Things we wish we'd known before driving an S2000
Daily Slideshow: There's no other car quite like the S2000. We've got no complaints here about the car. Rather, here are things we wish we'd known that would have made the early courtship even sweeter.
The first drive really sticks with you.
The experience of driving an S2000 for the first time should be unforgettable. It's never clear which experiences will solidify into lasting memories. Even in the case of "love at first sight," (as it often is with S2k fans) few of us would have been able to accurately foresee just how far our fandom for the car could take us. There's nothing else that really prepares you for the way an S2000 can feel to drive. Perfectly responsive and as sharp-handling as it gets; it pulls no punches. The S2000 is as incredible (or as terrifying) as the driving skills of whoever's behind the wheel. Most of us are perfectly happy with the way our "first S2000 drive" went. Still, we've got to wonder whether we would have gone about it any differently had we known it would start a love affair to last a lifetime.
The difference in driving an AP1 or AP2.
Following that initial courtship, it's not usually long before the process of getting familiar sets in. It's not usually too long before a dedicated S2k fan will stumble upon the AP1/AP2 question. Both eras of S2000 are outstanding, not to mention very similar from outside perspectives) but they each highlight different characteristics. The AP1 is uncompromising and raw, while AP2 softened off the harsher edges. As for whichever one is superior, it's up to personal taste, and that's where this wish comes in: it would have been nice to have side-by-side first time drives to develop a hang for each. Life circumstances sadly aren't always so where a novice can try out both to their satisfaction to see what they like. Direct AP1/AP2 drive comparisons are easier to line up once you're already part of the S2000 fandom, but it may be some time as an early owner before someone gets to see the other half of the story. For the record, the AP2 is the natural choice for a newcomer, but it would obviously be nice to have the perspective open going into it.
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It can feel a bit like relearning to drive.
Every car takes some adjustment, but the S2000 is a special sort of unforgiving. The sheer responsiveness is all to the S2000's benefit (once you know how to harness it) but as novices, we may have had it better knowing it would take more time than average to get used to. Moreover; the S2000 begs a certain exploratory impulse from the driver. Every aspect of design (like the lid-covered radio) seems to have been informed by a "new rules" mindset. Because of that, it's best to go into an S2000 as a fresh experience; more so than a regular car.
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Minor features that took time to find.
There's a bevy of neat S2000 easter eggs laying in wait for the VIP power user; enough eggs, in fact, to have earned a feature list of their own. The S2000 rewards the impulse to explore and tinker around. As fun as it is to have forbidden knowledge of S2000's "secret" compartment in the center console and the like, we're sure some space-related conveniences could have been avoided knowing about every nook from the start. At the same time, the added utility probably wouldn't have been worth missing out on the joy of discovery.
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The S2000 isn't meant as a speed demon.
From the outside looking in, speed is the bottom line for sports cars; it seems that way at least. The S2000 is still loved for its performance specs. It's natural to think that it would factor into the top speed. In truth, the S2000's not fast; it wasn't even fast by early 2000s standards. It was never meant to be. Rather, the S2000 excels in all the other ways. The handling is second to none. If a newcomer's going to give it a test, a route with plenty of sharp turns makes more sense than a long drag.
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Advance knowledge of discontinuation.
You never know what you've got until it's gone. Honda's decision to cut mass production didn't do much to quell the fanbase. Even the used availability has remained solid over time. The value of these cars is only increasing though; it's one of the only cars from the early 2000s that has been aging as gracefully as the vintage models. With some advance warning that Honda was going to give up on this then-future classic, perhaps it would have made sense to buy an extra as an investment.
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The no-frills approach really grows on you.
The S2000 really makes you realize how many of the unnecessary things you took for granted in other cars. It's so uncompromising in its personality, the 2000 pilot model year even skimped on a clock. None of this was for the sake of being cheap, however. It was always meant as a straight-to-the-chase type deal. The S2000 delivers the essence of a sports car. It gives you the experience you really want and frees you of the overwhelming feature creep. There's a certain zen to that freedom from distraction with an S2k. Maybe that explains the feeling of joy that comes from getting behind the wheel of one.
>>Join the conversation about why you shouldn't stance your Honda right here in the S2Ki Forum.