s15 vs dc2r

[tofuR]

Hey guys...

I'm being offered a direct swap for a 2002 model s15..
and im very impartial as to whether i should leave the honda fraternity for a datsun..

i love the idea of a rwd layout .. and i'd love to try it ..
but .. i dont like the idea of stepping out of my honda zone..
and getting something less reliable..


but ideally id like an s2k .

what would you do ??

[Danga]

Drive both, then buy what you like.

Blake loves his S15, it's a car that suits him far better than the DC2R.

Everycar has its problems, as long as its well maintained I can't see why a S15 wont be as reliable as any Honda.

Only "YOU" can answer your question, preference is up to the individual.

[tofuR]

i have driven them both..

and my preference is biased.. and weighted on empathy and familiarity of staying in my comfort zone with my dc2r..

hence i have asked for other people to chime in on what they would do in the situ..

[ATSE]

well put.

SR20DET is a great engine.. and will last just as long as a b18c7 if treated right. Is cost a factor? Insurance and maintenance will be higher with a s15. Also the s15 is basicaly a 2 seater... u can't fit anyone at the back, but I don't think you care if ur thinking about a s2K.

You'll prob be tempted to mod the s15 more also... after all it will respond better to mods than the dc2r... which will make you want more and more power.

I would probably change to a s15 if I were in your situation, because its a totally new experience with boost+rwd. But do what you feel comfortable with.

[BF]

Drive both,

Then buy what you like. Blake loves his S15 its a car that suits him far better than the DC2R.

Everycar has its problems, as long as its well maintained I cant see why a S15 cant be as reliable as a Honda.

Only "YOU" can answer your question, preference is up to the individual.

Spoken like a wise car enthusiast. In this case, any suggestion anyone can make will inevitably be based on the criteria they use to evaluate a car. Given that no two people have the same criteria it's a bit of a fruitless activity. Perhaps, it's a bit more objective and beneficial to highlight the good and bad aspects of each car? Bearing in mind that what constitutes good and bad attributes is by no means universal.

[tofuR]

i was hoping to get the good and bad aspects of each car from a general standpoint .. as i admittedly have very little experience with s15s ..

from a specific pov .. the downfall of my dc2r is the harshness for daily driving..
and simply the driveability of it all ..

the s15 .. used to be an auto .. in the earlier parts of its life.. and is now a manual ...

the paint on my dc2r is much better though ..

[Danga]

Spoken like a wise and learned car enthusiast. In this case, any suggestion anyone can make will inevitably be based on the criteria they use to evaluate a car. Given that no two people have the same criteria it's a bit of a fruitless activity. Perhaps, it's more objective and beneficial to highlight the good and bad aspects of each car?

exactly...

DC2R - a performance car for idiots, its easy to drive fast. Honda engineering etc... we all know about how good Honda's are. The DC2R is a real drivers car bar NONE!

S15 - a faster car with a far superior platform (FR). A harder, but more rewarding car to drive in any given state of tune. Responds fantastically to modifications, great tuning base. Nissan Engineering etc...

[ATSE]

To let you know... the 6 speed gearbox in the s15 is very weak. Many ppl have broken them and is a common problem. Alot of ppl opt to install the 5 speed s14 gearbox, because it is much stronger.

What is the condition like on the s15?

[kavehman]

Really depends on what you want,

I used to have a 97 DC2R when i lived in Canada then had it stolen, and went from that to a Civic VTIR (coupe), then an Accord Coupe which I eventually turboed.

I'm back with a DC2R, I have driven a lot of the other cars. All the performance cars out there eg (WRX, 200SX) all drive nicely and are extremely fast cars, but they just don't have the same raw feel as the DC2R.

Everything about the DC@ is a thrill, under 5K its like driving a normal honda albeit much better handling and a rougher drive, but when u hit the gas, the noise and explosion of sound is amazing.

The WRX I drove gave you amazing speed but seemed to do it so effortlessly, it just didn't feel that rewarding to drive, the 200SX gave me the same feel. They may be faster cars but they just don't seem more rewarding to drive.

They are much more comfortable cars though.

So depends on what you want, sounds like u want to move on.

[Justified]

i was hoping to get the good and bad aspects of each car from a general standpoint .. as i admittedly have very little experience with s15s ..

from a specific pov .. the downfall of my dc2r is the harshness for daily driving..
and simply the driveability of it all ..

the s15 .. used to be an auto .. in the earlier parts of its life.. and is now a manual ...

the paint on my dc2r is much better though ..

hehe - it's a blue s15 aye?

S15's are awesome cars..so are DC2R's..hehe

Both are awesome cars in its class..

The S15 is a great reliable RWD turbocharged car, which responds VERY well to bolt on mods. Is tail happy when you want it to me, but can also be set up nicely for the track. Being a RWD, it is the more superior platform.

On the other hand, the DC2R is perhaps one of the greatest FWD NA car ever made. Honda did a great job with it. The way it handles etc is just superb. I dare say it handles better (in its stock form) then my old S15 when it had coilovers, upgraded swaybars, some more bars here, and more bars there..hehe. It's a very confidence inspiring car to drive and is more forgiving than the S15 in a sense.

The S15 being a RWD may not be as forgiving, however once you actually work out how to drive it properly, it's just sooo rewarding. I believe the S15 is an awesome upgrade from a DC2R. You'll find it to be a very luxurious sports car (just like blake has..hehe). It won't feel as nimble as your dc2r, but who cares, at least it'll go vroooom tutututututut pshhhh. hehe

I reckon it's good experience to own one of each at least once in your life..hehe

[Jingers]

eric, never ever comprimise. get what you want, you will pay for ur mistakes later on if u dont.

you should like the car, you shouldnt have to learn to like the car

[noodleman]

eric you know you wanted a s15 from day 1

[fueltank]

You mentioned reliability. S15's are reliable if the owner has been sensible with it. 5000km oil + filter changes. No fully sick 1.5bar boost on stock turbo etc...

My 34 clocked 170,000kms on stock turbo with no problems. Now all you need to do is learn how to have fun in the S15.

In my opinion, get out of your comfort zone and have a go with the S15. Maybe even swap for a week and see how you like it. Don't let the brand blind you. RWD will be a totally different world to how you drive. And like Dave said, when driven correctly, it's very rewarding.

In the right hands and with the right mods, they have been doing consistent 1:07's @ Wakey.

[Justified]

eric, never ever comprimise. get what you want, you will pay for ur mistakes later on if u dont.

you should like the car, you shouldnt have to learn to like the car

Jinger's right..hehe.

Just get what you like..if you still feel a bit iffy about the S15, maybe its not the car for you. Maybe the S2K really is the car waiting for you..haha

After owning my S15 for 2.5 years or so, as soon as I hopped in a friend's DC2R for the first time, with the recaro seats hugging my butt, I turned on the engine, and knew at that point that it was a totally different car to the S15. After taking it for a quick drive around the block, I knew...I had to own one..hehehe.

There may have been several reasons for this though. After owning the S15 for 2.5 years, I guess I don't find it as exciting to drive around anymore. The DC2R, was something new, something different, and it was exciting to me..hehe. I still get butterflies in my stomach as I manuvour myself into the recaros and shut that door.

umm..I think I may have gone a bit offtopic there..haha. But moral of the story is, Jinger's is right - get what you really want, if u're unsure if its the car for you, but wanna just get it anyway and try to like it later on..don't. hehe

[Justified]

You mentioned reliability. S15's are reliable if the owner has been sensible with it. 5000km oil + filter changes. No fully sick 1.5bar boost on stock turbo etc...

My 34 clocked 170,000kms on stock turbo with no problems. Now all you need to do is learn how to have fun in the S15.

In my opinion, get out of your comfort zone and have a go with the S15. Maybe even swap for a week and see how you like it. Don't let the brand blind you. RWD will be a totally different world to how you drive. And like Dave said, when driven correctly, it's very rewarding.

In the right hands and with the right mods, they have been doing consistent 1:07's @ Wakey.

Heyy!

He's right too..hehe

The S15 is super reliable when treated right..But then again, that's with most cars..Treat them good, and it'll treat you good.

I must admit though, if I had owned a DC2R for 2.5 years, I'd probably feel the same way I do for the S15 as I do the DC2R now..maybe I just get bored of things easily..hehe