I apologize if this topic has been started a bunch of times. My 2001 s2k was recently totaled by a drunk driver. Hit it while it was parked in my lawn. Was in excellent condition and it just reached 60,000 miles.
With that being said, i'm in the market for a new car, s2000 specifically, and living in Hawaii really limits my options.

There is a completely stock 07 (besides air intake and front bumper kit) for sale and it looks to be in phenomenal condition at 65k miles. It's priced at 18,900 which I think is quite low unless you all have other opinions. I plan on test driving it once the insurance company gets back to be regarding my settlement which I am expecting to be around 16k (fingers crossed).
Link: https://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/...677449366.html

My question is coming from a 2001, and not being the most car savvy guy, what should I expect?
The maintenance for the 01 was definitely more then I initially expected but I adapted and took good care of it. I was thinking of getting a less demanding and more practical car, since my 01 was my daily driver, but if the 07 is slightly less demanding when it comes to routine maintenance, I would be very interested.

Also how would you compare the cars when it comes to daily driving? And for performance and the level of fun, is the lower red-line really that big of a deal?

Last question, for the 07, it looks like they sold less then half of what they did for the 01. Do you think its safe to assume the 07 will become a lot more rare down the road and therefore more sought after? Or will the 01 retain a greater interest due to it being more gearing towards car enthusiasts?

Any input would be awesome, thank you.

 

I currently own a 2001. Having never driven or experienced a 2007, I can only offer you this.

The 2007 will be a better daily driver. It has traction control and stability control. The suspension has been retuned so it is less "tail happy" and less affected by bump steer. The car has more torque. The interior has had a little more shoulder and elbow room, and it has the dual cupholders. From what I've seen, the lower RPM doesn't really make that much of a difference but the increased torque will definitely be more usable for a daily driver.

I would think maintenance wise, the 07 and the 01 would be pretty similar. I find my 01 is not really that demanding in terms of maintenance.

In terms of collectiblity , many avoid the 06-09 cars due to the drive-by-wire throttle and the stability/TC. However, the most collectible S2000 right now is the 09 S2000 C/R.

I think you should just go buy what you like and don't worry about collectibility. All S2000s are special, and I don't think the year-to-year differences it will make that much of a difference in the end (unless it's a C/R). Everyone has their preferences for which S2000 they want.

 

Thank you for the input! Yeah the 01 I had was just far more demanding then the crap beaters I was used to driving, but it was nothing unbearable.

I just got word that my settlement for my 01 was $16k, which really makes me wonder why the 07 with the same mileage is only 2,900 more since its in such good condition.
I guess when it comes to collectibility, is it safe to assume the 07 will follow the same trend of appreciation as the other cars, although maybe not as much? I look towards buying a s2000 because A. Its my dream car, B. They are so fun, but C. Its also longterm investment.

I bought my 01 for $16k 3 years ago and put on 24k miles, so for me to get my return value (especially by GEICO of all people) really makes the car so much more appealing to me.

 

I think a stock s2k is pretty boring and just needs a little something to wake it up. That's why I like an 06+ with a test pipe, flash pro, and tune (an intake is optional) Best bang for your buck and makes the car much more fun to drive. More power down low, slightly higher redline, and earlier vtec. I think the later years are more reliable, hold more value, and are better for daily driving.

 

If you think driving a stock S2000 is boring, you're not doing it right!

 

I have an 08 and if I were to do it again id go with a 04-05

 

I agree with this. At this point in time most people are still buying these cars to drive. All other variables being equal (color, condition, mileage) the newer the car, the more money they tend to command as all of the associated parts (such as plastics and rubber parts that tend to deteriorate, harden, or shrink over time) are that much newer. At this point in time we might very well be nearing the height of collectibility as far as vehicles powered by internal combustion engines go. The S2000 and it's contemporaries may never really take off the way so many other notable collectible cars have. (Those cars might ultimately start dropping in value as well.) The whole collectibility thing is a crap shoot. All the more reason to focus what you yourself want to drive right now.

I'm guessing that you were just more lax with maintenance when it came to your beater cars, as opposed to them actually needing that much less maintenance. All cars benefit from owners keeping up with the scheduled preventative maintenance. Given the performance aspect of the S2000's engine and the way so many owners enjoy pushing these cars, keeping up with this maintenance is definitely advised. But on the plus side, S2000s are very convenient to work on from an accessibility standpoint. The DBW cars have their fans, for a variety of reasons. The only additional thing to be aware of from a maintenance standpoint is the need to keep a closer eye on the valve clearances. Beyond any of that, the 2007 car that you are considering looks to be fairly priced and there are other benefits (as mentioned above) to it being six years newer than your previous S2K. How hard are these cars to come by in Hawaii? That will also likely play a role in your decision making process.

 

I'm genuinely curious on what was "demanding" on your 2001. Could you elaborate? Maybe its because I also own a BMW, but I consider my Hondas to be the least maintenance intensive cars ever.

 

Get the '07 and a FlashPro tune with VTEC set at 3600 rpm and you'll not have any doubts which is the better car. Does require a high flow cat but that's about it.

-- Chuck

 

This. Get a Gernby tune for your Flashpro. Worth every penny. Some welcome side effects:

The redline will be set to 8.5k. This should assuage some.of your concern about the lower rpm being less fun.

That one added maintenance issue with dbw cars, checking valve adjustment more often? Yeah, thats gone. No more lean condition that causes hot exhaust valves that cause the wear. So its more like every other year S in that regard.

The '07 seems to suit your usage. While you're trying to decide what to do, that car is going to sell, and you are going to kick yourself of you can't find another one to buy. Some of us drive or fly to another State to find an S. You don't have that option. Post on the local forum for someone to help you inspect this car to make sure no issues, then buy it before its gone.