I know I could find most of this info by searching, but I've felt like I've done enough of that

Right now I own a 2000 Honda S2000 that I bought in March (with a nice 7-year warranty). Great car, but it's had a lot of problems I'm about done with it. Honda has already replaced the engine due to faulty oil banjo bolts, and today I was taking a left hand turn from a stop and the differential went out. While I give Honda the benefit of the doubt, and I love the car, I kind of have a bad taste in my mouth. So I've been looking at the Z. It is definitely going to be a different experience. From my understanding, the Z is much less twitchy (aka easier to drive, easier to drift, maybe more fun?), but less responsive in general, and has low end torque vs. high end power. While I have test driven a Z, I didn't really 'flog it'.

How does the car respond to hard driving? I notice most people seem to be doing well vs. the host of burned clutches and differentials on the S2000 forums. It seems as if the only real major issue is the tire feathering. What other kinds of major problems are people experiencing?

I've been thinking of getting a Base 2005 Coupe with NISMO Coilovers and LSD installed by the dealership. Are the NISMO coilovers all that great? I'd like to get the same kind of handling performance I get out of my stock S2000. I know it won't ever be the same experience, but I'm willing to comprimise for a better feeling of reliability and an easier drive. How about used cars? I know the Z's don't keep their value all that well, so are there good deals to be found on the used market? What about problems there? Do the 2005's pretty much have all of the initial problems worked out?

Thanks for reading all my stupid questions and I apologize in advance for my ignorance

 

(Just so you know, I am comparing stock to stock)
The 2005's have all the problems worked out, including tire feathering. The Z actually holds its value quite well. As for handling, the S2000 is a better car, especially at the track. As for straight line performance, the Z just barely has the edge. The Z is not a convertible like the S2000 unless you pay the premium price, but you will lose performance as well. For a daily driver, the Z's low-end torque is absolutely great, especailly for passing people with checkered hats driving lincolns. The Z actaully has power throughout the whole broadband while the S2000 requires some high reving. The transmission in the Z is much notchier compared to the S2000's transmission which I believe is said to have the best mass produced gear box. I was looking at a 00' S2000 and 03' Z and choose the Z because I enjoyed the low-end torque. They are two different cars, and it really comes to what is more your type of car. I hope this helped.

Oh I just noticed that your from Memphis. Are you on the MRS or the Memphis Racing Scene. Are the guy selling the white S2000?. I have the same username there. Let me know what's up.

 

That's news to me.

 

If you are into paying premium prices, the Roadster performance (engine and suspension) can be improved to make it a LOT of fun.

 

I myself went from S2k to 350Z. I liked my S2k very much, but it was also unreliable - tranny probs, drank oil like a fish. Also, the S2k was really only fun to drive in perfect weather on winding roads out in the country. As my opportunities to enjoy that setting declined...so did the fun offered by the S2k.

The Z is a blast to drive on the highway (The S2k never was). At 80mph in 6th gear the Z feels really strong. Also at highway speeds the car is a lot less darty than the S2k. The touring Z has boatloads of features that aren't available on the S2k - Traction control, stability control, heated seats, bose stereo, tire pressure monitors, etc. etc. The Z also feels much less cramped which makes long trips far more comfortable.

All that said, I miss my S2k sometimes..it was a fun little ride. The Z just doesn't have its frisky nature. Both are great cars, bargains IMO.

NzZ

 

I agree, the S2k is a great car, but I think it needs heated seats and a few more creature comforts.

 

I drove a brand new s2k (with the newer exterior and interior and bigger engine) and i really loved it. If someone really does not care about daily comforts of a car, the s2k is funner to drive than the z but i think it would wear off if driven everyday because of the nature of the car. Its definitly a car thats made to be driven daily but i dont know if someone really would want to. I wouldnt have a problem with it but i know many people who would. I also like the interior feeling of the z more and i the Z's engine is funner also IMO. Both are really amazing cars for the money and you cannot go wrong.

 

why not just step up to the enthusiast model? you get the lsd then and xenon headlights and some other extra goodies for like what is it 2k more?

 

Wusup man, this is Jon(in the black 350z). We met last night when I helped you push your S2K off the road...hehe..anyways, I already discussed a few of my opinions on the S2K and the Z. I had a friend that has a S2K just like yours, and I drove it really hard and even tried drifting it a few times. I will discuss this a little further since I have had experience in both cars...

Looks: personal preference of course...but to me the Z looks sporty, but at the same time looks more classy and more expensive than the S2K...Look around the forums and look at some of these lucky bastards with wheels and kits on their Z. They look very very nice! Do a search on "Vertex Aero Kits" on this board. Or even something as simple as the Nismo kit makes the car look very sporty while giving it a fuller look. Me personally, Im probably going to go with the Vertex or Ings kit with a 19" wheel with a nice deep lip. (possibly SSR proffessor SP1)..I also have a 350Z Hyper REV magazine from Japan that has pics of almost every body kit available for the Z...as well as many different wheels, and tons of tuner parts.

Interior: I absolutely hate the interior of the S2K. Im sorry, but its just not for me. Its way to small for me..and I am a good 3-5 inches shorter than you. I dont like the dash, and the one of the things that bugs me most is the digital tach. For some reason, I just like seeing that damn needle...hehe. But once again, interior is more personal preference as well...but the fact IMO is that the Z of course is roomier, prob has more compartment space, and is more comfortable. Plus the Z gives you tons of features that the S2K doesnt. All the 05 models now come standard with heated mirrors(so they wont fog) and tire pressure monitor from inside of the car.(these came only on higher models in previous years)..Digital mph readout, AVG MPG, Distance till empty, stop watch, outside temperature, tire pressure monitor, voltage, oil pressure gauge..and other models have leather seats, heated seats, auto dimming mirror, homelink, navigation system, tilt wheel that moves with the gauge cluster(one of my favs.)...etc...


Now to the good stuff...

Handling: I just came from a S14(w/ SR20) and Cusco Zero2R coilovers(some of the best coilovers for the S14 IMO - Very expensive)...and it handled like it was on rails...but the chassis had a majorily different feel than some of the newer sports cars. Some of the newer cars feel a bit more stable and very well planted to me(prob b/c alot of the weight is going into make the chassis stiffer)..take a look under a 350Z...The S2K feels very light, and nimble, but IMO is too twitchy. It turns in very fast and crisp, but its almost too go karty feel for me. When I was in my friends car I felt like there was a lot of steering wheel movement on winding roads(raleigh la grange to be exact)...The Z feels much more stable through the whole turn IMO, and in turn I can make smoother arcs and feels like Im carving through the turns just as fast as the S2K, just in a different manner. The major difference IMO is the way it takes turns. The S2K turns in fast but gets a little slower by the exit of the turn compared to the Z. The Z turns in just as fast IMO, but smoother(kinda hard to explain), but then in the apex or exit of the turn, it feels absolutely perfect! When you gas out of a turn in a Z it is absolutely tight, it makes the weight dist 50/50...The car was setup intentionally for that purpose. A perfect example of this situation is the Best motoring video where the Z and S2K's race. I have a copy of it if you would like to watch it sometime....It might make you change your mind about the cars very quickly when you see who wins.
As for drifting, thats all in the video too...It does a perfect demonstration of why the S2K is not a good drifter stock. Its driftable, but compared to other cars, its too twitchy. When I tried drifting my friends S2K, I almost hit a curb b/c of the steering...It is almost to much oversteer at times.

Power: Well, IMO the Z wins hands down. The S2K has more of a civic like acceleration to me. The Z felt like my S14 with SR, but with a flatter TQ curve. The best part about it is that you have a good blast of torque from anywhere in the RPM range. A big difference I noticed is the power that you feel under your foot. When I step on the throttle in the Z, I can feel the power, but with the S2K its almost like a feather. Its kinda hard to explain..just something you need to experience. One of the biggest factors is the ability to modify the engine as well. The Z has soo many ways of making the engine's ouput far more that of the s2K...I mean soo many shops/manufacturers are making F/I and even N/A kits now I cant even count the number of kits on my two hands anymore. Yea, you might get close to the HP numbers of the Z, but the TQ numbers will probably be cut in half under some circumstances compared to the Z. Another thing you might wanna do is find a Dyno of a stock Z/S2K and then find dynos for a F/I'd Z/S2K and compare the power/TQ curves. I think everyone would agree that the curve of the Z is more enjoyable and definately more streetable. But you are also comparing a I4 to a V6. So that should tell you a lot about the power curves alone. What I would do, is A) Watch the Best motoring DVD that I have...its got a lot of info that you would be interested in, B) drive both again back to back...

As for the Nismo parts...the LSD is definately good stuff..I plan to get one of those, or a possibly a Cusco unit after I purchase HIDs...But for the Nismo coilovers, they are decent, but there are better ones...much much better ones. There is a race team developing an extensive coilover/suspension package for the Z that should be incredible.( I havent heard any new news on it lately, but im sure its still in progress) But besides that, there are tons of JDM coilovers that are probably better than the Nismo setup.

Another thing, If your worried about weight, there are many ways to make the Z lighter...Take a look at the Powerhouse Amuse 350Z. I believe they took off 287 lbs with lightweight aeroparts(kit, hatch, doors, fenders, titanium exhaust, etc..)

If you want more power, Look at APS...They are definately one of the best IMO. There are tons of posts on Greddy TT Vs. APS TT...do a search..tons of info...I dont know how much money you wanna put into the car, but if you build the engine, you would have more power than you could put down on the street safely.

Jon

 

Hey chachi,

I am in the memphis/cordova area...I think I might have seen you around...I think my friend Forrest met you a while ago(he has the dark grey S13 with sparkley flames.hehe....you cant miss it..)
Do you have the white Z with wheels and a veilside spoiler? Ive seen a few white Z's around...I just got a 05 black base model about 2 weeks ago. Its a big change from my turbo'd 240sx...Anyways, not to hijack the thread or anything, I would really like to hear your Topspeed exhaust in person. Let me know if we could meet up some time. Maybe get a bunch of people together and go driving.
Jon
Email: AGORDON3@midsouth.rr.com
AOL IM: danksilvia

 

Thanks for all the replies. Cachi, I'm on MRS, my username is the same as it is here.

I drove an '03 350Z today and I really enjoyed it. It handled way better than expected, and the torquey motor was a lot of fun. It definitely felt 'slower' than the S when you romped it, because it's got quite a bit more sound dampening and isn't quite as raw, but it had power all over the place. I'll definitely be getting a louder exhaust in the future to hear that engine roar.

After driving it, I'm very impressed and will probably be getting one. I will probably buy an '05 and get the dealer to install the NISMO LSD. Does anyone know how that affects the warranty on the rest of the car?

 

Hey,
If you are looking to buy sometime soon, there are still some 04's at keras on covington pike that they will sell for a good price possibly with 2% financing if its still available...i know they had a blue one that I almost bought, but it does have around 615 miles I believe..also, you might not want to get them to install the LSD...Forrest and I are probably going to do it ourselves when I get mine. You might wanna wait and save some money vs what the dealer will charhe...but either way its all good.
Jon

 

We'll see, I've still got to get the whole situation with the S2000 worked out.

 

I like the Z. MY mother had a '03 S2k (wrecked which I drove a lot until she did) and I loved the transmission, and handling. Those are the only two aspects I liked in the S2k over the Z.

 

Geez, I never knew the S2000 has that many problems....makes my tire feathering problems seem miniscule.

But, in all regards, is your S2000 differential going to be covered under warranty? If so, that's one step better than Nissan. If you do end up with tire feathering, good luck with getting Nissan to cover you after the initial bandaid of new tires and one-time alignment.

Also, I doubt that there are enough owners with over 10,000 miles to vouch that the '05's don't have the same problems that plague the '03's and '04. I would recommend you wait a bit longer before taking the plunge, as I'm very frustrated with the way Nissan is handling my tire wear problems.

I'm happy with everything else the Z has to offer. If it wasn't for the cupping issue, I'd recommend the car wholeheartedly to any potential buyer.

 

Didn't Nissan extend the alignment warranty to like 60,000 miles? You should have gotten a letter from NNA.

Besides that, I solved my feathering issues by buying different tires than the crappy RE040s and having a performance shop do the alignment.

 

WOW! you sound like me. that is my review also comming from a S2000 and now having the Track Edition Z.

 

Get a z.

 

what he said =)

My z is stock and I've got a friend who also has a s2k stock. He can never lose me on turns...I believe the torque in the z is quite dangerous because I know if I press the throttle any harder I'll hit his car.

 

my last toy project was a custom turbo-charged 00 Honda Si with 8lbs of boost. Car was a rocket considering the low boost, but I gotta say, a Vtec motor is a Vtec motor which translates to ZERO torque which eventually drove me nuts. Once boost started kicking in, things were great, but regular take offs were a slow *** turtle *****. Z on the other hand is the epitome of torque salvation compared to the VTec motors. Torque is found in all gears anywhere in the l power band. Full throttle through all gears, the Z runs out of air around 4rth gear, however, the Popcharger and exhaust (which sounds great on the V6)seemed to have added some more push in that gear through sixth. Seriously, you can't compare the driving experience between the Z and the S2000.