Background: Owned a 95 Acura Integra for the longest time and had a condo, made some more money in life so I bout a new 2003 S2000 (March 20th 2003 still remember the date). In May of 2004 though I wanted to sell the condo and move into a house.

My first S2000, 2003 new Silverstone/Black, sold to put down an earnest money deposit on my current home.

Traded in the Acura Integra and left over cash to buy a "nice car" 2003 BMW 330ci. Sucked in wet weather and snow. Bought a Jeep Wrangler thinking it would give me the best of both summer and snow fun. Sold the BMW. Jeep was not as fun in the summer due to top being a pain to put up and down, although I still have a place in my heart for it.

My second S2000, 2004 used Silverstone/Black (Feb'05), was purchased and I sold the Wrangler. Later in '05 I also bought a '05 MDX, two different cars for different purposes.
Well I got a DUI in Jan '06 and sold my S2000, for that reason plus I'm looking to do some remodeling to my home and refi soon. I figure though I should be able to have enough cash left over ($30K - $55K~) to buy an S2K/MZ4/NSX this time around; equity and a raise/promotion too. NSX may be too costly plus I want to drive the car not have it sit in the garage. MZ4 if I can afford it I will seriously consider it (4 years free maintenance, S54 engine, luxo, etc). I have my list of pros and cons for all three. I will be purchasing something in early '07 and it may depend on what I can afford. Am I really going to enjoy a 'nicer car' as much as my S2K? I know what type of car I want and I don't want to sell the car again.


So here I am, still hanging out reading on this forum every couple of days and keep wanting to own an S2000 again. I hate nice days outside and am holding back from test driving anything. Stuck driving my SUV everyday.

Everyone says I'm crazy to look at buying the same freaking car for the third time. I was just wondering if there are others like me that are on their 2nd or 3rd S2000. Why do you keep coming back? Have you tried owning something else in the same class?

I'm addicted and need help!

 

It puts a smile on my face everytime I get behind the wheel...for the money, it's perfect.

 

Can't argue with the logic one bit

You had a taste of different vehicles and now want the best one back...too bad you can't do that with women

 

it depends how into prestige you are. if you care what people think about you, you're a porsche/bmw person. imo, the bmw is not more luxurious than the S where it counts. it might have more cup holders. the extra 20k you would save with a s2k or even 30k with a slightly used s2k over the mz4, could be well spent on vacations/adventures or whatever. plus, you keep thinking about it. don't need a phd to figure that out.

if the S2000 had a prestigious badge, would there even be a question?

 

Those cup holders are terrible, it can't even hold a Venti Starbucks drink to save it's life ('00 528i).

My advice for you in this situation is to make the decision that you are comfortable with. European cars have a BIG reputation of having mechanical problems after five years or so; my aunt spent around $7,500 on mechanical repairs because this breaks, that broke down, this needs to be replaced, etc. on her 528i. I'd avoid the Z4M in general. As we all know, Japanese cars have a great reputation for reliability in the long run.

That being said, it's down to the S2000 and the NSX. I'm torn between these two. The NSX might be a more "flashier" car when you go out or when it sits on your driveway. But I'd definitely recommend the S2000, especially if you might need money to spend on property in the future. Save the large chunk on cash and toss it into the back account for other things like family (ala college tuition), medical emergencies or whatever. Both of these cars are produced by an excellent car company that will not leave you disappointed. It's your call.

 

Hey I'm on my third one too. Nothing made me feel better than driving an S. I had a STi before my third one, but the S kept calling me back. I miss the power of the STi though, so that's why i'm getting a supercharger!

 

Have you considered the Porsche Cayman?

 

Wow, you're in a situation that I can see myself going through in a few years. Although in my case I have yet to own more than one S2000. Anyways, I think your list of cars is a good one, the strongest contender here would be the MZ4. I would personally go with that, especially if I had the opportunity to own the AP1 and AP2 S2000s.

However, the '06 AP2 is quite different from the '05. So if you're buying a new S2000 in '07 it might be worth it because, once again, they've done some minor revisions that continue to perfect little nuances that the previous cars have. Plus, I've read that New Imola Orange will be available for '07? If this is true that'll be a great color to get (or maybe that's just me?).

I have driven the E39 M5 and a couple of E46 M3s, and the old school Z3 M Roadster. They were all great cars. They didn't have the ultra sharp, scalpel handling of the S2000 but they were still more than capable yet somehow they didn't feel "busy" all the time like the S2000 does. And, while I love my AP1's 9000 RPMs I wouldn't mind having something else with more torque and a deeper sound. The straight six in the MZ4 is perfect for this and its silky smooth. At the very least, try the '06 AP2 and the '06 MZ4, then make your decision.

 

I'm acutally leaning against anything that's not a soft top convertible. The Cayman is nice but the top doesn't come off. I'm not to crazy about the boxster considering the cost is going to be even more than the other three. They're nice but at $65K+ I'm looking at all options.

The NSX-T at least you can take the middle section top off, even though you get more turbulance inside the cabin when at speed. The thing about the MZ4 is that it offers a lot for $55K~. I just don't know if I can get used to the driving position. At least with the S2K I still have good perception as to where the front nose of the car is.

 

Had a new 03. Traded it in in 2005 for a Camry. Now I'm lookin to get a used C5 corvette or a S2000. Something around $20k. I miss my old S2000 very very much.