They're getting older....
02-26-2015, 03:25 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
They're getting older....
I look at used S2000s almost daily. Most of which are already probably sold from the lot. I never realized how old they really are. An 05 is already 10 years old. Doesn't look 10 years old. The only old age sign that a lot have, are the miles. Honda could build the same car and ship it out to dealerships as a 2016 MY and people wouldn't even think it looks old.
I was at lunch the other day, and over heard a conversation, people now a days won't keep a car for more than 50k miles. They said a car pretty much goes bad after that. I guess that's just her corolla showing it's build quality though. I look at my AR, has 123k and counting. And you guys have a 300k miles club lol.
What do you guys think of the age of the S2000?
I was at lunch the other day, and over heard a conversation, people now a days won't keep a car for more than 50k miles. They said a car pretty much goes bad after that. I guess that's just her corolla showing it's build quality though. I look at my AR, has 123k and counting. And you guys have a 300k miles club lol.
What do you guys think of the age of the S2000?
02-26-2015, 03:54 AM
#2
Years are nothing if well kept. my 01 has 238k on the clock and i still get told it looks like a new one. AND ITS 14 YEARS OLD! my 02 looks almost like new and it has 95k on the clock. timeless design never looks old or outdated. 
02-26-2015, 04:22 AM
#4
At 7.5 years, ours looks like a 1 year old car... with a 24 year old top (spring project, cannot wait anymore).
I used to look down on college kids in Spitfires with duct-taped tops. Not anymore.
I used to look down on college kids in Spitfires with duct-taped tops. Not anymore.
02-26-2015, 05:47 AM
#5
times have changed, as an old guy I remember when 50k miles meant that the car was old and ready to fail or rust out.
What you may have overheard about cars over 50K is due to complexity, especially with the high end vehicles.
IMHO, engines are more efficient and durable than ever, good for 150K plus if maintained. It's the self shifting gearboxes, electronic suspensions, moving headlights,etc.
When the dealer couldn't get the radio to work after they changed a ( $500) headlight on my 07 3 series, I realized I didn't want this car in old age. At some point you're faced with 4 figure repair bills for stuff you didn't even want in the first place.
Watch Mecum auctions on Velocity some time, you'll see $100k plus (when new) vehicles selling for $20K with low miles because there could be $20k in repair and maintenance.
Luckily, the S2000 is relatively simple and Spartan for a modern vehicle
What you may have overheard about cars over 50K is due to complexity, especially with the high end vehicles.
IMHO, engines are more efficient and durable than ever, good for 150K plus if maintained. It's the self shifting gearboxes, electronic suspensions, moving headlights,etc.
When the dealer couldn't get the radio to work after they changed a ( $500) headlight on my 07 3 series, I realized I didn't want this car in old age. At some point you're faced with 4 figure repair bills for stuff you didn't even want in the first place.
Watch Mecum auctions on Velocity some time, you'll see $100k plus (when new) vehicles selling for $20K with low miles because there could be $20k in repair and maintenance.
Luckily, the S2000 is relatively simple and Spartan for a modern vehicle
02-26-2015, 07:07 AM
#6
Originally Posted by gerry100
Watch Mecum auctions on Velocity some time, you'll see $100k plus (when new) vehicles selling for $20K with low miles because there could be $20k in repair and maintenance.
Luckily, the S2000 is relatively simple and Spartan for a modern vehicle
02-26-2015, 07:13 AM
#7
Registered User
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by gerry100
times have changed, as an old guy I remember when 50k miles meant that the car was old and ready to fail or rust out.
What you may have overheard about cars over 50K is due to complexity, especially with the high end vehicles.
IMHO, engines are more efficient and durable than ever, good for 150K plus if maintained. It's the self shifting gearboxes, electronic suspensions, moving headlights,etc.
When the dealer couldn't get the radio to work after they changed a ( $500) headlight on my 07 3 series, I realized I didn't want this car in old age. At some point you're faced with 4 figure repair bills for stuff you didn't even want in the first place.
Watch Mecum auctions on Velocity some time, you'll see $100k plus (when new) vehicles selling for $20K with low miles because there could be $20k in repair and maintenance.
Luckily, the S2000 is relatively simple and Spartan for a modern vehicle
What you may have overheard about cars over 50K is due to complexity, especially with the high end vehicles.
IMHO, engines are more efficient and durable than ever, good for 150K plus if maintained. It's the self shifting gearboxes, electronic suspensions, moving headlights,etc.
When the dealer couldn't get the radio to work after they changed a ( $500) headlight on my 07 3 series, I realized I didn't want this car in old age. At some point you're faced with 4 figure repair bills for stuff you didn't even want in the first place.
Watch Mecum auctions on Velocity some time, you'll see $100k plus (when new) vehicles selling for $20K with low miles because there could be $20k in repair and maintenance.
Luckily, the S2000 is relatively simple and Spartan for a modern vehicle
What I overheard was 3 17 year olds talking about cars. The girl was complaining that her car has 20k miles... Then the other girl chimed in and so did the guy, saying 50k is too much.
Engines now aren't that great. Accessory wise. Electric water pump failing on bimmers, actually. Engines don't last as long as they did when my dad was a teen. You could over heat it, and let it cool and start it up go on about your day.
Speaking of suspension... OEM bags on an allroad aren't great at holding air overnight. And my compressor is getting tired.
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02-26-2015, 07:51 AM
#8
I remember when my typical winter beater was a thoroughly rusted out 10 year old car, with 75K miles on it, that I bought for a couple of hundred dollars. Now, my wife is driving a 10 year old Acura TSX with 115K on it and we have no plans to replace it anytime soon. Car looks 3 years old inside and out and drives as nice as the day we got it.
02-26-2015, 08:03 AM
#9
Registered User
Gerry100 summed up what I was thinking.
I have a classic pickup, and regularly get the "they don't make them like this anymore". You're right, back when it was made ('65), it wasn't unusual for the engine to need a rebuild at 50k miles. I love my old truck (family heirloom), but modern cars are built so much better.
Even since I've been around (I'm 36), the number of cars on the traveling the roads has increased, while the number of debilitating break-downs has gone down (rare to see a fairly modern car stranded on the shoulder).
We are also much harder on our cars. We generally rack up far more miles today and expect them to get up there at 80+mph.
The s2000 is simple, and many owners are enthusiasts, so we don't treat them like normal cars. Even though we may drive them hard, we baby them and don't rack up many miles.
Hunter, I disagree with your statement on engine quality; the engineering, materials, and tolerances are so much better on a modern engine. 200k-300k miles isn't that unusual for an engine today. That didn't happen 50-60 years ago. Again, engine overhauls were a normal part of ownership.
I have a classic pickup, and regularly get the "they don't make them like this anymore". You're right, back when it was made ('65), it wasn't unusual for the engine to need a rebuild at 50k miles. I love my old truck (family heirloom), but modern cars are built so much better.
Even since I've been around (I'm 36), the number of cars on the traveling the roads has increased, while the number of debilitating break-downs has gone down (rare to see a fairly modern car stranded on the shoulder).
We are also much harder on our cars. We generally rack up far more miles today and expect them to get up there at 80+mph.
The s2000 is simple, and many owners are enthusiasts, so we don't treat them like normal cars. Even though we may drive them hard, we baby them and don't rack up many miles.
Hunter, I disagree with your statement on engine quality; the engineering, materials, and tolerances are so much better on a modern engine. 200k-300k miles isn't that unusual for an engine today. That didn't happen 50-60 years ago. Again, engine overhauls were a normal part of ownership.
02-26-2015, 08:03 AM
#10
I feel the opposite. When I was a teen, the typical engine was worn out by 100K miles. Leaking oil every wear. Power was way down. Not to mention yearly tuneups that required new plugs, new points (that required some skill to adjust), distributor adjustments, carb adjustments, etc. Coolant changes every two years. New exhaust every 2-4 years. Now you change the oil occasionally, plugs and coolant once at 100K miles and easily get 200K out a modern engine. I sold a Toyota Solara with 165K miles on it that never had the plugs changed...it ran like it did when it was new, including getting the same gas mileage.