Hello everyone. I'm new on this forum (obviously) and I'm seriously considering getting an S2000. I haven't test driven one yet but I pretty much know the entire car inside and out. Since my parents are getting divorced, that leaves the BMW/Mercedes to be sold off, and that'll probably leave some leftover money. Being 17 (don't worry I'm not your common moron 17-year-old kid who's gonna abuse the hell out of this car, trust me on this one), I've been looking around for a car that will pack a huge punch for $25k or less. I first considered looking at BMWs because I'm a huge BMW fan, but then I looked into the S2000 and realized that for the same amount of money (or less) I could get a lot more. Plus, I don't exactly like BMW's current design direction and I believe that they're straying away from their performance-oriented image, so that leaves nothing to look forward to in the future. Practicality isn't an issue here, and neither is snow because it doesn't snow much here. So, my question to you guys is basically, what is your experience with the S2000? Are there any major problems that I should be aware of? I heard that the 2000 model year had some sort of problems? Are maintenance costs high? How is the sound system and everything? Anything you feel is important, feel free to write about it no matter how random or pointless it may seem. I've been reading some of the posts here and I've never seen so much enthusiasm for a specific car.

Thanks,



Alex

 

Car is terrific. If you are looking at a 2001 or 2002, you can still get one under warranty. Otherwise look for one that is certified. Running costs seem to be quite cheap. There are some updates and fixes but all of these should be or should have been taken car of under warranty.

The Vehicle devours tires, and proper tires for the car are expensive. Plan on replacing tires once a year depending on mileage.

Sound system is terrible for a teenager. It's ok for old fogies like me, but even I am going to be changing some things with the audio. It's fairly safe as far as roadsters go, with nice crash test numbers. The paint is a bit thin, as is the leather on the seats, but if you take care of both properly it shouldn't be a problem.

I bought mine because I wanted a fairly cheap, fun to drive car. This fit the bill perfectly. Depending on your tastes, try to find without modifications (or many anyway). It's a pretty fun car even without dumping cash into it.

I'd suggest avoiding red ones unless you really want to draw the attention of the police!

Good luck, and don't ignore the other options out there in fun, sporty cars (evo, wrx, etc). They may be cheaper to insure at your age.

 

bvlgs2k,

For 25k you can get a nice '02 or '03 with fairly low miles. The best thing is it won't be a BMW POS
But, and this is a BIG BUT, the insurance at your age is going to be way more than the car payments
Now, if you, or yours, have the means (financially) I would suggest trading what ever you have on a new '04 or new '03. If your present car is payed off you should make out like a bandit on car payments so you can afford the hit on insurance.

I'm assuming a lot here - You and your family may or may not be in a financial position to do this, particularly if the divorce goes through. If you can great, if not then getting a used '02, or '03 may be the best for you - only you know your situation. (And believe me when I say, myself, and I'm sure the rest of us here, really don't want to know all the gory details.) We would be honored to have you as a member of our 'S' family (even though you're quite young) if it should work out that way.

These are just my initial thoughts - As a grandfather, I would suggest you try to help your folks out however you can. This is/will be a struggle for all of you to get through and a new set of wheels should NOT be real high on your priorty list.

Grandpa Erik

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bvlgs2k
So, my question to you guys is basically, what is your experience with the S2000? Are there any major problems that I should be aware of? I heard that the 2000 model year had some sort of problems? Are maintenance costs high? How is the sound system and everything? Anything you feel is important, feel free to write about it no matter how random or pointless it may seem. I've been reading some of the posts here and I've never seen so much enthusiasm for a specific car.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SCoach
Car is terrific.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ELAhrens
bvlgs2k,

For 25k you can get a nice '02 or '03 with fairly low miles. The best thing is it won't be a BMW POS

 

all four... but less on the front. running protenza s02 forgot size but they are for 16 inch rims.

ok mine eat up all four at around 8k but some people can get up to 15-19k on the tires. and i used to drive hard. autocross... drag... donuts... and so on good luck in getting a s. other the the terrible tire wear it's almost normal. you are running good quality tires now.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by azndrunkyoon

 

the ratio for most of us is one set of fronts to every two sets of rear tires. The S-02 is a great tire for performance but don't expect to get much more than 10k miles out of the rears.

It's not that bad of a price to pay for soo much fun

You can also go with other tire options if the tire wear is an issue for you.

 

02+ went to the glass rear window and is the only reason I don't own MY00.