2000 Honda s2000 vs. 2004 Subaru wrx

Hi,
I am interested in buying a new car and i can't choose between the two.
I can get a 2000 Honda s2000 for abour 20 out the door used. 50,000 miles on it. Or i could get a brand new Subaru Impreza for about 24,something. I Think the WRX is faster does 0-60 in like 5.4 i think and the s2000 does it in like.. 5.8 i believe. Well i know the subaru is AWD, turbo, seats more tha two ppl, just a bad ass car. The s2000 is just as nice only sits two, not much Torque...i dunno what do you say and why.

in my opinion it depends on what u are looking for in a car...
S2K:-GREAT engine,hi revs,great sound,skilfull driving needed if u want to push it hard,difficult tuning,and obviously 2 seats...
SUBARU:-NICE engine,low revs,high torque,quite easy to drive,nice sound,easy tuning (but reliability will get worse a lot) and 4 comfy seats...

if going to use it everyday i'd have a scooby,if it'going to be a beatiful toy i'd have an S2K...

it'll boil down to practicality which the S2000 is NOT. fun as all hell to drive but you'll probably need something roomier, with more seats and/or a bigger trunk. it's got sufficient power to just get around town. i'd certainly choose the S2k over the WRX as a 2nd car for a weekend drive or just to have fun. but for all intents and purposes, the WRX is just a better choice for a daily driver. quality and fit and finish, the WRX can't touch the S2000. the WRX interior is your standard econobox environment - cheap plastics and flimsy panels galore. but then this isn't a luxo car comparison so that may not be an issue for you. the engine on the WRX sounds nice anytime. the S2k engine sounds really nice at WOT, particular near its 8900 redline. the gearbox on the S2k is about as perfect as gearboxes get, anywhere.

in the end if this will be your primary means of transportation, i say go for the WRX, it's fun, it's fast and practical.

but what about the performance? I never heard of a "powerful" S2k.

yeah, they have horses enough to provide some fun, but no serious fun ;)

I'd go with the Subaru WRX, AWD rules + you can put some nice mods in it.

cu

no serious fun?
what's your definition of fun?

it's a tough choice, honestly.

rwd isn't fun? are you sure?

Go for the WRX. youre going to miss the torque if u get the S2000. Plus, the extra room is really worth it in the WRX. both vehicles aftermarket is completly explosive right now, moreso for the WRX. but i think its just a more practical car.
However, if you are willing to sacrifice torque, room, and passenger value, as well as cope with a loud engine then maybe the S2000 is for you. try em both out and see which one you feel.

moreso for the wrx, b/c the wrx and its motor have been around far longer than the s2k...
it's all about preference.
i like 2 seat rwd cars.

I think, that if you want to be driven, than the Scooby is for you, all the electronics make it a very easy, useable and fast car. And like you say, it is a little more practical.
The S2000 is a car to drive. If you want to work the gearbox, feel the power, and go for a totaly driver focused car, then the S2000 is the best.
Personally, I'd go for the S2000. Its just so much more fum to drive, and the roof is great when the suns out.

I'd have to say the WRX. More practical, especially in bad weather and plus I heard the S2000's performance numbers are overrated.

The WRX is definitly more practical then the s2000. So if you plan on doing alot of non city/highway driving or moving alot of people, then the WRX is for you. This car is loved by C&D.

The S2000 is simply the best roadster you can buy until you reach the Lexus SC430, the XLR, Porsche Cabrio, and the SL class. Very high redline, droptop is great for warm, sunny climates, rwd works great for street purposes, and it has Honda reliability. C&D loves this car too.

Both cars have pretty similar preformance, but if you want a higher preformance car around $28,000 you should look at the 350z or the Evo8 instead of these cars.

I'd personally go with the s2k out of the cars you mentioned, but i think i'd buy a 350z over both.

rwd isn't fun? are you sure?

I didn't write rwd isn't fun.
I was thinking about modded AWD WRX's can provide much more fun - by racing w/ and modding them. If you want a little car to cruise with, go for the S2k. Depends on the car's expected purpose.

If I had 20g I would go for a completely different car than a new WRX or S2k anyways

a little car to cruise with?
the s2k outhandles the subaru, stock for stock...

s2k's are up on the top of the list of well-handling stock cars, as they are...
modify the suspension, and you can't keep up with them.

the only wrx's that beat the amuse s2k on the Option2 togue runs are race cars.

if you don't know what i'm talking about, looking for togue battle 280 from option/BMI.

I got your point, I guess I'd try to beat s2ks with a WRX which is of course possible, but I was just saying I never saw a really powerful S2k.
I always have a Honda Beat in mind when thinking of Honda convertibles ;)
Unless the desired WRX isn't an STi, the s2k will probably beat it, yes.

I'd say WRX STi vs. S2k depends on the driver, right?
And don't you think a WRX is a better daily car?

Practical: WRX
Faster: WRX
Tuning Potential: WRX
True RWD 2 Seater Sports car: S2000
Looks: S2000
Handling: S2000

I'd say it were a toss up for what you were looking for... I'd rather have a car that was faster in the corners than faster in a straight line, and still look better doing it.

I must be way off. I thought the S2K was a 14 second car...

Uh???
What the hell are you sayng???
on track days the S2K destroys all subaru,beats the E36 M3 and bites the ass of new M3...
A well driven S2K can stay at a porsche 996 carrera and leave back a corvette on a mountain road,try to belive!
This car is more that it seems,in good hands it can be a gun...
;-)

Oh,if you are goin to use it only on straight lines...
so buy a subaru and put it on a 600hp work.
if you call fun spending fuel on drag strips...

I just like to add that this kid down the block w/ an S2K thinks he's a badass but admits he can't beat LS1's, he's already lost to 'em, and he knows his place... but I'm talking straight away.

Uh???
What the hell are you sayng???
on track days the S2K destroys all subaru,beats the E36 M3 and bites the ass of new M3...
A well driven S2K can stay at a porsche 996 carrera and leave back a corvette on a mountain road,try to belive!
This car is more that it seems,in good hands it can be a gun...
;-)

Oh,if you are goin to use it only on straight lines...
so buy a subaru and put it on a 600hp work.
if you call fun spending fuel on drag strips...

The Corvette pulls over a G in lateral acceleration, it outclasses the S2000 in cornering and acceleration, what the HELL are you talking about?

Saying "a well" driven implies that the other car is less well driven, so of course in two high performance vehicles the better driver will accel. We are doing a car by car comparison. Leave out the driver element, because in any car by car comparison it is assumed that both drivers are of equal skill.

i hate to beat a dead horse but... its just so fun :icon16:

the WRX and the S2K are almost on total opposites power wise ones go from 0-80 (the W) the other excells in 40+ conditions (S2K) yet they both hit the 1320 at the same time 14.0-14.3 so ones not really faster then the other... the S2K has exceptional handling the WRX obviously doesnt but why would subaru bother making it handle well thats what the STI is for...

WRX is more practical...ugh i hate the word practical... a civic is pracitical, a mini-van is practical... practical usually means not fun.. which is not the case at all with a WRX.. instead id like to say that the WRX is a real world car... it can handle all conditions and roads aggressively

the S2K on the other hand is a true blood weekend warrior it will destroy the WRX given fair weather and a paved road but it can only handle a few varibles before its best left in the garage

in a perfect world id tell you to just buy both but in all honesty the S2K isnt really a good choice if you only have one car... the WRX can be made to handle just as well (given the slim oversteer the oh shit nature of the S2K very few can drive it to the limit) and tuned to rocket through the straits as well

corvette pulls over a lateral G?
WTF are you talking about?
the only c5 vette that pulls that is a zo6.
that's the ONLY one that does.

if by practical you mean daily driver, i'd driver either daily.

FYI:
high hp s2k?
there was a 500hp one featured last month or so in a honda mag, there's a few that are easily pushing 300whp, which is more than most wrx's that are featured in mags.

not many are really pushing more than 300hp at the wheels...

I heard a regular C5 gets a 1.0g!

nope.
only the c5 zo6...
unless you've got proof otherwise...

and the zo6 just barely breaks it... (a feat in itself)

Uh???
What the hell are you sayng???
on track days the S2K destroys all subaru,beats the E36 M3 and bites the ass of new M3...
A well driven S2K can stay at a porsche 996 carrera and leave back a corvette on a mountain road,try to belive!
This car is more that it seems,in good hands it can be a gun...
;-)

Oh,if you are goin to use it only on straight lines...
so buy a subaru and put it on a 600hp work.
if you call fun spending fuel on drag strips...
Fifth gear raced a Civic Type R against an S2000 on a track. Civic Type R won. I think you're slightly over-rating the S2k's abilities

An S2k IS a 14-second car; the fastest 1/4 I've heard from a stock S2k is 14.1. That said, 1/4-mile times are not a standard by which the s2k shuld be judged. The car wasn't built for drag-racing. The s2000 has often been called a four-wheeled sport bike, and rightly so. Like any sport bike, it's made to handle (which it does EXCEEDINGLY well), and it gets its power in the top of the rpm range. Because of the high-strung nature of the car, it does require a certain amount of driving skill to harness its full potential as far as speed is concerned, but I think that's what makes it so fun to drive. You can't just press the pedal and expect gobs of torque and immediate power; as with a sport bike, the s2k requires a high degree of driver involvement. The s2k and the WRX are completely different cars, so it comes down to what type of driving experience you're looking for. Considering the S2000's stellar performance capabilities (particularly handling), flawless interior ergonomics, and Honda quality/reliability, I say s2k all the way.

I like the looks of the Honda better, but performnce wise I'll take the WRX.