A lot of good points and even better words to live by already! I dailied my first s for right at 5 years and loved every minute of it. I even moved with it and only had to get help for my bed, dresser, and TV. You'll find that the trunk is surprisingly large for the size of the car. I noticed that after dailying first gen Miatas for the 6 years prior. Things like guitars or rifles in cases have to go in the front seat. Just stick something in there to pad the seat so you don't damage the leather.

You'll definitely want to find a longer and hopefully more fun route to work. Shoot for 20 - 30 mins to make sure you get everything good and warmed up. Also punch it from time to time, after she's warm of course. These will help prevent carbon build-up and subsequent loss of power.

The only major down side is the higher potential for having an accident in a nice, unique, and increasingly rare masterpiece of engineering. (Not always your fault) ..And be careful in the rain. They sometimes like to hydroplane and kill themselves if your back tires are getting worn.. So stay on top of that.

 

I love the s2000, but it was a hassle when I needed to haul stuff, even on rare occasions.

 

While waiting in baggage claim a couple nights ago at San Francisco airport, I spent 10 min watching some guy at curbside pickup in a yellow AP1 wrestling a couple of suitcases into the trunk. He tried every configuration to no avail. Appears he had the bright idea of picking up his wife/gf at the airport on a chilly night in the S2000 with the top down. She did not look pleased.

I suspect this ended with an Uber ride and marital grief. Reminded me of the old Sesame Street skits where Ernie and Bert try to figure out how to get a long 2x4 through the door opening.

 

We had a 2005 Element EX AWD in Red and LOVED it. Comfy, maneuverable, reliable, etc. We sold it to my brother because my wife wanted a TSX with the V6 for more power. We had it a good 6-7 years and zero complaints. I still miss it.

Its night and day vs the S2000, but certainly the S a good daily driver. My only concerns for you to answer to yourself are:

• Do you have a garage to park in EVERY night? These are theft magnets and even a slashed top and stolen seats can total out the car due to cost of replacement seats (~$6-8k).
• Do you travel? You can only fit a small carry on suitcase in the trunk, and nothing else.
• If you shop at Costco, BJ's, etc. you will not be able to buy very much
• Are you ok with replacing tires every 8-12k miles? They don't last nearly as long as on the Element and they cannot be rotated

Other than that, enjoy whichever you go with.

 

Someone said that the Element was designed for college kids to barf in.

Don't even think about eating in an S2000

 

Having given this some thought I'd say that this is a horrible idea. The S2000 is a gateway car. If you start driving one, before you know it you'll be wanting to purchase even more expensive sports cars. True, some can avoid the siren's song, but many of us cannot.

 

When my kids were younger and I needed at least 4 seats I owned BMW's for a decade or so. My last 323ci lasted from 50K to 275K but the BMW's extract their price in maintenance costs. When my youngest was approaching driving age, I bought a 2006 Element EXP. It was so reliable and easy to maintain that I could not go back to a German car. I vowed to stick with a Honda if possible and started hunting down an S2K. Mine is a DD but on days where the weather is bad, I borrow my daughter's Element. That was our deal. She grumbles a bit but I not only gave her the car, I maintain it and pay for the gas. So, she doesn't bitch much, at least to my face. You should have no trouble with yours in the Bay area (if you stay away from floods that is). I am on the east coast and have only borrowed the Element once so far this year. In fact, I just had my top down for the last couple of days since it was 60 degrees here on the east coast. Gotta love global warming if you're from here.

Bottom line is that the S2000 is a great daily driver. Mine is a showroom stock AP1. It is probably the best car I've ever owned. Congratulations and good luck with yours.

 

At only 5 miles from work, I'd ride a bike. I would definitely ditch the Element though.