Go ahead and buy the S but if you get in a wreck, I'll be the first to get all and you

 

My mother gave me my first car. A Nissan 280zx...that was a bad idea. In hind sight an econobox would have been a much better car at the time. One thing you should consider is the cost of owning an S, it takes a fair amount of maintenance, they also attract attention and not always in a positive way.

My feelings are that a first car should be fun but practical...plus if you're going to college the S is the last car you're going to want to take to campus.

My 2 cents.

 

Buy a Miata. Period. Great great great car to learn in, light, handles like a champ, and has 145 HP. Not high by many standards, but in a car as light as it you'd be surprised. Plus, it's rear wheel drive, reliable as all hell, resale value is good and you'll learn to drive.

 

Since you're not in the market right now, get the new up and coming Civic Si instead of the S2000. It's probably more advanced than the S2000.



After getting used to driving a front wheel drive and learning how to shift properly, if you still want a old and simple roadster, then trade the Si in for the S2k!

 

That was basically what I was going to say.

If you think you want to have a high powered sportscar someday, do your learning curve a favor and start with a lower horsepower rear-wheel drive car. Sure you can learn lots on a FWD car, but if you don't live in the snow belt like I do, why do it?

One other little thing, if you can live with a Miata then someday you will be able to live with an S. There are a ton of them out there in allprice ranges and condition. The Miata is a great car, don't forget that.

 

With S2000 getting near to 6th year production and plenty of used ones in the market it is bound to see young and inexperienced drivers taking an ownership of this car and wrecking them shortly after.

Doesn't matter how safe you drive. The car will bite you if you are inexperienced. And I will bet my money that you do you have enough know how to handle and harness the power and potential of this car.

Please do us all and yourself a favor. Buy a cheaper RWD car and drive it for a good year. Make sure to attend local Auto X, drivers Ed and HPDE schools.

Then jump in to the ownership of this fine machine.

Less than 6 months ago, we lost two teenagers near the Dragon. They were right around your age. They drove S2000. I am sure they thought they were safe driver.

 

My parents bought me a brand new car at 17. A 94 ford probe GT. Loved it. However, being the unexperienced driver that i was, I dinged it up, scratched it, torn the front bumper, even drove through a chain link fence. Stuff happens, i too thought I was a great safe driver. Might as well practice in a nice dependable used car first. You never know what'll happen, and without experience, you wont know what to do in certain situations.

In any case, good luck and be careful.

 

yeah, i really do think the more I think about it that going used but fun is the best option. My 96 mustang and ap2kyle's probe are good examples of fun cars that can get dinged up and, apparently, driven through fences ;-) and the damage doesn't ring up thousands in bills. If I drove my S through a fence... First I'd wonder what the hell I'd be smoking and second, dollar signs would be dancing around my head.
Start cheap! trust me, you wont regret it. I've made mistakes in my mustang that would have been much bigger mistakes if made in the S2000 both in how the car would react and how much damage/$ is done.

 

If you do kill yourself please crash into a tree and avoid hitting any innocent bystanders...lol, j/k. Its a fun car, but you just have to be cautious because its not hard to lose control of it if you aren't used to the steering/handling. Since youre young your insurance will be high...but if you can afford it, do it.

 

If you are a responsible safe driver and knowing the limit of the S and your driving skill, you will be able to handle it. Just remember to slow down when the street is wet and going to driving school to learn the limit of your new rear wheel drive car.