350z vs S2000 to own
Discussion
To own and run as a weekend play car. Which would you guys suggest? I want anyone and everyones opinion. It's an opinion at the end of the day u can't be wrong. Let's hear it. At the moment I really dont favour either and I currently own an Mk2 MR2 NA.
Any current owners of either car, can I hear good and bad points of owning them please.
Thanks.
Any current owners of either car, can I hear good and bad points of owning them please.
Thanks.
Hello,
I owned an S2000 before somebody crashed into me and wrote it off (felt very safe in the crash if that helps). I absolutly loved that car and took it around the Alps and into Italy. During my 2 year ownership I needed to replace the brakes and the catalyctic convertor. Other than that it was spot on. Mine was the 2004 model and im sure its the 2004-2006 which are most sort after. Its cheaper tax but still has the facelift and revised suspension and glass rear window.
If I had to be as negative as possible about it id say by the time you were in VTEC zone you were close to the speed limit anyway so never really could open it up massively. I know its got gears but it did feel a bit anti social revving the nuts off it.
It always felt light on its feet to me and just felt so controlable compared to some of the rumors you hear. Mainly the pre facelift I think caused those rumors to be honest, I think they were snappy.
The problem is now I have an S15 Silvia spec R and it just feels in a different league powerwise so it does depend on what cars youve had in the past. I know power isnt everything.
If you have any specific questions you want to ask just drop me a message.
I owned an S2000 before somebody crashed into me and wrote it off (felt very safe in the crash if that helps). I absolutly loved that car and took it around the Alps and into Italy. During my 2 year ownership I needed to replace the brakes and the catalyctic convertor. Other than that it was spot on. Mine was the 2004 model and im sure its the 2004-2006 which are most sort after. Its cheaper tax but still has the facelift and revised suspension and glass rear window.
If I had to be as negative as possible about it id say by the time you were in VTEC zone you were close to the speed limit anyway so never really could open it up massively. I know its got gears but it did feel a bit anti social revving the nuts off it.
It always felt light on its feet to me and just felt so controlable compared to some of the rumors you hear. Mainly the pre facelift I think caused those rumors to be honest, I think they were snappy.
The problem is now I have an S15 Silvia spec R and it just feels in a different league powerwise so it does depend on what cars youve had in the past. I know power isnt everything.
If you have any specific questions you want to ask just drop me a message.
pringle1988 said:
Hello,
I owned an S2000 before somebody crashed into me and wrote it off (felt very safe in the crash if that helps). I absolutly loved that car and took it around the Alps and into Italy. During my 2 year ownership I needed to replace the brakes and the catalyctic convertor. Other than that it was spot on. Mine was the 2004 model and im sure its the 2004-2006 which are most sort after. Its cheaper tax but still has the facelift and revised suspension and glass rear window.
If I had to be as negative as possible about it id say by the time you were in VTEC zone you were close to the speed limit anyway so never really could open it up massively. I know its got gears but it did feel a bit anti social revving the nuts off it.
It always felt light on its feet to me and just felt so controlable compared to some of the rumors you hear. Mainly the pre facelift I think caused those rumors to be honest, I think they were snappy.
The problem is now I have an S15 Silvia spec R and it just feels in a different league powerwise so it does depend on what cars youve had in the past. I know power isnt everything.
If you have any specific questions you want to ask just drop me a message.
Thanks for the reply. Yeh power really isn't everything especially when ur not 25 yet :P insurance don't like power. Maybe I should check I can actually afford to insure a 350z first... that might help the decision. The other thing about having so much power is not being able to use it much. Having 300+ BHP is nice but I wouldn't be able to enjoy it apart from on the track and I live at least 2 hours away from any tracks I owned an S2000 before somebody crashed into me and wrote it off (felt very safe in the crash if that helps). I absolutly loved that car and took it around the Alps and into Italy. During my 2 year ownership I needed to replace the brakes and the catalyctic convertor. Other than that it was spot on. Mine was the 2004 model and im sure its the 2004-2006 which are most sort after. Its cheaper tax but still has the facelift and revised suspension and glass rear window.
If I had to be as negative as possible about it id say by the time you were in VTEC zone you were close to the speed limit anyway so never really could open it up massively. I know its got gears but it did feel a bit anti social revving the nuts off it.
It always felt light on its feet to me and just felt so controlable compared to some of the rumors you hear. Mainly the pre facelift I think caused those rumors to be honest, I think they were snappy.
The problem is now I have an S15 Silvia spec R and it just feels in a different league powerwise so it does depend on what cars youve had in the past. I know power isnt everything.
If you have any specific questions you want to ask just drop me a message.
Hi,
Got a 350z, my other half drives it as her daily and is still loving it 3 years on. I have to say its a rewarding car to drive and always puts a smile on my face when I drive it. Its really a very different car from the s2000 in terms of power delivery, the S2000 wants reving to high heaven whereas the 350z has a much more linear power delivery and much more torque. The 350z is heavier and feels it on the road. Depends really what youre looking for from the car. Personally we both love our Zed and it says a lot that after 3 years we both still love to drive it. We had one previously which was written off and the Mrs really didn't want to consider any other car. If I was you I would try and drive both because they really are quite different things.
Generally the 350z is a pretty easy car to live with, servicing is fine if you have a good Indy and the engines are solid and go for ages, some on >200k. Clutches are an expensive thing to have to sort and can be prone to dying. Despite this both cars can throw up big bills and you need to have a chunk aside to keep them going.
Got a 350z, my other half drives it as her daily and is still loving it 3 years on. I have to say its a rewarding car to drive and always puts a smile on my face when I drive it. Its really a very different car from the s2000 in terms of power delivery, the S2000 wants reving to high heaven whereas the 350z has a much more linear power delivery and much more torque. The 350z is heavier and feels it on the road. Depends really what youre looking for from the car. Personally we both love our Zed and it says a lot that after 3 years we both still love to drive it. We had one previously which was written off and the Mrs really didn't want to consider any other car. If I was you I would try and drive both because they really are quite different things.
Generally the 350z is a pretty easy car to live with, servicing is fine if you have a good Indy and the engines are solid and go for ages, some on >200k. Clutches are an expensive thing to have to sort and can be prone to dying. Despite this both cars can throw up big bills and you need to have a chunk aside to keep them going.
Edited by hawker1986 on Wednesday 1st April 00:15
I've had both s2000 and 370z. Both great cars.
Not being able to use over 300bhp is a myth. If anything you can use more of the Z's power because it's easier to get to (lots of torque as well as high revving).
The Z (370 anyway) is a lot quicker if it's speed you want. It's about 3 or 4 seconds quicker to 100 mph than the S was.
The S is more chuckable round corners.
Loved both, don't think you'd be disappointed with either.
Not being able to use over 300bhp is a myth. If anything you can use more of the Z's power because it's easier to get to (lots of torque as well as high revving).
The Z (370 anyway) is a lot quicker if it's speed you want. It's about 3 or 4 seconds quicker to 100 mph than the S was.
The S is more chuckable round corners.
Loved both, don't think you'd be disappointed with either.
I have the 350Z with 300 bhp, it is pretty easy to use that much power, it is quick-ish and you have to watch it but it isnt mind bending or difficult in any way, in fact I find it easier to keep speed down than in turbo diesels, it is torquey but doesnt have that big lunge that TDis do, you need to rev it out to get it to go quickly and it is fine just ambling round.
S2000 is more hardcore, I wanted six cyls or more after a 944 S2, so best try them both and see what suits your driving style, S2000 will be a bit more economical but not that much considering being a lot smaller engine, it is still 240 bhp.
S2000 is more agile, they seem to end up evenly matched on track as the 350Z will pull away a bit on straights and get caught in the corners
S2000 is more hardcore, I wanted six cyls or more after a 944 S2, so best try them both and see what suits your driving style, S2000 will be a bit more economical but not that much considering being a lot smaller engine, it is still 240 bhp.
S2000 is more agile, they seem to end up evenly matched on track as the 350Z will pull away a bit on straights and get caught in the corners
Shnev91 said:
Just out of interest. To all that have replied and anyone else that can answer. When buying 350z or s2000 what other cars did u compare them to or what other cars were you interested in and why?
I've owned my S2000 for over 2 years now. It's the longest I've ever owned a car.I considered a 350Z, briefly, but it felt heavy and as a daily driver the mpg didn't impress me.
To answer your question - I looked between the 986 Boxster (both 2.7 and 3.2S) the 3.0 Z4, and the s2000, or a Mk3 supercharged MX-5.
I already owned the MX-5, and the cost to supercharge it to bring it up to the power of the others was going to be about the same to buy one of the others, that's before you take into account brakes, suspension etc tweaks.
The Boxster I was put off by the running costs - and the IMS, RMS scare stories. I was looking at parts prices for a Boxster S and the brakes would cost triple that of the Honda ones, so that put me off.
The Z4 I was put off due to the fact the roof motors go, and It felt more tourer/poser than sports car.
The S2000 just felt right with it's agility and it's reliability (Honda come out in the top 3 on every reliability survey for a reason).
I thought I'd keep it for a year and sell it but 2 years on I can't think of what to replace it with. Perfectly reliable as a daily driver, even in the winter. I think they've even appreciated in the time I've had it!
I also considered a newer MX-5 but the build quality really isn't up to par with that of Honda's.
Managed 38 mpg on a motorway run too which makes it cheap to run
Shnev91 said:
Just out of interest. To all that have replied and anyone else that can answer. When buying 350z or s2000 what other cars did u compare them to or what other cars were you interested in and why?
Hello,Im comparing mine to cars I previously owned which are mainly the E36 328 and E46 325.
I have to say it just felt like a much better car than those 2. The reliabilty on those 2 was really bad.
I didnt compare the s2000 to anything when I was buying it as I had my mind set on getting one so cant help much here. Ive never driven a 350z but by the look of it you wont be disapointed with either of them.
elementad said:
I've had both s2000 and 370z. Both great cars.
Not being able to use over 300bhp is a myth. If anything you can use more of the Z's power because it's easier to get to (lots of torque as well as high revving).
The Z (370 anyway) is a lot quicker if it's speed you want. It's about 3 or 4 seconds quicker to 100 mph than the S was.
The S is more chuckable round corners.
Loved both, don't think you'd be disappointed with either.
Same here. I would second that.I've a 370 now and had a 2001 S2000 about 4 years ago. The 350 I looked at was getting tatty in places as the trim is like a rubber coated plastic which marked. That was a 57 plate with just 50k miles on too. the 370 is far better inside. Not being able to use over 300bhp is a myth. If anything you can use more of the Z's power because it's easier to get to (lots of torque as well as high revving).
The Z (370 anyway) is a lot quicker if it's speed you want. It's about 3 or 4 seconds quicker to 100 mph than the S was.
The S is more chuckable round corners.
Loved both, don't think you'd be disappointed with either.
S2000 I was quite dissapinted with the roof and poor stereo which was awful.
Drive them both, and see what you think.
I own a 350z GT4 (has the 300bhp revup DE engine) and agree with the general consensus of the other posters. The cars are very different to drive so it will come down to which you prefer.
I would consider the 350 a GT rather than a sports car but don't get me wrong it is still great fun to drive. I chose the zed because I prefer the way it looks and I already have a chuckable car for the track/b-roads, also when I turn the key and the V6 rumbles into life it is music to my ears, especially with an aftermarket exhaust system.
In my ownership (all of 6 months) I have had nothing go wrong. The bose stereo is a known weak point but mine has been fine so far (touch wood). Fuel economy isn't great on short journeys (17mpg lowest I've had) but on a run its up in the mid 30's which is not too bad. It's booked in for a major service next month at specialist and at roughly £250 I think it is very reasonable.
As I'm sure you know pre 2006 models get the cheaper road tax with older models having the 286bhp DE engine and 05-07 models having the 300bhp revup engine. The 313bhp HR engine 350z's have a face lifted interior and exterior, but suffer from double the road tax.
I would highly recommend the 350z but the S2000 is also a very good car. It all depends on your personal preferences I guess. Good luck making the decision and finding the right car for you
I would consider the 350 a GT rather than a sports car but don't get me wrong it is still great fun to drive. I chose the zed because I prefer the way it looks and I already have a chuckable car for the track/b-roads, also when I turn the key and the V6 rumbles into life it is music to my ears, especially with an aftermarket exhaust system.
In my ownership (all of 6 months) I have had nothing go wrong. The bose stereo is a known weak point but mine has been fine so far (touch wood). Fuel economy isn't great on short journeys (17mpg lowest I've had) but on a run its up in the mid 30's which is not too bad. It's booked in for a major service next month at specialist and at roughly £250 I think it is very reasonable.
As I'm sure you know pre 2006 models get the cheaper road tax with older models having the 286bhp DE engine and 05-07 models having the 300bhp revup engine. The 313bhp HR engine 350z's have a face lifted interior and exterior, but suffer from double the road tax.
I would highly recommend the 350z but the S2000 is also a very good car. It all depends on your personal preferences I guess. Good luck making the decision and finding the right car for you
Loving all these answers they really are helping me out alot. I really appreciate the time you guys have put in to help me out I've been looking around for both cars but I doubt I'll be digging into my pockets until late May time as thats when the MR2 runs out of MOT. If the right car pops up in the mean time tho I may not be able to hold myslef back :P.
I've been looking around for both cars but I doubt I'll be digging into my pockets until late May time as thats when the MR2 runs out of MOT. If the right car pops up in the mean time tho I may not be able to hold myslef back :P.
Bought an S2000 as a weekend car after going through boxsters, caymans and SLK's
Love it to bits - it's a perfect car for small and windy British roads. it's a good size with plenty of boot space (not as good as a boxster - better than an SLK).
I will say as it's short geared usual motorway speeds are in the 3-4K rev range, it's not the best motorway car, though saying that we took it for a run from cumbria to salcombe and back for a short break last summer...
I've just bought mine a house - to put it in a garage... really don't see myself selling.
The roof is single skinned so it's more noisy roof up than some of the competition, though there are after market mohair roof options available. Yes the stereo is poor - I've replaced mine with a JVC unit - to get me MP3 playback and hands free - but it's never going to be a good sound.
It's sensitive to tyres, and if the geo is out and bushes seized it's a pricey fix.
the 04-05 MY facelift cars pre the march 06 tax hike are popular - 06 cars add higher tax,drive by wire and traction control.
You may find it's quite expensive to insure especially if it's modified...
If you're into home spannering - there's plenty you can do...
there's lots of info on S2Ki
S.
Love it to bits - it's a perfect car for small and windy British roads. it's a good size with plenty of boot space (not as good as a boxster - better than an SLK).
I will say as it's short geared usual motorway speeds are in the 3-4K rev range, it's not the best motorway car, though saying that we took it for a run from cumbria to salcombe and back for a short break last summer...
I've just bought mine a house - to put it in a garage... really don't see myself selling.
The roof is single skinned so it's more noisy roof up than some of the competition, though there are after market mohair roof options available. Yes the stereo is poor - I've replaced mine with a JVC unit - to get me MP3 playback and hands free - but it's never going to be a good sound.
It's sensitive to tyres, and if the geo is out and bushes seized it's a pricey fix.
the 04-05 MY facelift cars pre the march 06 tax hike are popular - 06 cars add higher tax,drive by wire and traction control.
You may find it's quite expensive to insure especially if it's modified...
If you're into home spannering - there's plenty you can do...
there's lots of info on S2Ki
S.
terry237 said:
As I'm sure you know pre 2006 models get the cheaper road tax with older models having the 286bhp DE engine and 05-07 models having the 300bhp revup engine. The 313bhp HR engine 350z's have a face lifted interior and exterior, but suffer from double the road tax.
Pre March 2006 have the cheaper road tax. Revup 300ps engine was introduced in 2006 along with the updated interior And exterior. 2007 saw the 313ps HR engine easily noticeable by the bonnet bulge and twin intake engine. Gassing Station | Japanese Chat | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff