I am biased, but I think the 05 was the best year for the s2k due to it being the last year sans TC and the good seats.

rich

ive owned 2 so heres my take..

do you want OG ap1 styling with 9k? if so, 02-03. these are the same except for interior colors. best value, IMO.

if you want something newer, 04-05 is okay, 06 adds DBW and TC, different wheels, and full headrests, as well as laguna blue. 07+ is all the same, i reckon.

depends what you want. theyre all nice and reliable. but id avoid 00-01 just because of twitchy rear (changed with alignment, sway bars, etc) and plastic window and no tweeters and carpet console.

*they all make 240hp, so dude a few posts up is wrong. ap2 does make a little more tq, though, and the gearing is softer with nicer carbon synchros in the tranny.

Here's a quote taken from the link i posted above (the link has a dyno chart as well posted up):

"For example, the 2004 S2000 is rated at the same 240 hp as its older siblings. It is also rated at 162 lbs-ft of torque, 9 lbs-ft more than previous models. But when we put it on our Dynapack chassis dynamometer and compared it to a 2002 S2000 (which consistently makes a few more hp than the early 2000-2001 models) we got a big surprise. Peak hp was up - a lot. A greater than 26 hp gain at peak is nothing to sneeze at! Torque was also up by over 21 lbs-ft at peak. Down low the torque curve is flatter and fatter than the previous model as well for more relaxed around town driving. "


Anyways, i haven't driven either one back-to-back so i really don't know.

and i haven't owned both either so like it said, just an opinion based on what i've read :)

ive read that too.. but, they feel similar. its also hard to judge because of the gearing differences that i mentioned before.
i know 02-03 has the same engine as 00-01, but with a slightly modified ECU, leaner AFR i reckon, good for a few hp at the dyno. i assume a similar case of paper lies hold true for the ap2.
either way, ap2 is a little quicker, more luxurious, and newer looking.
ap1 is a tad lighter, more fun, cheaper, OG, etc.

ive never heard of oil burning issues. ever. not saying they arent there, but i have a shitload of posts on s2ki.com and havent heard/witnessed it.

The early AP1s had oil burning issues. The AP2s don't. The '08s and newer have a slightly different suspension set up too.

My first S2K was an 01, my best friend had an 00... Neither burned a drop.
Not saying none of them do, just that my experience and literature has said otherwise...

Get an 02-03, problem solved for sure I guess. :D

Suspension changes over the years occur every 2 years, normally with spring rates and sway bar stiffness. Actual geometry only changed in 04 as far as I understand...
CR is of course an exception.

In the end.. you're going to want to change out the suspension and get a UK-spec alignment.. so whoop-dee-do-da. :D

when i was shopping around for a S2k, I found a 2003 (AP1) and a 2006 (AP2) that fit my budget. The 2003 was obviously cheaper than the 2006, but the 2006 was still within my spending budget. (There was also a M3 in the mix, but for the sake of this thread, I'll leave that out of it.)

I test drove both the same day, and I settled for the 2003, and here's why:
(purely my personal opinion, so take it with a grain of salt).

- the 2003 was cheaper (although not the ultimate factor, but everybody likes to save money!)
- The AP2 had more torque on paper, they felt the same to me.
- After coming from a 9K rpm B20vtec, I've learned that living life @ 9000rpm is damn fun
- I liked the handling characteristics of the 2003 better...Driving the AP2, i felt a bit more understeer than the AP1. I'm not saying the AP2 understeers, because it still carved the corners pretty damn well, but the 2003 was a bit more of a handful when driven at the limits, and that's the way i like it :)
- Drive-by-wire vs throttle cable. Call me old school, but I just couldn't get used to drive-by-wire...This issue was a pretty big deciding factor for me. I had the same problem with the M3 I test drove.
- Traction control....didn't care for it....especially in a car with so little low-end torque.

Bottom line, the 2003 felt more "raw", and the 2006 seemed a bit more of a cruiser.
Neither is good or bad, it's just a matter of preference, but I prefer the "raw" feeling.

IMO, the AP2 is better both interior and externally, i like the updated wheels, bumpers and tail lights in the AP2s, but in the end, I still decided to save a few grand and went with the AP1. It also helped that in the back of my mind, I told myself that I could always do an AP1 -> AP2 conversion if i wanted to.

With that said....opinions are like assholes...everybody's got one, so you should really go drive both and decide for yourself.

I would get an 06 if you want an ap2 + all the newest features (namely vsa). 03 if you want an ap1.

Do you have the UK alignment on your current S2 as well Wyatt?

AP2 Have alot more electronical assistants.

Like what eclypz said, AP1 Are just more raw. It feels more like
a drivers car :thumbsup:

I had an 02, high revs, tons of fun.

i believe it goes something like this..

"excuses are like assholes. everybodys got one, and they all stink" :D

easy.

buy car, drive to storage in bellingham. submit paperwork to border, wait 3 days. cross with car, pay duty. drive home on insurance binder. inspect, register, insure.

done.

easier than you think. I imported my Rx7 and it was easy peasy.

Lol, it can be even easier if you submit the paper work right after (or if possible, even before) you pu the car. Then you wouldn't need to store the car in Bellingham!