Engine, Transmission, Tight Steering

Plastic rear window, mediocre stereo, no interior storage

This car is, without a doubt, the most fun you can have with your clothes on. I have driven the BMW, and although the S2000 does not have the low-end torque of the Z3, it is much more satisfying to drive. Build quality is excellent; in many ways the car feels more solid than the BMW, and certainly better than any other Honda product I have seen.

One problem that I have seen in other Hondas (such as the Prelude and Integra) is that the clutch is difficult to modulate and thus the car has a tendency to stumble a bit at takeoff unless the engine is revving at 3000+ rpm. This problem is totally absent in the S2000. Even in normal traffic, the clutch takeup is smooth and progressive. Shifting is tight and crisp, but the shift gates are very closely spaced, and it took some getting used to. It's easy to miss the 5-6 shift and select 4th instead. After a few miles, however, it seems natural and has just the right feel. I'm still in the break-in period, so I have not had a chance to really wring out the performance of this car, but even short-shifting at 5000-6000 rpm, the car feels stronger and more capable than the Prelude or Integra, no slouch in their own right. I am used to Hondas and the rather high-strung nature of their engines, so I am anxious to get the car fully broken in and to turn it loose.

The interior, I think, is very nicely done. I rather like the minimalist nature of the cockpit. Controls are very well placed and have that typically Honda feel (just right). This car is intended for serious driving, and as such there are no superfluous items. I've heard some complaints in this forum about the quality of interior bits, but I think they are very well done. Yes, there could be more leather on the console and dash, but then the car probably would sell for more than $32K. One of the great features of this car is its bang for the buck; it does nearly everything that the BMW and Porche can, but for $10-15K less. I've also heard many complaints about the lack of a clock. Come on, guys, who really cares about a clock? To tell you the truth, I did not even notice it until I heard you guys complain about it. I'm too busy having fun driving this car.

I also like the way the interior envelops the driver; you don't really get in this car, you put it on. In spite of that, it feels more roomy inside than the BMW.

The stereo, however, is pretty sad. It's got fairly good bass response, and it's OK for cruising around town, but at freeway speeds (or above) it's pretty much useless. I do like the panel that covers the head unit (again, the minimalist cabin) and the remote controls on the dash are a really nice touch. With the way the radio is tucked into the dash it would be a royal pain (and probably dangerous) to adjust while driving. Another disappointing item is the lack of interior storage. No glovebox, no map pockets in the doors, just two very awkward compartments between the seats. And due to their odd shape, they are not terribly useful.

Having driven the BMW, I am genuinely surprised at all the looks I get while driving this car. Those who know what it is are always asking "How do you like it?" and others are asking "What is that?". They are shocked when I tell them it's a Honda.

With only 5000 or so being sold in the U.S. each year, they are fairly exclusive, but still affordable. Many dealers here in S. Calif. (especially in L.A.) have been placing premiums of $5-10K (or more) on these cars. I think much of that was due to Honda's initial announcement that the S2000 would only be made for two years as an anniversary model. As a limited production vehicle, (along with all the great press the car has received), the dealers wanted to snap up as much profit as possible. However, my dealer tells me they will continue (at least for 2002). I was fortunate to get mine at sticker price (still a bargain), but with premiums like that, I doubt I would have made the deal. I understand the laws of supply and demand, however car dealers tend to push that principle to the point of being unreasonable. By the same token, however, if there are people out there willing to pay these really inflated prices, then I guess the dealers would be foolish not to take advantage of that.

In short, I really like this car, and would recommend it to anyone who really enjoys the driving experience. You do have to rev the hell out of it to extract the performance, but that's the nature of the VTEC beast. Either that, or spend another $25-30K and get the Boxster S. It's your money.

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Honda Prelude, Acura Integra, BMW Z3

The best qualities are its race car like prowess with perfect trackability and unending redline.

Worst qualities are redlights on the corners

Having owned a Ferrari 355 and multiple Porsches included Turbos I can only say that the Honda 2000 is the most involving sports car I have ever driven. Who gives a damn about the suboptimal radio or plastic parts for the dash--this car is a sports car enthusiast dream.

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Blows away any sports car I have ever driven (although I am still waiting for Modena 360 Spyder).

cornering, eye candy appeal, nice and quiet with the top down.. definately a plus in my book so that i can actually talk.

why is the cruise button behind crap?? stereo is absolutely terrible for what i paid for the car. plastic rear window?? a miata has a glass one and its much cheaper. i like having controls for hte stereo on the left however the way they designed them was terrible.. a big huge button for switching am/fm/cd .. why so big.. and yet no seek button.

fun car.. and as others said a real head turner. I spotted some people on a miata mailing list saying that their miata was a much nicer car .. I chocked because i was laughing so hard. Even with my complaints that I have listed i do love the car and believe its going hold its value really well. thats especially true with all the compliments i have received on the car .. and i do mean A LOT of compliments. Its a big toy .. remember that if your considering buying one..

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Engine, performance, stability, trackability, soul

turbos are stronger in lower rpms but I dont care

wellll - this car is a dream. What a gorgeous style, performance and joy of riding hard to its limits. To be honest Im from country where our domestic products are widely appreciated (audis, bmws etc) and people are generally interested in buying them over & over. This is stupid because this car crashes everything made in Germany in terms of pure excitement, technical level. Ive owned or tested many coupes and sports car before and nothing (LITERALLY NOTHING) came even close to S2000....

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TT, Z3, Integra TR, MX 5, S3, SLK, Golf GTI, Vectra V6

If you like to be the center of attention this car is for you. It's definitely a head-turner on the road. From a performance standpoint it's handling, high RPM acceleration and steering have to be its best traits.

The greatest weaknessed of this car are the plastic rear window (which I've heard is going to be rectified in the 2002 model - can we say trade-in?), the low end torque really leaves a lot to be desired, and while I like the quality of the stereo I really wish they would have integrated automated speed sensing volume control rather then having to adjust manually.

I absolutely fell in love with this car when I found saw it. After waiting for the 2001 models I decided to finally get one in March of this year. While my enjoyment of this car was immediate upon purchase I hadn't fully realized just how much I liked it until this past weekend. I belong to a local golf club in which the members put on a little "sports road rally" golf trip each year up to the North Georgia Mountains. Now while these mountains don't necessarily rival anything like the rockies the roads through them still offer a lot of fun and excitement. The lead groups consisted of a 1993 Porsche Carrera, and 1999 Porsche Boxster, myslef (2001 S2000) and a Mercedes SLK Kompressor. Not knowing the route first hand I decided to keep behind the Carrera through the mountains.

I can say unequivocally that my S2000 handled the best of the group. Not once was I more then 10-20 feet off the tail of the Carrera. A couple of times the Carrera actually broke loose through the corners. While I was initially concerned in the corners I was quickly convinced I had nothing to worry. Once those factory Bridgestones heated up the car stuck to the road like super glue. Everyone knows those yellow signs warning of oncoming turns and the "proposed" safe speed right? Well, to give you some perspective we were taking the "20MPH" corners at 50-55, the "25MPH" corners at 55-65, and the "30MPH" corners at 65-80.

Probably the most rewarding experience of the drive up to the course happened once we got there. After we got there and were having breakfast each of the other drivers were both amazed and astonished at my S2000's handling and performance. Simply put, I think they were all somewhat distraught that a Honda was able to not only keep up with their "high end" sports cars but in many rights and respects out perform them!

One final note, living in Atlanta I see Porsche Boxsters all the time on the road, in additon the BMW Z3's are like rabbits out here they just keep mulitplying and multiplying... However in the 4 months that I've owned my S2000 I've seen a total of 3 others in the Atlanta Metro area! I like the limited production of this vehicle and I hope that Honda decides to discontinue it following the 2002 model.

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