ive been planning on buying an s2k for a while now, patiently waiting (well not really) until i have enough for a sizable down payment since i want very small monthly payments. periodically i check the kbb values to make sure ill still be able to afford one when the time comes, my plan being to buy a 06+ with under 80k. today my dad comes to me and says he saw a beautiful suzuka at a used car lot near our home, we go online to check the price and they want 14k for a 2002 with 68k miles. my first impression was "woah thats pretty overpriced" so we check out kbb and it says the cars value is 16.8k... so im curious and i check the value of a 2006 with 75k miles. the kbb value is at just over 20k. i have heard that prices go up a bit during the summer time, since its a convertible, and im not planning on buying just yet since i dont quite have the money and i want to wait until i turn 25 in august so my insurance will drop down. is this a trend that has been going on for a while now? i see all kinds of posts of people getting ap1s for like 10k and 06+ ap2s for like 15-16k over a year ago. im pretty much dead set that this is the car i want and its sort of been my motivation for the past 4 or 5 months since i hate my job. can i expect s2k prices to level out back into my price range (like 18k MAX) by the time fall hits? feeling pretty deflated right now after reading the KBB site.

 

I would not count on the price dropping much in the fall. This car is still in high demand because there really isn't anything comparable that you can buy new even at $30k, so people are willing to drop $22-$24k on a low mileage 06+. Factor in that it is no longer in production and if anything it will be harder to find clean cars under $20k. Good luck with the search, it would have been easy 2 years ago.

 

You also need to factor in that folks continue to total the cars. There were a few as of late in SoCal that were posted on the boards. Sometimes I think that I should sell mine as it only has about 5,200 miles on it and I just can't find that many opportunities to drive it. Then I go out to the garage and all it takes is one look and I tell myself that I will never sell it.

I hope that you find what you are looking for.

 

Lets all hope it keeps going up. If it does, I would get another for dailying and the one I have now to be my project and then my truck for bad weather and towing.

 

My s2000 was valued at $11500 with 94k on the clock, I hope the values remain stagnant or increase as well.

 

well i guess my best option may be to find a higher mileage, but still well cared for, 06 when the time comes. i was already starting to make plans on mods i would be able to afford right after purchase, but if the market stays as it is now then im prolly gonna blow my whole bankroll on the car alone. im still gonna get one though, i seriously havent driven anything that makes me feel like when i sit in an s2000. not even the bentley continental flying spur i drove today was comparable. i think it has something to do with the fact that every time i drive a really expensive car im just so worried about damaging something and losing my job that i cant enjoy being in it at all. the s2000 has the feel of a much nicer sports car without that nagging feeling in my head that says "better not scratch it, the door handle costs more than i make in a year." i guess my search is gonna be pretty difficult though considering my budget constraints and the fact that i absolutely do not want a yellow or silver one, which seem to be all that are for sale around here.

 

btw, that whole thing about insurance going down when your turn 25 is lies lies lies...at least in Texas it is. mine didn't go down at all when i turned 25, called the insurance company and said that there is no law that says it will.

 

interesting you say that. they told us in drivers ed (im also from texas)that it would go down at 25 for men, 21 for women. i didnt think it was so much a law as a statistic since men typically tend to settle down at least in their driving habits around that age. my insurance is already pretty low though considering i have never had an at fault accident or a moving violation on my driving record. either way i dont have the money yet, was planning on saving up 4k cash and then selling my current car which is valued between 6-7k. i suppose i could deal with a 10k loan over 36 months, but something around 6k would be a lot more manageable. i could always look for an ap1, but the ap2s look so much better and i really want VSA since i hear so many horror stories about people losing control of these cars and wrecking them.

 

This make me feel so lucky, purchased my 05 GPW with 32000 for $16000 year and a half ago. It seems thats s2000 prices goes up in the summer n depreciate in winter time

 

Mean it all depends bro and where u find the good deals at. Dealers are most likely gonna overprice the S. like 2-3k more than wat they got the car for in the first Place. Jus keep looking around.

And as far as insurance it is a lie lol. Im 23 and i pay $50 less than what i was paying for my last car which was a salvage 2004 civic si hatchback. I pay 100 total for my insurance. I have an 04 ssm ap2 110k miles. Paid 12k. Clean title n completely oem.