question for S2000 owners

[mert mert]

Sat in my first S2000 this weekend and i am 5'11 just woundering if the steering wheel has any adjustment neither myself or the used car sales person could find it just seemed a little low for me

TIA

[wuman82]

Non-adjustable steering wheel

[JohnJP27]

Kind of a bummer, but it's true, the steering wheel has no adjustments. One of the tradeoffs for a direct steering feel I suppose

[mert mert]

yea still waiting for it to warm up to drive one just wanted to see how I fit in one first

[sandiegan]

Kind of a bummer, but it's true, the steering wheel has no adjustments. One of the tradeoffs for a direct steering feel I suppose

S2000 kind of lacks steering feel IMO, compared to some other cars

[EricTheRad]

I'm 6' and I am able to dive in it comfortably with the seat back all the way.

[mert mert]

I'm 6' and I am able to dive in it comfortably with the seat back all the way.

I didn't really adjust the seat to much do they have height adjustments?

[KrautFed]

My best friend is 6'3" and I am 6'1". He has aftermarket seats and we both fit relatively well in either seat. I've never seen an S2000 as anything short of a race car with AC, radio, lights, etc... so it's surprising that we do fit.

[mouseOfMars]

No - s2k seats don't have height adjustment but some owners have swapped out the stock seat
rails with lower rails to address that issue.

I also remember seeing on S2ki that someone came up with a way to 'manually' adjust the steering
wheel height via spacers but I haven't been able to find a link to it.

[AKADriver]

When it comes to cars like this... Man gewöhnt sich daran.

Someone 5'11" or 6'0" should not need to have the seat all the way back. You just need to get used to having bent arms and bent legs and having things closer to you than they are in a big car.

[compy222]

No - s2k seats don't have height adjustment but some owners have swapped out the stock seat
rails with lower rails to address that issue.

I also remember seeing on S2ki that someone came up with a way to 'manually' adjust the steering
wheel height via spacers but I haven't been able to find a link to it.

as i understand you can fit spacers underneath the seat rails (like washers) between the seats and floor mounts. this will let the wheel get higher. otherwise you're just going to have to deal with it.

find a theft recovery with no seats and drop racing buckets in it.

good luck! it's totally worth it.

[Nephurus]

When it comes to cars like this... Man gewöhnt sich daran.

Someone 5'11" or 6'0" should not need to have the seat all the way back. You just need to get used to having bent arms and bent legs and having things closer to you than they are in a big car.

Should not need to? Get use to bent limbs? So we need to act like a 4'8" old woman with the steering wheel at our chest, and seat forward. We've all seen it. If the airbag goes, you go too, out the back window....

Just admit it Honda didn't think it through and it was meant for 5'1" people as that is the average height of people on that side of the ocean. "Americans? They will just have to bend their arms and legs to fit..."

[IHateSpeedBumps]

You just need to get used to having bent arms and bent legs and having things closer to you than they are in a big car.

This^, I get in some of my friends cars (they are my height +-2") and its a stretch to reach the pedals sometimes. Its like they drive with the tips of their toes.

This is much more comfortable

[AKADriver]

Should not need to? Get use to bent limbs? So we need to act like a 4'8" old woman with the steering wheel at our chest, and seat forward. We've all seen it. If the airbag goes, you go too, out the back window....

Just admit it Honda didn't think it through and it was meant for 5'1" people as that is the average height of people on that side of the ocean. "Americans? They will just have to bend their arms and legs to fit..."

Hyperbole is the most awesome thing in the world!

http://www.turnfast.com/tech_driving/driving_seating

I actually sit one detent back from this position for daily driving my Miata, and I'm nowhere near the end of seat travel.

Median male height in Japan is 5'7.5" and in the US is 5'9.5". however most cars are designed to accommodate the world 95th-percentile male which is about 6'2".

[sandiegan]

Should not need to? Get use to bent limbs? So we need to act like a 4'8" old woman with the steering wheel at our chest, and seat forward. We've all seen it. If the airbag goes, you go too, out the back window....

Just admit it Honda didn't think it through and it was meant for 5'1" people as that is the average height of people on that side of the ocean. "Americans? They will just have to bend their arms and legs to fit..."

My seat is nowhere near the back of how far it will go and I am 6'1"

[Fisherson]

I'm 6'4", 195lbs with a 36" inseam and I fit just fine in an S2000, in fact I dream of owning an AP1 someday soon.

[BltByKrmn]

My seat is nowhere near the back of how far it will go and I am 6'1"

x2, I'm 6'1" and the seat rails were nowhere near the back in my S2000.

It did take some getting used to with the steering wheel being low, but if it really bothered you that much you could get a D wheel.

[Nephurus]

"It did take some getting used to with the steering wheel being low, but if it really bothered you that much you could get a D wheel."

I guess you just can't make any turns...

[Matt15]

obviously it's not for everyone but no matter your size, it does feel cramped at the beginning. just give it a chance and go on a thorough test drive to see if you can get used to it. my 6'7" buddy was able to drive my car despite his knees pretty much being pushed into his face

[DaddyOfPayton]

http://www.turnfast.com/tech_driving/driving_seating

I actually sit one detent back from this position for daily driving my Miata, and I'm nowhere near the end of seat travel.

Median male height in Japan is 5'7.5" and in the US is 5'9.5". however most cars are designed to accommodate the world 95th-percentile male which is about 6'2".

The only problem I see with that site is that it completely neglects the airbag effect (i.e. you should sit as far back as possible frm an airbag equipped wheel). But I do prefer to sit closer in my non-airbag car

[dmorrow]

The only problem I see with that site is that it completely neglects the airbag effect (i.e. you should sit as far back as possible frm an airbag equipped wheel). But I do prefer to sit closer in my non-airbag car

If your 5'11" (or close) I don't understand this reasoning, maybe if your 5'. The airbag should be designed to work with a normal sized driver in the proper driving position.

So with your non-airbag car you are ok with running your face into the steering wheel but you don't want the airbag to hit you too hard in the other car?

[xombiesarelove]

This is much more comfortable

Is that Jay Leno?

[unintended acceleration]

Even though the wheel isn't adjustable, it seems to be in the perfect position because I never thought to move it. I am also 6 2" and it is cramped, but not uncomfortable.

It takes some getting used to at first because it is tiny inside, the shoulder room is laughable. I am ~190 lbs and my back/shoulder are too wide for the back of the seat to fit perfectly but I don't give a ****. This thing is too much fun for me to be picky about this stuff....

My opinion on these questions is that if you are thinking about it, the car probably isn't for you. 02c.

To clarify, the car has quirks with this stuff. Your right knee will probably hit the radio door when it is folded down, your head may stick up above or at the windshield frame etc.. You won't have much room to your left by the drivers door. I can't even fit my arm between my left leg and the drivers doorhandle for example, its tiny.

Frankly it does a pretty ****ty job of being anything but fun...

[DaddyOfPayton]

If your 5'11" (or close) I don't understand this reasoning, maybe if your 5'. The airbag should be designed to work with a normal sized driver in the proper driving position.

American airbags are designed according to FMVSS, and for an UNBELTED driver. They deploy much harder than they need to for belted drivers, and therefore it is suggested you sit a minimum of 12 inches away from the wheel. If you sit as the instructions read above, you are less than a foot from the wheel.

So with your non-airbag car you are ok with running your face into the steering wheel but you don't want the airbag to hit you too hard in the other car?

My face won't hit the wheel; I wear a shoulder belt. And if an airbag was able to be turned off, I would never drive another car that had them turned on. Have you ever had one deploy into you? I have. American airbags = teh suck

[Dave Zero]

I wish the S2000 wheel adjusted. The car is tighter than a NB Miata. I will say the AP2 S2000 has a bit more shoulder room than the AP1. I can fit AP2, but not AP1.

I sat in a Boxster and there is a ton of room. Also the Corvette has a ton or room.
So does the Nissan Z. Try the Boxster if you really need the extra space, it seems to have the most room out of all the affordable sports cars.

[300_munkeys]

When it comes to cars like this... Man gewöhnt sich daran.

Someone 5'11" or 6'0" should not need to have the seat all the way back. You just need to get used to having bent arms and bent legs and having things closer to you than they are in a big car.

Agree 100%.

I am 6' and my seat is definitely not all the way back. Once you get used to the position its very comfortable and easy to drive.

[Rob]

You can adjust the height of the wheel using shims. I think the procedure is either on S2ki or I Love S2000 (Japanese blog). You need horseshoe shaped washers. You can adjust the wheel a decent amount using this procedure. I was going to do it years ago but just got aftermarket seats instead. I'm 6'1" and don't have my seat all the way back. I did however, have them installed as close to the floorpan as possible.

[InternetMeme]

I'm 6'3" and don't have any problems sitting comfortable in an S2000. Granted, the seat is all the way back but it's still a comfortable ride.

[AKADriver]

American airbags are designed according to FMVSS, and for an UNBELTED driver. They deploy much harder than they need to for belted drivers, and therefore it is suggested you sit a minimum of 12 inches away from the wheel. If you sit as the instructions read above, you are less than a foot from the wheel.

AP1 S2000s have second-generation, depowered airbags. It's likely that AP2s have multi-stage third-generation airbags. This is less of an issue than it was. Why did you bump a year-old thread for this?

My face won't hit the wheel; I wear a shoulder belt. And if an airbag was able to be turned off, I would never drive another car that had them turned on. Have you ever had one deploy into you? I have. American airbags = teh suck

Cars which have airbags have seat belts which are designed to work with them, incorporating force limiters and (starting in the early 2000s) explosive pretensioners. For instance, NA Miatas sold outside the US (no airbag) have different seat belts; the US models have breakaway stitching.

If you think getting hit with an airbag is bad, the alternative is worse, in a sufficiently strong crash.

[AndyG86]

I'm 6'3" my problem is getting in and out of an s2k. Once I am in the car it fits pretty well on you get use to the size. My biggest thing is the space between the door sill and the dash as my feet are not able to get thru that area without being twisted. It is also a pain to get in and out with the top up.

[dmorrow]

American airbags are designed according to FMVSS, and for an UNBELTED driver. They deploy much harder than they need to for belted drivers, and therefore it is suggested you sit a minimum of 12 inches away from the wheel. If you sit as the instructions read above, you are less than a foot from the wheel.

Happened to have a tape measure near my desk and if I can say if my head was only 12" from the wheel it would be impossible to go around a corner without shuffling the wheel really quickly. I think adjusting your seating position to stay away from the air bag is nonsense unless you are extremely short or a child.

[DaddyOfPayton]

Happened to have a tape measure near my desk and if I can say if my head was only 12" from the wheel it would be impossible to go around a corner without shuffling the wheel really quickly. I think adjusting your seating position to stay away from the air bag is nonsense unless you are extremely short or a child.

Not your head; your ENTIRE body is supposed to be 12" from the wheel. I agree, it is MUCH easier to find a good racing (or fast driving) posture if the airbag distance is not part of the equation.

In a similar vein, where do you get permission to swap out your "old school" airbags for the gen 2 or gen 3 versions?

Oh yeah, you can't. So, unless I buy a newer vehicle, I am either stuck with the old "deploy too fast" bags that were built with it, or with removing them....

;-) Problem solved. Airbags gone! And as for the question about really high speed collisions...yep, leg intrusion will definitely kill me before Momo steering wheel intrusion does #yesicanreadFMVSS #itsatradeoffsoislife

[rsj0714]

This^, I get in some of my friends cars (they are my height +-2") and its a stretch to reach the pedals sometimes. Its like they drive with the tips of their toes.

This is much more comfortable

It would take me awhile to get used to driving with my knees up like that.

[Kiddie Rimzo]

nice bump

6', 195lbs, seat all the way back and its perfectly comfortable for me.
edit-ive even like another inch or so of seat adjustment back. my gf is 5' flat and she has a comfortable spot with the seat most of the way forward

[dmorrow]

Not your head; your ENTIRE body is supposed to be 12" from the wheel. I agree, it is MUCH easier to find a good racing (or fast driving) posture if the airbag distance is not part of the equation.

In a similar vein, where do you get permission to swap out your "old school" airbags for the gen 2 or gen 3 versions?

Oh yeah, you can't. So, unless I buy a newer vehicle, I am either stuck with the old "deploy too fast" bags that were built with it, or with removing them....

;-) Problem solved. Airbags gone! And as for the question about really high speed collisions...yep, leg intrusion will definitely kill me before Momo steering wheel intrusion does #yesicanreadFMVSS #itsatradeoffsoislife

Shouldn't it be 12" from the airbag, not the wheel? My quick search on the internet keeps bringing up 10", not 12".

So after 26 years of driving and never having a front end accident I should change my driving position that is probably less safe, so that if I happen to get in an accident where the air bag goes off, then the chance that I will be hurt by the air bag goes down some percentage that we are not sure about?

Also, what is the percentage of 6' males that are in accidents where the air bag causes them serious injury?

You really removed the airbags in the name of safety?

I think I will spend more time worrying about lightening and tornadoes.