S2KI Honda S2000 Forums - I decided it's time to move on...

I had to say goodbye to my '07 Silverstone AP2. It's been great owning the car since March 28th, 2007, but the car had issues that couldn't be resolved cheaply. :( I'm not saying that getting rid of the car and starting a new payment with a newer car was the answer, but I'm happy with my choice.

NOTE: If you actually want to read about my other options, please don't scroll down until the very end. If you'd like to see what I bought instead of reading about my other options/why I didn't opt for the other vehicles, just read on ahead.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ldSNewS003.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ldSNewS011.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ldSNewS018.jpg

Anyway, my S2K had problems that could've been resolved through cash, but I was starting to get sick and tired of having just another silverstone. I see plenty of S2Ks around town, but at least 90% of the ones I see are silverstones. Now don't get me wrong here, I do love the color but it has gotten very bland, imo. I decided it was time to switch over to a car that I'd find more entertaining. ;)
So my dad accompanied me to a trip to the local auto mall where there's a Honda dealership, Nissan, Hyundai, Porsche, Chevrolet, Dodge, BMW, Infiniti, Acura, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and... Oh, did I say Porsche? :)
We checked out some of the potential cars that I'd like to drive. Now mind you, I make enough money to pay for at least one car payment and insurance on my own, but I don't have the credit to back up a car purchase; therefore, my dad had to accompany me to check out the other options I had.
My price range? :shrug: I didn't set one. As long as the car was enjoyable to drive on a daily basis and at least got decent gas mileage, I didn't care.
Anyway, so the old man and I went to the Nissan dealership which was right next to the Honda dealership. We looked at the new 370Z. I :heart: it. It looks down right mean and the fact that it's in the same price range-- even after taxes-- as my '07 S2K when it was purchased new just add on to my desire for it. I :drool:-ed over the Z like there was no tomorrow... Until I realized that they were all automatics. :( The only manual tranny one I actually saw was a black one, but I didn't seem to be drawn toward it like I was toward the silver one.
My dad asked, "Why not check out some Audis?" I immediately said, "No, I don't want one." Don't get me wrong, I'd love to own an Audi R8, but that's it... The other Audis are attractive, but I don't want them for some reason. Plus, the only ones I actually thought were "affordable" were the ones I'd hate driving, such as the A4 3.2 Quattro. :nono:
We went down to the BMW dealership without any of the dealers bugging us. That's a first. :rolleyes: I want an M3 coupe, but after seriously considering--- with my dad offering to help me pay the down payment for it :thumbup: --- I decided that 414 hp as a daily driver wouldn't suit a 19-year-old too well, especially one who is just 2 tickets shy of getting his license revoked for 6 months. I suppose I'm one of the few youngsters who will pass up the chance to own a beastly vehicle not because it's unaffordable, but mostly just because... :)
I didn't bother looking at any Benzs. I want a manual transmission, so Mercedes' automatic tranny equipped SLK and C-class vehicles didn't seem too appealing. I know the base SLK (280 or 300? :ponder: ) can be had with a stick, but the fun-to-drive ratio isn't great, at least from what I've read.
Infiniti's G37 S coupe seemed like a good choice, but I knew it'd feel like a boat after daily driving an S2000 for the past year.
Toyota had nothing worth considering...
Hyundai? I didn't seem to be attracted to the Genesis coupe. Plus even the Genesis Coupe Track isn't comparable to an S2K as far as fun-to-drive goes.
Eventually, I decided that my daily driver had to be:
1) Something reasonably priced because though my dad was willing to help me with the down payment, I didn't want to take advantage of his generosity and splurge all my savings into a sub-$60k car;
2) Decent in fuel economy, especially seeing as my daily commute is about 35-40 miles/day, so I don't want to have to stop at a gas station every other day;
3) Decently quick so that I can still enjoy the car without thinking, "Dammit.. I should've gotten something else";
and
4) Fun-to-drive. ;)

Words won't really describe the new ride, so I'll let the pics do the talking...

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ldSNewS016.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ldSNewS021.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ldSNewS014.jpg

P.S: You thought I bought a Porsche, huh? :LOL: