I agree......

For the amount of money your looking at spending to rent an S to go bang on it for 24 hours you might as well just go buy one.

Regardless of your intentions......the implications are not in your favor....

 

I know how you feel. When I bought my '99 Z3 2.8 Coupe they were so desperate to ged rid of those suckers that they let me take one home for the day. It was really nice and I got to know the car much better than in a test drive, when you are usually too nervous/excited to find any faults.

No such luck with the S2000 though. Since I still have both of these cars, here's my .02:

-They are very different, and good at different things. The Z3 is probably the best all around car I have owned, and the M Coupe would only be better. They have great torque, a more intimate feel than the 3 series, but are quiet and comfortable enough for long trips. Decent utility from the hatch makes it a great weekend trip car as well.

-The S2000 is noisy and cramped, but if you can live with those things you will love it. There is just something about this car that makes everything else feel rather boring. The car has racecar like reflexes, with quick, direct steering and a matching light, quick touch to all the other controls. The way the shifter flicks between gears, the speed with which the engine revs in response to a jab of the throttle and the way you can just think it through turns makes the BMW feel like a cruiser. For long trips with the top up it is rather loud and cramped, and there isn't as much space for luggage.

About the top up thing, I too live in the Bay Area and mostly keep the top up from ~11am - 6pm, but down in the morning and evening. The direct sun in the middle of the day is just too much for me, I don't find it pleasant at all and have no interest in skin cancer. But that is not to say I don't enjoy having a convertible, there is nothing in the world like a cool Bay Area evening with the top down after a really hot summer day.

I'm glad I can still hold onto both of these cars, but I plan to keep the S2000 longer. It's the car I want to drive every day, and driving it to work is pretty much the best part of my day.

Good luck with your choice,
Peter

 

I'm taking an '02 out for a day this week to check it out, mostly for problems, but I have built up a pretty nice rapport with the dealership. They also let me take an '05 home for a night.

 

Would you want to purchase a car that had been test driven by a dozen people having the same questions as you. Although you may or my not thrash the car, the dealer has no way to know. Some drivers will be abusive and who is going to pay for the tire wear, stone chips and hidden abuse that the car may receive? On rare occasions, the abusive driver may get caught and pay and sometimes the dealer will detect problems and do repairs or lower the price of the car because of abuse. I suspect that the cost of most test drive-abuse is born by the unsuspecting owner who receives a car with an hidden problem that will surface later. I wouldn't want to buy a car from a dealer who didn't have safeguards against test-drive abuse. I guess the answer to your question is that I can't help you because the dealers that I have used, have safeguards that protect you, me and themselves from abusive people and abusive people seldom disclose their intentions. Maybe you can take a couple of normal-length test drives, while you are negotiating price. Good Luck

 

Not always true.
I was disappointed when I took my first test drive, as I had only ever driven a mustang as "fast" car and found the S disappointing after the first drive (including many forrays into high rpms on the higway).

But I've had it for 2 year now, and may keep it for many more..

 

I sell cars at a nissan/kia dealer. We will let someone bva (borrowed vehicle agreement) a car if they qualify for the financing. Go to a dealer and test drive the car. Once you have gotten into the showroom and they have tried to get you to buy the car, tell them you need to take it home for the night before you make a decision. They are more likely to let you borrow a used s2000 than a new one. We have a 01 s2000 on our lot and I am always trying to come up with excuses or reasons to drive it. It took me about 2 minutes of driving it to decide I had to have one!

 

"1. I want a convertible, but every single convertible I see in San Jose on a sunny 70+ degree day has the top up. Why? I feel like there's some really good reason for this that I'm totally missing. If I'm gonna be one of those guys and have the top up more than 10-20% of the time (not gonna be a commuter car, BTW), I'd just rather buy something else, something that would be a better closed car. Can anyone explain why so many people run with their tops up?"

i can.

1. if someone drives everyday...sun, skin cancer, quite time, phone call, short drive, commute mode, conversation with passenger...
2. it's kinda like having "sex after marriage"...
3. if tops down every single time and everyday, fun factor goes down...diminishing marginal return.

 

If I had a wife as hot as the S2000, I'd have her top down every time, every day.

 

Well after driving all day in the hot sun when you take your shirt off the illusion of it being on is still there. Never been to San Jose but when your sitting at a light in 70+ degree weather with the sun beating down it's not fun even if you blast the ac. But you'll find that it's more comfortable to cruise around when the sun is setting or at night.

 

especially if she screamed as loud as the S


I put the top down usually in the evenings, it's just 2 hot in texas!