rwheelz

Just get the S and choose the appropriate time and place to experiment, or at your age, I guess it is still referred to as acting like a dumbass.

MBHs2k

I bought my s when I was 18, although I was a comfortable manual driver at the time. I say go straight into the s2k and be careful while you learn. insurance is usually somewhat high for an s2k, but from I've seen, not ridiculous. Mine has always been reasonable. The s2k is really easy to learn on too. The clutch is easy to modulate and the transmission is precise.

PixelJunkie94

Get the s2k if you can actually afford it, miata's are ugly as all hell. If you want to get laid get an s2k (then have people compliment your miata). The curves of an s2k make women really moist. Miatas attract older men typically of the homosexual orientation also.

Chuck S

Honda improved the S2000 every year it was in production and the MY2000 were very tail twitchy for the uninitiated. They got tamer every year and stability control was added in 2006 -- ain't magic but helps. The gearbox take all of an hour to master in the highschool parking lot. You can only stall it so many times before you get it. You do have to actually drive a car like the S2000 unlike merely "aiming" is as you would with an automatic.

Take a performance driving course. I was born in the back seat of a stick shift, rear wheel drive car but I intend to take a short performance course this spring to learn some of the finer points and avoid putting my S2000 "in the cat tails" as can happen with inexperience, bad tires, and too much speed. These cars won't get you in trouble in normal driving. But the temptation remains!

-- Chuck

VilleS2K

If making them tamer is your definition of improvement, then yes, you're right.

OP - no S2000 is a good first car, for many reasons already listed.

Korwen

nthing the Miata here, and for this exact reason. As long as you don't wad it, you can buy a cheap Miata and then when you are ready, not lose much money selling it off. Great cars, I love mine, now I just need to sell it now that I've got the S2k.

Manga_Spawn

Miata, 240sx (if there is such a thing as a clean one anymore), early 3 series. But really I would suggest getting the dumb stuff every new driver does out of your system (god knows I did plenty of stupid stuff and I am glad it was in a POS Dodge truck not something like the S or I may not be here). The car doesn't really matter. You can buy a cheapo civic or something with a stick and get used to it. There is plenty of driving classes for performance driving and you don't use your car. The S2000 was the first car I had like it and the first manual trans car I owned and drove regularly. Just avoid doing the dumb things people do that end up in a wreck IE hitting vtec while turning in the rain with bald tires (seen this to many times). As with any car drive carefully (that is not to say you can have fun just be aware of the right time and place to do so) and respect the car and you will be fine.

s.hasan546

Are you an idiot? Are you reckless?

No?

Than a s2000 is a fine first car. It was technically my first car. Never had any issues with accidents; etc. Just don't be an idiot. Nowadays, regular cars are just as fast and can be just as dangerous. Take it easy and learn the car.

RC 94

Technically my first RWD and manual car was a V8 Silverado, but my first sporty RWD car was a Miata. I loved that car so much. One of the things I think a lot of people are glossing over is how much simpler everything in the Miata is. Everything happens typically at lower speeds than they would in an S2000, and so everything in a Miata is easier to control. I really learned how to control things at the limits by slowly messing around in a safe area with the car and pushing from there. AND I beat on the Miata all the time and it never complained. Never had any issues with it, and even when I drove a supercharged Miata for a while it still had the same principles. Easy to control, fun to drive, reliable, and cheap parts.

Honestly, if I had stopped growing a little bit earlier I would probably still have that first Miata.

takeshi

Learn to drive stick and get a car that you can beat on -- not just the transmission but the rest of the car as well. Odds are that you're going to have at least one accident of some sort when starting out no matter how careful and responsible you may be. They're called accidents for a reason (people don't plan to get into them).

As others have said, it's not the car that is the poor choice. It's the first time driver that is a poor fit. It has nothing to do with exclusivity.