Civic Type R vs S2000

[redwing497]

I'll be getting my R in about a week or two. I'm also fortunate enough to have a S2K. In my 20+ years of driving, I've never had a car for more than 3 years. As I got older, I leased for 3 and got something new. The S2K is the only exception. I've become very attached to it (2007 AP2) and will own it for 8 years this May.

I haven't driven or even rode in a CTR yet. I'm sure I'm going to love it, but if I'm ever forced to unload one, the S2K is going to stay right where it is. I just love the car. I don't get to drive it too often, so when I do, it's always an event. Just an amazing car.

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[Jinba-Ittai]

After a year and a half it's nice to see this thread is still active. I have an S2000, test drove the Type R, ended up purchasing a 2018 Accord Sport 2.0T 10AT as my daily driver. A little more than a year ago I really wanted to have both the CTR and my S2000, I looked at lots of options and did lots of test drives.

My test drive of the CTR was a bit disappointing at the time, it was used but only 1200 miles, it was at CarMax and had not been taken care of at all but it was an opportunity I didn't want to pass up. However, at the end of the day, I couldn't justify the $12k cost over the 2.0T Accord that has many more features which make my daily commute much easier.

However, every time I see a CTR on the road when I'm going to work, I wonder if I made the right choice considering I used to do my 50 mile commute in the S2000, I'm sure the Type R would be fine. I may not keep the Accord more than a few years, particularly if Honda updates the Type R with a few more creature comforts, an updated infotainment system, and the dealers quit trying to add ADM and other mandatory accessories to every purchase.

You made a good decision to keep the s2000. For the CTR to really shine, you need drive it faster than the s2000 (on a track or mountains). The s2000 is fun at any speed--especially the AP1. I like the immediate throttle response (being NA) of the s2000 and the slighter more mechanical fee of the shift (having a direct link vs. cable). The Accord Sport a great car and fun to drive I hear. The CTR will hold value better in the long run. If you can get into a CTR while keeping the s2000, it is the perfect Honda package. It is really unfair to compare the CTR to a car like the s2000, which was built on its own platform, engine, and none of the comprises, design restrictions, and regulations of the current market. The CTR is an amazing engineering accomplishment by Honda.

 

[S2k_Dude]

Having both the CTR & S2000 would have been nice, I probably would have driven the S2000 even less than I do today. The Accord 2.0T is a beast of a car, and the largest car I've ever owned. I'm thinking of adding the Honda Flashpro upgrade sometime in the near future, I usually don't mod any of my cars, I like them 100% bone stock, the way Honda designed it and I like to stay away from adding any reliability problems from modding.

As for resale value, it really wouldn't matter as much for the CTR as I think I would have kept it for many years, but when I check Edmunds.com, the 2018 CTR is definitely winning with a much lower overall decrease in value. However, if I were to factor in ADM (or even stupid mark-up on accessories) and the fact that I got $4,000 off the Accord, the overall decrease in value is roughly the same right now but will most likely favor the CTR over time.

 

[EVAD1]

have a boosted s2k and 17 CTR
both cars are super fast but very different.

 

[garoto]

I own a 2018 Championship White CTR and a 2005 Rio Yellow Pearl S2000 and I would never ever get rid of my S2000 as much as I love my CTR. The S2000 has so much soul, you can tell it was created with love. The CTR, we are talking about the same car with dish washing seat cloth on the rear. The S2000, lets put it this way, it has leather seat back pockets on both seats, without there being rear passengers.

Absolutely nothing beats top down, 50/50 weight, direct link 6MT, RWD and the sexy ass sounds the S2000 makes.

When creating a performance cars, Honda doesn’t go “hey yo! Yo g’neers, we’re creating a sports car, go get me the best 5 seats and four doors you can find”

I love my Type R, but what it does well as a result of a great suspension setup, the S2000 does better as a result of an excellent chassis. FWD cripples the Type R by default in terms of driving enjoyment. But the balance of performance and practicality can’t be found in any car other than the Type R.

I would however, never get rid of the S2000. That car can only be pried out of my cold dead hands.

 

[ipeefreely]

I had a S2k which I built up and tracked extensively. I was coming from a GTR and mainly got the car because all my car friends told me that it'd be a good car to learn on. Didn't take much time for me to realize what they meant as I dug deeper into the platform.

From the start, I had a love / hate relationship with the s2k. My 06 AP2 s2k, which I bought for a cheaply 6.5k, had some issues from the get go. For one, the engine had a staggering 165k miles on it and was showing signs of aging. There was also the fact that the car was over a decade old and needed everything to be updated and / or replaced. If it didn't need an upgrade, it usually needed one after a couple of days at the track. But once you get all the issues sorted out and you're on the track just hammering it out, I don't think any car could put a smile on my face like the s2k did.

About a year ago, I ended up selling my s2k, a decision I still regret up to this day. I had just found out that my wife was pregnant and I was really missing the modern amenities my other cars had. There was also the fact that even with "upgrades" such as a roll cage and harness, you have to question whether that would triumph over the 10 plus years car companies had to develop relevant safety features. So out with the s2k and in with the M2.

Purchasing the M2 was my biggest regret. Not trying to bash on the car but looking back I honestly think it was a doomed comparison to begin with. I mean, let's be real here, I was comparing my fully built s2k track weapon against a basically stock m2. I threw some money into the M2 to try to make it comparable but it was a lost cause. The car was too heavy and I realized I missed the lightweight momentum feel of the s2k. So I sold the m2 and a couple of months later ended up in the CTR.

The CTR is able to hold its own. Is it as much fun as the s2k? No. But I don't mind because it does everything else so much better. I can fit another set of wheels, a tent, and all my tools in the back. I can listen to music, enjoy AC, and drive for hours without major bruising on both my arms (i had nowhere to put my arms in the s2k). I'm still friends with a lot of the guys in the s2k community and I always get asked how the CTR compares. I'll tell you what I told them. Aside from the fun factor, which the CTR does 90% of it, it beats the s2k in every other department.

 

[FK8_K20c1]

I had a S2k which I built up and tracked extensively. I was coming from a GTR and mainly got the car because all my car friends told me that it'd be a good car to learn on. Didn't take much time for me to realize what they meant as I dug deeper into the platform.

From the start, I had a love / hate relationship with the s2k. My 06 AP2 s2k, which I bought for a cheaply 6.5k, had some issues from the get go. For one, the engine had a staggering 165k miles on it and was showing signs of aging. There was also the fact that the car was over a decade old and needed everything to be updated and / or replaced. If it didn't need an upgrade, it usually needed one after a couple of days at the track. But once you get all the issues sorted out and you're on the track just hammering it out, I don't think any car could put a smile on my face like the s2k did.

About a year ago, I ended up selling my s2k, a decision I still regret up to this day. I had just found out that my wife was pregnant and I was really missing the modern amenities my other cars had. There was also the fact that even with "upgrades" such as a roll cage and harness, you have to question whether that would triumph over the 10 plus years car companies had to develop relevant safety features. So out with the s2k and in with the M2.

Purchasing the M2 was my biggest regret. Not trying to bash on the car but looking back I honestly think it was a doomed comparison to begin with. I mean, let's be real here, I was comparing my fully built s2k track weapon against a basically stock m2. I threw some money into the M2 to try to make it comparable but it was a lost cause. The car was too heavy and I realized I missed the lightweight momentum feel of the s2k. So I sold the m2 and a couple of months later ended up in the CTR.

The CTR is able to hold its own. Is it as much fun as the s2k? No. But I don't mind because it does everything else so much better. I can fit another set of wheels, a tent, and all my tools in the back. I can listen to music, enjoy AC, and drive for hours without major bruising on both my arms (i had nowhere to put my arms in the s2k). I'm still friends with a lot of the guys in the s2k community and I always get asked how the CTR compares. I'll tell you what I told them. Aside from the fun factor, which the CTR does 90% of it, it beats the s2k in every other department.

PLUS! you get extra 2 seats on the back.

 

[ipeefreely]

PLUS! you get extra 2 seats on the back.

haha my 2 seats are gone but there's still plenty of space left for other things.

 

[garoto]

I had a S2k which I built up and tracked extensively. I was coming from a GTR and mainly got the car because all my car friends told me that it'd be a good car to learn on. Didn't take much time for me to realize what they meant as I dug deeper into the platform.

From the start, I had a love / hate relationship with the s2k. My 06 AP2 s2k, which I bought for a cheaply 6.5k, had some issues from the get go. For one, the engine had a staggering 165k miles on it and was showing signs of aging. There was also the fact that the car was over a decade old and needed everything to be updated and / or replaced. If it didn't need an upgrade, it usually needed one after a couple of days at the track. But once you get all the issues sorted out and you're on the track just hammering it out, I don't think any car could put a smile on my face like the s2k did.

About a year ago, I ended up selling my s2k, a decision I still regret up to this day. I had just found out that my wife was pregnant and I was really missing the modern amenities my other cars had. There was also the fact that even with "upgrades" such as a roll cage and harness, you have to question whether that would triumph over the 10 plus years car companies had to develop relevant safety features. So out with the s2k and in with the M2.

Purchasing the M2 was my biggest regret. Not trying to bash on the car but looking back I honestly think it was a doomed comparison to begin with. I mean, let's be real here, I was comparing my fully built s2k track weapon against a basically stock m2. I threw some money into the M2 to try to make it comparable but it was a lost cause. The car was too heavy and I realized I missed the lightweight momentum feel of the s2k. So I sold the m2 and a couple of months later ended up in the CTR.

The CTR is able to hold its own. Is it as much fun as the s2k? No. But I don't mind because it does everything else so much better. I can fit another set of wheels, a tent, and all my tools in the back. I can listen to music, enjoy AC, and drive for hours without major bruising on both my arms (i had nowhere to put my arms in the s2k). I'm still friends with a lot of the guys in the s2k community and I always get asked how the CTR compares. I'll tell you what I told them. Aside from the fun factor, which the CTR does 90% of it, it beats the s2k in every other department.

The CTR isn’t 90% as fun as the S2000. It’s hardly half as fun.
- 62/38 vs 50/50
- 3100 lbs vs 2800lbs
- FWD vs RWD
- high center of gravity vs low center of gravity
- Roof vs convertible
- Cable MT vs Direct Link MT
- Silent engine sounds vs Sexy Engine Sounds
- 6800 RPM cutoff vs 8200rpm

You wound up bruised from the S2000 from all your mods. To me, there’s a difference between fun, and fast. Clearly the CTR is the fastest car, but not the funnest.

 

[ipeefreely]

The CTR isn’t 90% as fun as the S2000. It’s hardly half as fun.
- 62/38 vs 50/50
- 3100 lbs vs 2800lbs
- FWD vs RWD
- high center of gravity vs low center of gravity
- Roof vs convertible
- Cable MT vs Direct Link MT
- Silent engine sounds vs Sexy Engine Sounds
- 6800 RPM cutoff vs 8200rpm

You wound up bruised from the S2000 from all your mods. To me, there’s a difference between fun, and fast. Clearly the CTR is the fastest car, but not the funnest.

with all due respect but I feel like "fun" is sort of a ambiguous word here. haha.

 

[garoto]

with all due respect but I feel like "fun" is sort of a ambiguous word here. haha.

Could be yes. I find the attributes of the S2000 funner.

 

[ipeefreely]

Could be yes. I find the attributes of the S2000 funner.

Not disagreeing with you man.

But as I mentioned before, the word "fun" can mean different things to different people. For me, having "fun" at the track, also means I'm able to haul a bunch of my crap there. haha.

If you're talking about pure driving enjoyment, the s2k wins all day, hands down.

 

[Dragnet]

What are those blue things in the back?

 

[garoto]

Yeah l

Not disagreeing with you man.

But as I mentioned before, the word "fun" can mean different things to different people. For me, having "fun" at the track, also means I'm able to haul a bunch of my crap there. haha.

If you're talking about pure driving enjoyment, the s2k wins all day, hands down.

Yeah, pure driving enjoyment is what I’m referring to. You’re very connected to everything in the S2000. In the CTR a lot of the world is numbed away.

 

[ipeefreely]

Yeah l


Yeah, pure driving enjoyment is what I’m referring to. You’re very connected to everything in the S2000. In the CTR a lot of the world is numbed away.

haha. Not everyone prefers that s2k feeling. Sometimes numbing it makes it less scary.

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