Alright so I guess a lot of people here daily drive their s2000's and it seems like they can make a good daily...but i was just thinking, how is it like daily driving the s2000 in the winter? i don't mean like "cali winter" where it's like 70 outside, i mean like NYC winter where it does reach neg degrees and snow here and there. so my questions are:

-is the car freezing when you get in more than other cars? (assuming verts get colder in the cabin than regular cars)

-does it take the heater a while to warm up and blow hot air?

-how long does it take to warm the car up fully? like not just idling but driving off taking it easy. (my 240 takes FOREVER to warm up...i probably need a coolant temp sensor and it's costing me precious mpg's...)

-any other noticeable disadvantages to cars that withstand the cold weather more? (SUV's and like luxury sedans)

-last but not least...do they come with heated seats? (incase you haven't noticed i dont own a S...but i'm pretty sure they dont...lol)

if there's any other things that bug you about driving in the winter post them up also, thanks!

 

I deal with arkansas winter.... It gets cold, almost in the negs, lots of ice but rarely any snow. I dd mine all year round.

-No its not any colder than any other car thats been sitting outside for a while

-yes and no. It doesnt take the heater long to blow hot air(just start driving) but it takes a little bit to warm up the interior. The heat escapes quickly as well once you shut the car off.

-Doesnt take very long. I have a very short drive to work(not even 2 miles) and it takes me about 5 minutes. The car is at 3 bars by the time i get to work.

- driving on ice with an S sucks.

-no they dont come from the factory with heated seats but i believe someone on the forums here made a kit or did a DIY for them. Check the DIY sticky in "S2000 Under the hood" unless they moved it to "Modifications and parts."

P.S. i used to live in NJ until the Airforce moved me down south. I lived in NW New jersey, right on the pennsylvania border about a 1.5 hours drive from NYC. I bought my car In february in NYC and had to deal with the winter there before i went to arkansas and i didnt have any real issues. Just use an extra bit of caution when you drive in adverse weather and the S should treat you just fine in the winter!

 

A second set of wheels/tires and a hardtop would be great investments for winter driving.

 

You need a set of winter tires. The stock summer tires will not stick in winter temps. With dunlop wintersports, the s2000 worked fine in Nebraska winter.

I was unhappy with the windshield's habit of catching stones thrown up in the winter.

 

I drive through Chicago winters. They're about as brutal as anywhere. The car warms up fairly quickly, unless it's well below zero. In those cases it takes 10-15 minutes to get to full operating temp. It will still blow heat pretty quickly even that cold.

 

any winter tires anyone recommends?

 

Also in chicago, and I drive year round. No VSA '03.

#1: Dedicated winter tire and rim set. When the temp gets below 40 put them on ASAP. I have Blizzaks, and shoot for a Halloween swap.

#2: OEM hard top. Awesome for the winter. The car heats up within 3-4 miles of slow driving even when it is near zero outside. Again, Halloween swap goal.

#3: I use mobil 0W-30 to help cold starts. Maybe it doesn't help, but I think it may.

#4: When there is snow on the ground, 5K is pretty much the max unless you want to slide around.

The biggest worry for me is plowing through the snow ruts at intersections. Even at slow speeds, when you hit one of those curved snow lips things can get squirrelly pretty easily.

If you can't handle the car sliding around a bit, then your not going to like winters with snow. I like the sliding, so I actually look forward to it a bit.

Good luck!

 

Man, it costs a lot more to keep your S2000 running during the winter than it does during the summer. I'm just glad I'm in Southern California, where the only thing I have to worry about is an 8.0 earthquake breaking the entire foundation.

 

def great investments. I'm planning on getting those two things for this next coming winter or the S is just staying in the garage.

I have an 06 and driving it back from New Hampshire in a snow storm was horrible spinning the wheels every stop. However, the VSA did help out somewhat , def a good thing if you are planning on driving in snow. Your convertible top will just deteriorate if it has prolonged exposure to snow. Hardtop will help you out there

S is not a winter car but tires and a hardtop will help out with that. When i find some good tires I will post up or anyone else that has experience with winter tires.. let me know!

 

I drove my S all last winter with nearly bald Fuzion Zri tires. (not recommended ) Ive driven RWD 2-seat cars since year-round for many years so I know what Im in for, but IMO with a nice set of winter tires you shouldnt have any problems. The cabin is so small I find it heats up quickly, and I didnt notice any heat escaping/cold air entering through the softop. Of course pretty much any car is better suited to those driving conditions than a RWD sports car, but if you have the proper tires and experience, shouldnt be a problem at all.