rioyellows2k

It seems that lately sales of the S2000 have really picked up. Not just here, but at the other dealerships as well. Is it becasue they only brought 5500 to the US this year? Even the pre-owned ones are moving. This lease is good - but not as good as it was last year.

What I was wondering was this: What was it about the S2000 that made you buy it? I've noticed most people who buy them new knew exaclty what they wanted. Occasionally I'll have to remind people that the 350Z is a fat sloppy pig, or the Z4's home is the local starbucks and not the local track - but most know everything about the S2000 so not a lot of "selling" is involved. Was it more than just about the car? Was it just a time in your life when you wanted a sports car? They killed off the prelude and this was the next best thing? What was it for you?

PilotSi

I owned an FC3S, and wanted an FD3S RX7. But maintenance was such a haggle -- and out of whim, decided to look at S2ks. Even though I had no real interest in it. I've test driven them before, but it never really interested with me.

Then I saw the right one in the papers...and i tried really hard NOT to buy it -- so I put up criterias for me to meet...

Under 22k. Check
Under 15k miles. Check.
It had to be white. Check.
Payments under $500 a month. Check.
Interest under 6%. Check.
Insurance under $200 a month. Check.
Perfect body! Check.

Sonnva...it met or exceeded the criterias...so I told myself "ok, I'll go test drive it again, and I won't like it. Since I've never liked it before...and it has a full red-interior. eww."

Test drove it -- I fell in love. Something about my particular S2k, it just spoke to me. The engine, chassis, braking combination -- was perfect. Why I never took notice on previous test drives, is beyond me. I think maybe b/c I'm a more mature driver now, and can apperciate the fine subtle features that Honda put into the S2k -- I just apperciated it that much more.

So I got it and it makes me smile everytime I realize I have one in my garage. And it makes me cry when I see it on TV in 2F2F haha.

rioyellows2k

Here's Mine:

Back in 2000 I was about to graduate high school and I was "allowed" to buy a new car. I never had a "brand new" car before, and this was the fist time I would actually be paying for my own set of wheels. I think I was in Oklahoma visiting my grandparents when my parents gave me the news. I was pretty excited so I headed to the Local Honda Dealership (Cuttright Honda in Enid,OK). I wanted a Prelude SH or a Civic Si. I rushed Back Home and told my mom I was going to buy a $26K sport coupe - she laughed and said: NO.
I get back to DFW a week later and made some calls to Local Honda dealerships and Acura Dealerships. My mom was calling the Chevy Stores - yuck! Finally I snag someone at Lute Riley who was going to Discount the 2000 Si if I came that day. I managed to trick my Mom into going that night. I even managed to buy the Si that night - to this day she still thought I bought the 127HP EX. I had them switch cars when we did the paperwork - we really did drive the EX!
As I was signing the Contracts this big commotion is going on in the Showroom and I saw a bunch of people gathering around the side door. Some salesguy was driving this Roadster on the showroom. It was the first time I'd ever seen or heard of the S2000. It was GPW with Red seats. I thought to myself "How did I miss this? Did they have it hidden in the back in Oklahoma?" I must have gawked at it for about an hour. Climbed around it, rowed through the gears, saw HID for the first time. I'll admit it cheapend the delivery experience of my new Si. It was still there when I picked up my plates two weeks later - $10,000 Markup and all. Ithought to myself if they were willing to discount the Si, but mark this thing up it must be special.
Fast foward two years and I'm getting my oil changed at Lute Riley and I'm looking at the S2000 on the showroom. A salesguy starts talking to me and tells me he's got a used '02 in the back with 3000 miles. Some Baloney about "He didn't like the color" I look at it and it's yellow. Nothing wrong with the Color for me! To keep my story from getting too long - I made a deal on it that afternoon, without trading my beloved Turbocharged Si. A few months pass, and I realize I'm not ready for a car lke this. The Insurance was High, the payments were fairly high, and I hardly ever drove it because I was afraid something was going to Happen to it. I ended up selling it on ebay and losing more than my $2500 downpayment. Tough lesson to learn.
A few years later I would work for Bankston, and found out I could buy an '05 S2000 @ a few hundred back of invoice. "Really?!" I was so excited I forgot to mention it to my fiance. She was actually pretty cool about it so she let me trade in her Integra for it. I was amazed at how much she liked the car so I let her choose the color. I was leaning against the Silverstone with the Red/Black interior that I already gassed up and detailed. She marched right outside and chose the yellow one. "I wanted a phoenix yellow Integra R in High School" she says to me. So I go along with it. I still really like this car (Hence the 3 AP2's I've owned), but it's age is showing when a crappy pontiac can be faster. I know, only in a straight line.
I'm currently pursuing a 997 - I'm just waiting to steal the right one pre-owned. I'm hoping some rich snot dumps GT3! I've deemed the NSX or the 911 the only car worth replacing the S2000 for. The C6 is nice - but I'm afraid of any domestic that expensive.
Thanks for sharing!

StockSilverstone03

I didn't even know about the S2000. But I did know that I wanted a convertible that I could fit in.

(I can't sit comfortably in a vette without my head hitting the ceiling or my hands not reaching the steering wheel.)

I had been browsing for a year, not seriously looking, but browsingI just happen to be passing by a Honda dealer and asked my wife if they had a convertible. (She's the car person.) "Let's just try it out." Fell in love and they made the right deal. 3K under sticker and they told me up front that the S was selling for 2K over sticker.

Right deal at the right time in the RIGHT car.

JulieU

I've been a loyal patron to Honda since I was first privileged to drive. I wanted an S2000 ever since I first heard about them in 1999. The first time I saw one in person, I fell in . The first time I test drove one, I was hooked. FearlessFife said it best "It's so darn easy to zip in and out of traffic....sometimes I feel like a fighter jet among commercial airlines on the freeway."

CosmosMpower

That's not true, there are plenty of 3 liter Z4's with a few mods that are doing well at autocross. If anything I see as many 35+ year old women driving their s2000's (mostly AP2) to the local starbucks as Z4s. However a loaded larger engine Z4 is not in the S2000 price range.

I don't have an S story but I wanted one since it came out and when I totalled my turbo civic I tried to get one but chickened out because I thought it was too small and didn't have enough torque and bought the M3 sedan instead. Then the girlfriend who was previously driving a 4 cyl automatic accord wanted a fun car so I told her to get an S. She loved the way it looked and the cool interior so we made a deal with David (Clovis) and bought his prized S2000 as he picked up the Elise.

Then I sold the M3 since it was getting a little aged and tried to get into an AP2 S, almost made a deal on a few sebring/red/black 04's but they all had some dings and didn't seem to be well taken care of and both had 30K+ miles. Heard about the RX8 discounts and their fantastic warranty so i jumped on a brand new 05 RX8 instead but i'm having a blast co-driving the S with the girlfriend and she's learning a lot and picking up lots of time since she started.

turbolane

My criteria was simple: a good driving 2 seater convertible. I ended up narrowing things down to several near new (under 3K miles) options:

Toyota MR2 Spyder

Good: most affordable

Bad: lacked power, style and zero storage (may fit a single 6 pack of pepsi)


Audi TT

Good: Every option included, glass rear window, spare set of wheels w/snow tires, only 1K more than a new S (due to dealer markups from 6-10K), great deal (nearly 10K under retail), large trunk

Bad: so-so style, extremely touchy gas/brakes. Easy to feel the power, but not fun to drive


Honda S2K

Good: Drove exactly how I wanted/expected it to, great looks, decent trunk space
Bad: Huge dealer markup, plastic rear window


Then I found a used S for less than SRP, with under 3K miles, the exact color combo I wanted and that made the decision. And the S came with a nice bonus: a large group of very cool owners to hang out with

CMan

For me, when I bought my '05 Sebring, I was just looking for a two seat convertible that I fit in and liked. At first I felt the S was a bit more than I wanted to spend, so I tried out an '05 Miata. After finding that I couldn't get into the car without some major contortionist moves and I didn't have enough room to the left of the clutch for my foot, I decided to test drive the S. At that point, I knew very little about the car and drove it like any other car. It was so bad that when we stopped to put the top up, the salesman said, "see that light over there, when we get to it, floor it and drive it like you stole it." I did and it put a big smile on my face and I had to have one. I bought it later that week. Since then, I've learned what kind of car I bought and am very happy!

For the '06, it was the color. I like the new seats and the wheels have grown on me and the VSA might come in handy when I commute to and from Richardson during the winter. But, when it comes down to it, I love the S and wanted LBP!

mxt_77

Hmm... here's mine.
I had a 2000 Prelude previously, and almost all of the cars I've owned have been Hondas, so I knew I liked the manufacturer. I'd been autocrossing in the Prelude and had ridden in Marcucci's S2000 and knew that I liked it. I planned to buy an S2000 a year or so after the Prelude was paid off.

Well, one day I went into the dealer just to get an inspection sticker for the Prelude. While waiting on the inspection to be complete, I was wandering the lot and noticed they had 3 S2000s, so I let the salesman sell me one. Totally unplanned... went in for inspection, came out with a new car. It was about a year sooner than I had planned, but I was happy. Got a decent deal on the S2000, excellent trade-in on the Prelude, and great finance rate.

QUIKAG

I've been on s2ki since the beginning basically. Coming from a '97 Prelude to my C5, I still had a fondness for Honda in my heart. So, when it came time to sell the C5, I was stuck driving my Silverado truck. It was a nice truck, but most certainly not a sports car.

I got the itch and the lease special sold me, so I traded the truck at almost a wash (good thing with gas prices) and picked up my '05 S2000. I didn't even drive it before leasing it. I quickly grew accustomed to the size, handling, powerband, and it's been fun ever since. I have about 11,000 very fun miles and counting.