I drive this car for 6 months now and it keeps amazing me with it's great handling and awesome looks (yellow is THE color). I am still getting lots of attention from bystanders, while it's amazing how many people ask if that's a Porsche. (not kidding) But Honda can hold it's own with this car.

The Exterior

I love these lines. Clear, not fancy or playful, and still classy. The design has the potential for a long life and maintain the value of the car better.

With 2001 being the first year that yellow is offered, the remaining choices are rather standard and nothing exciting. White is a complete misfit and the red lost some of it's appeal after owning a red car for 5 years. Black is 'cool' but scratches are too easily visible. And the silver is a great finish ignoring the fact that there are a gazillion silver cars out there these days. No other exciting color choice is offered.

This is a traditional convertible so is the fabric roof top and plastic window. It's powered though, and in less than 6 seconds, the roof is either up or down. (Without having to reach back as seen in the Miata.)

The plastic window is not exactly my favorite, but bearable. Due to the missing wipers and window heaters, the rear view can be severely impacted. (Just like any other plastic window.) The fabric top is naturally more noisy than hard tops, but never really bothering.

Everybody must love the Xeon head lights, at least as long as behind the wheel, oncoming traffic is less thrilled and actually convinced these are the brights. Sorry!

The Interior

Initially I was a big opponent of the digital read-out, but honestly, looking at a 'regular' dashboard now, the LEDs look so much cooler. Only I am missing a conveniently located clock and modern world infos like EPA etc.

The leather seats fit me perfectly (I am 6'1") and everything seems to be in the right spot. All the buttons can be reached without ever letting loose of the steering wheel -- with exception of the very precise stick shift.

The glove compartment surprises, since it's simply non-existent. The passenger is not unhappy about that, since it gives a little bit more leg room. The alternative storage areas (between seats) are reasonable (for this car), but by no means big.

Tall persons may complain about the tiny windscreen. The upper part of the frame happens to be on the same height as most traffic lights.

The trunk is only a tiny little bit bigger than the Miata or Z3, but still marginal. The access height to the trunk is good though. (Excellent, compared to a Miata.)

Everything is driver oriented and so are the air ducts. With 2 outlets towards the driver and only one for the passenger, jealousy may arise on the right side during hot days (a/c). Then again, it's most fun with the roof down anyway.

Engine and Handling

The handling is simply out of this world and the feedback is as pure as you would expect from a 50/50 weight distribution. With an excellent suspension, the car's steering response is very sharp and direct. Big kudos to Honda for such performance.

The engine may not have the low rev. torque of other (bigger) engines but it spins smoothly to excellence and the sound is just head turning. Besides, it allows to supply power on demand while remaining fuel efficient under normal conditions (i.e. commuting)

The car really lives up in tight corners and any road that let's the handling and power of the car shine. But I am actually going on the interstate quite often, and the 2 hours ride is surprisingly comfortable (firm but well defined).

Sound inside and out

The radio remote is a good idea, unfortunately not compatible with other radios -- unless altered. (only few radios sport a wired remote these days). Changing the radio (and speakers) was the only task I had done. The sound wasn't actually bad, and the bass better than average.

However, putting a new top of the line radio with equally potent speakers in, virtually eliminated the craving for better sound (no subwoofer required, believe it or not). And with a new stereo (4x50W) road noise -- typical for soft top roadsters -- is no bother. (There is virtually no squeak or rattle due to the excellent quality.)

Outside, the car idles at a low noise level and is pretty much on par with any other limousine. When screaming towards the 9000 rpm redline, the noise level rises considerably and makes for some adrenalin rush.

A true Honda afterall

Let me say this upfront, I am tired of hearing: "expensive for a Honda". In all honesty -- after getting quotes for BMW, Porsche and Mercedes -- I am convinced that the S2000 offers the best car for the money. (category sports cars) Check out the SLK230 with 45k and a performance that's not even close to the Honda. (The hard top is really nice though.)

And the S2000 continues to be a bargain. With a gas mileage of 20 (City) to 30 MPG (Interstate) it is fairly reasonably for a sports car of that caliber. I am reaching about 24 MPG on average.

Environment used to be not even an afterthought when speaking of sports cars. They had to be loud and who cares if they stink? Well, Honda does care and made this car a low level emission vehicle (LLEV) -- despite the 'unbelievable' horse power per liter (120).

Only, most dealers play the markup game and add (in my opinion less attractive) spoilers etc. for a premium. I managed to find a dealer that would not insist on this questionable behavior. And no, a car is never a good investment (w/ profit), so don't fall for that sales pitch.

Go for it!

If you are craving for major bragging rights, the s2000's name tag may not hold up to Porsche etc. So if performance at a reasonable price in a beautiful package is not enough, go ahead and dish out another 15K for the Boxter S. As far as I concern, that's too much for me.

Actually, I am about not to recommend the S2000, because it's exclusivity (low volume sales) makes it special and it feels nice to drive a car that one doesn't see a dozen of in every parking lot.

;-)



Update (9-JUN-2002):

It has been more than a year that this S2000 won my heart and it still has a tight grip on it. A couple more things happened since I last updated the report above and those I would like to share with you now ...

1.) High Performance and Longevity don't mix!
Well at least in regard to the tires. The Bridgestone Potenza tires are made to stick on the road under heavy conditions and that's what they excel at. 15,000 miles later, a new set of rear tires was absolutely necessary. (The front was still okay) Cost: 320.-

2.) Water and High tread wear don't mix!
I found it out the hard way about 4 weeks ago. On the highway at normal strength rain the car felt unstable. So I slowed down. (Too much excitement for me.) However, even 62 mph turned out to be too fast, as the car spun off the road on a straight section with little trigger action on my side. Fortunately the median at this point was generously wide and no obstacles would harm my car. Use extreme caution when driving these tires near the wear marker in rain.

Okay, so I focussed on the tires since that's really the only event in the last 10 months. The excitement to drive this car is still great, and I just renewed it on a little trip to the nearby mountains.

Also, the strategy of just selling 5000 cars per year seems to pay off. Though there are plenty BMW, Mercedes and Porsche in this area, the S2000 remains a little exotic. Which is nice as people keep complimenting me on the car. Just the other day, 3 people told me (independent from each other) how much they like the car, color etc..

Needles to say that this made a little proud too.


Update: 2+ years (12-July-2003)

I am still extremely happy with this car. Just this month several car magazines compared the S2000 with the Boxter, Z4, ZX350 and TT. Well, the S2000 is still doing great in comparison.

Anyway, reaching upper 26,000 miles new tires were needed. This time I tried the Michelin Pilot Sport and so far these tires perform great. (Click on the link for details.)

Other expense: New break pads in the front were necessary. ($190.- at the dealer).

Other than that the S2000 performs well and I had no reason to complain at all.

Amount Paid (US$): MSRP
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: Standard (6 speed manual)