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Comments
QUESTION: Would it be sensible to commute 20 miles on a daily basis with a 2006 Honda S 2000? Granted, I will need winter tires, but what about inside temperature and snow accumulation on the soft top? In short, is it reasonable to expect making it throughout the winter months with a decent level of comfort?
I had a 2002 S2000 and - as you can probably tell - thought very highly of it. But I now have a 2005 Carrera S Cab. I seriously doubt a Honda S2000 in my garage would get much use if the Carrera stayed. The 997 is a better 20 mile daily commuter and neither of them are practical for winter use, even with winter tires. If you are worried about "snow accumulation on the soft top", it's a safe bet that the question you should have asked is about snow accumulation under the limited ground clearance - of either car.
You seem like a much better candidate for a 911 / Cayenne garage. A 911 / S2000 garage could lead to bipolar disorder trying to choice between them in good weather and having to hitch a ride in the sloppy days of winter.
Car washes for the S2K SOFT TOP are a no-no. It even says so on the manual. If you expose the joints and linings to presurized water jets, it will damage them.
The other thing they do recommend is lubricating the joints with Shin-itsu grease, once every 3 months, depending on how frequently the top is used. (BUT HEY!! Why would you wanna use it anyway unless you get stuck in a thunderstorm???
Happy Motoring!
--njexpress
Driving the 997 S in the winter is certainly a no-no, unless the road is clean and without salt residuals. Replacing the Volvo with a Honda S 2000 is only an attempt to strike a balance between driving fun and reasonable winter season drivability at a reasonable cost. I keep my cars garaged, so it is only when parking at work (college campus) that I'm concerned about significant snow fall.
Very seldom New York City experiences extreme snow accumulation to seriouisly interfere with driving low clearance sports cars. Roads are cleaned fairly rapidly as well. So my primary concern is the practicality (in terms of snow accumulation on soft-top and inside temprerature) of a convertible during frigid and snowy conditions. I think it is a doable, but not very comfortable proposition. In the final analysis, my question dealt with
a highly subjective issue.
By the way, I didn't sleep well last night and feeling tired chose to drive the Volvo to work. It was soooo comfortable and relaxing that I felt lucky to have an alternative to the more focused and intense 997. So perhaps I should keep these two opposite specimens until I retire to Florida, and then I may try the S 2000 for tracking purposes. No a bad choice for extending my "youth." Thanks again for your input.
They are quite different, for sure, but for me they are both exceptional sports cars. There haven't really been any times that I've hopped in my 911 S that I wished I still had the S2000. I guess it helps that I have the Cabriolet. I assume you have a Coupe? I'm even considering signing up for the Porsche performance driving school. Not trying to extend my youth as much as my driving skills.
Living in MN, I choose to garage my "S" during the snow season. However, I know a few brave souls who manage to drive the S in the snow. The low ground clearance can be an issue during a heavy snow storm, but it's rapidly cleaned from the streets here too and so that rarely becomes an issue unless you find a side street that has been left unplowed.
The other issue is the tires. I have replaced the oem tires with Yokohama Avid V4s. They aren't "track tires" but they do provide improved traction on wet streets and retain some pliability when temperatures drop below 40, unlike the oem's. They have a "V" speed rating, so they perform well on the streets. I've had the car up to 115mph without any tire issues.
I start the engine and let it warm up outside periodically during it's storage months. The heater does a very good job keeping the cabin "toasty", when outside temps have been in single digits. The top is quite air-tight so I doubt if you would have an issue with cold temperatures with the top up in NY.
I think you could manage to "live" with the S2000 as a daily driver in New York. As you mentioned, I think I would miss the comfort and safety that a larger car provides during bad weather and on those "lower energy" days.
I like your final thought about using the S2000 as your Florida "winter car".
Specifically, the first set was a Corvette C5 and a 33O Ci BMW -- both coupes. The former driven when weather conditions did permit and the latter for all-season driving purposes. Both are drivers cars, but clearly one more versatile albeit less exciting than the other. Then last summer, following the same logic, I traded those for a 2006 997s coupe and a 2005 Volvo S 60 (stick) 4-dr. I love the comfort, safety, and looks of the Volvo, but if the S 2000 comes close to its all-season capability, then the exciting little Honda becomes a tempting proposition, "but only as a complement to the Carrera."
P.S. When you get to my age, you will realize that extending your youth is more significant than doing the same with respect to your driving skills.
Have you read Carl Lopez's "Going Faster: Mastering the Art of Race Driving"? Superbly written and with incisive details about the art and science of race car driving. It may be a good idea to read it before attending Porsche's driving event. I just got a copy from Amazon.
Thanks a lot for your generous and informative thoughts.
I was particularly concerned about chilling temperature inside the cab on frigid days.
I'm not sure yet, but I'm keeping myself entertained with the idea of getting an S 2000 to experience all-season driving fun. Yet I plan to retire within the next two years, so I may wait until I get to Florida to make a move. We shall see.
Thanks again, and take care.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
If you are an attractive female, I would take your offer. For the rest, sorry to inform you that I already have a place in Fl. But yes, the 997 S is pure fun to drive.
My Boxster fared reasonably well this past mild winter. But of the numerous people I know with Boxsters and the three people I know with S2000's, none of them attempt to drive them year round in a New York / Boston style climate. Between the need for snow tires, low ground clearance, cold cabin (especially the S2000, with its minimalist top), etc., it would not make for a pleasant 20 mile commute in February. I seriously considered the S2000 when I got my Boxster in late 2002, but even though it is an exceptional sports car, I needed something that was a little more "friendly" to drive on a daily basis. I have just under 45,000 miles on my Boxster S in 44 months, and I travel 80-100 days a year.
I am quite frustrated by this dilemma. I have yet to find a sport sedan or coupe that both excites me and will be a good year round car in Boston (with ski trips to Vermont.) The M3 comes closest, but would require winter tires (storage problem).
If I were you, I'd be very happy that I have a heated two car garage that contains both a 911 and a Volvo for the winter / off days.
I know exactly what you are going through. Unfortunately, driving high performance cars presupposes all kinds of trade-offs or compromises, particularly if one lives in challenging winter zones.
Having only one parking space, you would either have to settle for a practical, reasonably sporty, front-wheel drive car or a well-designed rear-wheel drive alternative, and tackle the winter wheel/tire set storage problem. For someone coming from a superb machine like the Boxter, I suspect you would have go for the latter and be prepared to face the storage nuisance. Although not a "Boxster S," the M3 would also be at the top of my list. The only problem I have with the M3 -- all 3 series for that matter -- is the stirring wheel angle. The Porches and Corvettes, for example, allow drivers to set the stiring wheel almost perpendicularly. Not so the Bimmers. I had a 2004 300 Ci, drove it for 7,000 miles and never got used to it. Have you considered the Cayman?
I am very,very happy with the decision.
Digital speedometer is very easy to get used to. It took me about 500 ft after leaving the dealer's lot.
You can isntall aftermrket oil pressure guage if you want LOL.
Learn to love digital and drive-on! Like the radio mute and volume adjust during driving. Also fan adjust during driving.
Must get : Invidia exhaust !
Motor On ( Double Sixes) ,
MidCow
I can afford a 911 C4 which I also briefly considered. But I would still have a tough time justifying it as an only car in Boston.
In any event, we are pretty far off track from the "S2000", so I'll stop my personal ramblings. I may post over in the Porsche Boxster forum to find out what others have done in my situation that has kept them happy.
The same argument applies to the winter wheel/tire set storage problem. Granted it is a pain, but I would rather go through that inconvenience than compromise performance by way of a practical, front-wheel drive vehicle. Don't forget, it will be your only car.
Given your evaluative criteria, I would suggest you keep taking a very close look at the M3. As I have said, the BMWs steering wheel angle (almost bus-like)is problematic to me, but most folks are not bothered by that incredible oversight. The M3 is also a bit overweight, yet as we all know, life is a trade-off.
Good luck and best wishes.
I would love some advise. I am in between a Subaru WRX STI or a 2006 S2000. I might move to colder climates soon and I can't decide which car would be a better fit.
I love to drive open, but I also love the power of the WRX. Would you think you get tired of the acceleration and the power of a WRX vs the ability to drive top down? I also assume a S2000 would be safer and quicker in wet or snowy areas, since it comes with stability control.
Please let me know your experience or opinions.
Thanks
i had a wrx sti for about 9 months,here are the plus and minus of that great car.
i like the look (Some dont)
outstandind power
beautifull dash
good seat
great tires
nice sound
the low
very very rough ride
lousy transmission
very bad on gaz
price to expensive
if not on warranty, parts of subaru will kill you
bottom line: a special car, that does nt match the s2000.how can i explain you the differents.
there is nothing that i dont like about my S.each time i sit in it i have a smile on my face,and wait to drive it,
but for me it is strictly a summer car.i dont think that this was made for anything else,even if some people drive them.i respect there choice bur is not for me.
it all depend of your situation.
good luck with your decision
regards
I just picked up 4 quarts of GM Syncromesh. It didn't say anything about HF.
The parts # is 12345349. I got that info from s2ki.com. Could you please confirm if this was what you used, if you still have this info??
Thanks in advance!!
Cheers!!
--njexpress
I went and picked up 4 quarts - two at a Chevy dealership and two more at a Caddy dealer across the street. Cost me $8.70 / quart at Chevy and $$11.50 / quart at the caddy shop.
I will be replacing the MTF this weekend and post my first hand experience soon.
Cheers!!
--njexpress
Curious about your results. I have been extremely satisfied since the switch.
Cheers!
I will certainly post my findings. They keep saying that the GM SFM has a low lifespan but, i think it is well worth it, so I can discover the true pleasure of one of the slickestshifters on earth!!
I will be getting the MTF swapped this w/e and I plan on perfecting my heel toe shifts starting this evening so, if I bust the clutch, I don't have to go in again
Cheers!!
--njexpress
Hope all goes well. I think you'll pleased with the results.
Cheers!!
--njexpress
Got the MTF swapped over the w/e. Here's teh scoop: The shift has definitely improved. It may well be due to the fact that it is new fluid.
The notchiness is about 40% reduced so far. I can't say it is all gone. It HAS been said that it could weel be 2 weeks before it is all gone so, I will hold my judgement till then.
I also got the rear diff fluid changed; I see oils leaks on the floor. (My usual mechanic was on vacation with his son and minions running the shop - The guy that took my car in was clearly in an S2k for the first ever time in his life - He was fumblinhg with the keys for two minutes until I walked by and showed him the start button). I will be going back for a new fan belt and oild change next week and I will get it checked then.
Chers!!
--njexpress
I was greatly interested in converting my 2001 to a 2002 top... where can I find that document? i couldn't find your email address to write to you directly, but my email address is in my profile. Or maybe a link? Any help would be SO greatly appreciated! Thanks!
- Aaron
I got my supply of Zaino exterior products last night (Z18, ZFX, Z2 Pro, Z5, Z6 and Z7). This should take care of the paint part but, I am not sure how to gloss up the headlamp and tail lamp covers. The covers are in good shape except for blurriness; My baby is almost 5 years old (MY 2002) and it shows when you look at the lamps. The smoked gray effect makes things worse.
Should I use a buffer? If so, what kind of buffer?? Thank You.
Cheers!!
--njexpress
P.S: Rubyrubin, thought I saw a PDF on s2ki.com. I am not sure what site it was exactly. Try googling the topic.. Good Luck.
It definitely looks showroom new. I guess I was shooting for the "Show car" new finish. I did not use the grand finale spray and that could be why I didn't quite get the finish.
Cheers!!
--njexpress
To redsoxgirl (sorry to be late to the discussion) - I've been driving my S2000 in Detroit for several years, summer and winter alike. Blizzak LM22/25s and a couple hundred pounds in the trunk make it passable. Not great, but passable. I haven't wrecked it yet I do run into problems if there is more than a couple of inches of standing snow on the bigger roads - then I'm either coming in late to work or borrowing a ride from someone. Fortunately I've only had to deal with this a couple of days each winter, most times the main roads are cleared enough by rush hour traffic that the S2000 can get through with the Blizzaks.
I saw the new '06 at the dealership. Kind of like the seats and the stereo, and stability control--nice. Otherwise, pretty much the same. Got word that the '07 S2000 is coming and expected to be largely unchanged from the '06.
I also noticed that (as far as I can tell) the EPS (electrical power steering) has been removed from the '06 in favor of a traditional rack-and-pinion setup. What happened here? This was something of a surprise...
This is a well described problem; I think more common in earlier model years. There was a Honda Service Bulletin describing the "fix" that my dealer did.
Hope this helps someone with rattle-aversion.
Thanks
Thanks
I have had issues - The most painful one was this: They were paving the top most layer of my street two weeks ago as construction was nearly wrapped up in our development. Consequently, they cleared the gravel and stuff at the entrance to my driveway and WHAM!! The bottom of the front bumper rreeeaaallllly scraped against the road as I was backing out. I tried to mitigate the damage the next time around by nosing out and a saw a repeat performance on the rear bumper - It felt as painful as my own back being dragged against the street at 8 mph.... The one way you could avoid this is by raising the angle of inclination with paving stones /tiles. These are the flat brick ones, not too thick, cost you about a dollar a piece at Home depot. (I removed mine from my Hardscaping and used it temporarily until they finished paving the top most layer).
Bottom line: There are issues!! Watch out and Hopefully, your babies don't go thru' the pain mine did. It doesn't show, but you WILL know, by looking at the scratch marks left on the driveway!!
Cheers!!
--njexpress
The left outside mirror does not turn out very far. I am used to adjusting the left mirror so that a car coming up on the left moves into that mirror a little before it leaves the inside mirror and is still (just) visible in the left mirror when it comes into my peripheral vision, or at least I can see it if I turn my head. Here a passing vehicle moves out of the range of the left mirror and I cannot see it even looking over my shoulder. If the car is passing me, I normally would know it is there, but sometimes in traffic someone will be cruising in that blind spot and I cannot see them. The question, finally, is whether anyone knows if there is any way to change the range of adjustment of the mirror? (I don't need it to turn in so far that I can check in it how I look, so less far turned in and more turned out is what I need.)
As to driveways, I had a little issue with mine, but found that going in at a sharp angle made the necessary difference, because the front sticks out quite a bit further in the center than at the corners. Once the front is past the scraping point, I turn up the drive and have not scraped the rear, except very lightly sometimes. Going straight in I scraped both front and rear. Really hated to do that the first day I had it, though nothing shows, it still hurts, as njexpress said.
Have enjoyed reading the forums for quite a while, and am glad to be able to join as an owner. The car does take some adjusting to, and I am not sure I could have it as my only car, especially when the top has to be up, but sure do look forward to driving it.
There is an useful article under:
http://www.s2ki.com/Home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=295&Itemid=60-
I am not sure about the rules of our forum here: I hope I am not breaking any of them by posting a diret link here _ If so, Dear Host, Please feel free to let me know
Cheers!!
--njexpress
So my younger brother goes out to lease a S2000 excited about their $299/month $3,693 total due at signing promotion. He was so excited that he signed the papers for $0 down, $445 a month (including NY tax and all that) right there after inquiring about no money down option. He calls me up and asks me to help him pick the car up tomorrow and told me about his "wonderful" deal. However, after reading this forum, it doesn't seem that way. So basically he signed the lease papers and is supposed to pick the car up tomorrow.
My question is, is there any way to "return" the car since he didn't drive it off the lot yet? Someone told me there is a 24 hour or 3 day return law (i live in NY if state laws matter). I just want to be able to negotiate a better price for him.
I wouldn't worry about the car becoming dated, and I certainly wouldn't worry about its resale value. If anything, the value will be positively affected when Honda stops making new S2000s. Honda has no plans for a direct replacement for the car, so there will be no newer, better model to overshadow the current model. The S2000 will most likely be a "timeless" car.
Buy one. I was also on the fence for years, and I finally decided to go for it. I have absolutely no regrets. The car is an absolute blast, and I have never gotten the number of positive comments from others that I have with this car. I love it. You will too.
How exclusive is that????
Think about yourself as an owner 10 years down the line:
It gets even rarer and as long as you maintain it like an average Civic, It WILL stay bullet proof. Needless to say, we would definitely maintain it much better and show it the respect it deserves (I have owned mine for 4 months now and it has been detailed once already besides the biweekly washes and the fluid swaps). This car is literally issue free, except for routine stuff.
SO - ten years from now: You own a great limited edition sports car that went out of production a decade ago and it also happens to be in pristine condition...
I don't know what could make you feel better? Owning a restored 300SL gullwing that was originally driven by some celibrity, perhaps??
And, If what I read on s2ki.com is true, the replacement will most likely be a four seater Acura (GXA?)- They didn't word it like that - But since Honda is expected to become 100% citizen class and Acura will be all perfo-lux going forward:
Nissan reactivates the GTR (as an Infiniti) and Toyota brings back the Supra. Honda would rather present their high performance offering as an Acura and still keep the prices comprable with Supra / GT-R. Make sense? I would welcome more thoughts on that
Bottom Line: I would not hesitate to buy an S2K now - If it happens to be the final MY, then more power to the owner - It will last even longer than the others and claim top ching-ching!! Speaking for myself, I bought mine knwoing fully well that the S2K could possibly be sunsetted a year from now and I felt very comfortable AND HAPPY in making that financial decision.
Cheers!!
--njexpress
NJexpress, I agree with your sentiments, but I believe your unit sales are a bit off (that sounds like a really weird thing to say). I am currently looking for the link, but I believe that Honda has been selling upwards of 8000 S2000s in the US alone the past several years.
On the other hand, I believe that Toyota and Honda produce more like 300,000+ Camrys and Accords annually for sale in the US. So the idea of the S2000 being exclusive is still valid.
I now drive a 2005 Porsche 911S Cabriolet. But I could still make a case that my 2002 Honda S2000 was an extraordinary car that, on a dollar for dollar basis, was every bit as impressive as the best from Porsche. I could probably make that claim even if Honda priced the S2000 at $40k+.
The fact that the S2000 is a limited production car is a bonus for those who value exclusivity. But exclusive doesn't necessarily mean better. The S2000 is - at least than anything else short of a $60k Boxster S.
I could have sworn that I read somewhere that we only get 2500 a year stateside. Oh well, Irregardless - By S2K exclusivity coupled with Honda reliability - My point is this: This car will be a keeper and you will look cooler sitting in an S2k 12 years from now than you do today And, the fact that this car will still get you your money's worth then, if we decide to sell it at that point, will only make us grin wider
Have a great weekend with your S2K(s)!!
Cheers!!
--njexpress
>>> replacement will most likely be a four seater Acura
>>> (GXA?)- They didn't word it like that - But since
>>> Honda is expected to become 100% citizen class and
>>> Acura will be all perfo-lux going forward:
That article was actually a joke. They later admitted that the story about the S2000 being replaced was completely made up. It's too bad they didn't make it more obvious that they were lust kidding - a LOT of people got suckered.
Honda dealers have been playing the game of saying, "200x is the last year for the S2000" for the past several years. Great way to get people (who were otherwise going to wait for a few years to buy an S2000) to sign on the dotted line. Then again, I doubt there's much Honda could do to significantly improve this vehicle, so why deprive yourselves? Buy one today and enjoy the finest sports car you can find for less than $60,000.