I stopped at a dealer to look at a 2001 S2000 with 31,000 miles. I was surprised how good the condition of the car was. I know it's a Honda and all that, but I'm concerned about the mileage. Also I know that in 2004 and after they changed the motor for more low end torque and a few more horsepower. I also remember something about the transmissions in 2000 and 2001 having an issue that Honda straightened out in 2002.

So, am I being anal about the mileage or could I expect to have little or no issues with the drivetrain? Were the transmissions breaking down in those years? Would the characteristics of the earlier motor be a disappointment compared to the 2004 and after?

I know this could depend on how the original owner treated the car, but the same could be true if it were a used 2006. I know it's a hard call, but opinions would be appreciated. This car will be a toy (weekend driver) and not a dailey driver for me. I've been looking at newer S2000s, but if I could spend a lot less and still be a happy guy I might go for it. They're asking $17,995 advertised. It's been at that dealership for a few months that I know of, so I could probably get it for less than advertised. They say they're giving a 3 month, 3,000 mile warranty on the drivetrain. That's at least something, but it will be snowing for the next 3 months so I won't have much time to use it in the warranty period.

Thanks in advance for your opinions--------TOM

 

I don't know why you are worried about the mileage. 31,000 on an 2001 is extremely low. $17,995 is way too much though.

 

The last I looked, KBB was at $19,xxx suggested retail (dealer). In theory, the dealer is supposed to go over the entire car and bring everything up to selling condition as well as stand behind the car once it's sold to you. With that said, they're under about $1,000. Private party figure is about $16,800 but once you're out the driveway, your problems are your problems, thus the savings.
I'm not really shure what a real world private party price would be? What do you think the price of the car should be?
As far as 31,000 miles being a concern, I guess if I were the owner for those miles there would be no concern, but if I were the type of guy that pounded gears and peeled tires for 31,000 miles there might be reason for concern. Of course, you probably wouldn't need that many miles to tear the car up if you drove it like that.

BTW, I like the Golden Retriever pic. I just had to put my 12 year old Retriever down a few months ago. GREAT dogs---I miss him.

 

Tranny issues were not that common. What was more common for that year is a buzz that comes from the clutch on decel. It is not harmful, just annoying. The fix is a new clutch. If the previous owner noticed it, they could have had the clutch replaced under warranty.

Make sure you get it carfax'ed to confirm the milage and accident history. With those miles the car should be worth about $1-1.5k lower than their asking price given everything else is in perfect condition.

 

My one owner '01 has a little over 29,000 miles on it, and believe me, these are very low miles -- as are 31,000. This would indicate to me that the owner had several cars when he/she owned this S2k. That's only 5,000 miles of driving a year. Chances are the owner had three or more cars, and spread out his/her driving among them.

Were I considering this car, I would want to know if the 30,000 mile service has been performed. This Honda recommended service includes many important fluid replacements(among other things) and can cost up to $600.

The '01 of course has the disadvantage of the plastic rear window, and (IMO) must be garaged when not in use to keep this window presentable.

The '01 is an AP1 model, meaning that it has a 2 liter engine and a 9K red line. Models '04 and later (AP2) have a 2.2 liter engine with a redline of (I think) around 8250 rpm -- but has slightly more torque and some suspension changes. On both, VTEC cuts in at 6K rpm. Which is better? Well there is much disagreement about that, to put it mildly! I personally prefer the AP1 due to its having 750 rpm more in the VTEC band.

 

Well, I just got done reviewing the "free carfax" report that Autotrader provided. I didn't notice that I had that option before. I think I'll pass on this S2000.

According to the Carfax, the car was originally leased in Minnesota. That owner had it for 4 years. A second owner in Michigan bought it and owned it for 5 months. Somehow from there it got to an auction in Pennsylvania and then to an auction in Florida. Somehow the 3rd owner ended up with it in South Carolina before trading it in at the dealership in Pennsylvania, which is where it now resides. HHMmmmmm

 

I just purchased an '01 as well a couple of months ago with 45,000 miles for 16.5k. The 17k price tag they are asking for is right up there with the '02s that has the rear glass windows already built in. If I were you, I would try to get the car for 15.5k since there are a few things that make it worth less than the '02 and up. Most notably the rear glass window and a couple of small things like the shoddy dome lights, horrible speaker system, and slightly different rear taillights.

If you plan on driving in the winter, see if they will include all season tires for you. I unfortunately got stuck with the summer tires which aren't exactly safe in the winter. I also mentioned the shoddy dome lights as well, so make sure they work before you leave the lott.

Anywho, with all that said and done, I think you will thourghly love the car. Its a blast to drive!

 

Not to be an alarmist, but the last time I read of a Carfax report like that on this board, the car had been repainted! That is indeed a strange ownership history. Can you tell if any of the short-term owners were dealers? If they were, there is a harmless explanation for short ownership periods. If a dealer can't sell a car within a determined time (usually a few months, the dealer will wholesale it. Many times, failure to sell can be no fault of the car -- but perhaps is the asking price or local market conditions.

 

You shouldn't have any issues with it. Mine is a 2000 with 70,000 miles as my daily driver. Many of them have been forced induction. I have never had any major issues with the car.

~$16,000 seems like the appropriate price for the car.

Good luck!

 

Funny, I'm selling my '01 for $16k @ 43k mi.

Good luck with your choice if you get your dream car