Manga_Spawn

Ok I will keep this short and sweet.

First what should I be paying for a lowish mile s2000? I would like something with less than 50k on the clock.

There are a few 06's and an 08 that are around the $23-25K mark with that mileage but is that to much? I feel like I have seen much lower prices than that for the same amount of miles. I would be much more comfortable under $20K but it depends on the car.

I am going to have to finance as well so is it better to go through a dealer or a private party?

Finally I am really looking for a AP2 in Red but would be interested in Black or White as well. I am not apposed to an AP1 but I think there may be resrictions on the loan? Is anyone in the Phoenix area wanting to think about selling their red s2k?

Any help you guys could give would be greatly appricated. I have been dreaming about owning one of these cars for years and it is finally getting close to becoming real for me.

Feezy

I'd drive them both before you make a decision. You can still finance 02-03's if you have to. Personally I prefer the F20 motor and the AP1 body styling, I also prefer New Formula Red as well so I'm completely biased.

In AZ if you buy through PP you don't have to pay sales tax which is a plus.

Also, it's worth mentioning that there is a local guy who has a NFR AP1 that he is getting ready to sell. I think the mileage is a little higher than what you were looking for, but the price is great.

If you have any questions, or need any help I'd be glad to help out.

Chillis

I don't have any insider info, but I will say that I noticed something that I cannot explain. Last year (almost exactly a year ago) I was in the market for an AP2, and there seemed to be PLENTY to choose from no matter which outlet I use to do my search. I remember having to choose between 5-7 different AP2s with 20-40k on them, all for $19-22k. However, it seems these days those types of deals are much harder to find. The answer is most likely a sway in the market, with less cars out for sale the prices can stay high, whereas when I was looking, the market was almost 'flooded' so the prices reflected that. What I can't explain is why there were so many more S2000s for sale a year ago than there are today.

At the dealership you know you'll spend a few thou$and more than what you would buying from a private seller. So, I think the choice there is obvious unless a dealership has the specific s2k you want and can't live without.

I say take your time to find the right one for you - i.e. right color, right year, right price. You'll be happier in the long run! Good luck!

Manga_Spawn

I would like to see this NFR AP1 you are talking about. I am flexible on the mileage so long as it has been well cared for and I am not walking into a surprise. I want to mod it but I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on fixing things right away. I really have my heart set on red but I was considering a few others because of the year and mileage. I don't need to rush into this and it would really be better to wait alittle so I have more for the down payment. I will definately hit you up for some more help once I have found something I am serious about.

I have also noticed the same thing with prices here in AZ. It seems like the cars are the same but they are a few thosand more than when I was looking at them a year or 2 ago.

s2kJer

Welcome to the group

Depending on what color/year/miles you want you may have to look out of state for a car. The selection in AZ is not the best. A good resource I used was cars.com, autotrader.com, craigslist, ebay, etc... Look online rather than local and you will have a lot more options especially California cars...

After you see what is for sale in your price range check KBB.com. It is a great resource you can go to and see if you are getting a fair deal.

Financing? Well a lot of people have said that Desert Schools credit union has some great rates for used cars. Depending on your credit you can try them or another lender like capital one. I used them and they cut you a check to use at the dealer so you can negotiate a cash purchase price.

I would not recommend getting financed through any dealer unless that is your only option.

Good Luck!

Feezy

I looked for five years for the car I currently have. I finally found what I wanted for an incredible deal but it was half way across the country.

I'm sure Chris will chime in when he sees this, but from what I gather the car is very mechanically sound and has a few very tasteful parts on it already.

Manga_Spawn

I have thought about going outside AZ but honestly I just don't know how I would manage it. With work and everything it would just be to big of a hassle plus this is the first car I will be finacing and don't really need any other stress or to spend the extra money going to pick it up.

Honestly if I can avoid going to a dealer at all I would be perfectly happy. It is a total waste of a day and for the most part you have to deal with no less than several aholes.

I will look into desert schools. I am a long standing Wells Fargo customer also so I was going to check them out. I looked at BofA and while their rates were good they said you could not finance a car older than 7 calander years.

I really hope he does see this and get ahold of me. Thanks for the help guys I really appreciate it! I have been wanting one of these cars for such a long time.

4WHLBKE

You have PM

S2KMiyo

Yeah for me, I always looked at cars.com and autotrader.com and just selected "Private listings only."

I haven't financed a car from out of state using Desert Schools but I've heard some stories about it and didn't sound very pleasant at all. I have financed a few local here and they have been great. Excellent interest rates as well - beat US Bank by 2% and Chase by over 3%. (Finalized at 4.74)

In any case, NFR S's are pretty hard to come by~ In fact I think the only ones I've seen were from S2Ki~

But anyways, welcome to the forums and best of luck finding your S! Come to the Wednesday meet next week and hang with us!

Manga_Spawn

I might just have to do that. Yeah I need to make this as stress free as posible and going out of state would be a huge pain right now. I know Red S2k's are alittle more rare but I have hope. Plus I really want it to match the red EG and red GD3 Fit that we currently have . Its not like I need to have the car today more that I want it sooner rather than later.

As for Autotrader I have alerts set up so if a S goes up for sale within 100 miles it emails me.