Honda S2000

vinny1961

The changes are: 2.2l from 2.0, improved suspension and a softer ride, new rear led light, and front light configuration, 17" tires, lower redline (8300) to improve low end torque, and a few body changes, and nicer interior w/2 cup holders. Basically still a cool ride!

vinny1961

Yes, it's the only brand I trust. I have the CAI on the 2004 Accord V6, (15hp increase!) And on the 2005 S. What really happens after the install is twofold. The sound gets a little deeper at the higher RPM's, and when V-Tech kicks in (around 6500 RPM) the extra HP is generated. In the S only about 9.5, but you will notice the difference. Be careful though, this car is a rocket at those rpm's and if your on wet pavment, or in a turn, don't shift and keep it steady on the throttle, she will do all kinds of wild spinning tricks. Remember this is a RWD sports car. Have fun.

habitat1

"Improved suspension with softer ride"

Some might contend that improved and softer in a sports car are contradictory terms

My take on a 2005 S2000 vs. the former 2002 model I owned for 2.5 years is that the ride is slightly rougher over bumps, not softer, probably due to the lower profile 17" wheels. I also think the interior changes are a aesthetic net negative. I thought my 2002 all black interior looked cleaner in design. The 2005 appears to have more "pieces" with the aluminum radio cover, etc. Regarding the exterior, I think the refinements are nice, with the exception of the wheels. Again, I like the cleaner 5-spoke design over the new "busy" look. Highly subjective, I know.

On a final note, for anyone else who has drvien both the 2002/2003 and compared against the 2005, does the stick shift seem to be taller and have more travel in the 2005?? The dealer claimed no transmission changes, but I definitely seem to recall a shorter, flick of the wrist, pattern in my 2002. Could be Alzheimer's setting in.

anythngbutgm

I drove a used 02' an 05' and then bought an 04' (based on a killer deal I got). Didn't notice any differences in shifter quality among the two of them, but the 02' had 23k on it and felt "broken in". I agree that the ride is a little rougher with the 17" (which I think are very sharp next to the old 16") but it's not night and day by any means.

The biggest thing I noticed between the two was the engine. The 2.0 was Civic-like to crazy fast with hardly any median in between. It was livable but the engine didn't have the same midrange response that the 2.2 has. I think around town which most of my commute consists of would have grown tiring having to rev the bejeezus out of it to keep the momentum going upon acceleration. My 04' reminds my of my outgoing Accord (which I wish I kept :mad: ) where you can drive around in 4th and still have the torque to accelerate without downshifting...

Alls I know is I am loving my S, it is BY FAR the most enjoyable ride I've owned. There is nothing I would change about it and if Honda lets this one go (without a significant replacement) they are making a huge mistake. :mad: It's THAT good.

wh9

I'm considering getting a S2000 and was wondering how it handles in rain. How is the traction etc.?

habitat1

I had a 2002 with the Bridgestone Potenza S02 orignial tires for 18,000 miles. When the car/tires were about 3,000 miles old, I made a 300 mile drive from DC to Pittsburgh in steady rain at 60-70+ mph without any difficulty at all. By 10,000 miles I noticed a loss of traction, even though the front and rear treads still looked fairly good. I milked another 8,000 miles out of the tires before trading the car, but I took it pretty easy in the occasional rain, especially after about 14,000 miles.

The car itself is extremely well balanced. You just need to have good tires and pay close attention to their tread condition if you drive in the rain. Also, I should have mentioned that the temperature on my rain trip was in the 50's or 60's, as I recall. The one time I tried to drive to a friend's house on very light, packed snow and 20 degree temperatures was an adventure. Those W rated tires seemed to become ice skates below freezing. I never tried driving on snow again.

FWIW, there are replacement tires through Tire Rack that have better wet traction than the OEM tires.

c_hunter

I finally got to test drive an 05 S2K today -- been looking forward to it for weeks. Unfortunately, I was kind of disappointed in the vehicle. I think the lack of low end power was the biggest problem; the engine made plenty of noise at low RPM but not a lot of power. After having owned several Hondas (and my wife has a TSX now) I thought I was used to the VTEC experience, but the S2K surprised me. Honestly, it almost felt like something was wrong with the car. Am I nuts, or is this really the case? It felt slower than my 97 Prelude, and much slower than my previous sports car, a WRX. I absolutely love the look of the car, the handling is awesome, it has the fun roadster feel, and the Suzuka blue model I test drove was gorgeous. But it did not feel like a fast car to me (which is out of whack with published accel numbers). I was ready to buy today, but now have to think about it.

I did get into the high RPM range a couple times, but can't honestly say I noticed much of a kick. It certainly wasn't like my WRX which would pin me to the seat. This is another instance where published numbers, and my previous expectation of VTEC, did not jive with the experience today.

If anybody has any thoughts, pass them on. I was all set to fall in love with the S2K and nothing happened!

Craig

habitat1

A couple of thoughts from my S2000 experience:

(1) The S2000 gets stronger as it is broken in. If the car you test drove had less than 500-1,000 miles, it probably wasn't fully broken in. My 2002 S2000 continued to feel quicker up to about 2,000 miles.

(2) You need to push the S2000 to achieve strong acceleration. Which is something you shouldn't do until the car is broken in. But I found that depressing the accelerator 3/4 and casually climbing to 7,500 rpm was pretty anemic. Putting the pedel to the metal and taking (a 2002) up to 8,500+ rpm produced very good acceleration. The VTEC kick in at 6,500 rpm was definitely noticable (again, after proper break in).

(3) The above two comments not withstanding, the S2000 is not a "pin you to the seat" car, at least not out of the box. With it's 8,000-9,000 rpm redline, the engine has tremendous range. But if you are looking for tire smoking performance off the line, you need to look elsewhere.

FWIW, I am now trying to decide between a Boxster S and 911. The Boxster S with its 280hp and 236 ft. lbs of torque is definitely a step up from the S2000, but it is not "blistering" acceleration from a standing start, either. The S2000's greatest assets in my book was the go-cart like handling and steering, with very good "rolling" acceleration.

anythngbutgm

I am planning on putting my 04' into storage in November for the winter. I have a couple of questions about prepping and maintainance.

- I'm planning on putting a protectant on the convertible top. Any suggestions as to the best product for this?

- I have access to silicone vaccuum grease which I was planning on putting on the seals. Same stuff you would use on a high temp. furnace O-ring seal. Anything better than that available?

- fluids? I've never stored a car for a long period of time before so I'm wondering what kind of fluid changes/flushes/drainage I need to perform before putting away

- Do I have to worry about flat spots on the tires (Nov. - Apr. storage) or disconnecting the battery?

What's nice is the storage is heated and is close to my house. I'm just looking to maintain and protect my my little red beauty while the cold months go by and the spring arrives again. Any advise is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

c_hunter

I'll add what little I know...

Honda makes a product for the seals, I would just get that.

You can bump the tire pressure up to about 40 psi to minimize flatspotting (though it will still happen).

I would not put anything on the top.

Best thing you can do is start the car and take it for a short drive every couple weeks. That will eliminate the need for other prep.

Full tank of gas while in storage, and add fuel stabilizer.

Craig

habitat1

And my two cents on the advantages (or not) of storage:

I bought a 2002 Honda S2000 in November 2001. We live in DC and the car was parked outside. I did get a high quality car cover for periods when we traveled or I thought I wouldn't be driving the car for several days.

However, I did get many opportunities to drive the car thorughout the winter months and found myself lowering the top in anything over 45-50 degrees. I traded the car in May 2004 (30 months) with 18,000 miles on it and it had been driven a minimum of 200+ miles for every month I owned it. The finish on the car was perfect and I got "outstanding" trade in value.

My point is that the S2000 is not an exotic sports car that needs to be stored in the winter, at least not in the DC area. We also have a home on Lake Erie, and although their winters are much more severe, I don't think I'd formally store the car (we have an inside garage). The Honda service manager, who happened to own an S2000 himself, also advocated driving the car at least once every 3-4 weeks.

If you decide to store the car, that's your choice. But I don't think you should feel the need to.

anythngbutgm

The place I am storing it has a "set and forget" condition. Meaning it will be stored with probably 20 vehicles and once it's in there, it doesn't come out until spring. I can't access to fire it up or take short trips with it.

I agree with the fact that the S2k is not a Porsche but even still, I'd like to take good care of it as best as possible. My wife and I were married in the car over July 4th weekend and would like to keep it as a token for future anniversaries. Sappy, I know but still it's still the sentiment of it.

Another reason is the salt and sand we use for our N.E. winters makes it difficult to keep the vehicle looking nice. I'll probably never trade the car for the reasons above and who knows? With the small numbers of these being built combined with the fact that they are hand built cars means there is a possibility of a collector status in say 20 years... I don't know. But I would like to take all the necessary measures to keep it in tip top shape. I am hoping to have my great room with a two or three car garage under built by next summer so I can store the car myself, but this year I don't have that luxury. For 300 bucks I can have the car stored in a heated garage from Nov 1st to April 1st. Not a bad deal IMO. And I can get an insurance break since I'll only put about 6,000 miles per year on it...

I'm lovin the S up until the winter hits. Heck even when it gets below freezing in Oct. I'll probably be driving with the top down!

Thanks for the input.

naveen75

Hi,

I just leased a brand new s2000 '05 model about a week ago. Everything with the car is fine except that the rear bumper cover doesn't sit flush with the body at the rear right taillight area. It juts out about 5 mm. I rushed to the dealer and had him check out the other S2000's in the lot and 'lo and behold' there was a gap in both these cars in exactly the same area as in my car.

I am beginning to think that this is due to an improper bumper size which is probably off in width by a teeny amount enough to mess up the fit.

Could any other 05' owners look for this and reply is you find the same thing. Possibly if this is common enough we might be able to get honda to release a TSB to fix this.

blackpearl1

I got my S2000 last week and it has the same exact problem. Looks like its a quality issue with the ’05s. I’m taking it back to the dealer in about a week to be fixed – I’ll keep you posted on what they say.

lirvine

Just bought 05. Has same gap.

demade

Have the same problem with mine. Been to the dealer twice. Both times the dealer got it to set flush, but it would pop back out by the time I got home. Saw the same condition on 3 others at the dealer.

lirvine

Anyone know of conversion of power outlet to lighter?

barf

have 2004 with 26000 mi just looked at taillights closely and noted both r and l are not flush .so there is improvement in 05.no big deal didnt notice till read this.no problems so far.

barf

i was at dealer in nj sat for routine maint. and checked out 2 other 2000s and they also had the r taillight gap.as i said earlier dont think major issue but if wrong please post .would appreciate. also a tip for new owners the orig tires reo50s seem to go fast .mine at 16500,maybe to treadweaer140.now using bridgestoneso3s,and at 10000 midealer said little wear and holding up well.they also seem to have better wet traction and only minimal lossof dry.they have differenttread pattern,tractionaa,instead of a,like on o5os.

topspin628

How does the S2000 rate as a daily driver in the NE? Does anyone have experience with snows in a few inches of the wt stuff? I know that summer tires drive like rocks once the temps get below 35 or so anyway so it's probably a good idea to change here.

Is the new stereo good, bad, indifferent? Is the car warm in the winter with the standard top? How is it for long drives of 2-3 hrs?

Thank you for any and all input.

habitat1

I had a 2002 S2000 for about 30 months from November 2001 throguh May 2004, during which time I put approximately 18,500 miles on the car. Live in the Washington DC area.

The S2000 doesn't like snow. The tires were the biggest issue. I had a Nissan Maxima that I used in poor weather, so I never tried switching to snow tires on the S2000. But even with snow tires, the S2000 has a very low ground clearance, which would become a factor in anything more than 2-3 inches.

The stereo in my 2002 was upgraded by Honda from the 2001 model to include more power and 4 speakers (vs. 2). I added rear speakers that were pre-installed by Lucid Automotive in the panels behind the seats. The improvement was significant and only ran about $250.

The convertable top in the S2000 is pretty thin, compared to the Boxster S or 911 that I am now considering. This wasn't much of an issue with respect to warmth, as much as sound. I found the car warmed up reasonably quickly in 30 degree weather, but, with the top up, was fairly noisy inside, both due to the high-revving engine and thin roofliner. My wife is noise sensitive and claimed the car was an echo chamber with the top up.

As for 2-3 hour drives, they are a lot more fun in the spring or fall with the top down. In the dead heat of the summer, it could get a little toasty, and in the dead in the winter, the noise was an issue. But I will say that the seats on the S2000 were very comfortable and the overall ride and handling of the car on the highway was great. I did 3 trips of 375 miles straight, except for a gas/lunch stop, with no ill effects.

If I had to guess, 80% of my miles in the S2000 were with the top down, 50% of them were for short trips from 1-25 miles and 0.1% were in the snow. That's about the ideal use of a roadster, in my opinion.

firemouth

i drive 150 mi round trip to work in nj.my recommendation is not to use in any snow,esp slush.No traction and i fond out by spinning out and blocked 2 lanes,luckily it was nasty and people going slow so i didnot end up as a pancake.i was able to creep in 1 gear to turnpike at 8 mi/hr but car was still slipping.once roads are clearer and have blacktop its ok.but even 1 inch with its tires i barely got in garage.if light furry maybe ok .but not if sticks,and avoid slush.all that said i still used it daily on non snow days once roads ploughed and slush was minimal and frozen.on bad days i use other car accord.only didnt use it in nj about 12 days in whole winter.as far as hat it gets real toasty fast and ididnt have much draft.i do like cooler.,but heater is fine.in summer ac is cool and adequate.i think radio is strong.but im not picky.its a great car,but a sports car and so you just need to know what it can and cant do,and than u can appreciateit for what it is,an awesome machine,great handling and comfy seats,only tight cabin,but rigidity gives it the ride.tip....inwinter you need to listen to weather regularly and you will be fine.i havsed i single digits or colder with wind chill,takes longer to warm up,but still does the job.hope this helps.

demade

Thinking of getting a clear bra for my 05 S2000. Is anyone presently using one or have any feedback on them ? Have done some research and it seems like the way to go. Any info would be appreciated.

mthmsim

I will be buying a 2005 Honda s2000 probably this month and as soon as this weekend (over a Mazda RX-8). Invoice + destination charge is ~$30,300.Any opinions on whether or not getting one at about this price is feasable? The one I want is at several dealers within 1hr drive so I'm figuring I can use the initial dealer "best price" as an opportunity for others to beat it. Any comments on prices paid would be appreciated. This is New England area if that matters.

I am also considering some dealer accessories (spoiler, headrest speakers car cover etc.). I see that H&A Accessories has the same stuff at a discount. What are the chances of the dealer "beating" this price to make the sale? Lastly, I read on one of these threads awhile back about some people not liking the headrest speakers, or saying they didn't work well/weren't worth it etc.Can anyone comment on having them & their utility? Many thanks. Looking forward to being in the fairly exclusive s2K club. :shades:

habitat1

Invoice pricing in the northeast - DC area, PA is achievable. I had one offer at $29,900, $400 under invoice.

I have not experienced the headrest speakers, but added rear Polk speakers in the rear panels behind the seats in my 2002 model. Lucid Automotive, if they are still around, supplied them pre-installed in replacement panels, with all the wiring harnesses and installation instructions for about $240. It took me less than 1 hour to install, and I'm an MBA, not an ME or EE. I was told that my system sounded better than the headrest equiped system, at a lower cost.

Claires

Hi, mthmsim,

You might want to check with the folks in the Honda S2000: Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion to see if they have any input for you.

wh9

Does the 2004 - 2005 S2000 have a spare tire or are the tires run flats? Thanks

demade

Have the headrest speakers, and they work well. A bit overpowering when the top is up. What would be nice is a way to cut them off for top up driving.

demade

2005 has a donut that can only be used on the front.

atlfannm

Discontinued, God I hope so that will increase the value of the few on the road today. Only 5000 per year have been imported. My wife and I are your mirror, gave up the Harley Road King for the fun, sport car ride, the good looks of the S2000 roadster. Get the best deal you can and enjoy,in the end its a Honda you will always get the VTEC serviced and it will hold its value better than most, no mistake go for it.

mys2000

I just got an 05 S2000 about a three weeks ago. It was about $1,000 more than what you are getting quoted for. No idea if that's a regional thing. I'm in Northern California.

About 3 or 4 days ago I had the dealer install the head rest speakers. I like them a lot. I listen to lots of different music and think they help a great deal in hearing all ranges with the top down. Here's the trick: Get a the dealer/sales guy to order them for you on a due bill at his price.. I got mine put on after I tookd delivery of the car. Installed, with tax it ran $580. If I had just walked into the service and parts dept. it would ran over $750.

pelequero

I just bought a brand new 2005 S2000 (silverstone with the red interior). I'm picking it up on August 30th and I was curious what steps I should take to properly break in the engine. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

habitat1

The first step, hopefully, is to make sure the car hasn't been or won't be test driven by anybody prior to your picking it up. The S2000, more so than even a Boxster, 911 or other sports cars, is not a car that should be red-lined or driven to it's limits off the truck.

After that, my recommendations are to drive it normally for the first 500-800 miles, varying engine speed (no cruise control at 65 for 2 hours straight) and avoiding the temptation to take it into V-tech territory. After that, you should be fine to run the car up to red-line.

I had a 2002 Honda S2000 in which I followed the above and it seemed to continue to get stronger for at least 2,000 to 3,000 miles. Enjoy your new car (but not too much at first).

pelequero

Thanks for the help. The test drive by the dealership was a concern of mine, b/c my car is currently en route to the dealership and it will probably sit there for about a week before I pick it up. They have a 2004 on the lot which they use for test drives as well as three 2005's (which haven't been driven). Are there any precautions I should take to ensure it won't be test driven? Thanks

kyfdx

Call your salesperson, and tell them you aren't taking delivery of a car that has more than 10 miles on the odometer... that you absolutely don't want anyone driving your car, unless they are doing the PDI (pre-delivery inspection).

Just tell them you are very concerned about it... and please make sure it doesn't happen...

That is all you can do...

regards,
kyfdx

habitat1

I agree with kyfdx, but would even go one step further. Put the requirement that the car not be test driven in writing , have them sign it and attach it to the sales contract. As for the "what if" in the event it is test driven, I'd specify that you can terminate the contract for a full refund or accept a $1,000 additional discount, at your election (not theirs). This will certainly raise their eyebrows, but screw them. The car is enroute and their is no reason whatsoever it should ever be test driven by anybody but you.

If you're too nice of a guy to normally take such a position, blame me as your "advisor". The guys at your dealership may be the best, highest integrity Honda dealers out there, but I have had personal experiences with ones that aren't. When I was shopping for my 2002, I had one salesman throw the keys to me and tell me to "let it rip" on a S2000 that was sitting in front of their showroom. When I returned, he informed me that that particular car wasn't available, it had been sold and was awaiting pick-up the following day. Needless to say, I didn't buy from Pohanka Honda in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

It's better to come across as someone that is prudent and knowledgable - and even a bit anal - than to have something occur that starts off your S2000 experience on the wrong foot. Good luck.

freewhitetshrt

i just recently graduated college and wanted to reward myself with a new car. i've narrowed my choices to a z3 3.0 and a 2002+ s2000. im leaning on the s2000 only because i've heard its more of a driver's car. however, i haven't had the opportunity to sit in one yet. im about 6'1" 210 pounds...and i was wondering if you think i will have any trouble fitting in an s2000. sometime this week i plan on visiting the local honda dealership so that i can sit in one and hopefully, test drive it across the entire powerband. in the meantime, i would appreciate any of your thoughts.

thanks,

freewhitetshrt

toydriver

Gentlmen and ladies, has anyone heard the rumor that the S2000 will be "re-packaged" as a Acura model ??? If so, when ? 2006 ?
What changes could we anticipate - besides a bump in price ??

moxie1

Would you mind giving me details on the rear speakers you speak of? Was this an add-on you did yourself using non-Honda headrest speakers? What do you mean by "pre-installed?"

Thanks for any info. I purchased a car today that supposedly had the headrest speakers included but when I arrived to check out the car, I found that I had been misinformed. The price they gave me sounded too high ($850, supposedly their cost???) to take the chance of not knowing how they would actually sound.

moxie1

Do you know what the dealer's cost was for the headrest speakers? I was told $375 for the speakers and after labor, a total of $850. This sounded ridiculous for an at-cost price.

Thanks for any info.

habitat1

Check out link title

I bought Polk speakers installed by them into panels that replace the black vent panels behind the seats. Took me about 1.5 hours to install them, start to finish, with excellent instructions and photos provided by Lucid Automotive. They worked very well, at a fraction of the cost you are being quoted for the headrest speakers - approximately $250 form my memory.

moxie1

OK - thanks so much for clarifying. I kind of figured it out after checking their website, and now I understand that they come already in the panels. That doesn't sound like too complicated. Presently, they have Kenwood, Panasonic and JVC. I guess they aren't offering the Polk any longer, which sound like a great choice. I'll have to check into the sound quality of the others.

Thanks, again.

rattlecage

You will know your getting into a pure sports car.
With the top down, its much easier

terpfan2

For after market headrest speakers, go to s2ki.com. Someone on that site fabricates speaker boxes that go in the headrests and can accomodate much better speakers than you can get from Honda and at a much lower price. Everyone on that site that has purchased them raves about them.

Good luck.

Tom

rattlecage

I drove a 2004 S2000 at a dealer and fell in love, however my budget is limited.

I noticed 2000 and 2001 S2000s are below $20k, and in some cases around $15k, so I am looking to buy one in the next 3 months.

Any recommendations on what to look for in a $20k S2000 ? What mechanical problems should i look for? Someone mentioned gear grinding between 1st and 2nd gear... any other issues?

Thanks, i love these cars

BTW, I own a 2004 Honda Element, which I will be keeping to haul the kids around

habitat1

A couple of comments:

First, Honda made several improvements for the 2002 model year (which I owned): glass rear window, more powerful 4 speaker stereo, cosmetic upgrades, AND, revised stronger transmission. I believe the new transmission in 2002 took care of the gear grinding problem on the earlier models - I certainly had no such issues. If there is any way you can afford a 2002 over a 2000 or 2001, I would advise going for it.

Second, the S2000 is a well built, great bang for the buck, sports car. But you might want to consider this: I bought a new 2002 in November 2001 for $32k, drove it for 30 months and 19k miles, then traded it in May 2004 for $22k towards a TL. I probably could have sold it privately for $24k, but got a $1,300 break on sales tax that made the trade easier. During 30 months, my TOTAL maintenace costs were a measly $320, including a 12k service and 3 interim Mobil 1 oil changes. That's it. But, had I kept it for another year or two, I would have been looking at new tires ($800-$1,000 +/- set) and the car being out of warranty. As such, paying $20k+ for a 3-4 year old used Honda S2000 may really not be that much less expensive in the long run than buying new. You will have less of a depreciation hit, but more in maintenance and potential repairs.

Not trying to discourage you. The S2000 is really a great car. But I might also suggest one with an extended warranty, so it doesn't present you with unexpected surprises. Good luck.

demade

Would go with 02 or newer. Know cash is an issue but it may be worth the wait to go with a newer model.

barf

went to dealer over weekend and got 06 brochure.it looks like better seats,more head support,8 spakers 4 of which are in roll bar,vsa/traction control,brake assist,drl,possibly new throttle system,ext. temp guage.they re maybe others but thats what stuck out at me.also another color laguna blue pearl.now there are 2 blues!!! i have 04 with 31000mi and its a blast.perhaps with tese changes i may want to try an 06.6000+rpms are music to my ears. keep revving.any otherchanges,please post.

rattlecage

Thanks a ton.

I guess they upgraded the engine to 2.2 liters in 2003?

I drove a 2001 today, and the shifter did not feel as good as the 2002 or the 2004 that i have driven. So now I know why.

That dang 2000 still looked like a million in Yellow though ....

mtclipz

I have a 2003 with 12k miles on it that I'm considering selling. It's silverstone metallic with black interior. I haven't listed it anywhere yet, but let me know if you would be interested.