RE: Honda S2000: Spotted
Discussion
Yes I can see why on a daily basis the mx5 would be a nicer proposition.
The s2000 always makes you feel you are driving something hardcore and uncompromising. I wouldn't want to drive mine as a daily. Bit on a sunny weekend toy for a drive on some great B roads they are marvellous.
I do like boxsters too (mid engined cars have a unique appeal in the way they drive) I would have bought either but I love high revving vtec and the reliability of the Honda. I've had no big bills on the s2000 in the 7 years ownership. Just oil and filter changes and routine stuff. They are also easy to work on.
The s2000 always makes you feel you are driving something hardcore and uncompromising. I wouldn't want to drive mine as a daily. Bit on a sunny weekend toy for a drive on some great B roads they are marvellous.
I do like boxsters too (mid engined cars have a unique appeal in the way they drive) I would have bought either but I love high revving vtec and the reliability of the Honda. I've had no big bills on the s2000 in the 7 years ownership. Just oil and filter changes and routine stuff. They are also easy to work on.
mrfunex said:
I have a car that’ll do over 100mph in 3rd, I’ve never wondered if that makes 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th or even 8th pointless? I suppose all those superbikes that’ll crack 100mph in 1st might attract a similar argument? I don’t see how the inability to hit the limiter in every gear on the road should be a negative thing...
It would seem that the S2000 is, and always has been, a marmite car. Lots of people don’t ‘get’ them - and that’s ok. Some of us do, and very little could ever replace one!
Unfortunately you don't 'wear them' the seat is set too high and there is no adjustment in the It would seem that the S2000 is, and always has been, a marmite car. Lots of people don’t ‘get’ them - and that’s ok. Some of us do, and very little could ever replace one!
Steering wheel to help compensate, this is a common criticism. Also it's not a case of getting them but rather just being objective, and realising their not the road going race car they would like you too believe, drive one back to back with a dc2 and it's easy to see this!
mikey P 500 said:
...but objectively the boxster is better in almost everyway.
With the greatest of respect, you can’t declare something as objective just because it’s also your opinion. That would depend on many subjective criteria, and the answers to personal questions such as “do you like naturally aspirated engines that rev to 9000rpm?” or “do you like the world’s best ever manual gearbox?” and so on and so forth 
Jonstar said:
Unfortunately you don't 'wear them' the seat is set too high and there is no adjustment in the
Steering wheel to help compensate, this is a common criticism. Also it's not a case of getting them but rather just being objective, and realising their not the road going race car they would like you too believe, drive one back to back with a dc2 and it's easy to see this!
I test drove a Caterham during the short period I had mine and it felt like jelly for a while afterwards. It's all relative Steering wheel to help compensate, this is a common criticism. Also it's not a case of getting them but rather just being objective, and realising their not the road going race car they would like you too believe, drive one back to back with a dc2 and it's easy to see this!
Owned a 2008 S2000 for nearly 4 years. Loved it and apart from tyres and routine servicing it didn't cost me anything extra. Only fault was an exhaust O2 sensor replaced under warranty (I bought it approved used from Honda). One of the best cars I owned and lost £1600 in depreciation during the time I owned it too!
Correction - the suspension is cast iron.
Back Yard Special seat rail fixes the slightly awkward driving position for taller drivers.
Chassis braces front and rear (and an alignment!) seem to improve steering feel and sense of impending breakaway, making the car far less of a deathtrap than their early reputation would suggest.
I've had mine 17 years...and some have had theirs even longer.
Back Yard Special seat rail fixes the slightly awkward driving position for taller drivers.
Chassis braces front and rear (and an alignment!) seem to improve steering feel and sense of impending breakaway, making the car far less of a deathtrap than their early reputation would suggest.
I've had mine 17 years...and some have had theirs even longer.
I have a '99 JDM S2000, looking at the VIN the 152 off the line.
I only use it as a weekend/summer toy, and I think it fits that role well. Using it as a daily you certainly have to make a number of compromises, some which some will tolerate and others not.
When I jump in after driving the daily for a while it feels sluggish and a bit wooden. Once wound up and pressing on in it comes alive, urging you to rev it and you start to feel the chassis responding to the road. In some ways it's a bit like a bike, urging you to wind on more throttle and sucking you in.
Driving it as a daily? No thanks, it would ruin the car for me as it's something special to me and there are too many annoying compromises to deal with.
As a fun toy on a good weekend like today? It brings a smile to my face, and all the things about it that annoy me suddenly become massive positives. I probably only do about 1200 miles a year in mine, but they have all been great ones.
Mine has changed at very virtually nothing over my ownership other than servicing and tyres. It'll be repainted this year as the paint has become very tired after 19 years of service. (And it's Honda paint, so thin as can be)
I only use it as a weekend/summer toy, and I think it fits that role well. Using it as a daily you certainly have to make a number of compromises, some which some will tolerate and others not.
When I jump in after driving the daily for a while it feels sluggish and a bit wooden. Once wound up and pressing on in it comes alive, urging you to rev it and you start to feel the chassis responding to the road. In some ways it's a bit like a bike, urging you to wind on more throttle and sucking you in.
Driving it as a daily? No thanks, it would ruin the car for me as it's something special to me and there are too many annoying compromises to deal with.
As a fun toy on a good weekend like today? It brings a smile to my face, and all the things about it that annoy me suddenly become massive positives. I probably only do about 1200 miles a year in mine, but they have all been great ones.
Mine has changed at very virtually nothing over my ownership other than servicing and tyres. It'll be repainted this year as the paint has become very tired after 19 years of service. (And it's Honda paint, so thin as can be)
Olivera said:
When have you last had the geometry set? 7 years of no big bills on an S2000 = all the bushes are shot and the geometry is screwed.
It was done by the previous owner. Cost him £1500 at Centre of Gravity. Still drives like a dream but the car is only used as a weekend toy and the occasional track day (but we have another car for that mainly).The S2000 is a great car. I honestly can't ever see me selling it. 7 years in I still love taking it for a B road blast.
Olivera said:
When have you last had the geometry set? 7 years of no big bills on an S2000 = all the bushes are shot and the geometry is screwed.
Well from personal experience I'd say s2K bushes last more than 7 years - mine were done last year for the first time, at 12 years - Mostly as a result of having to fix the geo bolts as the last owner hadn't followed service guidance and greased the bolts. The geo on the car was spot on up until that point even with siezed bolts as it was stock, at worst it's no better or no worse than any other sports car you follow the servicing guidance and all is well, you cut corners at your own risk... Loving mine after 4.5 years it's probably the first car I've ever owned I cannot see myself selling - it's schizophrenic characteristics are perfect on the roads up here in the lake district.
S.
Jonstar said:
Good cars but not great cars, poor steering feel , a poor driving position and an overly peaky engine see to that. Some delusional people in this thread...
100% agree, also rear suspension set up was not good and ruined the package, great ingredients and poor end result. Take one for a proper thrash down your favourite B road and you soon find out what’s missing.Perhaps the disappointing car I ever drove.
As a serial Honda nut I couldn’t wait to drive the first one, it was a let down. Subsequently drove the facelift and GT, all very similar. Fantastic looking to this day and a magical engine and one of the nicest gearboxes ever created. However. The steering lacked feel and rear damping was at odds with the chassis. It was always more nervous and slower cross country than the DC2 and whilst the engine wanted lots of revs the setup just held it back.
It should have been the middle ground between a Boxster and Elise, truth is either of them are just way better dynamically.
As a serial Honda nut I couldn’t wait to drive the first one, it was a let down. Subsequently drove the facelift and GT, all very similar. Fantastic looking to this day and a magical engine and one of the nicest gearboxes ever created. However. The steering lacked feel and rear damping was at odds with the chassis. It was always more nervous and slower cross country than the DC2 and whilst the engine wanted lots of revs the setup just held it back.
It should have been the middle ground between a Boxster and Elise, truth is either of them are just way better dynamically.
Kenny Powers said:
mikey P 500 said:
...but objectively the boxster is better in almost everyway.
With the greatest of respect, you can’t declare something as objective just because it’s also your opinion. That would depend on many subjective criteria, and the answers to personal questions such as “do you like naturally aspirated engines that rev to 9000rpm?” or “do you like the world’s best ever manual gearbox?” and so on and so forth mikey P 500 said:
Maybe your technicaly correct but if you have no bias to either brand (or group of cars) I think almost everyone who drove both cars back to back would pick the boxster every time, the handling is much better. I think many s2000 owners (myself included at the time) never test drive a boxster as have preconceptions about the image and running costs (which are largely unfounded) and miss out on what's a now far cheaper way into a great 2 seater sports car.
Absolutely spot on. mikey P 500 said:
Maybe your technicaly correct but if you have no bias to either brand (or group of cars) I think almost everyone who drove both cars back to back would pick the boxster every time, the handling is much better. I think many s2000 owners (myself included at the time) never test drive a boxster as have preconceptions about the image and running costs (which are largely unfounded) and miss out on what's a now far cheaper way into a great 2 seater sports car.
Absolutely spot on. mikey P 500 said:
Maybe your technicaly correct but if you have no bias to either brand (or group of cars) I think almost everyone who drove both cars back to back would pick the boxster every time, the handling is much better. I think many s2000 owners (myself included at the time) never test drive a boxster as have preconceptions about the image and running costs (which are largely unfounded) and miss out on what's a now far cheaper way into a great 2 seater sports car.
In 2006 that is nearly exactly what I did, back to back on the same day on the same roads a new S2K and a new 987.1 cayman and I ended up in a cayman despite the price difference. As I said at the time - you could see exactly where the money had been spent.I ran the cayman for 2 years then went to a 911 for 18 months, and then into a boxster for 3 and a half years.
I'm in a S2k now - simply because it suits me and what I want and I love the look of it (it's all a personal thing after all - you pays your money and makes your choice), and after 7 years in a 9x7 cockpit - it was different,
It also seems in my opinion to work better up here for me than the boxster, smaller, shorter geared, well behaved (in my experience and in my car) and yes perhaps I like it because it's not quite as good - the boxster was so good - long distance cruiser (not one of the S2K's strongpoints) , schlepper par excellence - but unless you were really pushing on it just didn't come alive - call me a nutter but the Honda is rather like Alfa's - flawed but almost brilliant because of it, its a fun car. I've never driven for any length of time a 986 generation car, and perhaps the same holds true.
The most important thing is that folks find a car that works for them and they enjoy it...
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