It's drivable on a daily basis and, being a dorm resident, he will need neither big trunk nor 2nd row of seats. S2000's trunk is large enough to carry groceries for one person for at least 2 weeks at one time. I'm sure he'll survive. Will get a lot of attention from the opposite sex, too.

Financially, it does not strike me as a particularly wise decision. Between insurance costs, maintenance, fuel, desire to mod / improve on the car, this will be one big financial black hole. Also, the car will not be pampered as it ought to be. It will sit in an unprotected college parking lot every night, it will be dented, keyed, its top slashed, and eventually stolen.

Finally, I have to question whether a person with his driving experience can appreciate the car.

 

I am 18 and a freshman in college. The S is great for drivin around campus with the top down and the red leather showin. Plus it gets good gas mileage on the trips home to see the rents...

 

If i had a car like the S2000 when i was in college....I wouldn't be typing this right now !

Edit...I did however have a 80hp MGB......and its still a miracle im alive

 

I'm also a college student with an S2000, but I commute everyday. It might not be wise to leave a decent car for long periods of time, a beater will be better if this is going to be the case. I was initially scared of vandalism, but I noticed that the garage I park at has decent secruity. There are also a lot of decents cars around as well, so mine does not attract as much attention, even though its yellow. Lots of BMWs, G35s, and theres even another S that parks in the same garage! Oh, and I was considering between Yellow and Red, but yellow was one of our school's color, and red is our rival's color. I noted that there were almost no red cars in the garage! Enemy color warrant vandalism. Economically speaking, this is way better than driving my parents huge SUV around. If your son is mature enough to handle it, he'll appreciate this as much as I do.. I love my parents, I'll make sure I'll hook them up with something nice later.

 

I don't think it's a bad idea. My parents are going to get me an s2000 for when I leave for college. I currently have a civic which I will use to drive during the winter time. it may not be such a good idea having an s2k if he's going to be living in an area were it snows a lot and it's his only car. I would hate to get such a nice car and then have rust/scratches all over. If he is going to a warm climate, there is nothing wrong with getting an s2k. Gas mileage will be ok, insurance will pretty high though. One thing that might help you cope with insurance is those seasonal car options. I'm only going to have the s2k as a seasonal car, so I only have to pay insurance for it in the warm months, and the civic in winter. Of course this is only if he/she has help making all the payments. Not many college students could make the car/tuition/gas/insurance/living/partying expenses by themselves. The only thing I'm worried about is other kids keying/vandalizing the car. Although I hate to admit it, I'm pretty sure it'll happen sooner or later. Hopefully the alarm and baseball bat I'm getting will help me prevent it.


ps.. the people that say money can't buy you love are full of it. If you buy your kid an s2k he WILL love you..

 

It's not a great car for someone under 20 to be honest especially if it's their first RWD car. I think something like a Mazda 3 or maybe even a RX8 with somewhat of a backseat and a fixed roof would be a much better choice.

 

I'm a college student and have an S. I don't see a problem with it honestly. I saved up and worked hard for this car and have wanted it ever since I saw the first commercial of it driving on the mountain road. The AP1 (2000-2003) S2000 is a bit more harsh for daily driving than the AP2 (04+). At least on the roads here. Also, the AP2 rear end isn't as sensitive as the rear end on the AP1 so maybe that can help you decide on which year to buy. The bottom line is, if this is really what your son wants and has worked his a$$ off for in school and you trust him and his judgement, make the kid happy Just make sure he takes up a good major in college so he can pay you back for all the financial assistance you're providing him

 

Any car will get beat up at college. Many students are slobs; they park quickly and try to squeeze into too small spaces. Many S2000 owners get obsessive about their cars' beauty, so if your son is like that, I'd get something else.

College kids tend to move often, so unless you live nearby, a hatchback might be more practical. Also what is his major? If he has to haul supplies (art major) the S2000 is a bit too small.

If the above is OK with him, make sure the car has good tires and buy him a day at a track or go to some SCCA meets. The car is wonderfully fun, but I'd be ambivelant about encouraging a young person to buy one unless I knew he was sensible and a good driver.

 

Thank you to everyone for you valuable imput. Me and my son live in North Carolina so snow is not to much of an issue. I don't think my son has ever even seen much snow before. My son is going into the medical profession. As far as responsible driving, my son is one of the best I have seen. No tickets and no wrecks of his fault. He has driven many RWD cars, many of them I wish I have driven such as his boss's 03 Milestone Edition Corvette. We have looked into other cars such as RSX, 350Z, G35, and the GTO. The GTO was his favorite with the G35 close in second. However, the used G35 we drove had a horrible ride, which I believe was due to the tires being out of line. What other cars would be good for my son? (no WRX or EVO, those are hideous in his opinion) Thanks everyone again.

 

so the S isn't even on the list...

don't get him this car...