Over the past couple months I have been keeping an eye on the S2000 market to get a feel for prices and relative values. I just recently went from anonymously browsing the board here to actually signing up and already I have a few questions that I would like some input on.

From what pretty much everyone has told me, when looking at a car like a Miata, S2000 or really, anything RWD or considered a "summer only" car, it is cheaper to buy at the end of summer or beginning of winter. What have you experiences been with S2000 prices, summer vs otherwise?

I am definitely in the market for an S2000 and the car is my top choice by far, but realistically, funds are limited to $15,000 maximum for the vehicle purchase price. Do you think that it is a realistic expectation to find an S2000 in the sub 15k price range within the next 6-8 months? I would expcet a sub 15k car to have medium or high mileage, some minor exterior blemishes but no actual mechanical issues.

Obviously I would be looking at the older model years, likely an '01 or an '02. Are there any specific mechanical issues that I would want to be on the lookout for or prepared to deal with when buying an older S2000? I assume the clutch and differential would both have to be thoroughly checked out and would probably need attention either way.

I have no problem waiting a few months to find the "right" car and a good deal, but I want to know if my expectations of a mechanically sorted, reliable, good running and good condition '00 or '01 S2000 for under $15,000 is unrealistic or if I just need to wait it out and find the right deal.

Thanks!

 

hey brent,

I too am in the market for used S2K, but 15K sounds hard but not impossible.

Its hard since couple might pop up here and there, but they might be long distance.

If you are willing to go little higher, I say 18000 will be a great price to buy this car, thats where I am aiming for 18 to 23.

hope this helps.

Dark

 

Yeah, from what I've seen so far, 15k is pushing it right now. I know there are a couple decent looking cars on here right now for between 15 and 16, so I was hoping that if the going rate dropped a bit for the cold months, I could snag one for a bit cheaper.

I totally agree though, 18-23 would be a great price range to be in. Plenty of options and you could even go certified preowned easily enough.

As far as distance, I don't have much of a problem with that. I drove 1300mi round trip to look at another car that I didn't even end up buying! Road trips are fun, and if it comes down to cross country, plane tickets are cheap enough if you plan in advance.

Thanks for the quick reply!

 

yeah 15k seems a little low.I would get something around 18k if you want to keep it for a little while.These little cars are meant to be driven hard so something with a high mileage...well you know the answer to that.

 

I would also check to see that any Technical Notices (what do you call em?) have been addressed. There are a few on the 00 models that I had performed on my car. Can someone post a link to what notices were put out? I would have a trusted mechanic check any car out before purchase to help with the decision.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about a hard-driven car if the owner can show he has maintained it. God knows my past cars have been driven hard, but I kept up on maintenance and never had a problem. I'm hoping it would be the same way with an S2000, especially with the reputation Honda has for reliability.

Unfortunately, thought 18k would make my life easy, I don't see it as being a realistic sum for me to spend right now. It's tough to justify 10-15k on a car while going to college, once you get to "almost 20k" things become a lot tougher.

Basically, mileage has never scared me away from cars too much. Lack of maintenance scares me much quicker. A friend has a 45k mile S2000 that I wouldn't buy with YOUR money because I know how it was driven and (not) maintained.

Wow, that sounds like me desperately trying to justify buying into an expensive car at the low end of the price spectrum

 

Certainly a great idea. I know a good bit about cars, but without knowing what to look for, anyone would be lost. I think you're referring to Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) and, yes, they are essential to be aware of when buying a car.

I'm sure they're around this forum somewhere. I'll do a bit of looking sometime soon about that...

 

I would say try your best and save up to at least 17K if you want a good S2000. For what it's worth, you'll be keeping it for at least a couple years. Plus you got no extra money fixing it if something happened to it. I rather save a few more G's and buy a car that was well maintained and a good condition car, inside and out so you don't have to worry fixing it later. Also low miles, true S2000 are real reliable since it's by Honda but these are exotic cars. It should be at least low miles. I bought my S2000 4 months ago for $23K and it's a 02' with only 11K. The last owner only drove less than 4 thousand miles are year. I know it'll be hard but like you said, if you could wait then I sugguest you try your best to save up some more money.

 

Yeah, I may end up having to wait.

The $15k figure would give me enough money to cover incidentals and basic maintenance (short of massive problems) though, so that is not *much* of a concern.

Any opinions on price fluxuation between summer and winter?

 

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