Benefits of later S2000 2007 model with suspension updates
Discussion
Hi,
After deciding I fancy a change of car, I have decided to purchase an S2000. I did test drive a 2003 model a few years ago when I had at the time an E46 M3 and I was very impressed so I think the time is right to get back to a two seater again.
My budget is pretty flexible so I am in two minds whether to hold out for a car made after 2007 with the revised suspension settings or to go for a 2006 car which has the VSA but without the other updates.
If anyone has driven the two I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Also, if anyone does have a later car and you are looking to p/x to a dealer, I am going to post in the 'wanted' section as I’d happily pay more than £1000 above the dealer trade in prices for a well cared for car. If that would be of interest please PM me.
Cheers, Ed.
After deciding I fancy a change of car, I have decided to purchase an S2000. I did test drive a 2003 model a few years ago when I had at the time an E46 M3 and I was very impressed so I think the time is right to get back to a two seater again.
My budget is pretty flexible so I am in two minds whether to hold out for a car made after 2007 with the revised suspension settings or to go for a 2006 car which has the VSA but without the other updates.
If anyone has driven the two I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Also, if anyone does have a later car and you are looking to p/x to a dealer, I am going to post in the 'wanted' section as I’d happily pay more than £1000 above the dealer trade in prices for a well cared for car. If that would be of interest please PM me.
Cheers, Ed.
IIRC the final updates were the '08 MY, so late-2007 at the earliest.
If you want VSC, then 06-07 was optional, 08 standard I believe. Not driven either of those to comment on the changes.
If you're not fussed with VSC, then IMHO better to go for a mint 55-plate (cable-throttle not DBW) and maybe get a warranty for peace of mind. At 4y.o. it'll cost you <£15k for a very good one, so the saving on depreciation vs a near-new one will be ~£1k a year over 3 years, give-or-take...
Ultimately though there's little-enough changes across the years (see suggested tweaks/modifications at the foot of the post) that you could pay anywhere from £10-25k and get virtually the same car.
Mods:-
- Geometry. A GOOD wheel alignment set-up (you'll pay >£100 for something worthwhile) can make a noticeable difference to the handling of the car - I did just that to my '03 ~4-5 months after buying it - best change I made!
- Cross-braces. Esp. front lower and front upper. Stiffen the structure a little more, makes it feel a little more planted and predictable. ~£300 for 2x front and 1x rear, inc fitting (you could probably do yourself though)
- Nitrons. If you're getting an older (out-of-warranty) car and don't mind fiddling, a number of s2ki members have reported that Nitrons improve the handling of the car and 'dial-out' a lot of the fidgetyness when (really) pressing-on, esp. on bumpy roads.
- Tyres. A lot of the bad reputation is down to the S02's (now discontinued) fitted to 99-03 cars. The car behaves notably differently on different tyres, with no 16" size being considered a perfect 'all-rounder'. 17" rims from 2004 onwards come with RE050's as stock, which are good but not perfect. But the 17" sizes offer a lot more alternatives than 16"s. Set of 17"s in good condition will be £500-600 depending on tyres, IMHO. Less would be a bargain.
If you want VSC, then 06-07 was optional, 08 standard I believe. Not driven either of those to comment on the changes.
If you're not fussed with VSC, then IMHO better to go for a mint 55-plate (cable-throttle not DBW) and maybe get a warranty for peace of mind. At 4y.o. it'll cost you <£15k for a very good one, so the saving on depreciation vs a near-new one will be ~£1k a year over 3 years, give-or-take...
Ultimately though there's little-enough changes across the years (see suggested tweaks/modifications at the foot of the post) that you could pay anywhere from £10-25k and get virtually the same car.
Mods:-
- Geometry. A GOOD wheel alignment set-up (you'll pay >£100 for something worthwhile) can make a noticeable difference to the handling of the car - I did just that to my '03 ~4-5 months after buying it - best change I made!
- Cross-braces. Esp. front lower and front upper. Stiffen the structure a little more, makes it feel a little more planted and predictable. ~£300 for 2x front and 1x rear, inc fitting (you could probably do yourself though)
- Nitrons. If you're getting an older (out-of-warranty) car and don't mind fiddling, a number of s2ki members have reported that Nitrons improve the handling of the car and 'dial-out' a lot of the fidgetyness when (really) pressing-on, esp. on bumpy roads.
- Tyres. A lot of the bad reputation is down to the S02's (now discontinued) fitted to 99-03 cars. The car behaves notably differently on different tyres, with no 16" size being considered a perfect 'all-rounder'. 17" rims from 2004 onwards come with RE050's as stock, which are good but not perfect. But the 17" sizes offer a lot more alternatives than 16"s. Set of 17"s in good condition will be £500-600 depending on tyres, IMHO. Less would be a bargain.
Thanks Havoc for your views. Very interesting on the importance of the wheel alignment - will definitely bear this in mind.
On the stability control, I'm afraid whilst I'd like to think I was a reasonable driver, I've had a couple of examples where I haven't always predicted a car's response properly due to bad weather etc and it has left me feeling caught out. The worst example was from an MR2 turbo I owned in the dim and distant past where I stupidly managed a 270 degree spin ... not clever
Pretty much ever since I stick whenever possible to stability control/traction control if available, hence why was looking for this option. I hadn't realised though that the VSC system was only an option from 2006 - 2008 so will make the search a little harder I suspect...
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Cheers, Ed.
On the stability control, I'm afraid whilst I'd like to think I was a reasonable driver, I've had a couple of examples where I haven't always predicted a car's response properly due to bad weather etc and it has left me feeling caught out. The worst example was from an MR2 turbo I owned in the dim and distant past where I stupidly managed a 270 degree spin ... not clever
Pretty much ever since I stick whenever possible to stability control/traction control if available, hence why was looking for this option. I hadn't realised though that the VSC system was only an option from 2006 - 2008 so will make the search a little harder I suspect...
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Cheers, Ed.
I would be tempted to get a 04-05 car and maybe use the money saved on some driver training days like Car Limits (or any soft track day/runway day) and a set of rubber and pads! This would make you more confident in any situation and something you can pass on from car to car 
I am lucky as i live in Oz and don't see as much rain as the UK, but when it rains i just take it easy. In the dry you do have to be going silly down the lanes for it to really worry you. I have Re050 Adrenalins on the car which are so so , but slide pretty progressively IMHO. I do drive like a granny tho, and could also benefit from ALOT of tuition and track time!!!
I am lucky as i live in Oz and don't see as much rain as the UK, but when it rains i just take it easy. In the dry you do have to be going silly down the lanes for it to really worry you. I have Re050 Adrenalins on the car which are so so , but slide pretty progressively IMHO. I do drive like a granny tho, and could also benefit from ALOT of tuition and track time!!!
That sounds ... Fast! Well the Monaro driver thought so this morning as I blasted past him
You should get a very new car this time of year for that.
One owner I know paid £18k for a new unregistered 09 a month or so ago
Have a look here for some more useful info
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showforum=25
You should get a very new car this time of year for that.
One owner I know paid £18k for a new unregistered 09 a month or so ago
Have a look here for some more useful info
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showforum=25
Edited by mikey k on Friday 9th October 20:49
That's really useful LegacyLad... just checked their website and I can see it on there - will call them tommorow to see what can be done...
Now I am looking into it the people that managed to buy the last of the new S2000 Honda were selling in July earlier this year got a mega bargian. I spoke with a Honda sales chap today and he told me that Honda increased their dealer payments by £8000 on those cars which is why the price came down to circa £18,500 or so for a brand new car .
Now I am looking into it the people that managed to buy the last of the new S2000 Honda were selling in July earlier this year got a mega bargian. I spoke with a Honda sales chap today and he told me that Honda increased their dealer payments by £8000 on those cars which is why the price came down to circa £18,500 or so for a brand new car .
Quick update... spoke with the chaps at Alysbury Honda re their S2000.
They confirmed that the car they had available was one of the last cars produced by Honda and had the extra Honda backed discount earlier this year.
However, they dispute that the discount reduced the price of the car down to anything like £18-£19k.
In fact the sales person went to investigate and having spoken with his manager 'confirmed' that this was the case. Therefore they told me that they feel that the price on their car at £21k reflects the true market value which of course is fair enough from their perspective.
So, my question is does anyone know for definite the new price that these cars were sold for earlier this year? This would help to give me a better understanding of a fair price for a car which was 12 months old.
As always, all thoughts appreciated
They confirmed that the car they had available was one of the last cars produced by Honda and had the extra Honda backed discount earlier this year.
However, they dispute that the discount reduced the price of the car down to anything like £18-£19k.
In fact the sales person went to investigate and having spoken with his manager 'confirmed' that this was the case. Therefore they told me that they feel that the price on their car at £21k reflects the true market value which of course is fair enough from their perspective.
So, my question is does anyone know for definite the new price that these cars were sold for earlier this year? This would help to give me a better understanding of a fair price for a car which was 12 months old.
As always, all thoughts appreciated
EddieSteadyGo said:
Hello S1mon/Mikey,
Very interesting to hear that info. Certainly the dealers don't seem to have the same deals currently but I can bide my time to wait for the right one at the right price
S1mon - how do you find your car? Is it everything you expected?
Hi there,Very interesting to hear that info. Certainly the dealers don't seem to have the same deals currently but I can bide my time to wait for the right one at the right price
S1mon - how do you find your car? Is it everything you expected?
The car is everything i expected it to be and is all the car i need at the moment. Its such a good laugh to drive if you like peaky engines, you won't find better this side of a challenge Stradale. As the car is my second car, i always seem to be in the mood for a 'spirited' run but i could imagine that day to day distance driving may get tiring. Road noise at motorway speed with the hood up is not great. I previously had a CTR so already liked the VTEC engine.
Perfomance wise.....on the cam it's quick, quick enough for the UK roads, especially as this car replaced my Noble M400. Its amazing it feels as quick as it does.
Cherry on the cake was the price. Saved myself some massive depreciation. I was told about the car by a mate. Bought it from Gatwick Honda, very good down there. They had a Moonrock one, Silverstone one and a white one but the Bermuda Blue caught my eye and went for that.
They must be still having deals on them. I think there is one on the net now nearly new for around £17,500 private sale, seems very, very cheap!!
I drive an AP2 '04 version with the much needed suspension revisions.
Gripes:
No power off cam, lack of feedback with electric steering, doesn't inspire confidence on B roads or in the wet, very small narrow cabin, no easy reach storage, drivers seat way too high, no adjustment on steering wheel, rubbish stereo and poor main beam lighting.
Good stuff:
It's a challenge, it doesn't give of itself easily so you won't get bored, incredible borderline race spec engine, changing up at 8.5k, reliability, build quality, 45mpg fuel economy (or as low as 9), simplicity, it's not a Boxster/Z4.
They love oil changes all the time, everywhere.
I think you'll like it, most do.
Gripes:
No power off cam, lack of feedback with electric steering, doesn't inspire confidence on B roads or in the wet, very small narrow cabin, no easy reach storage, drivers seat way too high, no adjustment on steering wheel, rubbish stereo and poor main beam lighting.
Good stuff:
It's a challenge, it doesn't give of itself easily so you won't get bored, incredible borderline race spec engine, changing up at 8.5k, reliability, build quality, 45mpg fuel economy (or as low as 9), simplicity, it's not a Boxster/Z4.
They love oil changes all the time, everywhere.
I think you'll like it, most do.
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