I am buying!!

Author
Discussion

Iceman82

Original Poster:

1,311 posts

237 months

Monday 17th March 2008
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Hi guys,

I am currently driving a Z4 2.0 which I am, frankly, massively disappointed with. It really is a case of all show and no go, that coupled with a truly rubbish after sales service from BMW have lead me to look elsewhere for a new pride and joy.

I was helping my mum test drive a new civic type r and I was drawn to the S2000, a car I have always liked. Took one out for a test drive and was smitten! Having sorted finance etc with the dealer (Alan Day in Portsmouth, absolutely 1st class service!) I am down to 2 54 plates with around 25,000 on the clock in Moon Rock. The only difference is the fact that one is a GT and the other is not, with the GT being slightly more price wise.

My question (got there in the end!) is whether or not the GT is worth the extra premium? Do people use their hardtops much? I will be mainly parking the car at night on a driveway and during the day at a secure office car park.

Thanks for any answers and any help regarding the joys of driving the S2K!

havoc

30,075 posts

236 months

Monday 17th March 2008
quotequote all
Good call!

www.s2ki.co.uk is your friend for all the questions you want answered about the car (and some answers you didn't even know you needed!!! wink).

GT vs non-GT? Personal preference entirely. Mine is outside on the drive all the time, so I fit the hard-top around late-Nov and take off in early-March. Makes the car more habitable and quieter (and warmer, it seems), improves rear-visibility, and protects the soft-top from the elements. But it does mean you can't take advantage of those cold, crisp, clear winter's days...
(although you'd need to defrost and dry the hood before you folded it anyway...manual says not to fold when wet...).
...and you then need to store the hardtop in the garage for 8-9 months of the year.

Moonrock? Hope you're going for half-red interior then...lifts the cabin nicely from plain black, and looks good against Moonrock and Black.


If there's one thing I'd say about the car, it's handling:-
- If driven well, it drives superbly. Driven like a front-driver, it can bite you though... Although as you're coming from a similar car, you're unlikely to drive it like a hot-hatch...
- Oh (OK then, two things wink) - also on handling - it's very dependent on the geometry set-up, so as it's a 2nd-hand car get the geometry checked by somewhere good (i.e. NOT a main-dealer), and set-up how you want it (a good place will talk to you about your driving style and what you want out of the car).


As for purchasing...unless you need to p/x a current car, why buy from a dealer? For dealer prices on a 54-plate you might be able to get a 55-plate privately, which will still have some mfrs warranty left and you can gauge the seller, see how they've treated the car...

Edited by havoc on Monday 17th March 17:42

mikey k

13,011 posts

217 months

Monday 17th March 2008
quotequote all
Don't bother with the GT.
I'm on my 4th S, my 3rd was a GT. Never used the thing.
You will regret it the first crisp winter day you fancy getting the roof down wink

IMHO buy as late as possible on a private buy. They are that reliable wink Just do the checks (HPI etc)

BTW I love my Moonrock/Black/Red wink

bracken78

983 posts

207 months

Monday 17th March 2008
quotequote all
I brought my S2000 at the beginning of February and have had the top down quite a lot. I though about the GT but decided I didn't want it and it would just get in the way when not on the car. personal preference, but I'm glad I don't have one.

Iceman82

Original Poster:

1,311 posts

237 months

Tuesday 18th March 2008
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Thanks for the help guys! I am likely to go for the non-GT jsut due to finances really but I will take on board what you have said about the private route as it makes a lot of sense.

I will let you know when I get one, should be by the end of the month, and then hopefully there will be some possibility of meeting up!!

Thanks again!

ninjadave

11 posts

194 months

Thursday 20th March 2008
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I like having my GT hardtop but end up cursing it when the weather is nice and i have the hard top on and also when i take it off and have to cart it upstairs to my 2nd floor flat. Still, saying that, i personally prefer it.

andy_msn

8 posts

195 months

Thursday 20th March 2008
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Only ever had the hardtop on once, and that is when I picked the car up after I had bought it! It is presently sitting in my Mum's garage loving covered in a blanket.

I imagine the next time that it will go back on the car, is when I sell the vehicle (currently for sale if anyone is interested!)

Cheers

Andy