Honda S2000 for daily driving - good idea?
Discussion
I would guess that those who say it doesn't have mid range torque aren't driving it properly.
If you want a torquey speedy feeling you need to be in VTEC, and some people don't like the sound and feeling of 6-9k revs, so they change up to early.
For the driving you are doing OP, I'd say to go for the S.
I wouldn't recommend it for a 45 minute motorway commute, but for what you said it's fine.
Budget an extra grand for geo, decent tyres, a spare set of winters.
(Maybe less if it's already done.)
If you have another car between you and can stay at home on heavy snow days then it's a great car to own.
If you want a torquey speedy feeling you need to be in VTEC, and some people don't like the sound and feeling of 6-9k revs, so they change up to early.
For the driving you are doing OP, I'd say to go for the S.
I wouldn't recommend it for a 45 minute motorway commute, but for what you said it's fine.
Budget an extra grand for geo, decent tyres, a spare set of winters.
(Maybe less if it's already done.)
If you have another car between you and can stay at home on heavy snow days then it's a great car to own.
I owned one for c/ 3 years, it was a 2005 model. I ran it on Goodyear Eagles (always buy quality tyres, they're the only thing between you and the road!!) and it was fine. I did a weekend at the Ring, and a full day session at Brands. It has the ability to surprise and delight, and continued to do so right up to the day I sold it. The only scare I had was at Brands when I had lift off oversteer coming over the brow at Paddock Hill - that was me being a total plonker, and nothing to do with the car. My passenger was white as a sheet, but thankfully I caught it, as frankly a trip into the kitty litter is never a good thing!
My wife used it regularly and loved it too. The only reason I sold mine was because of work requiring me to do a lot of mileage, and sadly I am rolling around in a dieseasal. I'll be back though.
Take a few for a test drive, and don't buy cheap (there are some out there with rock bottom prices now) Mine was well looked after, and after 40k miles of ownership up to about 80k miles the only things I ever replaced were brakes and tyres. A 'big' service at Honda which included changing the very expensive spark plugs was only about £350 iirc. You show me another car as capable and cheap to run as that and I'll bite your arm off (I may have just opened the flood gates...)
My wife used it regularly and loved it too. The only reason I sold mine was because of work requiring me to do a lot of mileage, and sadly I am rolling around in a dieseasal. I'll be back though.
Take a few for a test drive, and don't buy cheap (there are some out there with rock bottom prices now) Mine was well looked after, and after 40k miles of ownership up to about 80k miles the only things I ever replaced were brakes and tyres. A 'big' service at Honda which included changing the very expensive spark plugs was only about £350 iirc. You show me another car as capable and cheap to run as that and I'll bite your arm off (I may have just opened the flood gates...)
I had one for about 3 months, and hated it. I was doing 50 motorway miles a day and it was noisy and not my cup of tea at all. However for shorter journeys it'd be great.
I found it to be fairly good on fuel, the roof was fine too. Crap stereo as standard.
Don't bother with the hard top, it's a pain to store and very creaky and noisy when on the car. Again learnt through experience.
Now my commute is different, I'd have another, just wish I hadn't made such a rash decision when my commute was longer than it is now.
I found it to be fairly good on fuel, the roof was fine too. Crap stereo as standard.
Don't bother with the hard top, it's a pain to store and very creaky and noisy when on the car. Again learnt through experience.
Now my commute is different, I'd have another, just wish I hadn't made such a rash decision when my commute was longer than it is now.
We had an S2000 for a couple of years, the 04 revision model. The wife used it as a daily driver and I used it for fun, trackdays and a trip to the 'ring.
It's a great all round car but may seem a bit raw compared to a 3 series. Certainly no less comfortable than an MX-5 and usefully quicker when you want it to be.
Sold it to the wife's sister a year ago and it's still not missed a beat. Servicing is very easy to do yourself and parts aren't expensive. All mine needed was brakes, tyres, spark plugs and oil. Hare top useful in the winter and doesn't rattle at all if you adjust it or wedge in a bit of rubber to tighten the catches...
Take one for a drive and see what you think. The VTEC engine is a cracker and I would buy another one (may even buy my old one back when the sister-in-law fancies a change).
It's a great all round car but may seem a bit raw compared to a 3 series. Certainly no less comfortable than an MX-5 and usefully quicker when you want it to be.
Sold it to the wife's sister a year ago and it's still not missed a beat. Servicing is very easy to do yourself and parts aren't expensive. All mine needed was brakes, tyres, spark plugs and oil. Hare top useful in the winter and doesn't rattle at all if you adjust it or wedge in a bit of rubber to tighten the catches...
Take one for a drive and see what you think. The VTEC engine is a cracker and I would buy another one (may even buy my old one back when the sister-in-law fancies a change).
Get her to drive a 3.0 Z4 and an S2000 in the same day, see what she thinks, the 3.0 is a far nicer thing for day to day cruising around in, nicer inside, better on long trips. However if you are getting her to buy something that you can also use for the occasional hoon get the S2000. (have owned an early S2000 and a 2004 Z4 3.0 so have experience of both).
Cars like this teach you how to drive. In a world of stability controlled, heavy barges that most cars are, things like the Honda can come as a shock if you are used to just putting your foot down whilst listening to the radio. Whether you want the challenge of learning a car over time if really your call.
You will certainly feel safer and be a lot quicker in adverse conditions in one of the other cars mentioned. But if you love driving and want to sharpen your skills, this could be a good choice.
I remember years ago s
tting myself in my first Caterham. Exit of a damp roundabout, quarter throttle and half spun it on the road. I was very young and just had front drivers up to then. But lesson learned and ever since every single drive is a session of total concentration and the subsequent 'high' I get from making the car move beneath me.
You will certainly feel safer and be a lot quicker in adverse conditions in one of the other cars mentioned. But if you love driving and want to sharpen your skills, this could be a good choice.
I remember years ago s
tting myself in my first Caterham. Exit of a damp roundabout, quarter throttle and half spun it on the road. I was very young and just had front drivers up to then. But lesson learned and ever since every single drive is a session of total concentration and the subsequent 'high' I get from making the car move beneath me.OP - if you're test driving or buying one - make sure it has a good set of the SAME tyre all round, ask if it has had the bushes checked and the Geo done recently, and make sure you spend half the test drive tooling around at sub 50mph to show yourself it can be a pussycat, then the second half properly nailing it up to 8000+rpm in second and third to see what the cheap thrills everyone raves about are like. And then remember it will be lovely and hot and dry this weekend and that when winter comes you either need to stick it in a garage or forget about the cheap thrills and drive sensibly. I guarantee you wont find a hedge if you treat it with respect, especially the post 05 models with VSA.
To quote myself...
rob1234 said:
Had one - loved it when I was in the mood, and found when it had the geo set up it was quite easy to read (
However, I was frustrated by the (relative) lack of power below 5500-odd rpm, when VTEC kicked in (yo). This meant that the only 'fun' gears were second and third, and to stay in VTEC on a twisty B road meant mainly second... Changing gear was a pleasure - but most of my time was spent in 3rd, or 6th.
In terms of usability, grip, 'unpredictability', servicing etc for a daily driver - absolutely fine.However, I was frustrated by the (relative) lack of power below 5500-odd rpm, when VTEC kicked in (yo). This meant that the only 'fun' gears were second and third, and to stay in VTEC on a twisty B road meant mainly second... Changing gear was a pleasure - but most of my time was spent in 3rd, or 6th.
Good response to this question, thanks to everyone who has contributed.
Sounds like they're not as bad as reviewed, just need a bit of respect and sensibility, as most performance cars do. We're both 31, and had a good few performance cars between us now, three of which were RWD, so I'm pretty confident that she'll be fine. To be honest, the risk is there with any RWD car, just sounds like these need a little more care/concentration in slightly off conditions.
When the weather gets really bad I'll use it!!
Sounds like they're not as bad as reviewed, just need a bit of respect and sensibility, as most performance cars do. We're both 31, and had a good few performance cars between us now, three of which were RWD, so I'm pretty confident that she'll be fine. To be honest, the risk is there with any RWD car, just sounds like these need a little more care/concentration in slightly off conditions.
When the weather gets really bad I'll use it!!
Our S2k is the OH's daily. On the standard Bridgestones, it has been used in thick(ish) snow without hassle. It is very easy to get out of shape if you push it, especially in damp conditions. It is easy to recover though, even if your fists are made of ham.
The suspension geo was sorted after 2002, and the best models are the post 2004 facelifts.
Insurance is on the high side. The S2k is £450p.a., whereas I've just got a quote for the CL420 of £170.
Perfectly driveable as a daily, but I don't think I could do it. That engine is too addictive. I'd lose my licence after a week.
The suspension geo was sorted after 2002, and the best models are the post 2004 facelifts.
Insurance is on the high side. The S2k is £450p.a., whereas I've just got a quote for the CL420 of £170.
Perfectly driveable as a daily, but I don't think I could do it. That engine is too addictive. I'd lose my licence after a week.
Snowboy said:
I would think the widow maker tag comes from badly maintained ones.
A bad geometry on an s2000 makes a huge difference.
I've never known a car quite so sensitive.
Even a bit of wrong tyre pressure in a wheel makes a huge difference.
The difference between a well maintained one and a badly set up one is massive.
Yup MR2s are exactly the same. A bad geometry on an s2000 makes a huge difference.
I've never known a car quite so sensitive.
Even a bit of wrong tyre pressure in a wheel makes a huge difference.
The difference between a well maintained one and a badly set up one is massive.
rallycross said:
Get her to drive a 3.0 Z4 and an S2000 in the same day, see what she thinks, the 3.0 is a far nicer thing for day to day cruising around in, nicer inside, better on long trips. However if you are getting her to buy something that you can also use for the occasional hoon get the S2000. (have owned an early S2000 and a 2004 Z4 3.0 so have experience of both).
This was my situation back in 2005. I was looking for a topless 2 seater daily. I test drove a new S2000 and 1 year old Z4 back to back. Fell in love with the straight six noise as soon as I fired it up, sily smooth. But the S2000 had me in giggles when in the VTEC zone. 4200rpm+ at 80mph does become tedious though, also a lot more road noise in the S2000. I bought the Z4, it was just a much more comfortable car for daily driving, looked and sounded great too. Fast forward to last summer and i was looking for a second car to take out on weekend blasts, I bought '05 S2000. With a few minor enhancements it's a fantastic car, lots of fun. Don't listen to the widow maker comments. That said I don't let my wife drive it in the wet, it has caught me out once before on a damp roundabout, but I was being stupid. It's hard to catch the rear in the wet. But as others have said, ensure you have decent tyres and get the alignment checked. I'd also go for a 2004 onwards which are setup a bit better for daily use.
Test drive one and see.
OK, so we took one for a test drive on Saturday.
Was a 2003 model, in a fetching baby blue with blue interior (which my missus hated!) and 38k on the clock. Seemed like a nice straight car, was a bit overpriced imo at £8k, but guess they were trying to push the price up based on low mileage.
Anwyay, the drive, I thought it was quite nice, nowhere near as frantic as some make out. I would go as far to say that out 330ci is more fidgety over rough roads, and certainly my stiff, coilovered Eunos is far more fidgety. Off VTEC torque wasn't too bad I didn't think, especially for the type of driving you'd be doing out of the VTEC zone, i.e. pootling around in traffic, or maintaining speed on a motorway, etc - not as torquey as bigger NA motor, sure, but it wasn't as gutless as some make out.
Once in VTEC it was nice, sounded good and pulled well.
I thought the interior, although basic and a bit 90's Jap, was well thought out, driver focused and efficient. It's nice in a way that my Eunos is, i.e. it's still cheap Jap, but it's not too in your face like some of the modern jap interiors are.
My other half liked it as well.
For me, out of her choices - mk3 MX5, S2k, Z4 I would take any of them, and would also throw in a 2.7 or 3.2S Boxster - but she's still not too convinced about the Porsche. Shame. But I think they all do different things well, yes the MX5 is a little outclassed here, but mainly due to being a bit down on power, if they'd given them 180-200bhp from factory I think it would be a far closer battle.
Hopefully we can sell one of our cars soonish and get our bums in a new roadster before the summer disappears, lol!!
Was a 2003 model, in a fetching baby blue with blue interior (which my missus hated!) and 38k on the clock. Seemed like a nice straight car, was a bit overpriced imo at £8k, but guess they were trying to push the price up based on low mileage.
Anwyay, the drive, I thought it was quite nice, nowhere near as frantic as some make out. I would go as far to say that out 330ci is more fidgety over rough roads, and certainly my stiff, coilovered Eunos is far more fidgety. Off VTEC torque wasn't too bad I didn't think, especially for the type of driving you'd be doing out of the VTEC zone, i.e. pootling around in traffic, or maintaining speed on a motorway, etc - not as torquey as bigger NA motor, sure, but it wasn't as gutless as some make out.
Once in VTEC it was nice, sounded good and pulled well.
I thought the interior, although basic and a bit 90's Jap, was well thought out, driver focused and efficient. It's nice in a way that my Eunos is, i.e. it's still cheap Jap, but it's not too in your face like some of the modern jap interiors are.
My other half liked it as well.
For me, out of her choices - mk3 MX5, S2k, Z4 I would take any of them, and would also throw in a 2.7 or 3.2S Boxster - but she's still not too convinced about the Porsche. Shame. But I think they all do different things well, yes the MX5 is a little outclassed here, but mainly due to being a bit down on power, if they'd given them 180-200bhp from factory I think it would be a far closer battle.
Hopefully we can sell one of our cars soonish and get our bums in a new roadster before the summer disappears, lol!!
The S2000 is one of the best cars i've owned and i've got a nice stable to state that.
I had an 06, which granted had traction control but i ragged that car to death, daily drove it for 18 months and had nothing but fun with it.
The only negative i'd give the car for a DD is the lack of torque which means you're constantly shifting which can become a pain but other than that it's a phenomenal car. I actually think i'll buy another one next year.
I had an 06, which granted had traction control but i ragged that car to death, daily drove it for 18 months and had nothing but fun with it.
The only negative i'd give the car for a DD is the lack of torque which means you're constantly shifting which can become a pain but other than that it's a phenomenal car. I actually think i'll buy another one next year.
rallycross said:
Get her to drive a 3.0 Z4 and an S2000 in the same day, see what she thinks, the 3.0 is a far nicer thing for day to day cruising around in, nicer inside, better on long trips. However if you are getting her to buy something that you can also use for the occasional hoon get the S2000. (have owned an early S2000 and a 2004 Z4 3.0 so have experience of both).
Me too, and I agree.However the runflats spoil the Z4 ride by making it far too hard.
The last of the early Boxster s would get my vote, and I've had all 3.
the OEM stereo is universally dogst. Do what I did and rip it out - stick an Alpine DAB/Bluetooth head unit in - with DAB aerial on the windscreen and discrete microphone on the dash. Focal 2 ways in the doors, and self contained Focal active bassbins mounted behind each seat.Forget the headrest speakers - you wont notice if they are connected or not at any speed over 20mph. I get awesome sound even at 90 with the roof down.
t. Do what I did and rip it out - stick an Alpine DAB/Bluetooth head unit in - with DAB aerial on the windscreen and discrete microphone on the dash. Focal 2 ways in the doors, and self contained Focal active bassbins mounted behind each seat.Forget the headrest speakers - you wont notice if they are connected or not at any speed over 20mph. I get awesome sound even at 90 with the roof down. Edited by krunchkin on Friday 12th July 11:35
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