Originally Posted by Zoomie

I love my S. It was my attainable dream car and I have gotten tons of miles and AutoX out of it. It was the perfect car for mountain roads in Colorado and New Mexico. Little Rock had a great group running AutoX.

The problem is now that I live in Panhandle Florida, with no good roads and I feel like my use for the car now plays to none of its strengths. I commute, sit in traffic, drive straight boring roads and jam gear for work travel in the passenger seat. When it's time for the beach or fun outside I am relying on someone else to fit boards, coolers, chairs, whatever. On great days outside and short trips, I ditch the S2000 and take the Ducati. I don't have time to work on the car or AutoX anymore.

So, all of this has me looking at moving on. I can't really picture getting rid of the S, but I think of all the activities listed above and realize how nice it would be to have a car which was a better all-rounder. Because I move so often, and have a 1 car garage, I really think my needs are best suited by a single vehicle.

So I am looking at BMW 335i's (edit; E90 gen for hyd steering and better looks. think 2011) with a manual (and M Sport pack if i can find it). My hesitation is that I won't be able to work on it myself and that I will miss the S and wish I had gotten a DD/beater. What are your thoughts on living with the S when you don't feel like you are getting enjoyment out of it?

Originally Posted by Zoomie

Thanks for all the good thoughts guys. I am obviously not sure yet what I want to do, but it pretty much falls into the two schools of keep the S and get a daily in the realm of used Civic, Mazda 3 or WRK or sell the S and look for something that is a satisfying all-rounder like a Focus ST, used 335i, new Mazda 3 or the like.

Originally Posted by blasphemy101

It sounds like your Ducati is filling the roles the S2000 holds for many of us. The practical side of me questions the value of owning both of them.

That said, you may want the option to auto-x, track, or get back in to the car "scene" in the future...

Originally Posted by FearlessFife

I vote for
a daily.

There are times that I wonder why I keep my S2000, as it sits in the garage almost always and rarely gets driven - so I am not sure why I want to continue to pay for insurance, parts/maintenance, etc. But then there are those days where I have time to go out for a top down drive, and it's totally worth it...

Originally Posted by Da New Yawka

I vote for
a daily.

There are times that I wonder why I keep my S2000, as it sits in the garage almost always and rarely gets driven - so I am not sure why I want to continue to pay for insurance, parts/maintenance, etc. But then there are those days where I have time to go out for a top down drive, and it's totally worth it...

Originally Posted by Zoomie

So resurrecting this thread, because contrary to plenty of advice on here, the S is sold. I am a 1 car household and need something more capable as an all rounder, daily driver. It was hard to let go, but I am sure the next owner will enjoy it every bit as much as I did.

So! The replacement contenders, in no particular order

2015 Subaru WRX ~29k
+ reliability, price, fun to drive
- looks/image, interior, fuel economy

2011 335i Msport ~ 36k
+ THE ENGINE, interior, extras, 2 years of depreciation
- reliability (after the CPO warranty ends in 2016), initial cost

2014 Mazda3
+ Looks, reliability, price, fuel economy
- power, FWD, small engine to get a manual

Let me know what you think! Manual transmission is a must.