Hey guys, I'm new to this forum as I've looked at what cars I am considering buying and S2000 seems to be top of my list. Looking around for information and found this forum and it seems a great place to find some stuff out from a variety of people.

Ok, so I've been saving and will carry on saving my wages till i get to the point where I can afford an S2000 and Insurance. Both of these are not that cheap for me but I really liked the S2000. I'm seeing 99-01 plate cars going for about £4000 but with around 90-100K miles on them. Would these be bad considering possible part breakages. I know Honda have a reputation for being VERY reliable but a car that old with that many miles. Surely it's gonna end up costing me alot in repairs? If i save up more I could either get a newer car with the same mileage or same age with fewer miles? Which do you recommend?

With regards to running costs, how bad are they? Fuel isn't too much of a factor for me as I don't drive that much(might change when i get such a nice car though) and tax is only an annual payment. I read that S2000's eat tyres, do these cost alot? Are there any other things to worry about?

Hope you guys can answer my questions and sorry if they have been asked a million times before.

Peace

 

I don't think the operational expenses on the car are much higher. I used to drive an 02 Acura RSX-S.

S2000 tires are larger so that will make them more expensive. The biggest reason why tire expense can increase is going from cheap hard 400+ treadwear tires to softer grippy 200-280 treadwear tires. They can cost more and won't last as long.

As far as added maintenance, the S2000 had a diff so there's diff oil (US$10) that need changing semi-regularly.

If you start with a car that's in good shape, then it shouldn't cost too much (at least in the US). With order cars there may be issues that you need to take care of, such as broken valve retainers (AP1 only), replacing TCT, etc, but there aren't too many.

 

Are the 100K mileage cars a possibility then? Obviously I could end up buying one and it could be in really good condition and last for as long as i have the car but it could also break 10 minutes after buying it. Would you say yay or nay? Anyong here bought a high mileage car and could share their experience?

 

Try to find one with as much history as possible. Regular synthetic oil/filter changes helps. Ask about recent valve adjustments/transmission & differential fluid changes. All help extend the life. I've seen several posts with members having more than 200,000 miles. There are several insurance companies (Haggerty comes to mind) that offer cheaper rates(classics) if not your daily driver. Many of the maintenance issues can be DIY'd on this site.
WARNING: Drive like an OLD LADY when it rains.
All things said, DON'T HESITATE GETTING ONE! I've never seen a post of a member regretting their choice. I was told by local members that the '02 AP1 I bought (now approaching 90,000 miles) was owned by a guy who sold it to buy a Nissan GTR Skyline/then sold the Nissan for another S2000. Even on a bad day, It's hard to wipe the smile off my face when I start her up!

 

The biggest factor with running costs is how you want to drive it. If you drive it like a Civic, it won't cost any more to run than a Civic. You'll be able to buy cheap tires that last a long time, your stock brake pads will last a long time, et cetera. If you want to track it or otherwise drive it like a race car, you're going to be burning through expensive soft tires in less than 10,000 miles, burning through track brake pads that cost as much as the tires and crack your rotors, you'll be going through a bottle of racing brake fluid every track day, changing the oil every 1,000 miles, et cetera. Those consumables are the things that get you with any performance car. Luckily, the core mechanicals of the S2000 are very solid, so it's basically your choice how fast you want to go and how much money you want to spend to do it.

 

Out of curiosity, do they use the word 'mileage' in the UK?

 

There's been owners around here who have 160K on the original engine and clutch, after god knows how many track days. You pretty much won't find a sports car that is both as reliable, and as cheap to maintain. For the most part you're looking at civic maintenance costs. Only difference is how fast you go through rear tires.

I wouldn't be worried at all about buying a 100K mileage S2000. However, I would be worried who I'm buying it from. Ultimately it's impossible to know for sure how these people drove the car, but you can get a pretty good feeling when you meet them. You can usually tell the difference between someone who might have drove the car hard, but in a proper manner, and those who well drove it hard and had no idea how to respect it at the same time.

 

S2000 is probably the cheapest sports car to run besides the Miata. Just put gas in it, change the oil and that's it. If you get an AP1 it uses cheap 16" tires and even if you get an AP2 there are lots of cheap 17" tires.

I sold my AP1 with about 140K miles on it, original clutch (after the Honda TSB) and no major maintenance other than fluid changes and brake pads. It was a daily driver and also had probably 2000+ autocross runs on it.

 

You wont find fun/performance or feel for anything near the cost of an s2000, why do you think there is a cult?

 

s2k FTW!!!