given the experience of most Miata auto-xcers, I would say that you are more likely to come across an owner who is more experienced than the average S2k owner in that venue.
(trying to be PC)

I think also that alot of people on this and other forums forget how very rare our breed is. (automotive enthusiasts)

for one class in college I had to get up in front of the class as part of a persuasive debate on auto safety regulations I asked everyone in the class who has a true passion for cars that borders on the irrational sometimes to please raise thier hand. I was the only one with my hand up out of a class of 100 people.

 

umm..maybe a stupid question, don't get mad, but how do an s2k and a formula 1 relate?...i ask cause i don't know too much about formula 1...

 

Non informed people think Honda cars are just mass produced, like the Civics and Accords. And when Honda brought the S2000, people couldn't get over it because they think it will be like a Civic, and they didn't think Honda could make a Roadster that is awsome.

 

and the exclusivity of the S is not helping any either.

 

I'd guess Road & Track and the other automobile magazines know a bit more about cars than the ones quoted in the original post. 98-99% of the articles I read speak highly of the S2k. The old saying is "Consider the Source."

 

From the negative comments I've ever heard personally first hand, they've all been related to "You got ripped off for your car". Usually by a WRX owner who's done theirs up, and gloating that they got a faster car for $10,000 or so cheaper.

All I can say to them, really, is "if speed is all you're after, get me a Mirage, and I'll transplant a 2.0L Mivec in there and I'll show you how much you've been ripped off". (A friend of mine has a 900kg Mirage putting out 170Kw, as compared to my S2000, at 1250kg, putting out 200Kw, and he's still $25,000 ahead of me in bugetary terms)

Considering the S2000 won sports car of the year in almost every car magazine I've read in 2000, I don't think they have too much of a leg to stand on, when they say the S2000 is a crap car. In fact, one magazine said something along the lines of "A car, that comes close to rivaling european super cars, worth five times the price".

I think a lot of people who flame the S2000 as being poor (No low end torque, bad handling blah blah blah) just don't know how to drive it. I mean that seriously, not as a flame. When I first got the car, I didn't know how to adjust my speed and gearing entering corners, because I was used to the understeer of a FWD. Moving to a Rear wheel "almost mid engined", sports car, was a whole different kettle of fish. I also wasn't quite used to the way the engine worked with regards to RPM, so always got a slow start till 5500rpm or so. Now, I can almost entirely keep the engine out of there, even from a standing start.

The S2000 is unlike most "sports" car, in that it was designed to be a sports car that can be used on the road, not a road car, given a sporty engine. I think people used to road cars with a sporty feel to it, just don't appreciate a thoroughbred car.

 

I think much of this is point of view. Nearly everyone who buys a sports car buys the one that suits them best and feels other sports cars are inferior or overpriced. I don't think that the S2000 is singled out in this regard. On the other side of the coin, I've seen some fairly irrational claims made about the performance of the S2000 (Everything from an S2000 with a weak driver being able to run circles around a Boxster S to the S2000 being faster in a straight line than a V8 F-body or Corvette. Everyone wants to think they bought the best sports car on the planet.

 

The S2000 is a great car for the money. It is not perfect, but it is as good of a convertible sports car I could find for under $30,000 and I don't regret buying it. I know that I have been known for complaining, but all jokes aside, there is not another car out there for the same price that I would rather get. The S is a perfect blend of style and performance and the looks are to die for. The car is a beauty and I love it to death. I will never sell my S in a million years, unless I go broke or something.

 

These are just angry, poor($$), jealous have-nots who had to settle for less of a car than the S2000.

They find that speaking negatively about what they can't have often eases the pain of not having it.

They are in some dream-world where they believe whatever car they settled for is better than what they really wanted - an S2000.

3 words for them - "GET OVER IT"