MajicDave:
Don't know about he price. Here in Oklahoma, stock models can be had for about $30k. The guys who say they can't drive one at 10/10ths are guys who don't know how to drive.

BUT, if I were buying one again, I would ask them to take off the tires, and I'd buy some longer lasting ones from Tirerack to have put on. Maybe some Yoko AVS ES 100's with 245's on the rear. Then I would have the dealer align the wheels so as to put the absolute minimum toe in on the rear (no more than 4 mm -- less if possible) and -.36 negative camber on the fronts.

The main problem with these cars is that they are "tire eaters". But my suggestions should fix that, I hope.

Thanks,
Richard

 

Well, if things go the way I think they will, by the end of next week I'll be the proud owner of an 03 Silverstone/Black S2000.

My wife and I went looking last night, first stop was to check out the 350Z. Nice car, great bottom-end pull, lotsa room inside with a lot of storage bins, etc. (which my wife liked a lot). Steering column is adjustable up and down, with the instrument binnacle moving with the column. Plus it has analog guages. For me the negatives were the glitzy look of the interior, with all of the aluminum trimwork and gadgetry. Plus, no drop top and no trunk to lock up valuables.

She was really thinking that the Z would be better for us than the S, given that she'd be more passenger than driver and she'd have more room in it.

Then we checked out the S, and after she went over it with a fine tooth comb, she changed her mind. Interior room is as good or better, seating is better, the trunk volume is as good or better than the under-hatch of the Z, the interior trim is much more understated than the Z (less is more), driving position is better.

One thing that really stood out is position of the e-brake, it's on the driver's side of the console on the Z and with your arm resting on the console it's quite uncomfortable. The e-brake being on the passenger side on the S makes for a much more comfortable driving position.

Another thing is the height of the door. On the Z I got the impression I was sunken into the car and had to peek over it to see out, the door seemed higher than the one on the S. Of course there is no comparison between the two with the top down on the S as far as side/rear visibility.

I had her stand in front of both cars and look at the nose... the S blew her away with that arrow shape, I think that was the clincher.

I was originally going to go with Spa Yellow/Black, but I am worried about the car being too visible and attracting vandals; it's going to be my daily driver plus we plan to use it for short/medium trips.

We're going today to begin the purchase process, we just have to wait for the refinance on the house to close early next week before we can close the deal on the car.

Tom, sitting on pins'n'needles for the next 3-4 days.

 

One reason to buy one is gas mileage!
I just finished commuting my son back and forth to camp (360mile round trip), and my wife and I did a trip to Bryce National Park in Utah.
For 2000 miles we averaged 35mpg.
I always kid everyone that it's my commuter car, but with mileage like that it really is.
The best part is you can even sneak in a little vtec now and then and it doesn't hurt the mileage that much, but the A/C knocks off about 7mpg.

 

Pros:
This car is alot of fun to drive.
Looks great.
Good gas mileage.
You can put the top down.
Other people who own them stop and talk you like you're a long lost relative.
Retains value.

Cons:
Need better stereo speaker system with more boost or something.
Hard to get in and out (I'm 5'9" and weigh 225...Yeah I know, Lose weight).

 

Okay, I finally entered this thread because I didn't know it was a "pro and con" type of forum. I thought it was just someone asking if they should buy it or not.

I'll finish reading the thread when I get to work (I've only gotten done with the first page). However, I think that there should be a thread like "Things to consider when shopping for a S2000" instead of "Should I buy one or not".

In my case, I'm ready to buy one. I WANT one so badly I'm almost glad that my car was totaled... it gives me the opportunity to get the S2000 which I've been lusting after ever since they came out. I'm not asking if I should by it or not. I'm asking what do I need to keep in mind while shopping for one?

That being said, I don't know ENOUGH about the S2000's in order to make an informed decision about which model year to buy, what to stay away from, etc. I figured coming to a forum like this and asking those kinds of questions would be good, since the majority of you guys are owners already and can tell me what the experience (as an owner) is like. Most of you guys are really nice and informative... I appreciate that a lot. But aren't there any girl enthusiasts here? I don't want to be a minority.

 

minako, the original intention of my thread was to do exactly what you thought it is supposed to do. All types of answers were welcome and I think that
"s2kpdx01" may have been caught in a "sarcastic" or "delicate" moment (I get that way sometimes myself). Don't take it too harshly.
My thread was to put in one place all of the different opinions of many people as to why they did or didn't or should or shouldn't buy an S2000. Some give simple answers and some give very short pointed answers. I think you will see once you finished reading this thread, that the answers are pretty much positive. This whole forum is where people like yourself come to find answers. The "If you have to ask" type of response is generally one meant to dismiss continued discussion in any issue and is directly at specific types of people BY specific types of people.
"If you have to ask", many, many of us are more than happy to answer, so PLEASE keep asking.

 

ps. And yes, there are plenty of ladies on this forum but they generally don't post in all the forums like the guys. If you put stuff like "ladies or gals, or women" into the search you'll come up with a lot of garbage but if you sift through them, you'll find the ladies who are here.

 

xviper... thanks for the clarification. I can understand... sometimes I can be sarcastic, too, but I usually keep it to a minimum because I don't like making people upset.

I just got in to work, so maybe I should do some "work" type things first, but I promise to finish reading all of the other posts and maybe even ask some more questions if none of the other posts were able to answer them.

As for the ladies not posting so much... that's too bad. I talk on forums like crazy and find that's the only way to really get to know the others in the community as well as get some decent respect when you do need help.

On a side note, now that I know some more of the differences between different model years, I am leaning more towards a 2002 rather than a 2001 or older.

 

'02 and newer has glass rear window and a slightly more powerful stereo, clock in stereo and door mounted tweeters. Some say the engine has a different fuel map to make a couple extra HP. The newer ones are supposed to have a better clutch. It also has a different shift knob. It "may" have the new, revised oiljet bolts in the engine along with the new spark plugs.
Just have it checked real good and see if you can get an extended warranty on it.

 

Well, be sure to check out the '00 and'01 vs the '02 and '03 and compare for yourself. The later models have added some trim details I don't personally like (but you might) including the "glued on" door mount tweeters and shift knob change. But the biggest problem for me with '02 and later is the smaller rear window. Even though it's glass (which is better) it is much narrower, and sits higher in the top. Result? This 5'9" tall guy can't see squat out the rear view mirror.

Just food for thought.

Thanks,
Richard