tommyo

Which car is a better all around car? Handling, acceleration, braking, autox, etc?

daniel_h23_2000

hmm
i'd be looking at the reliability factor as well.

of course acceleration M3 will crush s2k, but autox, handling those are things that made s2k famous.

s2k is all about balance

and m3, i'm sure is well balanced as well, but i'd guess it's a little heavier than s2k

but again since both cars are 4, 6 years old i wouldn't go so crazy about performance only, but reliability as well.

s2k=honda
honda=RELIABLE

goneverything

acceleration on a E36 will not crush an s2k...they are about the same. BMW's are notorious for electrical issues. Both are good cars, just depends on if you want luxury and a "quieter" engine vs. a bumpy ride with a 9k redline. I'll take the latter thanks

steve c

JoeD

[QUOTE]Originally posted by steve c

JsnS2k

I would personally take the S2000 anyday over the M3. Just pick one in great condition and low miles and your set!



- 04 350Z

under-rated

The E36 is outdated! 00' S2000 and you'll still have the dough to mod the sh!t out of it.

Nobody

M3s are way easier to drive at the limit than S2000s. The E36 is well sorted, has a great torque range and is very controllable even when you step over the edge too far. The S2000 is just pretty damn unforgiving. But BMWs are about as reliable as a Buick (oh, wait, JD Power rates Buicks as more reliable than BMWs).

If performance is what you're interested in and you're willing to invest a little more in driver skill, S2Kgets the nod.

TrueDrezzer

I owned an E36 prior to the S2k. While the massive torque was nice, I felt that the S2k excelled in overall acceleration. More likely it has to do with the lighter weight, the sound, and the balance of the car that adds more fury to the acceleration "feel."

Even with a UUC short shifter, the E36 stick feels like a truck compared to the S2k

You really get the feeling that the M3 is much more a GT car than a sports car like the Honda.

///Robin

tommyo

Thanks for the replies! I can get my 54 year old sister in laws M3 w/61K miles for $17K (with xtra set of snows on 5 spoke alloys) but the reliability thing worries me. I had it checked out in an independent garage and they found a number of problems. a wheel bearing, three ABS fault codes, the 60K inspection needs to be done (inspection II, big money > $550) bald rear tires that differ from front, they recommend all new, belts all shot, plus all the normal things that need updating I found on the M3 site.

I drove a 2001 S2000 ( a member here) and it was tight and just felt right. The power of the M3 is awesome but I feel that the Honda will be bulletproof! For a couple thousand more I would have peace of mind!

Tom