Just a couple of weeks ago, $2k below sticker. This was from a dealer I've bought both a Prelude and a S2000 from before, and I know the saleswoman, so it basically went,
I got 1k off sticker and paid $32,300 for my silverstone metallic 2004 S2000 at Curry Honda in far northern Westchester County, NY in mid November. I had car fever in extremis, and didn't haggle very hard. A tougher persona probably could beat them down a bit more now that the winter snows have begun.
Also, I was disappointed to find that neither my saleman or the "business" closer seemed to know jack-merde about the XM radio option. Mucho misinformation was all I got from these guys.
You can pick up a new 2004 S2000 in the DC area for about $700-$1,000 over invoice. That's according to the dealer that I bought my 2002 from. And they are only discounting Pilots by $800 under MSRP.
Hey RGB...I'm also in Mass, and just stopped into a dealer the other day that had a NEW 03 and a NEW 02 in the showroom! 04 wasn't in yet. I don't know, maybe they're not selling as well around here?
I've been thinking I'd shoot for a price under 30K on an 04, and am glad to hear about your experience. Was that a delivered price and was it in the Boston area?
I requested quotes from a number of dealers in Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley. My best price accepted was $31,742 including the headrest speakers installed. I could have done better by dealing with a dealer in the north, however it would be offset by the cost to deliver the car home. Overall I am really happy with my purchase decision and look forward to driving every it every chance I get.
Oh, by the way, there is much more room in the trunk than with the 350Z, I can get 2 sets of golf clubs in the trunk if I use my smaller bags and leave the pull carts at home!
... was my deal in Cleveland, TN (near Chattanooga). This was a little better deal than what I was offered in Chattanooga and Dalton GA and a considerably better one than what the Woodstock GA (northern ATL suburb) dealer would do. Could have bought a Sebring Silver w/the red & black interior @ Lanier in Buford GA for invoice ($29,995) with all fees included! But the Silverstone on all-black was far-and-away my first choice, so I was willing to spend the extra $'s so I wouldn't regret my decision later. If anyone's looking for a light silver on red/black (46 miles on the ODO) in Atlanta, that appears to be one heck of a deal. Good luck to all...
Bought our Suzuka Blue from Ralph Schomp at $30,600 out the door. They tossed in a 7yr/100K extended warranty gratis if we let them service the car after factory warranty runs out. Probably not; dealer service is too spendy.
They had one '03 left at $28,700 and four '04s, all at $30,600. The buy was quick, simple, hassle-free with none of the "I have to talk with the finance guy" BS, or other car store horror stories.
In fact, the dealership did everything possible to please us after my wife couldn't make up her mind re: body color/interior combos. They brought other vehicles in from other dealers and their storage warehouse (two of these had to be prepped for comparos).
The one issue that occured concerned the car itself. We (she) decided on Suzuka Blue, a color in extremely short supply in Colorado--one car--in Ft. Collins. The lot boy put a foot-long shallow crease in the right side rocker panel taking it off the showroom floor and didn't tell the Schomp rep who picked it up after sundown on Friday.
We were out of town and went to pick the car up when we landed at DIA on Saturday. When we arrived at the dealership 10 minutes before closing--our sales guy showed us the damage, apologed profusely and said they had an excellent body shop. I knew they had, but I turned the car down.
It was nearly closing, but the sales manager started calling out of state and got a dealer in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He had an S2K on the showroom floor--the only one he had and the only Blue one in Wyoming. Monday morning, a Schomp rep drove one of their 2Ks to Cheyenne in a dealer trade and brought ours back. It was unmarked and perfect.
It's been two weeks and we've put less than 100 miles on the car. It rained for a week and my wife was going nuts to get out and drive "Tsunami." The weather has cleared and we're quickly forgetting Giulia.
We'd been driving a super-clean, '63 Alfa Spider show car that I bought new and raced in club events, modified to the hilt with a 2.0L, racing suspension, Plus 2 wheel/tire package, magnificent body work and paint, custom leather interior, etc., etc., but it remained a 60s classic with all that connotation entails. A fellow Alfisti offered $12K for it. Giulia's gone and Tsunami has taken her place in the garage.
I've owned, driven and raced a variety of excellent machinery, some costing well over the Honda's price tag. I will say, however, the S2K is simply incredible for the money. In fact, let's just say it's incredible. Period.
i bought a suzuka blue 04 S2000 today. i got it for 30,850 which seems to be a reasonable discount given the time of year and demand for that particular color. my thanks to all of the previous posters here. it helps one assess whether you're getting a fair deal or not. I love the car. perhaps the most fun i've had driving a car, ever.
I went to look at an S2000 at West Side Honda in Knoxville, TN today and I was asking how much, can I test drive, etc. The sales man told me they could come down only about $200 off the $35K list price. Then he said they would only let me test drive after I had agreed on a price! ha ha! He said they did this because the car was "so rare" claiming only 5000 models in the USA per year model. Are these people full of crap or what? Needless to say, I walked out.
After looking, test driving, researching various convertibles - the Mazda Miata, Honda S2000, BMW Z4, Toyota MR2, and the Nissan 350, I've finally made the choice of the S2000!!! I'm pretty excited and it was by far the best in looks, and to a woman, what else matters:+)!! Oh, yeah, and my husband mentioned something about "RPMs" and "red lining" and "speeding tickets" when I hit 6th gear cruisin' down I-95 with the top down and the music turned up so I could get a feel for the system. Anyways, I need to find out, when would be the best timeframe to purchase a 2004: In the fall once the 2005s come out?? Or should I just get a brand new 2005 when they come out. I believe there will be minimal change from the 2004 to the 2005, however, the resale value on a 2005 will probably be better. Also, the only thing it's lacking is foglights on the 2004 - any suggestions on possibly having them installed?? And they're for looks of course, because there's not much fog where I live!
Phone and ask whether they have a particular model -- or in the case of S2K, particular color in stock. If they say yes, tell them, "Okay, I'd like to come down for a test drive tomorrow. How about <convenient time>?" If they say no, say, "Well, I guess I'll test drive what you have in stock. You can order <particular model/color>, can't you?"
If they say, "You'll have to buy it first," act like they said, "You'll have to sacrifice your mother to our Demon Lord Baal." Laugh, and say, "I'm not going to buy a car without test driving it."
If they persist, say, "Well, I guess I'll have to go somewhere else." At this point they will say, "Well, maybe we can make an exception..."
Between driving a civic and an S-2000. a nutty driver can get us killed in an S-2000 not to mention the fact that the MAJORITY of people who want to drive one "just want to see what it's like".
I understand your point and I assure you that were you in the position of a dealer you would quickly learn to feel differently.
Like I said...it's hard to ferret out the serious from the non serious.
Test driving a S2000 is simple - work with a dealership that has a used one on its lot. If you're up front about a serious interest in a new one it should not be a problem for the new car salesperson to get borrow keys to the one for sale in the used lot.
Less risk involved for all parties.
smiley4 - I understand that there are no new changes for '05, or no notable changes at the least. Summertime always is a tougher time to buy a convertible, less likely to deal. On the other hand, the entire roadster market has been soft, so you might do OK buying now anyway.
I followed the strategy of "new car, off season" of getting a new car just after release (an '04) last November, without having to pay an arm and a leg for it due to the season.
"it's hard to ferret out the serious from the non serious" Unfortunately, the "ferretting" process may involve ethnic profiling and an assessment of ones means by people who have little qualification to do so. I appreciate the difficulty in making such decisions, but such arbitrary decisions by car salesmen contribute to the distrust the public has in the process. fortunately, getting a test drive was not a problem in my situation. to anyone who is denied a test drive, go to another dealer. the car is great, but one needs to drive it to come to that conclusion. The cars are not in such demand that test drives need to be denied.
Thanks for the info!! I actually got the Silverstone/Black S2000 yesterday and it's a dream!!! (Silverstone is the only color I wanted and this dealership is the only one I could find it at....the car is not available anywhere - wonder why the dealer didn't take advantage of that.) Anyway, I did all of my negotiations via e-mail and got a wonderful deal!! $295.00 above factory invoice for the car - ....Got the 8 disc CD changer and alarm and paid $50 CD/$75 alarm above factory invoice got them to throw in 1 detail a year as long as I own the car. I drove it today with the top down and it's absolutely lovely!! (Think my CLK is gonna get jealous!)
Ethnic profiling has nothing to do with it. It's a matter of trying to keep customers happy while trying to do what is right for the company. As I said before, these cars attract non-serious joyriders who have no intension of buying one.
I wouldn't expect you or anyone not in the business to understand that and I understand your position as well. Like I said, it's not easy and it really makes no difference if it's new or used.
In this case, it sounds like the dealer did a very poor job of ferreting out a buyer. I had a friend who had the exact same problem. He was pretty serious about getting a TT. Asked for a test drive and the dealer said no. Even though my friend was in a position to pay cash that day, the salesman looked him up down and didn't like the way he dressed. I guess nice jeans, a polo shirt, and sandals don't fit the TT buyer profile. My friend was pretty offended and I can't blame him. Who wants to be treated like trailer trash?
Unfortunate for my friend, there's no other Audi dealer within probably an hour or more drive. He still talks about that Audi.... 8^)
Sorry, I can't sympathize with dealers. It's their jobs to serve the customer, not vice versa. What is a buyer to do? Who wants to haggle over price -- like the salesman expected -- before you've made a decision to buy?
He did the right thing. Get lousy service, walk out. If enough buyers vote with their feet and the cars collect dust on the lot long enough, they'll change their self-serving, customer-unfriendly policies.
After our car shopping spree and , research and test drives and number crunching, THE sports car was the S-2000. Go to sleep with the RX8, support the salesman kids college education with the Z. We bump into deals with 2003's with almost 2 g's under invoice and 2004's at or close to invoice. Thanks to Edmunds we sent out inquiry's on pricing. Within 10 minutes my phone was ringing! The Honda dealership that we bought the car was a ace. No hassle, great deal and out we went, on a 260 mile trip with the top down and smiles wider then the car. We bought the 2003 with the 9300 screaming red line.
I've never had any problem getting a test drive of a S2000. I tell them in front that I am just browsing. If they wont let you test drive the car, just leave. There's 3 dealerships in town.
P.S. Oh yeah, if you talk to a salesman, they'll make you believe the Kia Spectra is a Ferrari.
when you say you've never had a problem test driving an S-2000, I guess that means you have driven several and haven't bought one.
S-2000's attract, for lack of a better term, joyriders. It's tough trying to seperate the serious from the joyriders.
Ignoring your salesman comment, it kinda sounds like you just may be the kind of non-buyer that causes most dealers to restrict test drives.
And, people who buy cars like this tend to be VERY sensitive to the number of miles on the odometer. They want a "fresh" car that hasn't been driven by others.
Several email and faxes went to dealershps throught NW Ohio and the Cleveland market, all responding quickly to the price I offered. I wanted a Silverstone with red/black interior, front chin spoiler, side strakes, rear deck lid spoiler and headrest speakers for $32,000. The car invoiced for $29.5K with a $450 destination charge. So at $30K just for the car, the options were invoiced at:
No dealership was willing to put the options on the car for free. Some type of installation costs had to be negotiated. From an inside source, Honda mechanics get roughly $65/hr. So, I assumed 5 hours would be all that is needed to install the options and came up with $325.00. Adding this to the $31,538 got me $31,863.00.
I had two dealerships (one in Cleveland and the other in Toledo) agree to $32,000 even and the car will be ready for pickup on 8/27 from Brown Honda in Toledo. Great internet sales person to work with. Very impressed with his response and follow-up. Highly recommended.
As a former S2000 owner, I fully agree that dealers need to be restrictive on granting test drives of S2000's.
Case in point, I bought mine from a dealership that prohibited test drives of new S2000's altogether. They would have allowed test drives of used or trade-in S2000's, but didn't have any in stock. My S2000 had 4 miles on the odometer when I got it. In that way, I was assured that I would only have myself to blame if the break in wasn't done properly. The long term performance of this car is much more dependent upon proper break in than your run of the mill automatic transmission Accord.
I had, indeed, test driven the car previously at another dealership. That dealership, Rosenthal Honda in Tysons Corner, Virginia tossed me the keys to a new S2000 and, as I was leaving, the sales associate said, don't be afraid to red-line it. The car had about 40 miles on the odometer. So, by my guess, I was about the 10-15th driver that had been told to "let it rip" on this car that they were then going to try to sell as a brand new car.
The S2000 isn't a car that achieves maximum performance until it is broken in, and mine seemed to continue to improve up to 5,000+ miles. So if anyone is serious about the S2000, other than taking a Sunday drive around the block, you'd be better off test driving a used one with a few miles under it's belt.
As for the S2000 not being a Ferrari, it's probably the closest thing most prospective buyers will ever get to one. It is definitely in the same league as the BMW M3 in engine sophistication and limited production, and I don't know any reputable BMW dealer that would hand me the keys of a brand new M3 and tell me to "let it rip". Honda dealers should not need to apologize for treating the S2000 a little differently than your average mass production Accord. If the prospective buyer is too ignorant to understand why, they don't deserve the car anyway.
I don't think anyone is suggesting that hard-driven demo vehicles should be sold as new. Any dealer who does so is committing fraud.
On the other hand, buying a car based exclusively on magazine reviews, HP and torque numbers, 0-60 times, and skidpad numbers misses the non-quantifiable aspects that are equally important in determining how much fun it is to drive a car -- especially a sports car.
Test driving a used vehicle is an acceptable substitute in most cases, but when the model changes (such as the 04 S2000) with a lower redline, more torque, and a more compliant ride -- would you automatically assume that the driving experience remains the same?
But given that I recall you are not supposed to exceed 6,000 rpm for the first 1,000+/- miles in an S2000, you've got two choices. Drive it like a Civic and get a feel for its handling. Or violate the break in rules and take it up to 8,000+ rpm to find out how it really performs.
But don't blame me if I would never buy an S2000, Porsche, AMG, "M" or other car with any miles on the odometer other than factory delivery. And don't blame "isellhondas" and other Honda/Porsche/BMW and Mercedes dealers for being very picky about allowing test drives of such vehicles. It is a dilemma, made more so by the fact that these are limited production vehicles, and not many dealers can justify having a dedicated demo.
P.S. I wouldn't even buy an Acura TL 6-speed that had been test driven. I test drove 3-4 different ones over several months and then bought at the only dealer who would give me a good price on a factory ordered one. I may be extreme, but my 1995 Maxima SE is still on its original clutch after 154k miles. A friend of mine had to replace the clutch and transmission on his 1996 version at 65,000 miles. He bought a demo with 650 miles on it for a $1,000 savings over a new car. The Nissan service manager told him that considerable damage can be done in as little as 10-20 miles by a Bozo that rides the clutch or grinds the gears. He advised against buying any manual transmission demos, ever.
On the other hand, my dealer let me test drive a brand new S2000 (with that ugly adhesive protecting coating) that only had about six miles on it. At about eleven miles on the clock I had bought it
1. The MY04 model offers headrest speakers as an option; basically there is a plastic enclosure that fits within the roll hoops and includes a pair of tweeters hooked up in stereo. The plus is factory support (for what it's worth) and stereo imaging. The minus is cost + the fact that you're probably paying a huge markup for subpar options. These work with the earlier models too.
2. Over on places like s2ki.com you can find information about "S-Pods" which are similar enclosures that allow you to put in your own 5 1/4" (or so) midrange driver. The plus is low cost, getting to choose the driver, and probably way, way better sound quality for the buck. The minus is a little DIY + as far as I know you don't get any stereo imaging with these, so it might seem weird to have the left channel alone directly behind your skull.
Interesting post. You wouldn't buy a car that someone else had test driven but you wouldn't buy a car unless you could drive it first.
Lots of people feel like you.
Trouble is, it's unlikely a dealer would keep a dedicated S-2000 for that purpose. They are in such short suppl for the limited market they attract it would make no sense.
And like I said before these attract non-buyers and joyriders en masse whe would want to drive the car just because they could.
I've never had trouble test driving a car which I was interested in (including the S2000). More importantly, I've never had the far worse problem of purchasing a car that turns out to be disappointing.
The Honda dealer where I tested the S2K did in fact have a dedicated demo, which the sales guy encouraged me to push hard. And I told him up front that I wasn't planning to buy for at least a year or two...
Gotta put a plug in for Brown Honda- located in Toledo, Ohio. Recently purchased a new Silverstone w/ red/black interior for a great price and did the deal entirely over the 'net. Their net Mgr. was great to work with and they were/are very willing and receptive to S2000 deals.
Gotta admit, this car- after years of trying to make up my mind- was the right choice. Snug fit, quick, agile, beautiful lines, head-turner, wife magnet, kids dig it, grandmas drool over it...you get the point. If you don't have one, go treat yourself somehow. She's worth scrounging up the money for.
If you are looking to buy and distance isn't an issue, I'd advise you check these folks out, Vinnyny. I paid an even $32K flat. This price included rear deck spoiler, front chin spoiler, side strakes and head rest speakers. The kicker is the color is Silverstone with the red/black interior. This was the first dealership among roughly 20 I checked out who would even consider negotiating for this color combo. Everyone was willing to deal the yellows, reds, whites, etc., but not this one for some reason. So, in the end, I drove home feeling real good about the deal and the process.
If you checked 20 dealerships, how close was this dealership to where you lived? I think the dual interior color (rather than the exterior) is what made negotiating a little more difficult. The silverstone color was the car's trademark color since it's birth in 1999 so it's relatively common. The white version came with a new tan leather (instead of red) so that might be a little more difficult to negotiate as well since it's new.
I have an '04 formula red. The only option I added was tinted side windows (which Ziebart did for the dealership). Though the speakers aren't bad, I've thought about purchasing the headrest speakers. You got a great deal. Aren't you glad you went with the Honda?!
By the way, did you finance or lease? I'm curious about the interest rate you got if you financed.
Remember, you can out accelerate a Porsche Boxster S now!
I bought the car at a dealership nearly 2 hours away. For me is was worth it since my job often takes me through this area. I simply bummed a ride that day and drove the S home. You are right about the Silverstone being a common color but it was the daul red/black interior that every dealership said they would hardly budge on. So in the end, I feel like the deal was a rock solid one. I decided not to finance or lease. I bought the car with the intention of keeping her for a long time, so I wrote the check, breathed deep and smiled the whole way home.
As for the Boxster S...I long for the day I meet one to find out many answers to the mindless debates I have with myself. The Honda is a marvelous car. Perfect IMO.
Comments
"here's a pretty good deal on a new 2004 Honda S2000 for $30,995 that I came across:
http://marketplace.s2ki.com/docs/2004S2000/index.php
Unfortunately, it's only at a dealer in North Olmsted, OH. However, if you live elsewhere, print this out and use it as negotiating leverage!"
Me: "How about $2k below sticker?"
Her: "Sure."
Suzuka Blue '04.
Also, I was disappointed to find that neither my saleman or the "business" closer seemed to know jack-merde about the XM radio option. Mucho misinformation was all I got from these guys.
I've been thinking I'd shoot for a price under 30K on an 04, and am glad to hear about your experience. Was that a delivered price and was it in the Boston area?
Oh, by the way, there is much more room in the trunk than with the 350Z, I can get 2 sets of golf clubs in the trunk if I use my smaller bags and leave the pull carts at home!
They had one '03 left at $28,700 and four '04s, all at $30,600. The buy was quick, simple, hassle-free with none of the "I have to talk with the finance guy" BS, or other car store horror stories.
In fact, the dealership did everything possible to please us after my wife couldn't make up her mind re: body color/interior combos. They brought other vehicles in from other dealers and their storage warehouse (two of these had to be prepped for comparos).
The one issue that occured concerned the car itself. We (she) decided on Suzuka Blue, a color in extremely short supply in Colorado--one car--in Ft. Collins. The lot boy put a foot-long shallow crease in the right side rocker panel taking it off the showroom floor and didn't tell the Schomp rep who picked it up after sundown on Friday.
We were out of town and went to pick the car up when we landed at DIA on Saturday. When we arrived at the dealership 10 minutes before closing--our sales guy showed us the damage, apologed profusely and said they had an excellent body shop. I knew they had, but I turned the car down.
It was nearly closing, but the sales manager started calling out of state and got a dealer in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He had an S2K on the showroom floor--the only one he had and the only Blue one in Wyoming. Monday morning, a Schomp rep drove one of their 2Ks to Cheyenne in a dealer trade and brought ours back. It was unmarked and perfect.
It's been two weeks and we've put less than 100 miles on the car. It rained for a week and my wife was going nuts to get out and drive "Tsunami." The weather has cleared and we're quickly forgetting Giulia.
We'd been driving a super-clean, '63 Alfa Spider show car that I bought new and raced in club events, modified to the hilt with a 2.0L, racing suspension, Plus 2 wheel/tire package, magnificent body work and paint, custom leather interior, etc., etc., but it remained a 60s classic with all that connotation entails. A fellow Alfisti offered $12K for it. Giulia's gone and Tsunami has taken her place in the garage.
I've owned, driven and raced a variety of excellent machinery, some costing well over the Honda's price tag. I will say, however, the S2K is simply incredible for the money. In fact, let's just say it's incredible. Period.
We couldn't be more pleased with our choice...
I love the car. perhaps the most fun i've had driving a car, ever.
The majority of the people who want to drive these aren't serious buyers and the dealers know it. It can be a tough call sometimes.
Also, the people who buy cars like an S-2000 are sensitive to the number of miles. They don't want one an abusive joyrider has beat up.
Phone and ask whether they have a particular model -- or in the case of S2K, particular color in stock. If they say yes, tell them, "Okay, I'd like to come down for a test drive tomorrow. How about <convenient time>?" If they say no, say, "Well, I guess I'll test drive what you have in stock. You can order <particular model/color>, can't you?"
If they say, "You'll have to buy it first," act like they said, "You'll have to sacrifice your mother to our Demon Lord Baal." Laugh, and say, "I'm not going to buy a car without test driving it."
If they persist, say, "Well, I guess I'll have to go somewhere else." At this point they will say, "Well, maybe we can make an exception..."
Call your local Ferrari dealer and ask them that question.
I've never had trouble test driving any car I wanted to drive. It's all about attitude.
"Oooh, shiny! Can I touch?" will not get you as far as, "I'm a very busy man, and I don't have time to waste with bozos."
I understand your point and I assure you that were you in the position of a dealer you would quickly learn to feel differently.
Like I said...it's hard to ferret out the serious from the non serious.
Less risk involved for all parties.
smiley4 - I understand that there are no new changes for '05, or no notable changes at the least. Summertime always is a tougher time to buy a convertible, less likely to deal. On the other hand, the entire roadster market has been soft, so you might do OK buying now anyway.
I followed the strategy of "new car, off season" of getting a new car just after release (an '04) last November, without having to pay an arm and a leg for it due to the season.
I wouldn't expect you or anyone not in the business to understand that and I understand your position as well. Like I said, it's not easy and it really makes no difference if it's new or used.
Unfortunate for my friend, there's no other Audi dealer within probably an hour or more drive. He still talks about that Audi.... 8^)
Sorry, I can't sympathize with dealers. It's their jobs to serve the customer, not vice versa. What is a buyer to do? Who wants to haggle over price -- like the salesman expected -- before you've made a decision to buy?
He did the right thing. Get lousy service, walk out. If enough buyers vote with their feet and the cars collect dust on the lot long enough, they'll change their self-serving, customer-unfriendly policies.
We bump into deals with 2003's with almost 2 g's under invoice and 2004's at or close to invoice.
Thanks to Edmunds we sent out inquiry's on pricing. Within 10 minutes my phone was ringing!
The Honda dealership that we bought the car was a ace. No hassle, great deal and out we went, on a 260 mile trip with the top down and smiles wider then the car.
We bought the 2003 with the 9300 screaming red line.
P.S. Oh yeah, if you talk to a salesman, they'll make you believe the Kia Spectra is a Ferrari.
S-2000's attract, for lack of a better term, joyriders. It's tough trying to seperate the serious from the joyriders.
Ignoring your salesman comment, it kinda sounds like you just may be the kind of non-buyer that causes most dealers to restrict test drives.
And, people who buy cars like this tend to be VERY sensitive to the number of miles on the odometer. They want a "fresh" car that hasn't been driven by others.
Speakers: $439
Strakes: $342
Rear deck lid: $386
Front spoiler: $373
----------------------
$1538.00 w/o installation
$30K + $1538 = $31,538.00
No dealership was willing to put the options on the car for free. Some type of installation costs had to be negotiated. From an inside source, Honda mechanics get roughly $65/hr. So, I assumed 5 hours would be all that is needed to install the options and came up with $325.00. Adding this to the $31,538 got me $31,863.00.
I had two dealerships (one in Cleveland and the other in Toledo) agree to $32,000 even and the car will be ready for pickup on 8/27 from Brown Honda in Toledo. Great internet sales person to work with. Very impressed with his response and follow-up. Highly recommended.
Not bad I think. I feel good about it!
Case in point, I bought mine from a dealership that prohibited test drives of new S2000's altogether. They would have allowed test drives of used or trade-in S2000's, but didn't have any in stock. My S2000 had 4 miles on the odometer when I got it. In that way, I was assured that I would only have myself to blame if the break in wasn't done properly. The long term performance of this car is much more dependent upon proper break in than your run of the mill automatic transmission Accord.
I had, indeed, test driven the car previously at another dealership. That dealership, Rosenthal Honda in Tysons Corner, Virginia tossed me the keys to a new S2000 and, as I was leaving, the sales associate said, don't be afraid to red-line it. The car had about 40 miles on the odometer. So, by my guess, I was about the 10-15th driver that had been told to "let it rip" on this car that they were then going to try to sell as a brand new car.
The S2000 isn't a car that achieves maximum performance until it is broken in, and mine seemed to continue to improve up to 5,000+ miles. So if anyone is serious about the S2000, other than taking a Sunday drive around the block, you'd be better off test driving a used one with a few miles under it's belt.
As for the S2000 not being a Ferrari, it's probably the closest thing most prospective buyers will ever get to one. It is definitely in the same league as the BMW M3 in engine sophistication and limited production, and I don't know any reputable BMW dealer that would hand me the keys of a brand new M3 and tell me to "let it rip". Honda dealers should not need to apologize for treating the S2000 a little differently than your average mass production Accord. If the prospective buyer is too ignorant to understand why, they don't deserve the car anyway.
On the other hand, buying a car based exclusively on magazine reviews, HP and torque numbers, 0-60 times, and skidpad numbers misses the non-quantifiable aspects that are equally important in determining how much fun it is to drive a car -- especially a sports car.
Test driving a used vehicle is an acceptable substitute in most cases, but when the model changes (such as the 04 S2000) with a lower redline, more torque, and a more compliant ride -- would you automatically assume that the driving experience remains the same?
But given that I recall you are not supposed to exceed 6,000 rpm for the first 1,000+/- miles in an S2000, you've got two choices. Drive it like a Civic and get a feel for its handling. Or violate the break in rules and take it up to 8,000+ rpm to find out how it really performs.
But don't blame me if I would never buy an S2000, Porsche, AMG, "M" or other car with any miles on the odometer other than factory delivery. And don't blame "isellhondas" and other Honda/Porsche/BMW and Mercedes dealers for being very picky about allowing test drives of such vehicles. It is a dilemma, made more so by the fact that these are limited production vehicles, and not many dealers can justify having a dedicated demo.
P.S. I wouldn't even buy an Acura TL 6-speed that had been test driven. I test drove 3-4 different ones over several months and then bought at the only dealer who would give me a good price on a factory ordered one. I may be extreme, but my 1995 Maxima SE is still on its original clutch after 154k miles. A friend of mine had to replace the clutch and transmission on his 1996 version at 65,000 miles. He bought a demo with 650 miles on it for a $1,000 savings over a new car. The Nissan service manager told him that considerable damage can be done in as little as 10-20 miles by a Bozo that rides the clutch or grinds the gears. He advised against buying any manual transmission demos, ever.
Which is why demos are so important.
Yes, that's an expense for the dealer, but considering how much money buyers are giving them, it's part of the cost of doing business...
1. The MY04 model offers headrest speakers as an option; basically there is a plastic enclosure that fits within the roll hoops and includes a pair of tweeters hooked up in stereo. The plus is factory support (for what it's worth) and stereo imaging. The minus is cost + the fact that you're probably paying a huge markup for subpar options. These work with the earlier models too.
2. Over on places like s2ki.com you can find information about "S-Pods" which are similar enclosures that allow you to put in your own 5 1/4" (or so) midrange driver. The plus is low cost, getting to choose the driver, and probably way, way better sound quality for the buck. The minus is a little DIY + as far as I know you don't get any stereo imaging with these, so it might seem weird to have the left channel alone directly behind your skull.
Lots of people feel like you.
Trouble is, it's unlikely a dealer would keep a dedicated S-2000 for that purpose. They are in such short suppl for the limited market they attract it would make no sense.
And like I said before these attract non-buyers and joyriders en masse whe would want to drive the car just because they could.
I've never had trouble test driving a car which I was interested in (including the S2000). More importantly, I've never had the far worse problem of purchasing a car that turns out to be disappointing.
The Honda dealer where I tested the S2K did in fact have a dedicated demo, which the sales guy encouraged me to push hard. And I told him up front that I wasn't planning to buy for at least a year or two...
Gotta admit, this car- after years of trying to make up my mind- was the right choice. Snug fit, quick, agile, beautiful lines, head-turner, wife magnet, kids dig it, grandmas drool over it...you get the point. If you don't have one, go treat yourself somehow. She's worth scrounging up the money for.
Titan
I have an '04 formula red. The only option I added was tinted side windows (which Ziebart did for the dealership). Though the speakers aren't bad, I've thought about purchasing the headrest speakers. You got a great deal. Aren't you glad you went with the Honda?!
By the way, did you finance or lease? I'm curious about the interest rate you got if you financed.
Remember, you can out accelerate a Porsche Boxster S now!
As for the Boxster S...I long for the day I meet one to find out many answers to the mindless debates I have with myself. The Honda is a marvelous car. Perfect IMO.