Im not really stretching my budget. I can comfortably afford the payments. And I don't plan on buying a house anytime soon. Not sure where we want to settle yet. The car will get driven often, so it'll be more than worth it IMO. I've also been generously contributing to my 401k for a few years.

 

The S2000 in OEM form does not need an "improved suspension." This is not a Civic. Lowering does lower the center of gravity a little. 1 maybe 1.5 inches lower will scrape on every speed bump and driveway curb and while you lap time at Road Atlanta may be a second faster you won't notice this on the street. Some guys are impressed when they see the flashy adjustable "coil overs" but few know how to adjust them. Your setting for Road Atlanta will be different than for Mid Ohio or Watkins Glen. The OEM suspension handles the street and back roads better than most of us can drive. Extreme (or at least Max) performance tires will yield better results than an aftermarket suspension and guessing on the setup. The early cars were deliberately setup to oversteer. Guys familiar with front wheel drive cars put a lot of them "in the cattails." Latest generation cars (2006+) got traction control and stability assist. Purists can press the dash switch and play boy drifter with the right tires.

For performance short of supercharging the 2006+ cars are tune-able in stock form for surprisingly more mid-range torque and power. Pre-2006 cars need an aftermarket ECU.

Personal opinions and "taste" vary. Some guys don't like Scotch. Some guys can stand ghetto-black wheels. Not that they're related.

My car is a 2006. Only thing "better" would be a 2008.

-- Chuck

 

Follow your dreams and make yourself happy.

Just make sure the car checks out to your satisfaction. The price is reasonable and the car seems to be very well cared for. The only thing that stands out is that the ad says the car was purchased with an OEM hardtop but is currently sporting a CF Forbidden top, not sure why. If you are wanting the lowered look then I would invest in coilovers down the road which will be a better ride than just lowering springs, depending on the brand of course. Good luck.

 

Final message from your future self. Max out 401k (this is $18k/yr), and max RothIRA (5.5k/yr), then Save up to buy an S2000 in cash. Might take a few years, but you'll make it, and be in better shape going forward.

 

^^^The OP is only in his early 20's, life is to short not to reach for things you can enjoy while young. This car will not depreciate in value so there is no loss to his investment and if he decides to sell, the 401K can be the other option. The market is looking very favorable for clean S2000's and this looks like one.

 

I tend to agree with DefSport but I honestly don't think this is the kind of advice the OP is seeking here. He can get that advice elsewhere. It really is off topic in my opinion.
My personal opinion is that if you are looking to spend 15K on an S you should consider looking for a medium miles ap1 with no mods. They are out there. The ap1/ap2 debate rages. We all have our opinions. But I htink we all agree both are terrific roadsters and you just can't really go wrong unless you you pick up a car with crazy mods or engine problems. My suggestion, get a clean ap1.

One last thing - check out your insurance costs. That could be a factor for you.

 

I would try for an ap2 I got mine with 100k 2 owners for 9000 and I got it cheap so I wouldn't feel bad about driving it like it should be driven lol

 

I'm not saying he can't have a fun car, just saying it should come after making sure you're saving enough for retirement (20% gross at the very minimum, do this in your early-mid 20's and you're looking at retiring in your mid-late 50's if you keep it up). And don't take out a loan on a toy, even if it will experience minor depreciation.

 

I agree but like i said, he is in his early 20's which means 40 years of planning. Sounds terrible but early retirement is always better. Good luck with your decision. I could only get into the S2K ownership in my 40's but wish I had one in my late 20's when I was first given a mind blowing test ride in the year 2000.

 

True, and maybe (hopefully) he's doing all that himself right now, in which case, sounds like the S2000 is a treat he can enjoy.

But I've been in my 20's, and known enough friends that bought WAY too much car/vehicle/play toy at the time, and every single one of them in their 30's regrets it.

Keep in mind I'm not saying you should live like a monk, that's no way to live life, but just try to keep things on a budget and make sure you're paying yourself FIRST(saving), then have fun.