FamilyGuy

Just FYI... I have the Consumer Reports auto edition for this year, and the S2000 has their highest rating for reliability.

For a car that has got to be run ragged by almost all of its owners at one time or another, that's pretty impressive.

Rich

Herc, how much practicality do you really need? I've found that my Miata is incredibly practical. Even with the thin soft top, I've never been cold at all during winter, and I have gone skiing with it. I can easily fit my helmet, air compressor and two weeks of groceries inside the trunk without any problems. My g/f and I drove from Colorado to California with plenty of space, including our winter gear in case we got caught in a snow storm going over some mountain passes. I don't think the Stook is any less practical than a Miata, and I've never had a need for anything more.

I've bought too many boring cars in my life. The way I now buy cars is to first find out which cars will fulfill the minimum requirements I have. Once I've done that, I just pick the one that puts the biggest smile on my face. If I were you, I'd see if the S2000 meets your minimum requirements, and if it does, pick the car based simply upon the one you enjoy most. If you decide that you really can't live with the S2000's lack of practicality then it really shouldn't be on your list.

The grin you have after you get out of the car should be the thing that makes the decision for you. Another trick that my girlfriend uses is to flip a coin. Once the coin is in the air - or even before you flip it - see if you're hoping a certain side comes up.

I bought my Miata based on the grinning method. Before I went for test drives my list was S2000 first, MR2 second, Miata third. The MR2 simply didn't meet the practicality standard. I didn't enjoy the racket of redlining that engine, and kept comparing everything it did to the Miata. Hopefully it'll be that clear for you as well.

Whichever you decide on I'm sure you'll enjoy it tremendously.

Strom

One thing we should think about in the comparison between shifters is what the vehicle's design target is. The S2000 is a "no frills" and "no compromise" roadster. The shifter is designed that way. It's not made to keep out noise or vibration.

With the G35, on the other hand, Infiniti caters to the luxury segment in addition to the performance segment. As a result they have tuned some of the noise and vibration out of the shifter, which reduces the feel and probably increases the play.

While that does not minimize the fact that the S2000 shifter "feels better" than the G35's, it at least gives us a reason. Additionally, the feel of the G35's tranny could most likely be improved more drastically than the S2000's with the addition of a short-shift kit and some other aftermarket items.

By no means am I recommending one car over the other. I'm just giving some reasons that the transmissions may feel different.

Skyline Maniac

Actually..... wrong~ Nissan engineers thought about adding a rubber insulation to the 6MT in the G35C shifter to tune out the vibration. Then the cheif engineer stepped in and said such an act would be blasphemy to the Nissan Skyline, so they left the shifter linkage RAW like what they do on Nissan race cars. everything in the Nissan 6MT is metal to metal on purpose. You can FEEL the rpm and torque of the engine without having to look at the tach. :D

I was worried about the vibration when I purchased my car, so I did extensive research into this and talked to engineers from both US and Japan. They offered to add the rubber insulator to my shifter to make it 'smoother.' After careful consideration, I decided to keep my shifter the way the engineers designed it. People who are not used to this often criticize the excess vibration or feel. Think of the difference between the suspension of a Lexus LS430 and a RX-7TT and you'll see the analogy.

Jimmylove

I have a feeling most of those people who complained about shifter vibrations came from FWD cable linkages.

Drove another G35C yesterday through some very twisty roads for about 45 mins. The shifter on this was better than my last experience, but nothing to write home about.

Skyline Maniac

I agree, FWD cable linked shifters tend to feel very smooth. A friend with a Civic thought the shifter on his car feels 'smoother.':D Anyhow, I agree the S2000 has a better feeling shifter than the Nissan 6MT. My shifter gets slittle stiff on cold days, and acts funky in the 1-2 shift at times. Also, it seems more difficult to shift at high rpms..... The Nissan tranny seems to translate engine activity better than any other shifter I have tested though.

Strom

Wow - I was way off...

Maybe it's just because the S2000 has a better tranny?

Skyline Maniac

Gotta give credit where it is due. The S2000 has a great shifter. If I swap the Honda tranny in my car though.... it'll probably snap due to all the 'excess torque.'

Haris

Herc, if your gonna go for S2000, and weather is cold in ur area, you should go to honda dealer, cause I think they have hardtop for S2000. That'll be waay better than regular top.