You can go to the below site and click on the area where you want to look. You get a smaller map. Put the curser over the town and click. This will bring up the dealer. Most dealers have a listing of new and used inventory. Check the used inventory to see if the dealer has a used S2000. If so, call and arrange for a demo ride. You could check to see if they have a new demonstrator for test driving, but don't count on it. Generally speaking, people who buy new don't want a car that has potentially been abused by yahoos on a free joy ride.

http://www.hondacarolinas.com/maps.html

 

Yes, and I think that the last post expresses the problem with getting a test drive in an S 2000. If the dealer has one that has not had the break-in mileage on it, REALLY driving it could harm it. And none of us want to do that, but all of us want to see want the S 2000 can do before we buy. If you drive a brand new one and keep it below VTEC as you must, you will think it is a "convertible Civic or Accord." You will think "why should I spend extra money to buy this?" You've got to drive one with miles past break-in to see what she will really do, and this is a problem for the dealers as well as for you. A dealer might let you drive a new one but say "keep it under 5K rpm." Your test drive will not excite! But then, you don't want to ruin a brand new car either, do you? This is a problem all of us have faced. So I say to the OP, "if you come home to Edmond, OK before you buy, I'll meet you and let you test drive mine." That would solve the problem, now wouldn't it? But I am still angry that some dealers wouldn't allow a member of the USAF to test drive a car -- even if it be under restricted terms. I'm really sick of all this "support our troops" talk coming from people who do not support our troops.

Richard Ruth,
Former Captain, USAF, JAGC.

 

Oh man, I was just in Edmond (28Dec-22Jan) but I was still trolling at the time. I'll look at the hondacarolinas map and try to organize a test drive if applicable.

 

Wow, so just about every one that I have found is in NC. Thats a little far to go for just a test drive. Not too far to pick up though.

Edit: This one pretty much sums up what I'm lookin to get (when the time comes)
http://www.carmax.com/dyn/factsheet/...eet.aspx?KNo=3

AP2
decently low miles (based on year)
red/blk interior
close to 20k
red/black/silver exterior (I could live with white or yellow, but I'd be sacrificing the interior w/ the yellow)

I think I can find what I want if I'm patient enough.

 

hahah me and my dad walked into mitsubish back in 03 when the first EVOs came out and the dealership owner handed us a key and told us to test drive it. when his salesman said drive it fast, we did... it scared the crap out of him... lmao, we walked out with smiles on our faces and the dealership owner had fun watching us.
everyone's happy!

 

I haven't read the entire thread, so I'm probably just repeating what some of the others have already said. However, the problem here isn't your age or credit rating, the problem is that the dealers do not preceive that you are ready to buy *now*.

When you get back from your deployment, and are actually ready to spend money, you may still have to convince them that you're serious, because "young people" often want to "test drive" a performace car just for the experience, and they might easily think that's what you're doing. If they are hesitent to let you drive a car when you are ready to buy, tell them that they can check your credit score and/or take a credit application if they like, but if they're not going to let you test drive the car, AND have it checked over by an independent mechanic, that you'll have to take your business elsewhere. If that doesn't get you the treatment you require, then follow through, and take your business elsewhere. In general, if you like a car that dealer X has, but don't like dealer X, you can go to your favorite dealer, and buy the same car, for the same price, or less; Most dealerships will swap cars around if one has a product that the customer of another dealership wants. Find a dealership that will work with you, and let them find you the car you want.

Hope some of this helps.

 

Thanks RED. Never looked at it like that I guess.
You actually answered another question I had (kinda)
Lets say I walk into dealership X they're pricks and don't have an S2000 anyway and I don't want to deal with them so I go to dealership Y. Dealership Y doesn't have an S2000 either, but they seem like a pretty good stealership. Will dealership Y find an S for me? Assuming I told them what I was looking for. Or is that just a "Some will, some wont" type thing?

 

Some will, some won't. Those who won't, care less about their customers before the sale, so you know what to expect after the sale.

Things may be different now, but when I was in the service, I was able to go to the base credit union, and get a short term signature loan pending the purchase of a new or used car. Dealers generally HATE cash, becaue they make money on financing your car for you, but cash also tends to seduce them, becaue they rarely see real money. Also, when you have cash in hand, or are ready to write a check, they KNOW you're serious, and they want to get that money. Also, by deciding what I'm willing to pay for a car, and getting only that much money, I create a situation where I can't possibly end up spending more than I'd intended to spend. If you can still get a signature loan the way I use to do, then dealing with a cash or check rather than credit can help you get a better deal. Also, people treat you very nice when they think you have that kind of money to throw around.

 

They might call the "signature loan" something else now. Give me some information about it so I might be able to relate it to somethin here.

So you're saying get a loan, cash it out, dress like a "baller" and "make it rain" at the dealership? sounds like a blast

 

detonator:

I suggest the main problem here is your inability to obtain a test drive in a fully broken-in S 2000. The reason is that S 2000s are like fine caviar -- some people love them and some do not like the way they perform. So with this car, there is no point in spending much time worrying about how you are going to get one until you drive one and determine you like it.