrin:

Dude in all seriousness - you will find ALOT of NSX owners who are also current Honda s2000 owners or have owned them in the past.

You can't go wrong with either car but to compare them is like apples and oranges....different car for different uses IMO. Aluminum body is pricey to repair vs the s2000 is simple steel for starters. I would never daily drive the NSX but the s2000 is no problem. NSX is so much quieter in general and more refined, I could go on and on...........

btw if you are purely interested in speed, get the NSX - my NSX is relatively stock and up against my s2000 w/ CTSC, the NSX still wins! :biggrin:

If I were you, I'd get the AP1 since getting a nice example is getting more and more difficult much quicker than getting a nice NSX. Are there other cars that you're still considering, such as a Lotus Elise?

i have both cars. i love the nsx, but i love driving my s2k. too much worry about the nsx, if it gets hit and run. the s2k got a hit and run. i was in the store for 5 minutes and parked far away from ANY car. but somehow some dick head hit it. i was really glad i didn't take out the nsx that day. but i got a new body kit for s2k. so it works out but for alot of money.

Nsx

W said:

If I were you, I'd get the AP1 since getting a nice example is getting more and more difficult much quicker than getting a nice NSX. Are there other cars that you're still considering, such as a Lotus Elise?

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That's exactly the reason I was hunting for an AP1. Mint condition low mileage seem to be getting very rare. I'm not really interested in the elise (now) a little to bare bones for me.

NSX

Pros Rare, better looking (imo), will likely hold value a bit better, performance is better stock vs. stock

Cons Fugly interior, price

When it comes down to it, I am looking for a moderately high performing vehicle (RWD) that is affordable, will maintain it's value (I plan on keeping forever) that I can live with every day and is a good platform to modify. I am fairly mechanical, especially with honda's, but I don't know if that knowledge transfers to the NSX persay.

DocSean said:

That's exactly the reason I was hunting for an AP1. Mint condition low mileage seem to be getting very rare. I'm not really interested in the elise (now) a little to bare bones for me.

NSX

Pros Rare, better looking (imo), will likely hold value a bit better, performance is better stock vs. stock

Cons Fugly interior, price

When it comes down to it, I am looking for a moderately high performing vehicle (RWD) that is affordable, will maintain it's value (I plan on keeping forever) that I can live with every day and is a good platform to modify. I am fairly mechanical, especially with honda's, but I don't know if that knowledge transfers to the NSX persay.

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BTW, I see a lot of people saying they aren't comfortable DD their NSX's, is this just because they're you babies, or are they not quite as tolerable?

jet3000gt said:

i have both cars. i love the nsx, but i love driving my s2k. too much worry about the nsx, if it gets hit and run. the s2k got a hit and run. i was in the store for 5 minutes and parked far away from ANY car. but somehow some dick head hit it. i was really glad i didn't take out the nsx that day. but i got a new body kit for s2k. so it works out but for alot of money.

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I have both cars too, 2006 ap2, and 92 nsx. My sentiments exactly, i worry lots about my nsx, in fact I work at two hospitals one with a parking garage and the other with outside parking. I never drive the nsx at the one with outside parking(don't want the interior to get beat}. Someone said I worry too much, park it where you can see it, thats just not possible. I wish i wasn't such a worry wart.

Get the NSX because we both know that the NSX will not be staying stock =)

By the looks of it you want to mod the car and the NSX cost alot to mod out. The s2k is not as bad. So I would get the s2k unless you are willing to put in alot of $$$ to mod out the NSX.

Me I would rather have a stock NSX than a 300hp s2k any day. Well I would have to lower the NSX that is a must because when they are stock high they look really bad. They look like offroad cars.

I currently own an NSX and used to own an AP1 S2000... They're both great cars, but I'd honestly much rather own an NSX than a modded S2K (obviously, as that's what I have now).

The NSX is a daily drivable exptic sports car. I think the reason most people (myself included) tend not to daily drive them is because they worry about the car being damaged in parking lots, scraping the front end on hills and what not (mine is lowered on coilovers), etc. The NSX has better visibility, a more usable powerband, is more stable around high speed corners, sounds and looks better, and is every bit as much fun to drive.

The S2000 is more point and shoot. It's a blast to drive quickly, but does demand your absolute attention. The turn-in on S2Ks is better, but I've felt like the overall limit on the NSX is a touch higher. The S2K handles transitions better (such as slaloms at autoX), but the NSX provides better road feel as it doesn't have power steering.

I have since driven a friend's S2000 after buying my NSX, and I will say it was fun in a short burst, but I will say this... For a while, I considered selling my NSX to buy a cheap S2000 and make some track-prep modifications to it so I could relieve some debt that I have from the NSX. However, after driving one again... it's hard to describe, but I felt like the S2000 just wasn't special enough. Despite the fact that the NSX "only" has 270-290hp and the fact that it's "old" technology now, and the fact that the Ferrari boys claim it has "no soul," since the first time I drove an NSX, I instantly could tell that I was driving something truly special.

Will a 300 RWHP S2000 wipe the floor with a bolt on NSX around a track? Probably. Would I care? Probably not.

BTW... fugly interior? Really? Have you been inside an NSX before? I happen to really like the interior. It's a bit dated, sure, but its very ergonomic and stylish in my opinion.

Hope that helps!

IMO, NSX interior is 10X better than the S2000. NSX drivers position is hard to beat compared to any exotic. I have owned both, NSX is a dream come true. S2000 was fun, but nothing compared to the NSX. NSX turns heads, S2000 are all over. The days I drive the NSX I feel "damn lucky" to have this car. I am too paranoid driving the NSX as a DD. It's funny when you walk out to your car and people are taking pictures. Not to mention when driving you catch people filming you.

I'm a 3x s2000 owner and will be a 4th soon enough! My rio s2000 was putting 303 rwhp but I can tell you it's no match for the NSX on the top end....buy what you like cuz in the end it's your money.


jlsnyderNSX: dunno about the s2000 being a truck...that is definitely not true as I feel it's more nimble than the NSX for a DD

jet3000GT: EXACTLY why I would never use it as a DD - way too risky / costly to repair if damaged by some idiot!

dawk: Yes I agree it attracts a lot of attention - even in the bay area where CGT and Ferrari's are like Civics people still love the NSX. The s2000 is a true driver's car and makes a great track car but being 6'2, it's definitely not comfortable for me on a long drive. The NSX feels like a Mercedes in terms of interior room for me.




Let me help you guys out visually....hehehe

Now who's not jealous of that.......I know I am.....

DocSean said:

NSX

Pros Rare, better looking (imo), will likely hold value a bit better, performance is better stock vs. stock

Cons Fugly interior, price

.

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Interesting, I think the NSX has one of the better laid out interiors for a lot of cars. I like the way it's more of a cock pit than just a dashboard, stereo might be dated a tad, but thats not a big deal to me and can be changed. Also HATE the fact that the S2K has digital gages, that will be dated at some point...I think corvettes had that in the late 80's as well and I hated it then too.

The NSX is rare, the S2000 is not.
The NSX is a more serious car. The S2000 is more of a fun car.
The NSX is more comfortable to drive, but less comfortable to get in and out of.
The S2000 has a more functional trunk. (this really helps as a daily driver)

Same design engineer, same factory. A lot of technology is shared between them.

They each have their qualities, likes, dislikes and driving differences.

Let's try to be fair. I would like you to go to S2000 forum and post the same question. And I would like you to let us know what is the verdict from the other guys.

I mean it!!

Obviously, you are going to make your own decision, but I hope that you can use the information posted by others to make a sound decision. I own both a 91 NSX and a 05 S2000. Both are stock and neither has been tracked. So I can't comment on their behaviour in a competitive environment. What I can say is that they are both awesome cars that in their own unique way put a big smile on my face when I drive them. I will outline a few of my thoughts on these two fine cars. Realize that these are merely my own opinions.

-NSX is remarkably pricey to repair. I'm not just talking about labor, but the parts themselves are more than what similar components go for on the S2000. This is something to seriously consider. As one of the prior members posted, don't be surprised if you end up having to dump ~$3-5K shortly after picking up the car.

-From a servicing standpoint, which is something that you alluded to in a few of your posts, is different on the two cars. The S seems to be less needy in the maintenance department. Remember the NSX has a timing belt that needs to be periodically addressed whereas the S2000 has a timing chain that I believe is good for life. This difference inherently reduces the amount of servicing necessary for the cars. Additionally, the OEM clutch on the NSX (NA1) is more complex than that of the S2000; consequently, you must be vigilant in finding the right person to do the job.

-The S2000 does need periodic maintenance of its top, but it isn't really bad.

-I personally like the interior of the NSX over the S2000. The S2000 is a nice interior, but the NSX is more upscale. Also the view from the NSX over the hood is absolutely breath taking. I like the steering wheel on the S2000. The NSX seems a bit large, but isn't too bad.

-Now one of the more debatable topics is engine sound. I do believe the sound of the NSX engine growling behind your head is simply wild; however, the absolute scream from the S2000 (esp. AP1's) just puts a smile on my face. Please do note that I'm talking about two stock units.

-I've taken both on long trips (over 900 miles each way). I must say that the NSX is quite a bit more comfortable. I felt less fatigued in the NSX after the long trip than I did in the S2000.

-As for resale. Since the NSX is a rarer car and had a higher MSRP than the S2000, it typically fetches a premium. However, in light of Honda/Acura's decision to no longer make sporty, fun, attractive cars, I predict that both cars will command a premium in the near future. So I doubt you will have difficulty unloading either car should the need arise.

-You mentioned that you were looking at AP1's. Have you looked at the AP2's? Personally, I think they are more liveable for they have a fair number of upgrades that address some issues in the earlier units. I believe you can also find some low mileage AP2's easier than AP1's.

Good luck in your search!

nsx_2k said:

the S2000 has a timing chain that I believe is good for life.

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I did not know that. Thanks for the info.

NSX over S2000
- much more torque (more than 50%) all over the revrange
- better looking
- much better quality (no engine failures, driveshafts, roof and so on)
- modding really has an effect altough it's much more expensive
- more exotic
- more educated people in the family or better manners

S2000 over NSX
- more fun with suspension/steering/sharper differential
- topless
- modding near to useless unless you go FI but then the engine will blow even sooner than under normal circumstances
- tiring noise level on faster lanes
- S2000 are cheap and so are the drivers sometimes. If the NSX is the cheap man's Ferrari then the S2000 is the cheap man's NSX. :tongue:

I don't miss my S2000 not a second.