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I don't have S2000 yet and I am planning to get one myself too. 00 and 01 have plastic rear window. 00 to 03 got 9k redline rpm. 04+ got 2.2 liter engine.
As far as I can tell from test drive on new S2000 and used S2000, they are all awsome machine.
I prefer 02+, only because of the rear window but there's tons of people put glass rear window on 00 & 01. Other than that, I have no problem with any S2000.
Here's my take: I've got a 2000 and I wouldn't want any other. It's very pure in it's design. I've been in all the other models and I tend to view the differences as band aids to solve complaints various people and the press had. All of the changes are not of the same caliber of design. They look like after thoughts.
I auto-x my car religiously and I've grown very attached to it. We have a bond and it's deficiencies are what gives it it's character. Just like I vew the '88 CRX Si as the best CRX. It's pure in it's design and you can tell it was the work of one project manager. As the newer models come out (with the CRX and the S2000) you can see the purity of the design melting away as more people become involved.
I'm an architect so maybe I'm more sensitive to these things.
I say test drive them all and decide for yourself.
05. They are new. Better yet, 04, they can still be new and cheaper than 05. But I imagine you want a used one. In that case, probably whatever you can find with low miles.
This has got to be one of THE MOST "loaded" questions that is ever asked here and in that sense, one of the most inane. You will only get an honest answer if you get a reply from someone who has owned ALL model years of S2000s.
I own a MY2000, with plastic window and all and I'm still content with it and wouldn't care for the tiny little glass window that came later. 2000 is the BEST year.
Any year that was mechanically over-revved, where the rear diff grenaded after abuse, where the CV joints blew up after a few clutch drops, where the clutch started to slip only after a few thousand miles due to driver stupidity, where the owner can never be content with what he's got, where the tranny feels "notchy" (any year) or where the dealer wrecked something during a service IS A BAD YEAR!
The overwhelming answer you'll find here is the year thats best to own is the same year that that particular person owns. So the people who own a MY00 will says MY00 is the best, and a person who owns a MY02 will say MY02 is the best and so on ...
The truth is that the cars are all pretty much the same and you should really be looking at how much you can afford and what the best deal you can get is. If you must have brand new, then the MY04 or MY05s are the way to go. If you can't afford that, then look into something cheaper.
05-03-2005, 06:30 AM
or
and come back with a "serious" response.)
