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Roadster/Small RWD Market/Other Vehicle General Discussion Discussion about owning, loving, lusting, or coveting roadsters and other small RWD'rs and "other" general vehicle discussion. Competitive vehicles, other "cool drives" and other discussion related to the ownership experience.

       
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Old 04-07-2007, 01:22 PM   #1 (permalink)
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On the fence- Sky RL vs S2000

The Sky is pure sex visually. A couple things I hate: Manual top and no trunk space. The S2000 kicks the Sky's butt in these two departments (at least). Also, the dealers will not let you drive them. I'm standing there trying to make an honest decision and they will not let me drive the car. This is going to be my wife's daily driver. How is she to know if she can live with the car if she can't drive it? Went to the Honda dealer. He slapped a tag on the car and said you can have the car for an hour. No questions, no BS. He just let us go with it. I like that...A LOT! I understand the S2000 are more plentiful than the Sky right now, but geez I just want to take it around the block and get a feel for the car.
Here are my questions:
Accelleration S2000 vs Sky RL
Ride quality S2000 vs Sky RL
Build quality S2000 vs Sky RL
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Old 04-07-2007, 02:38 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Welcome to the forum.
I was reading your post and have to smile. So many people start out like this when they come over... Let me see if I can help - and then the best forum members in the world will add on I'm sure:
The manual top that EVERYONE who does NOT own a SKY complains about is really a dead horse issue. It takes less time with the manual top to raise and or lower than most, if not all auto tops - plus no boots or snaps or zipper stuff.
No trunk space - Where ya heading? My wife and I drove nearly 1000 miles and packed for a week - top in the trunk except for night parking. No problems. Sure you won't put many pieces of luggage but the back can be packed quite nicely - with duffel style bags etc. Soft sided stuff.
It is not a grocery getter... (except that some of us use it to get eggs - One trip for teh carton then 12 trips - one for each egg)
Taking one for a ride.
Since you can pick up a S2000 with no problem - then order a SKY - have it built to your specs -- then take it for a ride - if you don't like it -- don't buy it. After all there are Sooooooooooooooooo many S2000's (most likely 500,000 or so??) and less than 13,000 SKYs of which 99% are sold already.
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Old 04-07-2007, 03:40 PM   #3 (permalink)
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There are plenty of dealers in my area that will let you test drive Skys. If I were going to buy a S2000, I certainly would not buy a new one. I would look for one about 5 years old with low miles and save a bundle. NO ONE WOULD KNOW IT WASN"T A NEW ONE! They haven't changed & look very ho hum style wise. Performance wise, the S2000's are probably very good, although I understand you have to drive them with high RPM to get the performance.
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Old 04-07-2007, 03:46 PM   #4 (permalink)
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It is not a grocery getter...
Guess what? We went grocery shopping last week in the Sky. Got most of our regular stuff, $100 worth. It all fit in the trunk with the top up. Of course, we passed on the paper towels and cartons of Coke for another day.

We were cruising around beforehand, and he dropped me off at a store to take some merchandise back. When he drove back up to the door to get me, wow! Took my breath away. (I was talking about the car, but yes, he can still do that to me too). That's the #1 reason we bought it.

I love when people ask, well why didn't you get the 350Z, or a Boxster, or ... fill in the blanks. I just give the stock HOG answer... if I have to explain, you wouldn't understand.
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Old 04-07-2007, 04:22 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Granted this is a comparison to the non-turbo Sky, but you can get some analysis of other factors with this webpage: http://www.newcars.com/review_model/...22fc996016683a

(note: the page is auto generated based on comparison of facts about both cars and is not an independent review of both cars by someone who actually handled both cars side by side)
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Old 04-07-2007, 04:38 PM   #6 (permalink)
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The S2K has more toys (which you will pay for) but NOTHING beats driving my Sky. I have the base Sky and I find it's great to drive. Throw in the fact that people are watching me every where I go. People giving me the thumbs up. Peoples heads snaping as they catch a view of my Sky. They just don't look at the S2K that way anymore. It's a 7+ year old design.

I want to drive an RL cause I may put a turbo in mine eventually (not that she needs it).

As for trunk space. What can be said that hasn't already. It is a little tight sometimes going to work but this isn't the minivan and it is supposed to be a fun touring car.

Please let us know what you purchase.
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Old 04-07-2007, 04:59 PM   #7 (permalink)
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i believe this is the last year of the S2000... i could be wrong but I read it somewhere...as i recall...i may have had a senior moment though.
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Old 04-07-2007, 05:07 PM   #8 (permalink)
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I had planned on buying an S2000. But then they came out with the Sky. Then I was torn. It didn't take long to come to a decision.

Performance: They are so very close that its irrelevant.

Appearance: Appearance is, of course, a matter of personal preference; but for me it a no brainer. The S2000 hasn't really changed since it came out (what? 7 years ago?). The Sky, although not "brand new" (updated from the European Opel / Vauxhall) really appealled to the styling that I liked.

Pricing: The S2000 is $4000-$5000 more for the same perforance in a bland, outdated box.
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Old 04-07-2007, 05:09 PM   #9 (permalink)
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Try to call around and see if you can at least find a dealer that let's you test drive a regular Sky. It'll be slow (compared to a RL or S2K at least) but you really should be able to get a good feel for the car.

Last edited by Talz : 04-08-2007 at 04:31 AM.
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Old 04-07-2007, 06:05 PM   #10 (permalink)
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I have had the privlege of owning both. There is a lot less demand for the S2000 now as opposed to a couple of years ago so most dealers are flexible on pricing. The S2000 handles great and most of the specs are comparable to the Sky Redline. I have to tell you that I like the looks and performance of the Sky Redline better than the S2000. To get the performance out of the S2000 you have to drive it like you stole it. I remember stepping on the gas of the S2000 and the engine would bog until the rpms got into the 4000-6000 range. The Sky Redline is a torque monster and when you step on the gas it goes!! The link below will give you detailed specs of both cars.


http://www.edmunds.com/apps/nvc/edmu...op=3&tab=specs
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Old 04-07-2007, 08:34 PM   #11 (permalink)
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I also have had the pleasure of owning both a Sky RL and an S2000. I ended up selling the Sky RL because I wasn't happy enough with the performance. I think the performance of the S2k is slightly better, along with the gas mileage (again only a minor, minor difference). The looks of the Sky are obviously much nicer. I also found the Sky's seats to be more comfortable. I sold my Sky to get a Corvette...or so I thought. I ended up not being a Corvette (but that is another story) and I still have the S2000. I'm happy with the decision to keep the S2000 for several reasons:
1. It's nice to be able to put the top up/down while I'm stopped at a light or stop sign.
2. It's a Honda and they are known to be built very, very well and last forever.
3. I can put groceries (standing up) and other things in the trunk.
It also feels more like a sports car to me....I think because it hugs my body so tightly and I felt more connected to the road (I guess that possibly goes under better handling.

My final piece of advice is if you decide to go with a Sky, go with a RL. I test drove several base models and there is a huge, huge difference. Unless you don't care about performance and only want the look, then the base model will be perfect!

Good luck with your decision. Either way you can't go wrong.
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Old 04-07-2007, 09:43 PM   #12 (permalink)
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I agree with SkyFan. You can go down to CarMax and pick up an S2000 for $15-20K. Also, it is fairly clear from reading Autoblog.com that the S2000 will be undergoing a major re-engineering in the next year or two. Therefore, the depreciation will be a lot steeper than that of an RL. One of my reasons for choosing the RL is that it will in both style and demand for many years. If you catch one, you will be at the front of the curve. At 10K units a year, the RL will be an eyecatcher for sometime. Just a few facts to consider.

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Old 04-07-2007, 10:13 PM   #13 (permalink)
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This post is a waste of time,IMHO. Good luck-
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Old 04-08-2007, 12:53 AM   #14 (permalink)
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I am devastated to learn that I drive a slow car and don't care about performance.
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Old 04-08-2007, 01:15 AM   #15 (permalink)
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I am devastated to learn that I drive a slow car and don't care about performance.
Same here, boo hoo my 2.4L SKY is such a below average performer.
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Old 04-08-2007, 01:20 AM   #16 (permalink)
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pro

-s2000 have performance that almost matches that of the sky rl.
-top is a great luxury to have
-newer model (05 and up) has revised look with nicer head/tail lights and rims
-interior is a bit tight but very sporty
-closest thing you will get to a honda race car
-better reliability (not only is it a honda, it is completely built in Japan. thats a big plus for anyone that knows anything about honda and cars in general)
-will be a proud member of the japan/import tuner market. more options if you choose to tune it
-although the look is dated, it is classic and recognizable
-not as common as most say but definitely found more than the sky

all in all, the only thing it comes down to is styling. you have to decide whether or not you want the flashy, unique sky or the simple yet classice s2k. i personally would go with an s2k for a number of reasons. But one thing is for sure, if you can afford it new, go for new. like any sports car, people beat the hell out of them and a high revving engine, dont play with. you dont want trouble in the future.
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Old 04-08-2007, 01:43 AM   #17 (permalink)
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That's a couple of times in this thread that someone has talked about the superior reliability of a Honda.

I actually made the decision to buy my Redline when I did because my Honda (which i bought for its reliabilty) was a piece of crap. With just under 50K miles on it over three years, it had $2500 worth of stuff just fall off of it or stop working that never should have.

I got tired of putting money into a car I didn't really want to begin with and bought the Saturn. Will the Saturn be reliable? Who knows....these cars are way too new for anyone to really that yet.
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Old 04-08-2007, 01:57 AM   #18 (permalink)
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You know

this whole thread talking about an import car on a Sky thread really makes me want to ask the mods to put this whole thread under general discussion of sportscars in general because we do not need to clutter up the general sky discussion thread with this on the fence stuff. If I were you either jump off the fence or jump off the thread ..Just my own opinion on a pos honda...Skip...
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Old 04-08-2007, 02:03 AM   #19 (permalink)
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I am devastated to learn that I drive a slow car and don't care about performance.

the 2.4 sky is neither slow nor has poor performance. It's not a speed demon like the RL, but it does 0-60 in 7.2 seconds (that's the stick I think...if I'm not mistaken, the auto is slightly quicker), and has plenty of power to deal with traffic situations and most of all to have fun in. It's much faster than my old 300zx and also my old eclips GT that had a V6. It also handles very well.

Performance-wise, the 2.4 sky is comparable to the 2.5 BMW Z4. The RL is comparable to the 3.0 Z4. When I started thinking about a new car, I considered the sky, solstice, s2000, z3 and z4. The sky won. A RL would have been nice but I ended up with the 2.4 and am happy with it. Sure, I'll try and get as much performance and speed out of it as I can with mods like header, ecm tune, etc... and I may trade it for a RL one day but as it stands, the 2.4 is a respectable performer.
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Old 04-08-2007, 02:28 AM   #20 (permalink)
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Listen, I am not going to repeat what has already been said. I will make it simple. We live in America, land of choices.

It boils down to this, you either want to burn Rice, and zip around town with the little exhause sticking three feet out the back, with an engine sound of a motor cycle revving so high it sounds like its about to blow gaskets.

Or you want some new sexy American Style.

The s2000 is about as classic as a Yugo. In my opinion all the Japanese cars all look the same. The Acura, Toyota, Nissan, damn I am sick of these cheesy car designs.

I only buy German or American, that's where the new designs are. The age of the Japanese Car Design being fresh is gone.

Why do people care so much about damn trunk space. If you want trunk space buy a minivan.

And how is the S2000 feel more sporty. I have driven both extensivly and the Sky feels more firmly planted to the ground. Also sports cars are all about Torque. The Sky will give you more torque at 2500 RPM than the S2000 at 5000RPM. Who wants to hear the damn engine winding up so high before it goes anywhere. There is no better Torque curve, in it's class than the SKY.

Lastly, auto top, who cares. The manual goes up in 22 Seconds (I have timed myself and that is actual). I will race your autotop anyday, and the look with the top down on the Sky is way more finished - NO UGLY BOOT.
How many times do you put the top up or down anyway?

I do not see how the decision is so hard, they are two totally different cars, even though looking at stats and class they are similar. Good Luck, you can tell which one I think is better (or do I need to rant more).

In short the S2000 is a BOY RACER, and the SKY is a Mens Car For MEN.

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Old 04-08-2007, 02:48 AM   #21 (permalink)
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In all sencerity

I agree that if this is a Sky forum why oh why ask us to corsider a Honda or other sportscar than our Sky Roadsters? It is like asking me to be a vegaterian and it tant going to happen. So to end the discussion get off the fence and get a Sky or get a ricer...Skip...but DO NOT tell us how good it is to be a ricer because we have already made our minds up a long time ago..