steamedturtle

I'm not saying being in the minority is a bad thing here. I'm just saying that the magazines (motortrend, road and track, autocar, evo...) aren't in the business of reviewing cars that aren't made anymore, and especially not if they did reviews of those cars while they were being sold. So I'm very glad that these guys exist to do very thoughtful reviews that the enthusiasts want to see.

I think a lot of the hype surrounding the FRS/BRZ/GT86 is that it is compared to other NEW cars. Honda doesn't make anything exciting anymore. Nissan's 370 is meh for a driving enthusiast and muscle cars are muscle cars, and everything else is just isn't easily affordable. So I understand the hype and I understand why the s2000 is neglected by the critics.

FearlessFife

I will admit that the BRZ/FRS platform is good, but it's not the S2000.

And I love those who say, "Well, but when the S2000 was new it cost 7K more."

You're right. And you got more sports car for the extra money too.

steamedturtle

They are extremely comparable cars. I definitely drove both a few years ago before I had an S. I didn't like the RX8 all that much, but that doesn't mean I don't see the appeal and the similarities. And from what I hear, around a track they're wonderful to drive.

Ryan2949

Also a big fan of their Z car video. Nobody reviews old cars with their current models to give a better idea of how the new cars have changed and give you a chance of seeing how the older models are in case you were interested in a Z car but can't afford a new model, etc.

S2K Al

Good video and like many others, I was waiting for a comparison like this. However I feel like there is a big piece missing for those folks watching this video expecting to get an objective all-around view of how these cars would perform as "everyday drivers", and that missing piece is an actual discussion of anything other than the driving experience of these cars. What about the storage space? The backseat for those that have it? Ingress vs egress? Liftover height for the trunk? Daily ride comfort (other than the 5 second bit on the RX-8 being hoppy on the highway)?

Key things that I evaluated for myself when cross-shopping the S and RX8 back when they were new, and the S and BRZ/FRS more recently.

ZDan

Review is about how much fun these cars are to drive every day, not about how utilitarian they are.

I've dailied the S for 7 years now. I almost bought an RX-8 instead for the greater utility, but honestly the S does pretty well in this regard as long as you don't have to carry more than one passenger!

"Every day driver" doesn't mean rear seats and a big trunk are required.

I'm glad they didn't slant the review based on factors other than how much they enjoy driving the cars on the street.

S2K Al

I understand what the review was about, and its probably what a large portion of people seeking a review like this are looking for. My point was that there may be just as large a portion of people who *do* want to know about how utilitarian these cars are, relative to each other, and that is simply not covered in this review. It may not have been feasible to cover that in a video like this, and I've certainly already made my decision but I think it would be helpful to many who haven't yet made a purchase.

Saki GT

The RX-8 is a great sports car to drive, it just has poor mpg and questionable reliability.

For a while people used to say that if you needed a four-seat S2000 you should buy an RX-8. Now it looks like you can buy a BRZ and finally get the four seats with decent mpg, reliability, and performance.

Ryan2949

I may add that the cost of a barely used RX8 is really low. You can get 07-08's for near 10k with low mileage because they're only worth something to those that can appreciate the rotary engine.

TheDonEffect

Great review, and very unsurprising one as well.
But the thing that many people fail to realize is that the fact that theyre even comparing the 86 twins to a dedicated, more expensive sports car and can't immediately be dismissed already shows how great the car really is. You don't see people comparing GTIs, Mini Coopers, WRXs, etc to the s2000.
Alot of folks are turned off by the fact that the s2000 is a two seat convertible. Yes, the FRS backseats are tiny, but theyre there, and offers additional cargo in a pinch. Not everyone's lives completely revolve around cars, some people actually like go to home depot or ikea every once in a while, or has to give a ride to their friend's hot lil friend, etc. I DDed my S for the last 6mos of college, and it worked out well, but it did make me really miss the extra cargo room. Probably the best thing that happened to my affection for the S was getting a boring 4 door sedan DD to go with it... and then I found I enjoyed driving mundane, undramatic cars.
I love the S, owned two in fact, and I could logically own another one in the future, but I also learned that the car just isn't for me. I love driver's cars, but I want all the involvement without the harshness and rattles. And I'm a cheap bastard so enter the FRS.
Just waiting for the news on teh STI model, supposed to be in sept. Also waiting to hear about the new IRS mustang.