Escanor

Hi all, as the title suggest i'm currently weighing my options with an s2000 being my next purchase. I'm in a rs3 at the moment so it will be a bit of a switch up for me to say the least.
I'm here too soak up as much info as possible about the platform as possible before i think about making the switch!

Sam.

Say Chi Sin Lo

Will the S2000 be your daily/only car?

I love my S2000, but there is absolutely no way it can be my only car. Not especially if I am coming from something versatile like an Audi RS3.

(For reference, I have a bullet-proof Mazdaspeed 3 as my daily. If I didn't have that, definitely no S2000 for me)

So... Is this a switch or an addition?

Escanor

It would be a daily for me, i do around 500 miles a month now, so having something like a s2k as a daily would not actually be too much of an issue for me tbh. The rs3 is versatile, however, it does'nt do great in the corners and lacks a lot of driver feel. Hence the want to switch, although im sure the power difference will take some getting used too at first.

Chuck S

Keep in mind that even the newest S2000 is pushing 11 or 12 years old. Yeah yeah, it's a Honda and all that but I'd never personally depend even on my lil' darling as my only vehicle. Plus these are little cars that other cars all seem to want to tailgate or change lanes in front of.

They're not well suited for other than mild weather -- mine stays in the garage with the temps get much above 80°F so I can avoid heatstroke (roof down) or claustrophobia (roof up). But a 60° or 70° overcast day on the back roads is a great day. As low as the 40°'s? Sure, just wear my parka and pretend I'm a Brit -- but I draw the line and raise the roof in the rain!

Since these are convertibles they need to be garaged for their own safety (another reason for it to be car #2). Impossible to lock since anyone with a knife has the key.

-- Chuck

IA-SteveB

I would definitely rethink having this as a daily. Some people swear it is great but just make sure it will be able to do all you want it to. Mine is an extra car and I bought it to be exactly that because it isn't practical enough and even if it was, I don't trust ANYONE in a parking lot. I am lucky enough to live in an area where parking away from others is usually not a problem and if it is, I drive my daily. I do drive it when it is in the 90's and humid but it isn't that fun and my top is only ever up when it is parked, not so much as for security as it is keeping the sun at bay. Maybe consider getting the S2000 and a beater car to take some of the punishment if you are good with spanners.

xxyion

So as an opinion as someone who daily's their S2000...its honestly been fine. I've been dailying mine for about 8 months now. I traded away a 2017 Ford Focus ST to daily this car and have zero regrets. That being said i live in California and i DONT live in a major city so theres that.

What are your plans for the car? Are you planning to keep it purely stock? If so there are some preventative things that can be done to dissuade people from attempting to steal the car or things inside the car. But honestly if you feel like you can daily it then do it. Its really not as bad as people say. My other friend Daily'ed his 2001 S2k for 4 years before getting married and buying a 4-Runner. As long as your commute allows it and you dont find yourself parking in shady parts of town often, its honestly a fine daily driver.

dmc79

Mine is a second car, I couldn't use it every day. It's cramped especially with the top up and the interior has zero storage space. The trunk is not bad for the type of car it is, it will swallow a set of golf clubs. Oh, and it can be dicey in bad weather.

Say Chi Sin Lo

OP,

I asked because I don't you to buy this awesome car, but end up not enjoying it because of its obvious limitation when it comes to living with it.

I would genuinely dislike my S2000 quite a bit if this was my only car. Few things to consider living with a S2000:
- The interior is LOUD, mechanical noises of the motor + wind noise. If I had to commute 30-50miles for work, round trip, 5x a week. I'm going to be real here, I will not pay $10,000 + for something this loud, especially if I am in a situation where I have to deal with the freeway experience of the S2000.
- Do you really want to drive it on the freeway and at night time? Because I don't know about other people, but with the roof up, it's like a coffin in here. And I'm only 5'8, 160lbs.
- I don't know how often you're called upon as the designated driver for your family/friends, but over the 4th of July holiday, I've been to the airport at least 6 times between picking people up and dropping them off. And I did it in my Mazdaspeed.
- Furniture store doesn't apply to you
- Costco doesn't apply to you
- Snow sports don't apply to you

Again, these were the questions I asked myself when I was looking for my S2000. It makes financial sense for me to get rid of my Mazdaspeed to help fund the S2000. But if I did that, would I not enjoy the S2000 because of its limitations as a livable machine?

Therefore, I accepted the fact that the S2000 is merely a toy that I drive on occasions/weekends, and for my lifestyle, I MUST keep a daily around. Remember, this is a $10k+ impractical purchase of a car that is at minimum, a decade old. You have to make sure you won't hate it post purchase.

xxyion

I mean i think this is a bit harsh. Remember experience will vary widely depending on the user.

Interior is Loud: This is true for any sports car, not even just the S2k, my BRZ was almost as loud and that was a coupe. I commute 20 miles to and from work every day. AND i have an aftermarket exhaust and i have zero issues with the noise. If anything it helps me wake up every day.
Driving it on the freeway: I do this everyday. I drive with the top up quite a bit because i get cold easily. I'm also 6'3" and 170 lbs. No issues here. I actually dont feel cramped at all.
I'm never the designated driver, largely because my friends and I dont drink, and if we do, its at my friends house.
Furniture, Costco, and Snow Sports didnt apply to me when i had my Focust ST so they dont apply now.

To be perfectly honest, the ONLY limitation that i have encountered during my time daily driving this car is that i couldnt carpool with one extra friend when we went to go play Dungeons and Dragons and she had to drive herself. Other than that its been a perfectly fine daily driver and if anything i think i've fallen in love with this car more.

Escanor

Thanks for the replies folks. In terms of weather, I'm in England so mild would be the word. I take on board the break in risk with the soft top, easily solved by buying one with a hard top though. I run my own business and have access to larger vehicles if I ever need to move anything etc.

Car wouldn't be staying stock no, would like to do a few track days a year, so wheel's/tyres, coil overs, breaks at a minimum would be on the cards. That's another draw on the Honda, they are cheap to modify compared to audi rs cars at least.

Has got me thinking about different cars though, along the lines of 350z/370z and z4 maybe, although I've always had a soft spot for the s2000.