promiseyou

So I test drove a brand new 2006 ap2 a while back, with 15 miles on the odometer, a/c on (dunno why, the salesman wanted it on cause it was "hot"), and of course a passenger. It felt sluggish, didn't feel any vtec whatsoever (he said it was ok to floor it, now I know better)

Drove my friends ap1 a few times, only mod a exhaust, and that thing launches like a rocket, and doesn't seem to stop pulling (seemingly reaches double digits in less than 10 seconds).

I'm definitely going to pick up an s2k soon, but I want to make sure the ap2 is at least up to par, if not above the ap1 in terms of the fun factor. Do I need to re-test drive the ap2, one thats broken in to get a true feel of what its like? Or should I stick with a older, used ap1 with low miles. As a finance major, I will never buy a car brand new again, but because I love what they did with the new s2k (everything except the drive-by-wire and reduced redline of course), would prefer an ap2.

My question is primarily aimed for those who have owned both...Which one would you pick if you could have only ONE, ap1 or ap2 (considering they are both brand new and priced similarly)?

stooken

It really depends on you. Even if everyone here picked the AP1 or AP2, your preference can be different.

From what I gathered:
- AP1 has more of a raw feel hence more of a sports car feel
- AP1 has 9k redline
- AP2 is more tamed and has a 8k redline
- AP2 is preferred more for daily driving

Run some searches in the S2000 Talk forum. There has been a lot of discussing between the two.

Regardless of what you pick, both are great! It's just personal preference.

Enthralled

The A/C being on makes a HUGE diffrence..the car doesn't wanna go when it's on.



peace

FISH22

having owned an ap1 and recently trading for an 06(also had 15 miles on it). i really couldnt notice a difference. didnt really beat on the car during its test drive, knowing it was probably going to end up in my hands. the a/c and passenger can really make a difference though. but in acceleration, the two cars feel the same to me. good luck.

chuhsi

My 05 after break-in was way better.

And I understand your 'not buying new' philosophy. But I think the s2000's different. This isn't a honda accord. People typically drive their S2000 very hard. Some may not have been broken in carefully. Some may have been over-revved.

sprix!

Why were you trying to VTEC a brand new S2000 anyway? There is no way you shouldn't have been trying to do that anyway.
edit: here we go again... this may help. Just go search the forums!
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=435930
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=437413

sprix!

To answer the question- I don't think any S2000 is impressive out of the box. You MUST break it in properly. My first S had 43XXX miles, so it was well past broken in. With my new car, it felt kind of ordinary initially. As the miles are racking up, I keep noticing and saying to myself that the car feels better. You have to give the car time to come alive. If you do, you may be surprised. I remember the staff of Motor Trend, or some magazine tested an RX-8 for a year, and they all agreed that the car actually improved considerably as miles accumulated. Some cars get better with time, but most need to be broken in properly.

chickdr

If you didn't feel any VTEC engagement something is wrong. My 06 has a definite jump when I pass 6K - like night and day.

Chazmo

^ I would agree with that. VTEC is a seat-of-the-pants kick. Not like a rocket, but definitely a push.

Definitely do not be VTECing an engine with < 600 miles on it. That's what the factory tells you. Some folks do, but Honda says don't.