s2000 any good?
Discussion
I've got an 03 model and have been more than pleased with it. Performance, drive, superb build quality, economy - all great. I'm quite tall but find it comfortable on long journeys. Some complain that you have to rev the nuts off it to get it perform, but when it hits VTEC - brilliant. This also makes it quite happy to poodle around all day stuck in traffic (I'm in the SE) without any complaints.
I'm moving abroad this year so I'll be selling mine and just know I'm going to miss it.
Paul
I'm moving abroad this year so I'll be selling mine and just know I'm going to miss it.
Paul
cheers guys. am looking at a convertible, boxster S is top of list but its hard to ignore the s2k for reliability, value for money quick rag top. how do u guys find the handling? interior visibility? guess i need to drive one to see if the v-tec revy engine is my thing. if its tractable enough round town then mad fast when u want it then sounds good
davey68 said:
cheers guys. am looking at a convertible, boxster S is top of list but its hard to ignore the s2k for reliability, value for money quick rag top. how do u guys find the handling? interior visibility? guess i need to drive one to see if the v-tec revy engine is my thing. if its tractable enough round town then mad fast when u want it then sounds good
S2000's seem to have a reputation for being tail-happy but I haven't had any 'moments' although I do take it easy in the wet. Keep the tyre pressures right and don't run the tread too low and they'll stick pretty well. I had a couple of TVRs before the s2k and found the shift from a car loaded with torque to one that needs to use the gears and revs a bit of a change, but I've found the handling to be superb and I've taken the car all over the place, Europe, unrestricted roads, mountain roads, motorways - the car never dissappoints.
Book yourself a test-drive and have fun
Paul
I've had one since May 04 and love it to bits. I also considered a Boxster, but round my way they are so common and you just know half the people driving them bought it for the badge. I didn't want to be part of that club. There's some more info in my profile.
I would recommend going for a test drive (make sure you hit 9k revs at least once), that usually sorts the drivers from the poseurs.
It looks much better in red
I would recommend going for a test drive (make sure you hit 9k revs at least once), that usually sorts the drivers from the poseurs.
los angeles said:
The car has a lot to recommend it but not its severely bland, boring, sea of black palstic interior.
It looks much better in red
cheers guys. interesting comment paul, ive always loved big cc torquey engines (4.3 griff,m3 evo,147GTA)
but i do like looks and performance of s2k. i suppose u get used to the vtec zone style of driving....one thing does the engine sound good? (not normally big fan of 4 pots). one thing is being honda id have no fears taking it away weekends, blasts in europe etc
but i do like looks and performance of s2k. i suppose u get used to the vtec zone style of driving....one thing does the engine sound good? (not normally big fan of 4 pots). one thing is being honda id have no fears taking it away weekends, blasts in europe etc
It depends what you are used to and what alternatives you are considering.
I've had mine for nearly three years. Having driven other vtec engined cars before, I knew what to expect and knew that to get the best from it you have to drive it like you stole it.
+ve:
1. Perfromance: Autocar quote 0-60 in 5.7, 100 in 14.9. Slightly quicker than a Boxster, just behind a Boxster S.
2. Handling. Fantastic in the dry, with excellent turn-in and complaint suspension that does not suffer bump-steer. Very neutral unless really pushing on.
3. Style: I prefer the trad roadster looks to that of the Boxster.
4. Refinement. Better than expected.
5. Image: Kids shout out "great car", people ask what it is. I dont get attitude like I did when I had a Beemer. Fellow S2000 owners ofter wave..You do not get this in a Boxster or TT.
6. Running Costs: Worst bit is the insurance at Group 20. Servicing from £120 - £320. Its been back to the dealer twice apart from services - once for a window seal, and once to have recall work carried out (spark plugs and oil feed bolt). My front tyres lasted 15000 miles, my rears 11000. Budget on around £450-500 for a set. Cheaper than I expected.
7. Community: A very friendly and knowledgable communit at www.s2ki.com
-ve:
1. Wet weather handling. Yes, its tail happy. You can improve it by changing the tyres, but Honda addressed thsi a little in 2002 and more so with the 2004 model. Dont even bother going out in the snow.
2. Interior space. A bit tight for big blokes. I'm borderline at 6'2" and 16 stone.
3. HiFi - very average. But I listen to the engine.
4. Alloys. They corrode. I've had mine replaced once already and the second set probabaly wont be any better.
5. Steering. Good weight and lock, but a bit vague.
Overall, for the money, nothing comes close (the new 350Z drop top may give it a better run for the money). I bought mine for £25K and I'll hopefully get about £18K if I sell in in the spring, so residuals are good too.
www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showforum=25
>> Edited by douglasr on Saturday 22 January 15:07
I've had mine for nearly three years. Having driven other vtec engined cars before, I knew what to expect and knew that to get the best from it you have to drive it like you stole it.
+ve:
1. Perfromance: Autocar quote 0-60 in 5.7, 100 in 14.9. Slightly quicker than a Boxster, just behind a Boxster S.
2. Handling. Fantastic in the dry, with excellent turn-in and complaint suspension that does not suffer bump-steer. Very neutral unless really pushing on.
3. Style: I prefer the trad roadster looks to that of the Boxster.
4. Refinement. Better than expected.
5. Image: Kids shout out "great car", people ask what it is. I dont get attitude like I did when I had a Beemer. Fellow S2000 owners ofter wave..You do not get this in a Boxster or TT.
6. Running Costs: Worst bit is the insurance at Group 20. Servicing from £120 - £320. Its been back to the dealer twice apart from services - once for a window seal, and once to have recall work carried out (spark plugs and oil feed bolt). My front tyres lasted 15000 miles, my rears 11000. Budget on around £450-500 for a set. Cheaper than I expected.
7. Community: A very friendly and knowledgable communit at www.s2ki.com
-ve:
1. Wet weather handling. Yes, its tail happy. You can improve it by changing the tyres, but Honda addressed thsi a little in 2002 and more so with the 2004 model. Dont even bother going out in the snow.
2. Interior space. A bit tight for big blokes. I'm borderline at 6'2" and 16 stone.
3. HiFi - very average. But I listen to the engine.
4. Alloys. They corrode. I've had mine replaced once already and the second set probabaly wont be any better.
5. Steering. Good weight and lock, but a bit vague.
Overall, for the money, nothing comes close (the new 350Z drop top may give it a better run for the money). I bought mine for £25K and I'll hopefully get about £18K if I sell in in the spring, so residuals are good too.
www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showforum=25
>> Edited by douglasr on Saturday 22 January 15:07
davey68 said:
cheers guys. interesting comment paul, ive always loved big cc torquey engines (4.3 griff,m3 evo,147GTA)
but i do like looks and performance of s2k. i suppose u get used to the vtec zone style of driving....one thing does the engine sound good? (not normally big fan of 4 pots). one thing is being honda id have no fears taking it away weekends, blasts in europe etc
Can't recommend it enough, it's so well put together, I've had mine for nearly 3 years and it's bullet-proof. Plus they've got the design of a traditional style sportscar perfectly, everything just sits around the driver within a fingertip's reach, even under the engine, or underneath the car, everything is beautifully laid out.
As for driving it, fantastic fun and as was said earier, because you need to wind up the v-tec a bit it means you can drive in traffic or with a hangover without any stress, then wind it up and it's magical and the pedals are perfectly placed for heel-and-toeing
As for the engine note, definitely different to the bigs V8's, but if you wind it up to 9k in and then release the throttle it's like an F1 car on the wind down - sounds superb - go and give it a go.
davey68 said:
cheers guys. interesting comment paul, ive always loved big cc torquey engines (4.3 griff,m3 evo,147GTA)
but i do like looks and performance of s2k. i suppose u get used to the vtec zone style of driving....one thing does the engine sound good? (not normally big fan of 4 pots). one thing is being honda id have no fears taking it away weekends, blasts in europe etc
Can't recommend it enough, it's so well put together, I've had mine for nearly 3 years and it's bullet-proof. Plus they've got the design of a traditional style sportscar perfectly, everything just sits around the driver within a fingertip's reach, even under the engine, or underneath the car, everything is beautifully laid out.
As for driving it, fantastic fun and as was said earier, because you need to wind up the v-tec a bit it means you can drive in traffic or with a hangover without any stress, then wind it up and it's magical and the pedals are perfectly placed for heel-and-toeing
As for the engine note, definitely different to the bigs V8's, but if you wind it up to 9k in and then release the throttle it's like an F1 car on the wind down - sounds superb - go and give it a go.
I have an 03 S2000 too and love the car. Theres no other car under £30k that can match the S2000 for performance, fun, value, quality, reliability and every day use.
EVO quote 0-60 5.4 and 0-100 14.1. I have done a 14.1 1/4 mile at the pod, but its clear the car enjoys corners and tracks much more than boring drag strips!
I have done 32k in 18 months and loved every minute. Care is needed in torrential rain, snow and ice but thats true of any other powerful RWD car with no ESP/TC/PSM etc. I have also driven the car in snow, and it is difficult but not impossible. However it would be near impossible on non-gritted deep snow, but how often do we ever see conditions like that?
VTEC is awesome but it can be frustrating. Catch an overtake at 50mph and you are about 1k below VTEC, so there is a slight pause before it really kicks in hard. Unlike the CTR and ITR the S2000 has a really long VTEC band so you are not changing gears every couple of seconds, and I think the car is easy to keep in the 'zone'.
The 04 addresses most of the wayward handling 'issues', however many would disagree that this has actually made the car 'soft' compared to the orginal 1999 version. Personally I have driven an 03 and new model 04 and welcome all the changes except the rear light clusters.
Try www.s2ki.co.uk for access straight to the UK Forums on www.s2ki.com. Great bunch of people with brilliant advise on any aspect of the car.
EVO quote 0-60 5.4 and 0-100 14.1. I have done a 14.1 1/4 mile at the pod, but its clear the car enjoys corners and tracks much more than boring drag strips!
I have done 32k in 18 months and loved every minute. Care is needed in torrential rain, snow and ice but thats true of any other powerful RWD car with no ESP/TC/PSM etc. I have also driven the car in snow, and it is difficult but not impossible. However it would be near impossible on non-gritted deep snow, but how often do we ever see conditions like that?
VTEC is awesome but it can be frustrating. Catch an overtake at 50mph and you are about 1k below VTEC, so there is a slight pause before it really kicks in hard. Unlike the CTR and ITR the S2000 has a really long VTEC band so you are not changing gears every couple of seconds, and I think the car is easy to keep in the 'zone'.
The 04 addresses most of the wayward handling 'issues', however many would disagree that this has actually made the car 'soft' compared to the orginal 1999 version. Personally I have driven an 03 and new model 04 and welcome all the changes except the rear light clusters.
Try www.s2ki.co.uk for access straight to the UK Forums on www.s2ki.com. Great bunch of people with brilliant advise on any aspect of the car.
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