Car for the wife !!
Discussion
Looking to change the wifes car.... thank god Im not going to admit to what she drives.
But she is now looking for a convertible,first it was a Megane, then I tried to get her to do the BMW Z thing but she doesnt like the look of the 4 and the 3 she turns her nose up....
Shes quite struck on the Honda S2000 GT,which to be honest does look quite nice, and from what I remember of seeing Vicky Butler Henderson it handles quite well to. Not that the wife drives like her.
Anyway, please could you give me some pointers of what trim and extras you want when looking at them,and what there weaknesses are....
Thanks for any feedback
But she is now looking for a convertible,first it was a Megane, then I tried to get her to do the BMW Z thing but she doesnt like the look of the 4 and the 3 she turns her nose up....
Shes quite struck on the Honda S2000 GT,which to be honest does look quite nice, and from what I remember of seeing Vicky Butler Henderson it handles quite well to. Not that the wife drives like her.
Anyway, please could you give me some pointers of what trim and extras you want when looking at them,and what there weaknesses are....
Thanks for any feedback
Are you buying from new or used? Pre 04 cars are slightly different as the S2000 had a makeover in this year. A newer 06 model is now available too with the only cometic changes being the alloys.
There are only two models available with the S2000. The Roadster or the GT. The only difference being the GT comes with a hard top, there is no difference in performace. Once you've chosen whether you want the Roadster or the GT it all comes down to the choice of colour for the exterior and interior. If you pick up a brochure from your local dealership it will have all the different colour combo's available.
The are also a few other additions you can have like front/rear spoilers, CD changer but they are quite limited. There is also quite a few after market products available.
I've owned mine since last summer and for the money you can't beat the s2000. Servicing is pretty cheap, it drives superbly and not much goes wrong. A few things to look out for are worn bushes, corroding alloys and hood wear. Also remember that this car is group 20 insurance so will be a lot higher than the likes of the Megane.
There are only two models available with the S2000. The Roadster or the GT. The only difference being the GT comes with a hard top, there is no difference in performace. Once you've chosen whether you want the Roadster or the GT it all comes down to the choice of colour for the exterior and interior. If you pick up a brochure from your local dealership it will have all the different colour combo's available.
The are also a few other additions you can have like front/rear spoilers, CD changer but they are quite limited. There is also quite a few after market products available.
I've owned mine since last summer and for the money you can't beat the s2000. Servicing is pretty cheap, it drives superbly and not much goes wrong. A few things to look out for are worn bushes, corroding alloys and hood wear. Also remember that this car is group 20 insurance so will be a lot higher than the likes of the Megane.
Servicing costs the same as a Civic!!!
Insurance is the killer - Its group 20!
A good resource is www.s2ki.com
I can't complain I'm on number 2!
Insurance is the killer - Its group 20!
A good resource is www.s2ki.com
I can't complain I'm on number 2!
Agreed with TaylotS2k. It'll cost less to run than a BMW until something goes wrong, when parts will be getting on for similar money. But Hondas are very well built. Not many known faults, all documented on s2ki.co.uk.
I guess the questions are:-
- will budget stretch to an '04?
- will it be an everyday car?
- is the wife familiar with driving rwd cars with no traction control?
If an everyday car a GT model is worthwhile as it's more habitable in winter. Will need the space to store the hardtop in summer though. If it's a weekend car (esp. if you've a garage to keep it in), then not necessary.
If the budget stretches to an '04 then do so - interior trim improvements and the RE050s are much better in the wet than the S02s on the pre-04's. The S2000 'purists' moan that "it's softer". But that's like saying a jaguar is 'less dangerous' than a tiger.
If the wife is used to driving fwd, esp lower-power fwd, then an '04 is very worthwhile - I've an '03 and in the wet it does seem to be very good at finding S2000-specific diesel spills to upset the rear-wheels. 99% of the time it's very stable and planted (on Toyo rubber now), but every so often it'll twitch at the back when you're not expecting it. If you know how to drive, no problem - it's easy to catch. But if you're the sort of person who'd be a passenger if the car got sideways, could be an issue. The '04 suspension and tyres are supposed to reduce this trait a bit. But in all honesty some skid-pan training would probably be just as good an idea.
I like mine a lot...for me it needs more steering feel as it's not THAT confidence-inspiring at the limit. But that's it's only real fault. The wife REALLY likes it, but she doesn't drive like me.
I guess the questions are:-
- will budget stretch to an '04?
- will it be an everyday car?
- is the wife familiar with driving rwd cars with no traction control?
If an everyday car a GT model is worthwhile as it's more habitable in winter. Will need the space to store the hardtop in summer though. If it's a weekend car (esp. if you've a garage to keep it in), then not necessary.
If the budget stretches to an '04 then do so - interior trim improvements and the RE050s are much better in the wet than the S02s on the pre-04's. The S2000 'purists' moan that "it's softer". But that's like saying a jaguar is 'less dangerous' than a tiger.
If the wife is used to driving fwd, esp lower-power fwd, then an '04 is very worthwhile - I've an '03 and in the wet it does seem to be very good at finding S2000-specific diesel spills to upset the rear-wheels. 99% of the time it's very stable and planted (on Toyo rubber now), but every so often it'll twitch at the back when you're not expecting it. If you know how to drive, no problem - it's easy to catch. But if you're the sort of person who'd be a passenger if the car got sideways, could be an issue. The '04 suspension and tyres are supposed to reduce this trait a bit. But in all honesty some skid-pan training would probably be just as good an idea.
I like mine a lot...for me it needs more steering feel as it's not THAT confidence-inspiring at the limit. But that's it's only real fault. The wife REALLY likes it, but she doesn't drive like me.
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