Greetings -

I've been interested in the S2000 for years, but after a test drive years ago I decided that it was "too dedicated" for a daily driver and so I've never owned one. I've thought about it quite a bit over the years, and now I've found a low miles 2007 local car (white/black-red interior). It would be a weekend only ride, but it would also be "inconvenient" since I have two cars all ready and my garage is full. I'd have to keep my daily driver outside to accommodate the S2000. Not overly happy with that solution, but if the S2000 is the right car for me I'm flexible.

I've owned an 1991 Alfa Veloce and a 1999 Miata. I enjoyed each car, but grew tired of them for various reasons. The Alfa was beautiful to look at, but as much as I loved it I found the driving experience just "OK". The Miata was a fun ride, but the car was very noisy all the time and it was my daily driver. That's one of the reasons I've stayed away from the S2000 as a daily driver.

I have a fun ride (BMW335d) and I'm wondering if the S2000 still fits my "weekend toy" needs. I realize it's quite a bit different from the BMW, but if I use it only occasionally it will eventually bother me that I've kept my daily driver outside when the weekend toy takes its garage space. My weekend toy is a MV Agusta - quite a machine itself, and it fits in the garage with the other toys. It has everything I want - performance that exceeds my skill level, great design and limited production - all the same things that the S2000 has. The MV is a very fun ride, but I'm old enough to have an AARP card and realize that my motorcycle skills aren't getting any better. After 40 years on bikes I've been very fortunate and I'm considering "hanging up" my gear. That's the reason for considering the S2000.

So, my question: For those of you who use the S2000 as a part time ride, as a tool to just enjoy a spirited drive, is it worth it? If I do change my mind and find the car isn't for me, will it be "easy" to sell and do you think it will hold it's value?

Any thoughts are welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

A white s2000 with red/black interior? Oh man! If I had the money I'd be all over this car! White s2000's are rare, if I remember correctly they amount for +5% of the s2000's out there in the streets (don't quote me on this, but they are pretty rare).

Anyway, my s2000 isn't a weekend car but I thought I'd chime in anyway as a one of the many s2000 owners who actually uses his s2000 as a daily driver. YES! Folks daily drive this car! If you already test drove one, I'm sure you enjoyed the ride? Did ya? Well if you haven't, I'll let you know that the s2000 is a very fun car to drive, with that said, I doubt you'll get bored of this car. Many in this site including myself, love this car and swear never to sell it, and those who due sell it, tend to wanna come back. Just sayin'. I will warn you though, the s2000 could be a noisy car due to the "race car" design and/or the soft-top, that's something that we all have gotten used to.

So.. gather some opinions and do some further research. Personally I'll tell you that there's nothing wrong with daily driving this car, in fact it's freaking spectacular driving this beauty everyday!! So good luck and I hope you join us soon.

edit ** the s2000 will maintain it's value, at least better than domestics, and specially since it's a rare white model. (in case you were to sell)

 

My 04 S2000 is my toy for the weekend, along with my 996s Ducati. I daily drive an Element and would not change it for all the $$ in the world. Each have their purposes, and bring a big smile each time I push start or crank up the bike.

 

Thanks for the information. I've not had a reply from the seller - it may be sold. I'll keep at it. What do you think is a fair price for the car. Seller is the original owner, claims it was a weekend only car with no damage history, fully serviced. Car has under 10,000 miles and is stock.

 

My daily is an '04 Civic EX and the other is an '05 S2000. I only take the S2000 out in nice weather and in my opinion it's worth it. For starters, there's nothing better than having a convertible when it's 70 and sunny. Then add on top of it that it's a performance car instead of some boring luxury mobile. Finally it's a Honda, which means it's relatively inexpensive to maintain and will last a long time (especially garage kept).

I used to scoff at people for driving convertible sports cars, because of the added weight and drag. But after driving one for a few weeks, I'm willing to accept the small downsides for a far more thrilling experience. There's something to be said for having your sports car feel more like it's an outdoor activity.

It does suck to have to put the BMW outside, but being a daily driver you'll probably replace it long before it starts rusting or falling apart. The weekend car on the other hand, you'll probably have for a long time (assuming you don't sell it). All the more reason to keep that one in the garage. 15+ years outside can cause some serious rust, especially on a car you're not driving as much.

 

Have you driven one yet? If you haven't, fix it. When you do so, keep in mind the s2000 is not built for speed and you may be disappointed in its lack of straight line performance, especially considering the monster amount of torque you're used to.

My first test drive was in a busy suburban setting. I was able to find some room to open it up but just wasn't expecting it to be so sluggish down low. I left the dealership kind of disappointed. I talked myself into another test drive, this time it was a private party somewhere in the boonies and was able to drive the car on some twisty backroads like it was meant to be driven. What a difference...

If you're wondering whether you'll enjoy the car enough to justify the purchase, consider where you live and where you will be driving the car. I think if you live in the right place, it's a no-brainer. As far as value/depreciation, the s2000 seems to hold its value pretty well, especially low-mileage, desirable color combinations (white/red). I'd say worst case if you buy this spring and decide to sell next spring you'll be out maybe $1000-1500. Compare that to other common weekend cars, and I think it's pretty good.

 

I own a sport bike and an S2000 and I find them both to be equally pleasurable for their intended purposes. If you have a good driving record the S2000 won't cost all that much to insure at your age so that's no big deal. These cars are rare and going to get more and more rare every year so their resale should gradually stabilize much like the Honda Prelude and Toyota MR2 values did as they aged. The earlier model the S2000 the less % value it will loose from this point forward.

Get one. They are the best bang for the buck used sports car available and If you were happy with a miata for that long, you should find an s2000 to be a nice step up. I've had mine for almost 5 years and have no plans to sell it.

 

I have had mine as a toy for ten years and every time I take it out I enjoy it like its the year 2000. Surprisingly it gets almost the same amount of positive attention from everyone it did ten years ago.
You will enjoy the S2000 experience.

 

My s2k only comes out on nice days and it is SO worth it. I daily drive a 97 Civic and it is just a boring dog to drive compared to the s.

 

I spoke with the seller today. They want $24,000 for the car. Claim they have all the service records, it's in perfect condition and has absolutely no stories. Seems a bit high, but given the colors and miles it will probably sell. What do you think about the price? If I pay the asking price, do you think it will drop much if I change my mind? Other cars with 30K+ miles are $5K less in price, but premium cars in premium condition are hard to find