Bazzer

I spoke to my local dealer on the weekend and he mentioned that they had a demo coming in. He's lined up a test-drive for me and I can't wait. I've long admired this marvel of a machine from the day I first started reading about her.

I'll probably be looking at purchasing a used one though (01 and up) which I hope does not turn into a big mistake on my part. I've got a solid history with owning Hondas so i'm not too concerned about reliability. My only concern is flagrant abuse by the previous owner

I drove the 350z the other weekend and came away really disappointed. Unfortunately it came no where near to meeting my expectations. I'm looking for a vehicle that really puts me in tune with the road and the 350z didn't come close. There was simply no feel to the car. I don't care how reasonably priced this car is, it just didn't feel right.

GregC21

I think i'm in the same boat that your in, I'm searching for a used S and have some hard feelings about it. You have to realize that it is a sports car, and it makes you wonder how the car was driven previously. On the other hand, some people only use it on weekends, and dont push the car to it's limits. You can find some really good deals on a used S2000.
Good luck!

DarioManfretti

The only thing better than test driving an S, is owning one. I agree with your concern about how the previous owner may have mistreated their car. There are a lot of owners here who drive their car like there's no tomorrow. Just be careful. Make sure you get a service history on it. I would say the better ones have few miles on them, like mine. I will have had mine for 2 years this May and only have 6200 miles on it.

Woodson

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bazzer
[B]

CBeyond

Since you're in Toronto, try to schedule your test drive for a day when the weather will be cooperative, and not too cold to drive with the top down. Doing a test drive with the top up would not be a very good introduction to the car, in my opinion.

Bazzer

Thanks to you all for your replies. That's an interesting point about the glass rear window. I know this sounds absurd but I was actually planning on getting a hardtop for the car and leaving it on all permanently though, I 've seen some sweet looking s2ks with hardtops. Are there any other major differences b/t 01s and 02s?

Woodson

https://www.s2ki.com/article/articleview/62/1/27/

As for leaving the hardtop on all the time...yes, that is absurd.

jiro

Boy, I can't forget the first (and only) time I test drove the S. I remember the S feeling extremely "solid" compared to the car I was driving back then. And the shifting was just unbelievably short and snappy. Everything just felt so tight! I drove home that day in a state of shell shock. It was just a 15 minute test drive, but needless to say, I was sold.

Re: Leaving the hardtop on
You won't get to enjoy the S the way it was intended to. You may be better off with a different car. But I agree it is a very good looking top.

Re: 01/02 Differences
The speaker system, I think was redesigned from 02. I have an 02 and sometimes think it could have been designed with a better system. I can't imagine what a 01 sounds like.

Re: Buying used
Be prepared for the unexpected. That's all I can say.

Good luck!

blureds2k

have fun with you test drive. just remember to wipe the drool from you face when your done.