S2000 replacement
03-27-2011, 08:57 AM
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S2000 replacement
OK, my lease on the 2008 S2000 ends in early May. I had a decision to make. The buyout is almost exactly $20,000 with taxes etc. So, keep the S2K or not? I love this car. It's pretty much the perfect roadster for me and cheap to maintain. I don't think I'll ever find anything with a better manual transmission setup. But.....BIG BUT.....my daily commute suuuucks! It takes me 1:15 - 1:30 to make the 33.5 mile one way drive to work most mornings. I clutch several hundred times while creeping in stop n go traffic. Sorta kills the fun of a great car like the S2000. My compensation comes from getting off the highway onto back roads. It takes just as long but I'm driving at moderate speeds with the top down. Still...
So, yesterday I bought a used 2005 Crossfire SRT6. 3,240 lbs with 330HP and 310TQ from a supercharged AMG 3.2L V6. Rear wheel drive with an AMG 5 speed automatic with manual shift option. The car was built by Karmann at the Onusbruck, Germany factory on the same line as the SLK 32. OK, before the laughing starts. I've always loved the styling of this car. It's a previous generation Mercedes SLK AMG 32 restyled and rebadged under the Chrysler name. It's 1 inch wider, 1.5 inches taller and 2 inches shorter than an S2000. And it has a turn radius of 32.2 ft vs the S2K at 35.4. And it weighs about 375 lbs more than the S2k. The car I bought has 17,504 miles on it vs ~35,000 on the S2000 I'll be turning in. It's spotless inside and out. It was a Chrysler exec's car for 18 months/11,000 miles and then sold to the current owner (67 years old) as a CPO vehicle. He put another 6,500 miles on the car over three years. I think this will give me a car I can enjoy looking at and driving while making the commute a bit more enjoyable. It's got a few things the S2K lacked like Nav system, heated seats, and automatic headlights. The boot is just a bit larger also. The price? $15,800 or about $4,200 less than the buyout on my leased S2000 for a car with half the mileage, more features and in my mind much more eye catching looks.
I dearly love the S2000 and hate to give it up but I'm thankful I had the chance to experience the car for three years. No regrets at all. Honda hit one out of the park with this car. I considered a new Mustang GT auto (~$36K) and a new 370Z roadster auto (~$43K) but in the end, I couldn't justify the cost when something like the SRT6 was available at such a highly depreciated price. The SRT6 listed for $45,000 when new. The market just wasn't going to pay that kind of money for a Chrysler no matter the AMG gene pool. They sat on dealer lots forever. Eventually, Chrysler ended up with a 240 day supply. The prices plummeted. Today, very few people are even aware of them and the prices continue to plummet with the stigma of Chrysler's bankruptcy, bailout, and their current lackluster product offering. I think it's a steal. I know, I know...automatic...Chrysler brand, ...etc. But I think this car suits my needs for a daily driver and while I may be alone, I love the styling of the car. And, it is a straight line rocket compared to the S2000 and has tons of grip in the corners if not the precision handling of the S2000.
OK, let the laughing begin.
So, yesterday I bought a used 2005 Crossfire SRT6. 3,240 lbs with 330HP and 310TQ from a supercharged AMG 3.2L V6. Rear wheel drive with an AMG 5 speed automatic with manual shift option. The car was built by Karmann at the Onusbruck, Germany factory on the same line as the SLK 32. OK, before the laughing starts. I've always loved the styling of this car. It's a previous generation Mercedes SLK AMG 32 restyled and rebadged under the Chrysler name. It's 1 inch wider, 1.5 inches taller and 2 inches shorter than an S2000. And it has a turn radius of 32.2 ft vs the S2K at 35.4. And it weighs about 375 lbs more than the S2k. The car I bought has 17,504 miles on it vs ~35,000 on the S2000 I'll be turning in. It's spotless inside and out. It was a Chrysler exec's car for 18 months/11,000 miles and then sold to the current owner (67 years old) as a CPO vehicle. He put another 6,500 miles on the car over three years. I think this will give me a car I can enjoy looking at and driving while making the commute a bit more enjoyable. It's got a few things the S2K lacked like Nav system, heated seats, and automatic headlights. The boot is just a bit larger also. The price? $15,800 or about $4,200 less than the buyout on my leased S2000 for a car with half the mileage, more features and in my mind much more eye catching looks.
I dearly love the S2000 and hate to give it up but I'm thankful I had the chance to experience the car for three years. No regrets at all. Honda hit one out of the park with this car. I considered a new Mustang GT auto (~$36K) and a new 370Z roadster auto (~$43K) but in the end, I couldn't justify the cost when something like the SRT6 was available at such a highly depreciated price. The SRT6 listed for $45,000 when new. The market just wasn't going to pay that kind of money for a Chrysler no matter the AMG gene pool. They sat on dealer lots forever. Eventually, Chrysler ended up with a 240 day supply. The prices plummeted. Today, very few people are even aware of them and the prices continue to plummet with the stigma of Chrysler's bankruptcy, bailout, and their current lackluster product offering. I think it's a steal. I know, I know...automatic...Chrysler brand, ...etc. But I think this car suits my needs for a daily driver and while I may be alone, I love the styling of the car. And, it is a straight line rocket compared to the S2000 and has tons of grip in the corners if not the precision handling of the S2000.
OK, let the laughing begin.
03-27-2011, 09:13 AM
#2
I don't see any reason to laugh or flame, granted that the looks are dated on the srt6 and it's auto, you picked up a low mileage more powerful car that suits your needs (commuting in traffic and occasional back road sprint), I would have done the same thing if I was in your situation.
Would be cool to see some pics though.
Would be cool to see some pics though.
03-27-2011, 09:18 AM
#3
The car certainly has a unique (maybe you'd call it art deco?) styling but I would owe any of the goofiness to the accents and not the overall shape, which is a winner in my opinion.
If they just would have made this car in a manual transmission I think would be a great car. The auto kills it for me but seems perfect for your purposes. Congrats on the purchase. It sounds like fun.
If they just would have made this car in a manual transmission I think would be a great car. The auto kills it for me but seems perfect for your purposes. Congrats on the purchase. It sounds like fun.
03-27-2011, 09:41 AM
#4
When one of the mags tested this car vs. 350Z and Boxster S, it was fastest around a road course.
03-27-2011, 09:49 AM
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I don't see any reason to laugh or flame, granted that the looks are dated on the srt6 and it's auto, you picked up a low mileage more powerful car that suits your needs (commuting in traffic and occasional back road sprint), I would have done the same thing if I was in your situation.
Would be cool to see some pics though.
Would be cool to see some pics though.
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03-27-2011, 01:58 PM
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I don't follow the logic some of you guys seem to come up with! First of all I think the S is not the perfect daily commuter or the car to drive during winter. Why not get a cheap second car and keep the S for fun? If you need a good winter vehicle get a used Subaru or if you need a better daily driver get a used economy car.