Honda s2000 best year?
Discussion
I have an 09 plate with exceptionally low miles. The car is as sweet as a Nut, runs fantastic. However long term, I have to admit, this scare with the Potential of engine failure has made me think twice about my Future in an S2K. I have put my car up for sale at the Moment, as frankly I Have not made my mind up to whether I will be keeping It or Not.
Its an amazing car, truly, I love everything about It, cockpit, looks, the drive, BUT,
Chances being however regardless of this, I probably would not keep It long anyway, as I do change cars regular.
I've put my car up for top dollar, until I've made my mind up. See It does not concern me with the fact of the engine going pop, that is why I bought the honda Warranty, but What does annoy me is the thought of being stranded in Europe, or elsewhere in the UK with a damaged engine, then how long Its gonna be off the road. You don't need this worry with a 28k car.
This is what steered me off a Gen one Porsche Cayman, one to many engines going pop.
I respect that the numbers of engines failing on the S2K will be very small %, but It is Whether an owner wishes to take that gamble of being in that small %? And as I say, you don't buy a car of this worth to worry about your engine going pop, unless your a tool with It!
Who know's maybe this has all been over emphasized, and It is no different to other main stream manufacturers who have had engine complaints, It is maybe highlighted more because of the S2Ks smaller numbers.
Who knows eh? Pay your money and take your chances, or Not!
Its an amazing car, truly, I love everything about It, cockpit, looks, the drive, BUT,
Chances being however regardless of this, I probably would not keep It long anyway, as I do change cars regular.
I've put my car up for top dollar, until I've made my mind up. See It does not concern me with the fact of the engine going pop, that is why I bought the honda Warranty, but What does annoy me is the thought of being stranded in Europe, or elsewhere in the UK with a damaged engine, then how long Its gonna be off the road. You don't need this worry with a 28k car.
This is what steered me off a Gen one Porsche Cayman, one to many engines going pop.
I respect that the numbers of engines failing on the S2K will be very small %, but It is Whether an owner wishes to take that gamble of being in that small %? And as I say, you don't buy a car of this worth to worry about your engine going pop, unless your a tool with It!
Who know's maybe this has all been over emphasized, and It is no different to other main stream manufacturers who have had engine complaints, It is maybe highlighted more because of the S2Ks smaller numbers.
Who knows eh? Pay your money and take your chances, or Not!
Gremlins not really a major issue though, but brands that suffer catastrophic engine failure, are few and far between, in my 25 years of motoring, especially in the Performance brands.
As I stated, It is a case of either, forget about It and enjoy the car, or get rid, simple as that really! It certainly won't stop everyone shying away from 2009 models, so for the Majority, It won't be an issue!
As I stated, It is a case of either, forget about It and enjoy the car, or get rid, simple as that really! It certainly won't stop everyone shying away from 2009 models, so for the Majority, It won't be an issue!
Chippo1 said:
I had a woman say to me , "Nice Hyundai" umphhhhhhh!
Been called a hardresser
A w
ker
Cool car mate
I like best " Always wanted one of those "
But the funniest was in Harlech , when cruising through the town in a line of about 10 S2000's we slowed to an almost stop and an old boy stepped into the road and wavedhis wallking stick at me in an agressive manor ansd said " Bloody Yuppie's" in a broad welsh acent. I had trouble drving as a result of laughing so much.
Before I got my S I had a Hyundai Coupe. Got a parking ticket with the make written as Honda and the model Coupe. I got let off!Been called a hardresser
A w
ker Cool car mate
I like best " Always wanted one of those "
But the funniest was in Harlech , when cruising through the town in a line of about 10 S2000's we slowed to an almost stop and an old boy stepped into the road and wavedhis wallking stick at me in an agressive manor ansd said " Bloody Yuppie's" in a broad welsh acent. I had trouble drving as a result of laughing so much.
Hi. I have bought my 52-plate S2000 as a work car.
I am in sales so do lots of miles. It had 69k when I bought it a month ago for £5.8k and now has around 73.5k. I average around 150 miles a day in the week. The car has been fantastic so far. Really comfortable too. My only 'issues' have been high oil consumption 4 litres of Castrol Edge so far, but strangely this has settled down in the last couple of weeks. Also the roof catches were rattling but these can be unscrewed and modded to stop that. So I have a car with no rattles now
I had a tensioner replaced last week which was £462 at Honda but I dont begrudge it.
Fuel consumption with spirited driving is 27.7mpg whereas staying out of the VTEC for my last tank saw over 33mpg! Wont be doing that again though!
The car feels so well made engine and gearbox-wise I hope that with regular care it will go on and on.
I am in sales so do lots of miles. It had 69k when I bought it a month ago for £5.8k and now has around 73.5k. I average around 150 miles a day in the week. The car has been fantastic so far. Really comfortable too. My only 'issues' have been high oil consumption 4 litres of Castrol Edge so far, but strangely this has settled down in the last couple of weeks. Also the roof catches were rattling but these can be unscrewed and modded to stop that. So I have a car with no rattles now
I had a tensioner replaced last week which was £462 at Honda but I dont begrudge it.
Fuel consumption with spirited driving is 27.7mpg whereas staying out of the VTEC for my last tank saw over 33mpg! Wont be doing that again though!
The car feels so well made engine and gearbox-wise I hope that with regular care it will go on and on.
RenOHH said:
150 miles a day in an S2000... That is quite mad.
Why is that mad? I dont understand you. Surely we read this forum because we like and own interesting cars and this being the case would rather drive said interesting car than use a boring mode of transport or vehicle type?Obviously PH is about driving interesting cars, but I'd want to use a different car to do 150 miles a day to be honest. IMO that's not what it's been designed to do, and I would end up hating the car if I was to do the same. Especially if it was on a motorway/dual carriageway.
Fair enough if you enjoy it, when I say mad I didn't mean that you yourself are mad.
Fair enough if you enjoy it, when I say mad I didn't mean that you yourself are mad.
RenOHH said:
Obviously PH is about driving interesting cars, but I'd want to use a different car to do 150 miles a day to be honest. IMO that's not what it's been designed to do, and I would end up hating the car if I was to do the same. Especially if it was on a motorway/dual carriageway.
Fair enough if you enjoy it, when I say mad I didn't mean that you yourself are mad.
I personally wouldn't want to do 150 miles a day in one because of fuel costs, but I find them comfortable enough to do that kind of mileage.Fair enough if you enjoy it, when I say mad I didn't mean that you yourself are mad.
A small number of 08 & 09 Reg UK S2000's suffered engine problems due to crankshaft thrust washers not being properly lubricated during production & same problem in some replacement engines. There is usually a premature warning noise which if heeded will avoid engine failure.
Cost of replacing thrust washers is about £500 at main dealer.
Engines which suffered this problem usually showed problems in first 10k miles.
It is an easy task for a Honda dealer to check crankshaft end float which should be between 0.10 to 0.35 mm with a limit of 0.45 mm.
I obtained my 09 Reg S2000 at 30k miles & at 36k miles the measurement is 0.20 mm, no sign of any damage to the valve retainers, engine runs as sweet as a sewing machine & virtually no oil used in 3k miles annual use.
If crank end float is checked & no damage to valve retainers there should not be any more problems with an 08 or 09 Reg S2000 engine than might occur with earlier registrations.
08 & 09 Reg cars have latest suspension mods & my 09 Reg is noticeably more comfortable than 03 Reg previously owned, they also have VSA so well worth getting as they are increasing in value.
If any concern take out Honda warranty with wear & tear which will be more competitively priced than either Warranty Direct or Warrant Wise.
Cost of replacing thrust washers is about £500 at main dealer.
Engines which suffered this problem usually showed problems in first 10k miles.
It is an easy task for a Honda dealer to check crankshaft end float which should be between 0.10 to 0.35 mm with a limit of 0.45 mm.
I obtained my 09 Reg S2000 at 30k miles & at 36k miles the measurement is 0.20 mm, no sign of any damage to the valve retainers, engine runs as sweet as a sewing machine & virtually no oil used in 3k miles annual use.
If crank end float is checked & no damage to valve retainers there should not be any more problems with an 08 or 09 Reg S2000 engine than might occur with earlier registrations.
08 & 09 Reg cars have latest suspension mods & my 09 Reg is noticeably more comfortable than 03 Reg previously owned, they also have VSA so well worth getting as they are increasing in value.
If any concern take out Honda warranty with wear & tear which will be more competitively priced than either Warranty Direct or Warrant Wise.
Cant believe scaremongering over S2000 engines TBH. I have seen tons for sale with 100K plus miles, some approaching 200K miles. I would much much rather put my cash into an old S2000 than say an old Boxster with its pesky IMS and other potentially ruinous issues.
That said I went and bought an MX-5 last week, but I still fancy an S2000....
smallsmalls81 said:
What is the best year for the s2000? I have seen an 03 reg , 60000 miles , I may change the alloys on it.
As a very enthusiastic ex '06 owner & avid follower of the club forum & all things Honda S2000 all the replies area accurate.I wanted a demo priced '05 to minimise depreciation but the dealer sold me a brand new '06 that had been sitting in the showroom for 9 months for the same price. Even forgot to charge me extra for the two-tone red/black interior.
BIG mistake in a way because I had to pay the extra road tax.
The exterior of later cars were tidied up & had much smarter interiors with headrest speakers & mildly improved gearchange & less twitchy handling.
Trouble is the early cars are cheap & beginning to look tatty, or worse falling into the hands of DIYers who mess about with them.
I sense your budget will not take you to '06 & beyond so maybe the best '05 you can find.
The cars do perform well but you have to thrash-em to get them to do so. Beware because that novelty wears off once you've lost the back-end on a roundabout, noted how quickly the tyres wear & how much fuel you use.
WJNB said:
As a very enthusiastic ex '06 owner & avid follower of the club forum & all things Honda S2000 all the replies area accurate.
I wanted a demo priced '05 to minimise depreciation but the dealer sold me a brand new '06 that had been sitting in the showroom for 9 months for the same price. Even forgot to charge me extra for the two-tone red/black interior.
BIG mistake in a way because I had to pay the extra road tax.
The exterior of later cars were tidied up & had much smarter interiors with headrest speakers & mildly improved gearchange & less twitchy handling.
Trouble is the early cars are cheap & beginning to look tatty, or worse falling into the hands of DIYers who mess about with them.
I sense your budget will not take you to '06 & beyond so maybe the best '05 you can find.
The cars do perform well but you have to thrash-em to get them to do so. Beware because that novelty wears off once you've lost the back-end on a roundabout, noted how quickly the tyres wear & how much fuel you use.
Can I ask the tax difference? (Just to add tax here in Ireland on an S2000 went from €770 per year to €2350 per year when road taxes changed in July 2008 here in Ireland.) Makes me wonder what happened to the road tax system in the UK to say you thought it a big mistake to go for a newer car?I wanted a demo priced '05 to minimise depreciation but the dealer sold me a brand new '06 that had been sitting in the showroom for 9 months for the same price. Even forgot to charge me extra for the two-tone red/black interior.
BIG mistake in a way because I had to pay the extra road tax.
The exterior of later cars were tidied up & had much smarter interiors with headrest speakers & mildly improved gearchange & less twitchy handling.
Trouble is the early cars are cheap & beginning to look tatty, or worse falling into the hands of DIYers who mess about with them.
I sense your budget will not take you to '06 & beyond so maybe the best '05 you can find.
The cars do perform well but you have to thrash-em to get them to do so. Beware because that novelty wears off once you've lost the back-end on a roundabout, noted how quickly the tyres wear & how much fuel you use.
Chippo1 said:
" Bloody Yuppie's" in a broad welsh acent. I had trouble drving as a result of laughing so much.
Have always had the feeling that wherever you go in Wales if you're in a nice car you're resented & envied & VERY vulnerable to having the car keyed.Not so in Surrey or Cheshire - hmm I wonder why.
JohnnyMac said:
Can I ask the tax difference? (Just to add tax here in Ireland on an S2000 went from €770 per year to €2350 per year when road taxes changed in July 2008 here in Ireland.) Makes me wonder what happened to the road tax system in the UK to say you thought it a big mistake to go for a newer car?
2001 on cars in the UK are taxed based on CO2 output (official fuel economy, basically). Before March 2006 the top band (so anything over a certain amount) is (about) £265 a year. After that new bands got put in at the top, and the S2000 fell into the second highest band, so instead of paying £265 you pay £500 a year. No change in the car or it's CO2 or emissions or whatever, just that it falls into one of the new higher bands that didn't exist before 2006. It's easy to check what tax you will be paying on a given car. People always worry that the post 2006 bands will get retrospectivly applied to earlier cars, but I doubt that will happen. Rules for new cars are different and even more complicated.TL:DR version? Pre 2006 cars pay about £265/year for road tax (pre 2001 are slightly cheaper), post 2006 cars pay £500.
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