man, when i was 16, not only did i drive a Reliant K-car station wagon, but there's also no way in hell my parents would have let me drive a car with more than 120 HP. even after i took my road test 4 weeks after i got my permit, i was still learning how to drive. i'm sure my parents took comfort in knowing that my car had like a whole 94 HP under the hood. not to mention, there wasn't any money for cars like these anyway.

also, i'm just jealous of you kids these days.

 

Lol....rant on...... Im 21 and bought it with my own income and name no mommy or daddy.......

 

You can get used ones for cheaper than a new Civic. My first car was a $3000 Grand Am that I still have as my daily driver. I'm only 20 but I saved for the s2000 and got a used 02. Think of how many people you see that are in college with new Mustangs, Civics, and SUVs. For the same price, or less in many cases, they could have gotten an s2000.

 

that's fine, no need to get defensive. i wasn't singling you out, obviously, but there's no denying that there seem to be more 16-17-18 year olds who have their parents buy them this car. i just find it to be insane, not only from an insurance standpoint (don't know how much more it would be if you were rolled up under your parents' insurance but it sure has to be more than driving a '99 civic) but also from a safety standpoint.

 

even so, i'm talking 16 year old KIDS who just got their licenses, and giving them 240hp and a car that is known to oversteer (and more difficult to control at the limit than a FWD civic). not to mention, even a $15k used S is way more than a $7k used civic that the kid would use to go to and from school/work.

 

Well, if they're getting S2k's that are a couple of years old, there's no traction control, so Darwinism should take care of any real problems.

Some kids can respect the power and appreciate it, I did when I bought my Mustang at 18 and now my S2k......the ones that can't end up as newspaper headlines.

 

Thank God when I was 18 I didn't have access to a car with over 120hp. I would've probably killed myself, and worse, others.

 

I started on a 1968 Camaro w/ a 383 stroker hooked up to a TH-350 3 speed.
That motor pushed out about 450ish HP. I had respect for it. Never raced. If someone from our highschool / area wanted to race, I would just tell them to tell all their friends that they are faster than me, even if it was a 92 civic with 60 HP. I could care less. That car did have some ummm powa though! You could be at a stop, punch it, and lose all traction on dry ground even with 325 rear tires. The thing would chirp through second and third, even with an auto.
This car cost me a grand total of $6800 buckaroos. (Sold it for $10,000 )

Got the S2k when I turned 18. Definite downgrade in power, but the handling more than makes up for it! It's not about the power, it's about the twisties!

 

Same man. When I was 17 I went test driving with my parents Eclipse GSXs and Mustang LX 5.0s. I thought for sure I was getting the GSX. But a secret meeting behind my back revealed to me later on at the Mazda dealership became apparent when the parents said...red or black MX-6 with a whopping 110 horses

Man the GSX would have gotten me a lot of chicks. The MX just didn't cut it.

At least I was able to take out the Grand National on occasion

 

I can definitely see where you're coming from. But in my area, a used S2k can be picked up for a reasonable price. Heck, the same as a very basic, brand new Subaru, Civic, or Focus. So it's a really big distraction to us young drivers.

But back to what you said. You may think it bugs only you older people (no offense), but even us 17 and 18 year olds, Seniors in High School, are bugged when we see younger kids end up with expensive cars. For example, one girl who just got her permit was bought a brand new Ford Mustang, fully loaded (I don't know Fords, so I dunno what that means), with racing stripes. Her mom has the girl drive to school, then her mom drives it back home, then her mom drives it back to school, where the girl drives it back home. I dunno about you, but that's just plain ridiculous. Not to mention, I was talking to one of her friends who had recently got her license. And apparently she'd already driven the car... and done over 100mph in it (I know that this was real and not just bragging, just to let you know).

Some people just have no sense of reality. They have no part-time job, don't pay insurance, don't pay for gas, and will miraculously get into one of the best colleges available. It's not fair, but it's not sweating over. Just a moment of silence in advance for when they end up totaling their car.

If Honda were to add another car to it's lineup, it should be a non-convertible S2000 with 200hp, and price it between a Civic and an S2000. It'd be safer (hard-top), still have great handling, and end up appealing more to the younger crowd. 'Cause I'll let you in on a little secret... The Fast and the Furious has messed up my generation. They'd see the cheaper car as a perfect modding car. And leave the real S2000 for the purists.