Selling my AP2 S2000 to buy a GR Corolla? Have I lost my mind?

In reply to RyanGreener (Forum Supporter) :

I remember driving the ND2 briefly a few years ago after it was launched and having positive impressions about it. If I decided to go down this route, I would buy an ND2- an extra 26hp with no real loss of torque for not much more money seems like the way to go. 
 

Oddly enough, I thought the lowly ND1's econo motor had more character than the BRZ. I'm sure the BRZ is faster, but the ND just seemed to have more character and was more fun to drive overall- it made a better noise that added to the experience. 
 

Any rumors on what changes will befall the ND3? 

Interesting: 

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a45454886/2024-mazda-mx-5-miata-nd3-japan/

2-way LSD? Don't all the current Club spec cars have Torsens? 

Vague information but changes that seem to be confirmed:

1) Updated infotainment
2) Radar cruise control
3) DSC-Track Mode (stability control without torque loss)
4) Updated LSD behavior
5) Improved steering feel
6) Some cosmetic changes

funny you mention the miata. I've been humming and hawing about kicking the NC out of my garage for the exact same reason as you. It's a perfect car for those perfect summer days, not too hot, nothing else planned, go out just to take a drive. But I can count those days each season on one hand, and the NC has gotten around 500 miles a summer for the last several years. The problem too is this little ninja 400 my wife bought. Those times when the miata could come out, the bike is 10x more fun, I'm zinging it up to 11k and I feel like I'm qualifying for motogp just taking it out to coffee. 

I got my NC new and it suffers from "too nice" syndrome even though it's now an old car. 

-too nice to drive in the winter, the salt would eat Mazda's E36 M3ty galvanizing alive. 

-too nice to slide around on a gravel road, the paint is still mint. 

-too nice to take on the track and pitch into the gravel trap 

twowheeled said:

funny you mention the miata. I've been humming and hawing about kicking the NC out of my garage for the exact same reason as you. It's a perfect car for those perfect summer days, not too hot, nothing else planned, go out just to take a drive. But I can count those days each season on one hand, and the NC has gotten around 500 miles a summer for the last several years. The problem too is this little ninja 400 my wife bought. Those times when the miata could come out, the bike is 10x more fun, I'm zinging it up to 11k and I feel like I'm qualifying for motogp just taking it out to coffee. 

 

I got my NC new and it suffers from "too nice" syndrome even though it's now an old car. 

-too nice to drive in the winter, the salt would eat Mazda's E36 M3ty galvanizing alive. 

-too nice to slide around on a gravel road, the paint is still mint. 

-too nice to take on the track and pitch into the gravel trap 

 

It’s all about perspective, isn’t it? When I had my NC, I bought it used, with quite a few miles on it and drove the heck out of it! I might have felt different about it if I had purchased it new and taken special care of it. I get it, brother!

I drive my Integra GS-R and BMW every chance I get. They both have ~130k miles on them, along with plenty of dings, scratches, and imperfections. As a result, I think I give myself “permission” to drive them regularly. Even though my Integra is actually in very good shape for its age and mileage and has technically been appreciating just a bit (not nearly as much as the S2000).

Meanwhile, the S2000 sits in the garage. In the S2000’s defense, since I bought it ~4 years ago, it has likely appreciated somewhere in the neighborhood of $5000-$7000 and will likely continue to do so. The value trajectory of the S2000 has seemingly been similar to the JDM supercars of the 90’s (Supra, RX-7, NSX, etc). I’ve seen some low mileage S2000 CR’s on BaT go for over $100,000… unreal. I remember those cars literally sitting on the lots locally in 2008/2009. The highest I’ve seen was a 2009 S2000 CR in yellow with only 123 miles on it, sold for $200,000 last year on BaT. People have lost their minds. The regular S2000’s don’t demand that much of a premium, but they honestly trade for more than they should in my mind. Unfortunately, this has led to me treating the car more like an investment and less like a car.

I stopped riding a few years ago, but I can still remember the joy of riding a bike on a nice day! I get it! Unfortunately, I’ve seen far too many car vs bike accidents and had a close call coming down Mount Evans a few years back that left me pretty banged up. Those, combined with watching my cousin and his wife almost lose their legs, soured me on riding. But I get it!

I’m in Colorado- more specifically in the Denver-metro area. We get a pretty decent amount of snow here, but rust isn’t much of an issue. We don’t use salt on the roads- we use mag chloride (which has its own problems- but rust isn’t one of them). We’re also far from the ocean and the climate is extremely dry, which helps to keep the rust to a minimum. They do seem to dump a bit of sand in places- so, while rust isn’t really an issue, cracked windshields and paint/rock chips are a thing here. Either way, driving a car in the winter here isn’t as hard on them as it is in the salt belt states.

While I really like the ND, I do have to consider it carefully and ask myself if I’ll truly drive it more than the S2000- I suspect I will, but that could just be me trying to justify getting an ND to myself. There’s a good chance I would be less careful with an older NC with more miles on it. The good news is that neither of them seem to be appreciating collectors’ cars with unobtainium OEM parts, which frees them up to be drive, in my mind. Although if Mazda turns the Miata into an EV in the future, I am curious to see what happens to their values in the market.

Watch this one for a late 2023 yardstick:

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rjY0AL12/2007-honda-s2000

In reply to OHSCrifle :

That's a nice AP2! A good bit lower mileage than mine (24k vs 65k). Bringing in $37k in December is solid! Makes me think it might have gone for $40k+ in the spring/summer. 

Today was a lovely day for December- temps in the high 50's with the sun out and no wind. It's been a while since I've taken anything out for a test drive. I figured I would take a potential contender for a spin and drove a 2020 Mini Cooper S with a 7-speed DCT. 

It was something outside the box: it's still somewhat small-ish and fun, but also something I could/would use more often. Brand new they're way overpriced, but they seemingly depreciate like a rock dropped in a lake, so I figured a lightly used one could fit the bill. The one I drove today only had 14k miles on the clock. 

I drove the car around town, a tad bit of freeway and found a couple back roads to pitch it around on, likely spending around an hour behind the wheel. I like it, but I don't know if I love it. My biggest takeaways: 

-It has a good amount of leg room for such a little car. The seats themselves aren't bad per se- they have that BMW lower seat extender which is nice for taller folks like myself. Although I wish the seats went a bit lower. Headroom was fine, but the height of the seats feels closer to a CUV than it does a sports car. I don't know if it bothered my knee? I felt some discomfort at first, but I think it was my fault, as I was sitting too close to the dash- when I moved the seat back a couple of clicks, it seemed much more comfortable. The leather seats are a bit on the harsh/firm side (you don't really sink into them). They're not bad, but for some odd reason they're not nearly as comfortable as the sport seats in my 128i. 

-Good torquey little motor. For a fun little town car, the motor matches the character of the car very well! Plenty of torque on tap throughout the powerband. I've read that it falls off up top, but I wasn't paying much attention to it. Whenever I wanted the car to go, it was very responsive and didn't seem to lack torque. 

-The DCT was actually pretty smooth. I've only owned 1 DCT in the past (2014-ish? Audi A3 DSG) and the experience was terrible. I've been wary of DCT's for years as a result. It looks like they've gotten a lot better! By that, I mean it did a good job emulating a traditional torque converter auto. It has that roll-away feature that makes it feel like a traditional auto. The upshifts and downshifts were very seamless. My old A3 was annoying to drive in traffic, specifically trying to come to a stop smoothly- the car would constantly downshift which resulted in engine braking and a constant need to modulate the brake pedal. This Mini/BMW has no such issues. The paddle shifters were also very responsive and easy to use. My only complaint is that there's no auto-hold feature- I had it on my old Mazda 3 Turbo (and technically my old Tesla Model 3 Performance) and it was wonderful! Shocking that no such feature seemingly exists on the Mini, considering their prices. 

-The ride is stiff. I don't think it would bother me, but I can see how it might turn some people off. I drove my S2000 to the dealership and I could have sworn the Mini was stiffer- not by much, but shocking nonetheless. People blame it on the short wheelbase, which, my S2000's wheelbase is shorter and it seemingly rides a touch better... 

-Handling isn't as good as I would have expected. Maybe the handling is fine/good? Maybe it's just the higher center of gravity (taller seating position) and lack of seat bolstering? I can't describe what the problem is, other than maybe just being a little bit floaty? Or disconnected? It's not nearly as much fun to pitch around corners as I might have expected and it certainly isn't from a lack of suspension stiffness... it's not bad, but it just isn't much fun to pitch around on a back road, which I'm shocked about. It's not fair to compare it to my S2000 or my highly modded (customized to my driving style) Integra... but my 128i (which has stock Sport suspension with only the addition of the M3/1M control arms) both rides much better and is far more engaging to drive on a back road. I can't put my finger on what the problem is, but for a car that's supposed to be a go-kart, it sure doesn't feel like a go-kart. 

-It's a narrow car, which makes things interesting... it has an arm-rest that is both nice, as well as obtrusive. The arm rest is adjustable, which is pretty cool, but if the car had a manual, I feel that it would get in the way. For some odd reason, the DCT I drove has a manual parking brake, which is interesting, but you can't use it with the arm rest down... not a big deal, although I frequently use the e-brake in most of my cars while siting at a light to take pressure off of my right knee, which can be done in the Mini, just not with the arm rest down. 

-The interior materials are an overall nice fit and finish. Everything feels like a miniature luxury car. Although the steering wheel felt a bit too smooth and hard. My other cars all have wheels that are a bit squishier that I guess I'm just used to by now. 

Overall, it's not a bad car, I liked it just fine. 

Although today was just such a fine day that I took the S2000 and put the top down on the way back. You wanna know what's a heck of a lot more fun than the Mini? The S2000. I get it. It's not fair. One is a FWD econobox with the turbo and the other is a purpose built sports car. It's not fair. But everything I interacted with just feels better in the S2000- the pedals, the steering wheel, the shifter (not fair as the Mini is DCT), the balance and feel of the car, the way it transitions, the sounds and even the seats. The Mini is a more practical while still being a bit of fun, but the S2000 puts an exclamation point on fun! We rarely get winter days like this- where the sun is out and the roads are clear, but when we do, the S2000 is a very engaging machine. 

I like the little Mini, but I can't see it ever being a proper replacement for the S2000. My bigger issue is that I don't think I would drive the Mini more than my BMW, which is a better car to drive/daily. I was hoping it would be a rare blend of feeling both special and practical enough to use regularly... but I just never fell in love with it and didn't think it really felt "special" at all. In that case, if it's just a practical car, something like a Ford Maverick is even more practical... 

And in this vein of cars, you know what I thought was a much better car to drive overall for similar money when new? My old 2021 Mazda 3 Turbo. It felt nicer inside (especially the seats!), had a more finished look to it, more power/torque, more practicality, it handled better/felt more composed while also riding smoother and felt like a much better value. To be fair, the 3 Turbo wasn't without its faults: it burned a quart of oil every couple thousand miles, BRAND NEW. I read something about valve seal issues, so maybe it's been corrected, but I never thought that was acceptable. The hatchback also had a terrible blind spot, the doors sounded cheap when closed and the back seat/trunk weren't as usable as they are in most hatches (compared to something like a Civic hatch- but still much larger than the Mini). Overall though, I can see why the Mini doesn't sell all that well, when cars like the Mazda 3 and Honda Civic exist- cars that are just a much fun, while being more practical and a good bit cheaper (when new). 

So, I've been reassessing some things over the past couple months since I made this thread. I noticed a couple of things: while I haven't driven the S2000 much, I also haven't driven my Integra much. I honestly think I've driven them the same amount over the last couple of months. They're both fun cars that are a riot to pitch around on a back road... but when it comes to which car I generally prefer to drive, it's the BMW 128i. After nursing it back to health, the 128i has become my de facto daily. 

To be clear, the BMW is still fun on a back road... but the Honda's are MORE fun on a back road. The BMW is just better pretty much everywhere else. As such, the Integra has also just been sitting in the garage. Which has led me to a conundrum. 

I drove the S2000 around town today and had a blast! Sunny with no wind, temps in the high 50's, absolutely perfect weather to drop the top and turn the heat up! I sometimes forget just how fun the S2000 is to drive...

So, after coming back from test driving the Mini, I decided I would do a much needed comparison: between my S2000 and my modded DC2 Integra GS-R: 

I always think to myself: the DC2 feels a LOT like a FWD S2000, but it's extremely rare for me to drive them both on the same day. 

The DC2 is more of an OEM+ type build: it has OEM Type R springs on Koni yellows, an OEM Type R sized RSB, OEM Type R transmission (with LSD), some rare OEM+ type bolt-ons & tune (putting down around ~163whp), etc. Honestly, it likely feels a lot like a Type R. 

So, I spent some time driving them both. I have to be honest with myself: as good as I've made the Integra, the S2000 is the better sports car- it's just more fun to drive. 

For reference, here's my Integra's build thread: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/the-teg-a-dc2-road-to-all-the-hondas-story/258401/page1/

Yet again, it's not a fair comparison. The Integra is a FWD econobox, whereas the S2000 is a purpose build sports car... and it shows. My takeaways: 

-With similar spring rates (Type R spring rates are very similar to OEM S2000 spring rates), the S2000 feels more lively and responsive. On-center, the S2000 changes directions rapidly, like a mongoose tormenting a cobra. Comparatively, the Integra is a bit dead on center. The hydraulic rack in the Integra has better feel, but the steering feels lazier and less eager to change direction. Maybe this has to do with all the extra caster the S2000 has? The S2000 has about 6* of caster vs around 1* for the Integra. There are some tricks to get a good bit more caster out of the Integra, but many recommend against them, citing they result in bump steer. Either way, the S2000 feels sportier. The shorter wheelbase probably also helps here. 

-The S2000 is faster and feels a good bit faster. The extra ~35 ft-lbs of torque from the bigger engine (2.2L vs 1.8L) can easily be felt. Neither of them are what I would consider fast or torquey, but driving them around, the S2000 feels far less anemic below VTEC and far more powerful above VTEC. The throttle in the S2000 also feels snappier, despite being DBW. They both make sweet VTEC noises, but the S2000's engine feels better. 

-The S2000's seating position is better, stock. My S2000 is essentially stock, with stock seats. It's pretty much the only Honda I've ever driven that I've been completely comfortable in, with no knee pain to speak of. It's a tight cabin, but it fits me like a glove, always has... by contrast, with OEM seats in the Integra, my hair touches the roof and it hurts my right knee to drive... in order to alleviate this issue (and also fit with a helmet), I put aftermarket seats in my Integra, but that wasn't enough, I needed to bolt the driver's seat to the floor.... which, it works, but the S2000's seating position is still better. 

-Both have great gearboxes. Likely the best I've ever driven. I've made some slight mods to the Integra's shifter to make it just a hair better; the S2000's is stock. Even stock, the S2000 still gets the nod, if only slightly. It's just the perfect throw length with the perfect amount of effort and feedback from the factory. 

-They both have great balance, being almost completely neutral. The S2000 pretty much came that way, I just tweaked it slightly; the Integra needed more help to get there. The Integra is easier to drive fast- honestly, just pitch the car into a corner and hold down the throttle, let the FWD LSD pull you out of a corner like a rally car! The S2000 is far more punishing if you get it wrong- it doesn't reward hamfisted driving. With that said, since mine is a 2008, it has traction/stability control and I've tweaked the car ever so slightly, to minimize it's unforgiving nature- the only mods on the S2000 (which are easily reversible) are an OEM front sway bar from a CR and slightly softer rear springs from a 2006-2007, plus a custom alignment (using OEM adjustments only) with an extra degree of negative camber out back. Even with these tweaks, while the S2000 is tamer than the early AP1's, it still doesn't respond well to idiocy. The Integra can be pitched around by a novice with much more confidence... but the S2000 is likely just a bit more rewarding when you get it right. 

-On the freeway, it's a mixed bag. With the Koni's turned down, the Integra might be a bit smoother... but the extra caster in the S2000 does a much better job of self-centering and not wandering. Neither are quiet cars. I would like to say the Integra is a hair quieter, but not by as much as you think. Neither are extraordinary road trip cars. Both spin ~4000rpm at freeway speeds (only because the Integra has a Type R gearbox). 

I know this is a shocker, but as it turns out, the dedicated sports car is more fun than the tarted up econobox. 

Seeing as though I haven't hardly driven the Integra for the past couple of months, I've realized why: the BMW is the better daily. They both (Integra and BMW) have useless back seats. They can both get groceries in their trunks. They're nearly identical in size and purpose. They're both manuals. They can both be fitted with snow tires if I so desire (even if it's not necessary). They both have their dings and scratches (read: not afraid of cloud in the sky). But the BMW is a better street car... so where does that leave the Integra? If the BMW is the better street car and the S2000 is the better pure fun sports car....

Which has led me to an entirely different idea: 

-Buy all-season tires for the S2000. Start driving it more in the winter. 

-Sell the Integra. 

-Sell the Xterra. 

-Use the money from the Integra and Xterra to go towards a new Ford Maverick. 

Have you considered the new Integra Type S?  Might be middle ground between the GSR/BMW and offer more practicality than both.

BLRB said:

Have you considered the new Integra Type S?  Might be middle ground between the GSR/BMW and offer more practicality than both.

Yep, I sure have. I still haven't gotten around to driving one though. There are no Type S' in my area currently, but I could always take a spin in a lower model. 

I am just a bit wary about that car though. As mentioned earlier in the thread, I used to own an FK8 Type R- great car. But no matter what I did, I couldn't get my right knee to stop hurting while driving it, which led to me selling it. The ergonomics of some cars just don't fit me well I suppose- which has included just about every Honda I've ever driven, with the exception of the S2000. 

I know the new Integra is built on a mildly tweaked version of the FK8/FL5 architecture (for all intensive purposes, the FK8 and FL5 have pretty much the same bones underneath). Unless Acura altered the ergonomics substantially, I have concerns about it hurting my right knee... but I suppose it's at least worth taking one for a spin to see. 

I think the Integra Aspec seat is similar to the Type S, so you may be able to test drive one of those.  

I thought the integra was going to be your NASA TT car?

roninsoldier83 said:

Which has led me to an entirely different idea: 

-Buy a second set of dedicated snow tires and wheels for the S2000. Start driving it more in the winter.

All-seasons might be ok if you're only using them for when it's cold and wet. But a well balanced RWD car on the right tires is not only decently capable in the snow, but also immensely fun!

docwyte said:

I thought the integra was going to be your NASA TT car?

That was the original plan, which is why I hadn't considered getting rid of it previously. I've been off of the forums and FB groups for a while now (1-2 months) and when it came time to sign up for PPIR autoX groups, I've skipped it. I made a thread a couple months ago that sums everything up:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/do-any-of-you-ever-think-about-giving-up-this-hobby/258924/page1/

Nothing is set in stone, but the more I'm pulling away from racing and wrenching, the more fun I'm having with life in general. We'll see. I'm in no hurry. 

Driven5 said:

roninsoldier83 said:

Which has led me to an entirely different idea: 

-Buy a second set of dedicated snow tires and wheels for the S2000. Start driving it more in the winter.

All-seasons might be ok if you're only using them for when it's cold and wet. But a well balanced RWD car on the right tires is not only decently capable in the snow, but also immensely fun!

I agree! I used to drive V8 powered RWD cars on snow tires at work for about 5-6 years- it's a good time! 

Although I am not convinced that dedicated snow tires are worthwhile on the S2000. I absolutely plan on putting dedicated wheels and snow tires on the 128i next winter (maybe even before the season is over this winter?). The Xterra has new mountain/snowflake all-terrains, so when the snow gets deep, the Xterra will be driven. Otherwise, if the snow starts falling, I think I would have more fun in the BMW than I would in the S2000. For the S2000, I was thinking UHP all-seasons, just so I wasn't so hesitant to drive it in the wet and cold (or cloudy in the winter for that matter). 

On the recommendation of GRM, I drove a lightly used 2023 Acura Integra A-spec manual today. 

Before I go further, I'm out. It's a really good car that I would likely recommend to others, but it absolutely hurt my knee to drive it. Likely not as bad as my old Type R, but there's something about the pedal spacing and overall ergonomics that doesn't play nice with my right knee. I think it's because the pedals are spaced far to the right, pressing my right knee into the center console and forcing it to turn at an odd angle. All I know, is that it's a deal breaker for sure. 

To compare with the new Integra, I drove my 128i out to the dealership. My abbreviated review/comparison of the Integra vs 128i: 

-RWD > FWD
-N/A I6 > Turbo 4
-Hydraulic steering >>> EPS
-50/50 > 60>40

Absent my knee pain, I think the new Integra is a really good car. For all intensive purposes, it's really just a tarted up Civic Si. Which, the Civic Si is a good car- so there's nothing wrong with that. With that said, even if it didn't cause me any knee pain, I couldn't see myself selling my 128i for the new Integra- I prefer driving the little BMW. 

The little 1.5T powered Acura isn't fast (neither is my BMW), but it's a torquey little motor! While it's nothing to write home about, for commuting, I would have no complaints with the little 1.5T. Compared to my BMW, I think the turbo motor has a bit more low-end torque, but I prefer the smoother, more linear pull of the N52. I also prefer the noises the N52 makes, by a lot. 

The Acura handles well- it stays flat in the corners, despite the fact that it also rides very well. Knee pain aside, I wouldn't hesitate to take the new Integra on a road trip, as it was very compliant on the freeway. The Integra is very composed and felt very confidence inspiring on the 1 back road I took it on. With that said, my little Bimmer is more fun and engaging. Going around corners, the Integra's steering almost feels choppy- like maybe the car was trying to vary the amount of assist or something? It feels like driving a robot. A very well-trained robot, but a robot nonetheless. It cannot come close to the feel and feedback that I receive from the E82's hydraulic rack. 

I have no idea which of them would be faster around corners at full speed at a race track (and frankly, I don't care). But what I do know is that the BMW is more fun around corners on a back road. The way the BMW rotates feels very natural in a way that a modern FWD car just isn't going to match. You can tune a suspension on a FWD car rotate, but at the end of the day, there's no replacing the feel of a well balanced 50/50 weight distribution RWD car. The Integra isn't bad. If I was comparing it to other modern FWD cars, I would say it's very very good. But it will never be inherently balanced and it will never rotate like a RWD car. 

The Integra's shifter is pretty decent. It's nothing to write home about, but it's much better than most of the modern manuals on the market (that's not saying much), sans the Miata. I could tell it's a cable shifter within the first couple of gears- it's very smooth and I never came close to missing a gear, but it is a far cry off from the old school mechanical linkage boxes Honda used to make. I'll be honest, I actually even preferred the BMW's shifter, even if it was only by a small margin (to be fair, I do have an "extended length" M shifter on it). Overall, the clutch and shifter in the Integra make it very easy to drive. 

Overall, the Integra has great visibility, plenty of space, comfortable front seats- I actually liked the red interior/seats! They were leather with alcantara center sections. An easy place to spend time in. 

The Acura is far more modern than my BMW, but I've never been an interior kind of guy, so it's wasted on a peasant like me. 

If it didn't hurt my knee, would I daily drive a new Integra? Absolutely! Would I ever consider trading my 128i in it? Not just no, but hell no. The little BMW is a more fun car to drive, without giving up anything in the way of overall driving comfort or ease of use. If I needed 4-doors and a usable back seat (and it didn't hurt my knee), and I couldn't simultaneously own multiple cars, I would certainly consider buying one. Take that for what it's worth.

At least I've struck it off the list, so I don't have to wonder. For the record, I know the Type S would be faster and more fun to drive, but the knee pain is an automatic deal breaker. 

If you don't count the ND Miata, of all the other vehicles I've driven in recent months, the Ford Maverick is my favorite; which, given my typical vehicle tastes, is shocking. 

In reply to roninsoldier83 :

I've been meaning to check out the PPIR auto-x format, as it seems more like a 1 lap TT vs auto-x.  Plus you don't have to be there all damn day.  

Hmm, if you're not going to track it and not really into hard core wrenching, what about selling the S2000 and integra (keeping the Xterra as the snow vehicle) and buying something like an E46 M3, E39 M5, E28 M5, etc.  Maybe selling the 128 as well depending on entry price of the other older BMW's

In reply to docwyte :

The PPIR autoX format is actually pretty good, assuming you don't mind making the drive down to PPIR. Half day schedule and no working the track beats the heck out of the SCCA! It's pretty easy to class your car (there aren't many classes) and most of folks down there aren't terribly serious. It's a pretty good time. 

Brother, I don't know if I need anymore bad ideas haha! I've looked at E46 and E90/92 M3's more times than I can count, but never pulled the trigger. I know it's not supposed to be the worst job on earth, but the rod bearings put a bit of a scare in me (coincidentally, they're common failure points on both cars/motors). I should probably go drive them sometime, but I'm a bit worried that I'll fall in love and find myself driving home in a car that will slowly try to bankrupt me.

With that said, I'm also not convinced they're more fun to drive than the S2000... I've driven hundreds of cars in my life and I don't know many cars that even come close. The only cars I've ever driven that were very close to the S2000's fun factor are the NC/ND Miata, the 987 Cayman/Boxster S and a lightly modded C6 Z06. I came close to driving a 987S home a couple of times. The last time I drove a 987S, my wife fell in love with that car, trying to talk me into buying it- but I preferred the S2000 by the smallest of margins. There's no doubt, the E46 or E90 M3 would absolutely be a better daily vs an S2000, but I'm not sure either would be more fun... I suppose there's only 1 way to find out. 

With that said, I can't see any compelling reason to sell the 128i. I've done all the major maintenance on it. It's wonderful to drive and if something ever happened to the motor, it's cheap to replace. Plus, it's not in pristine condition, which is appealing sometimes (I fear neither hail, nor parking lot door dings). 

Back to the Mini you mentioned above, I had a similar experience with a newer Mini. They have somehow lost the magic handling the early cars had. They handle well, there's just something missing. 

What did you mean by auto hold? Like it won't hold a gear to redline? 

Why not sell the S2k and the Integra and just have the BMW?

In reply to CyberEric :

Agreed on the Mini. I drove a lowly base model, non-S manual about 15+ years ago and was laughing the whole time! Not so with the current generation. 
 

Auto hold as in when the car comes to a complete stop, the brake automatically comes on, holding the car in place until you touch the gas (so you don't have to hold the brake the whole time). I first discovered this feature with my former Tesla and loved it. Since EV's come this way naturally, manufacturers have started adding this feature to ICE cars in recent years and it's wonderful for light to light traffic. 
 

There's no reason I couldn't sell both the S2000 and the Integra. The S2000's roof does come down for those rare occasions and as good as the BMW is, the S2000 is a slightly more engaging/fun car to drive overall. Who knows, it's always an option. 

In reply to roninsoldier83 :

Well, the BMW's are just better road cars than the S2000.  They just check off more boxes since they're coupes and more of a "real car" if you get my meaning.  An E46 M3 S54 at 8000 rpm is pretty cool, although the rest of the car might not give that much better of an experience compared to your 128.

Rod bearings aren't that big of an issue and at this point I'd just buy one that's had "The Big 3" (rod bearings, rear subframe reinforcement and vanos) fixed already.

In reply to roninsoldier83 :

Just FYI: Mazda & Subarus have had Hill assist (Mazda's term) for years.  I remember playing with it on my friends 05(?) Mazda 6.  The ND has it, as you might have noticed.

One (very) minor nitpick: it's "for all intents and purposes," not "for all intensive purposes."

Thanks for the in depth reviews, I've been enjoying reading along on your adventure.

WonkoTheSane said:

In reply to roninsoldier83 :

Just FYI: Mazda & Subarus have had Hill assist (Mazda's term) for years.  I remember playing with it on my friends 05(?) Mazda 6.  The ND has it, as you might have noticed.

One (very) minor nitpick: it's "for all intents and purposes," not "for all intensive purposes."

Thanks for the in depth reviews, I've been enjoying reading along on your adventure.

 

Glad you've enjoyed my rambling word salads! I appreciate the feedback/phrase correction... although I can't resist lol: 

As far as Hill Assist goes, Auto Hold is different as it applies to automatics as well. Unless I'm mistaken and Hill Assist worked on automatics as well? I actually started using the Auto Hold term as that was what the button was called in my 2021 Mazda 3 Turbo: 

docwyte said:

In reply to roninsoldier83 :

Well, the BMW's are just better road cars than the S2000.  They just check off more boxes since they're coupes and more of a "real car" if you get my meaning.  An E46 M3 S54 at 8000 rpm is pretty cool, although the rest of the car might not give that much better of an experience compared to your 128.

Rod bearings aren't that big of an issue and at this point I'd just buy one that's had "The Big 3" (rod bearings, rear subframe reinforcement and vanos) fixed already.

If I get a chance, I'll take an E46 M3 and an E90/92 M3 for a spin, just to see. Although you guessed my likely biggest issue: aside from the motors, I'm not sure if they'll offer much more experience over my E82. But it never hurts to take one for a ride, just to see. Who knows, I might walk away trying to figure out why I haven't bought one yet  

I agree that 8000rpm is pretty cool. Oh the irony of currently owning 2 cars that spin to 8000rpm that I'm talking about selling lol. Granted, they both make far less torque. 

I hear ya on finding one with the big ticket items already done. My understanding is that the S65 V8 in the E90/92 is slightly less problematic (and there's no subframe issues to speak of). It's unfortunate that it comes in the bigger/heavier car. Too bad BMW never saw fit to swap the S65 into the smaller E82 1-series - that car is just the right size.