techscott

I am new to the S2000 world. I few years ago I had the good fortune to take care of a friend's S2000 while he was deployed to Iraq. I've had a number of sports cars over the years from Triumphs to Porches and most recently a Corvette. Though I love the 'Vette for it straight line horsepower and sheer brutish charm, it's not as much fun to drive as the S2000 I was caring for.

Now I've decided to by an S2000 I'm wondering what year and mileage I should look for. I understand from looking at accessories sites that the models are broken into a couple of segments based on year. Can someone comment on the benefits and detriments of the different segments and their pros/cons?

The other half of my question is mileage. How do the S2000 hold up to the miles? Should I be concerned about getting one with super low mileage (<10K)? When do the miles start to become an issue?

The car I buy will end up being a daily driver (~10 miles per) and I intend to do only Stage 1 type of changes to it (Airbox, Exhaust and possibly a frame/suspension brace).

Thank you all in Advance.

SIchodelic

00-01: plastic rear window, less interior trim (center console), more prone to snap oversteer

02-03: new suspension geometry (?), glass window, better center console

04-05: new front bumper, rear bumper, head lights, tail lights, 17" rims, center console, radio door. 8K redline instead of 9. More usable day to day torque

06+: drive by wire, traction control, dash has a cubby hole. Easier to tune because of ECU and FlashPro

There's an FAQ with more in-depth info. That's all I could think of off the top of my head

S2000 should be a good car regardless of miles as long as it's been well taken care of. Personally, I decided to go with an 05 AP2 with only 30k miles

good luck

RedCelica

buy a CR

AngryTurtle

You should buy a 2009 with 0 miles.

JLUDE

For a daily driver I would choose the 2005 model year, you can find one with <50,000 miles with no problem and for $11,000 if you buy during the winter.

2005 has the benefit of the AP2 drivetrain (easier to daily drive) while being a late enough model year that they can be had for excellent value per $.

- JL

RedCelica

it's winter...not finding ANY ap2 NEAR that price

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/searchresult...m=1291131960242

dont lie to the poor guy...you should expect to pay $14-$16k for a good, low milage, older AP2.

TruBluS2k

i dont see how the AP1 is harder to daily drive. You have owned some sporty cars you shouldnt have a problem driving an AP1.

As long as the car was maintained and taken care of i dont think miles should be a problem as long as its like not much more than 80,000 with an AP1 you might run into problems if the car was beat on or miss shift with cracked retainers, and the top might need to be replaced.

RedCelica

02-03 AP1 would make a great DD, but idk about a 00-01 ap1...the suspension geometry promotes snap oversteer and have a severe rear spring rate bias. It can be a handful in the rain.

That said I have considered an '00 ap1 for a dd, but it's not really practical...can you see an ap1 towing an ap2 to the track? lmao

hrpfg2

dont forget the 2.0 and the 2.2

Squirtle

I've owned all the Model Years.

If price is an issue - go with 02-03 Ap1. These are the best "raw" versions of the S2000 and have a very classic feel to them and drive aggressive. For purists, really.

If you really hate Drive-by-wire - go for MY04-05. Great daily, great car.

MY06+ really takes the 04/05 years further. They are more plush, more comfortable, drive better, and probably slightly faster. This is the best MY by far. Overall the car is simply stunning - to the point where I cannot really compare it to the AP1 model at all.

I'm a track junky as well, and where I know most will tell you AP1 for life, I can't say I agree. The newer models are just that much better as cars. Hope you found this info useful!

MY's owned: 3 MY02, 2 MY04/05, 1MY07(current)