It depends on if the person is a "car person" or a "non car person". When they are a non-car person, I just tell them that the car is loud, bumpy, annoying, and extremely squeaky. I don't like to offer people rides home, mainly because the ride is to uncomfortable by them.

If they are a car person, I just tell them that the car is extremely fun to drive. I never get into horse power, handling, or the type of engine it has.

 

It doesn't really matter to me what other people think, all I know is I smile every time I drive and love it.
My girlfriend complains it's too small and hard to move anything in it, and I just reply with renting a uHaul.

I have however gotten a lot of 'its a used car!' comments and I do reply to those- they kind of bug me. My answer is always the same- 'well thank god I only used my money and not yours!' The funny thing is most non car people think its brand new, and only get agitated when I say it's an '07.

 

I don't validate to others. I validate to myself. I wanted a good looking, fun, affordable, reliable roadster and the S2000 perfectly met my requirements. As others have said above it depends on the person asking. It's generally clear when the person is a car person and when the person can't tell the S from a Miata. Sometimes it's a car person that can't tell the S from a Miata or can't appreciate the car(s) that the person doesn't prefer. All depends on the other person.

 

I actually hate talking about my S to others. The car comes off as 'expensive', I keep it very clean, and I'm a young guy so I get all of the looks from co-workers and people around town as if I bought a penis-car that I can't afford.

If people really want to talk about it, I tell them it's almost 10 years old, has excellent MPG per hp and value (purchase price, used market cost) per hp, Honda's true 2-seater convertible with a 7-second top, is extremely reliable, parts are cheap, and has one of the best gearboxes I've ever driven.

 

1. I just saw the thread and loved reading it.
2. I am a cheap-arse from way back (a school teacher), and it was my dream to own a Miata for 20 yrs. after renting one once. (love small 'Verts)
3. Long story short, I ended up with an 2004 S2000 from April 2010 (only 8745 miles on the car!)
4. After having two Honda del sols, as a teacher, that was OK, even a student had one once, but when I showed up with this in the parking lot, I had some explaining to do, since obviously it cost more than a few grand like any of my other vehicles through the years: MG, Jeep, the del sols, even some antique cars.
5. I enjoyed telling them how I did my research, and these cars are low maintenance and you can put over 200k miles on them w/o too much pain, quickly mentioning how I get 25 MPG avg. for the year (and virtually every tankful, unless on freeway, which is rare), and I have gotten 30 mpg on freeway.
6. I sometimes just say I was updating my del sol (it had rust), and this is what Honda replaced it with.

 

I have only had positive results from my explaining the virtues of this car to others that are curious. Whether car person or not, they always come away with respect and understanding.

The detail I emphasize varies depending on audience. I just try to be enthusiastic, without lecturing or coming off sounding like I think I'm better/smarter.

It helps that I'm not exactly young and my car is not loud or riced. Its just one less obstacle to overcome to get people to take what is said seriously.

Just recognize that if you are young, or if your car is loud or at all flashy looking to non-car people, you have extra effort to make to break through the wall of scepticism.

 

This is a great thing to do to a cold engine. Keep it up!

/sarcasm

 

I have had a lot of compliments. I tell them, "It's a driver's car. It might look great and get almost 25 mpg (I sure don't but...)yet driving it is when you really appreciate how much fun this car can be!"
And....I'm not lying.

 

I just tell people, "check out my Barbie car".

 

"It's just a Honda."