The 2003 is a great choice. It will have the upgraded oil jet bolts in the engine (that started in 2002 1/2), which is good to have for track use. It also has the glass rear window which is a big plus IMO. Compared to a 2000-2001 ap1 it also has some other minor tweaks and upgrades.

 

Put me in the camp of "I used to own a Mazdaspeed 3". I had a 2008.5 GT. I put 35,000 miles on her in 2 years and really enjoyed it, and I still miss her a bit, but the S is a better car in almost every way. Do it and you wont be disappointed.

 

Not sure where you are shoppiing but I have bought 3 cars now in Florida at far less than I could in Canada. I have purchased a Merc SLK, Audi TT, and last year my S2000. I looked at medium to low mileage, had to be in excellent condition, and have a clean CarFax, and given those parameters I couldn't find an S2000 cheaper in Canada. I flew to Florida, stayed 5 days, drove back, paid all taxes, and I was still in the money.

Be patient, wait for the right car and the right deal, and you will be happy you did.

 

Thanks guys! Mind has been made up for a mint 2003 imported from the states. I'm going to wait till I find one that really gets me going, might take a few months haha

 

hey based on your description of the car, my guess is that the car you test drove was the 2005 AP2 at Campus Honda?
if thats the case, I will actually be going this Saturday to take a close look at the car, and very possibly trade in my 2007 Subaru Legacy Spec B for the S2000.

Anything I should know about the S2000 from Campus honda? how was the condition? was it stock? any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

It is honestly in excellent shape. They have all the original paperwork as well since Campus Honda sold it initially to the first owner and then bought it back. All the body panels have matching vins, I couldn't find any rust, and the engine bay is immaculate (although I'm sure it wasn't when it was traded in).

All in all, with the little I know about these cars, I would say it is in near show room condition.

PS: Why get rid of the Spec B? They're quite rare, love those cars! Keep both

 

Would love to keep both, but fiancially doesn't work for me. Thinking of getting the S2000, then go on the hunt for a Honda Element as a winter car, I am a bike skiier/mountain biker and the element would suit my lifestyle in that sense.

The spec b has been awesome to me, and i babied her since day 1, however its a great car when u can only have 1 car, but ultimate it is a comprimise between sporty and practicallity, so now if I can own 2 cars, why comprimise?

I guess it all depends on if Campus will give me a fair value for my Spec B
I am honestly looking for some $ back in this case as i do believe my Spec B is worth a bit more than the S2000.
Your thoughts?

 

Who knew a RWD Convertible would be more fun to drive than a FWD hatchback? Shocking

 

Would love to keep both, but fiancially doesn't work for me. Thinking of getting the S2000, then go on the hunt for a Honda Element as a winter car, I am a bike skiier/mountain biker and the element would suit my lifestyle in that sense.

The spec b has been awesome to me, and i babied her since day 1, however its a great car when u can only have 1 car, but ultimate it is a comprimise between sporty and practicallity, so now if I can own 2 cars, why comprimise?

I guess it all depends on if Campus will give me a fair value for my Spec B
I am honestly looking for some $ back in this case as i do believe my Spec B is worth a bit more than the S2000.
Your thoughts?
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I'm an avid mb'er and boarder as well. It's funny you mention the element, it's one of the cars on my radar as a daily. Although, my mind is pretty set on a 99-00 4runner mainly because I'm not sure how well the element would handle real winters or a real trail should i choose to go off road/camping/hiking.

Campus is going to give you a bit under black book value for your car, all dealerships do. So I wouldn't expect to get anything close to what the S2000 is going for, although that car is priced pretty competitively for a Canadian car in near perfect condition.

The salesman was telling me about a guy who traded in his 2007 STI for 17K, seems a bit low given the market value of those vehicles. Similarly, when talking about trading in my Speed, he told me it'd fetch around 13K. I could sell on the private market for 17-18 easily, even higher if I am patient.

Point is, expect to be really disappointed in the trade in value. If I were you I'd sell privately and then buy/import. Just my opinion though.

 

The AP2 may not be the fastest car out there, it's pretty fast. But it is a lot of fun to drive fast. Canyon runs can be scary if pushed. In fact I still haven't pushed this car. My last car was a 993 and before that a 300hp SC RSX, and before that a Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V-POS. The AP2 is more fun to drive than the Porsche. Though the 993 was pretty amazing in itself. My RSX showed why a FWD car sucks. And that Sentra showed why Nissan was garbage.