Hey guys, brand new to forum and looking to get my first s2000 and couldnt be more excited about it. I was looking at the white color with the red leather interior. on the 01 the interior is black and red on the 02 its almost all red. Not a big fan of the 02 interior, but i heard from somewhere that the 02 has an improved transmission. Was wondering if you guys had any other reasons why i should go with an 02 over and 01. I'm also aware of the plastic winshield vs the glass also, no big deal. thanks

 

'02 has a more powerful radio, revised suspension (for better or worse depending on your opinion), a revised transmission, and a nicer interior (silver trim, less carpet, leather wrapped shift-knob, as you said the glass rear window which is a lot nicer IMO for looks and function, etc.), a revised ECU that gives about 5hp increase over the 00-01, slightly darker colored wheels, larger "H" badges, and I'm sure there are more that I am forgetting about. I definitely wanted an '02-03 when I was purchasing one.

 

Whatever floats your boat.!!!

 

http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=161997

I'm a newbie too and read up on this. That link was posted in the FAQ that is located on the top where the stickies are.

 

I'd stray away from 00-01 just due to all the TSBs they had; I think those should be a bigger deciding factor than the amount of red in the interior (although the all red is a bit much for me, but all blue is cool)

 

The all red rules. It's rare.
If you plan on using a hardtop, then the 01 plastic window downfalls can be omitted. I would have prefered the 01 suspension, GPW and black/red interior, exactly what you described; but I couldn't find one that suited my requirements (mileage and price). If you can save a few on the 01, then go for the 01, but get an 02 if its the same price. For me, I figured I can always change the suspension later if you wanted something stiffer and loose behaving like the 01s.

Good luck on you purchase and search.

 

Ask anyone out there who has the 00-01 models and I am sure they will tell you its still a great car. Some feel the first years are the true essence of what the S2k is all about. Personally, I dont think you could go wrong with any year.

 

Yup, all years are great. Plus, you'll save some money if you go with an older car. You could put that into mods (if you're so inclined) or insurance -- whatever!

I think HiPER and kracka covered the important points.

By late 2002, the factory had worked out most of the glitches (including the spark plug issue). Most, frankly, were small to begin with, and a well-maintained car is a gem regardless of the year.

As I've recommended before, get a compression test when you find an example you like. Also, you can check with a dealer (I think) to find out what tech service bulletin (TSB) work has been done to-date on the car.

Best wishes!