I just got back from test driving a yellow '02 at Conicelli in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. It had 14,xxx miles, and they wanted a little less than $28k for it, but the salesman mentioned a deal without me even bringing it up. Unfortunately, it had dings and scratches all across the bottom of the front, and a big scratch through the tow hook cover on the back

What I noticed in the test drive (most of this is preaching to the choir, but hey, you want to hear someone else say nice things about your car, right??) besides the obvious fact that I had a huge sh*t-eating grin on my face:

1. The Brakes! I knew the transmission was great, knew the power would be great, etc etc, but the brakes were among the best I've ever experienced.

2. I wondered about the power below 6000, but it was not even an issue. People who complain about it must be used to driving Camaros, Corvettes, etc. The S is plenty fast through traffic without VTEC.

3. VTEC...Oh my God...I didn't have a lot of opportunity to use it, due to where the dealership is, but wow, what a rush, and WHAT A NOISE! It is the only car I've heard that sounds as good as a Ferrari, and as good as the 427 Cobra replica that a teacher at my old High School had.

4. No chance to really experience the handling, since I was in a built up area, but the steering is great, nice and direct, and the steering wheel is just about perfect, in size and thickness.

5. One dislike, the driver's armrest is too low, and the window sill slightly too high to comfortably put my arm on. I have a bad shoulder from high school lacrosse, and it was a little awkward to have my arm up that high. But this is just a lesson I need to drop the one-hand-on-top-of-the-wheel thug driving style, and start using both hands at 9 and 3.

6. The interior fits me like a glove. At 5'11" and around 215, it was a little cramped getting in, buckling, etc...but once you get down to the business of driving, it is the perfect size, just like in the Car and Driver article.

7. The trunk is so small! After having a decent trunk and a back seat in my civic, that will take some getting used to.

8. I need a red one. I thought about yellow, but even though red is flashy, it can also be justified as a classic sports car color. Yellow is just flashy, which is fun sometimes, but I don't want everyone to think I am a screaming extrovert. Nothing against Yellow owners, but I just decided it's not for me.

9. I have to wait until spring to buy it. I couldn't bear to drive it through the snow and slush and track crap into it, etc. Also, it will be my only car, and I'd need to drive it back and forth to school every day, plus I don't trust the crappy Main Line, PA, drivers not to hit my car in bad weather.

10. One last minor gripe, the shift know felt really small in my hand. I think I'd want to look into getting a bigger aluminum or titanium ball, somethign that fills the palm of my hand, but is still low-profile enough not to increase the throws...any suggestions?

Thanks for letting me rave, I can't wait to actually be an owner. If anyone knows of a babied, not modified red '02 or 03 S with less than 15,xxx miles in the Eastern PA/New England area that will be available for $25-30k in the spring, please let me know.

 

Chris,

Welcome to the dark side (s2ki.com) . Glad you've discovered the merits of the S2000. I arrived here via your link PPBB.

If you're willing to spend up to $30K, why not try to swing a deal on a new '03 that may be rotting on a dealer's lot when the '04's come out? Might be worth a try. You might find some good deals during the winter where you live.

Okay, back to PPBB I go.

Craig

P.S. Visit us on the Racing and Competition forum, where the real "nuts" hang out.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by HondaGuy347
8.

 

If it's got 14,000, with dings and scratches, you should be able to get them down to $25,000 and have them take care of the body work too. That's just way too pricey with winter around the corner and the '04 coming out this month. I'd haggle with them, you should be able to get what you want.

I must be a screaming extrovert then (Spa), I'd be pissed if people didn't see coming.

 

Hi Chris,
Glad you liked your S2000 experience. I text drove a 2.7 Boxster back in March and liked it a lot. I'm sure it would be more refined than the S2000 on a daily basis...
...except refinement isn't what I want in a sports car. Whatever you get, have fun.
I've had my New Formula Red for 19 months and no tickets yet, although I may be jinxing myself for writing this!

 

About the shifter, Rick's carries a lot of shift knobs, including the "Magnum" knobs. Check it out at www.ricks2k.com