moff

I also think if you want a car purely for motorway driving I would go for something different. I drive about 18k per annum with lots of motorway driving and at 80-90 mph it gets quite tiring due to the high revving engine.

TBH, if she is not bothered about performance and handling I think the S is the wrong car, especially in the winter months. I would try and look at a higher mileage used 2.0 or 2.2 Z4, late high spec MX5, or old shape SLK230.

UK_S2000

Driving in a straight line, yeah that's pretty scary.

Nah, seriously the only thing to worry about are tramlines on the motorways. I found them a bitch, but I only used the inner lane to undertake idiots so as long as you don't go too slow you'll be ok.

I did ~36k/year in my S up and down the M3 and it was chuffing sweet.

The only thing I'd say if she's going to do a *lot* of miles like I did then the car will depreciate quicker. Seems most people want a low mileage S these days which is a real shame.

euan

My '04 is significantly much less skittish at the back in the wet than my 02 was, so on that basis, I think it is less "twitchy"

(Makes it less confidence inspiring in the dry though)


The car is fine on M'ways I have found, but as Moff says, a Z4 would be more comfortable - it also has traction control, (and I found on the test drive you can also get the power down earlier exiting corners) so less likely to get the uninitiated into trouble.

rahula

By the sounds of it I think it is the wrong car for her. I am making a lot of assumptions in my post so if I get it wrong just ignore me.

Having read what you have to say about her driving style as well as the commutes I would say that this is the wrong car. My wife too wanted a sports car but I also know that she wouldn't push an S. When she has driven mine she has never taken it above 5k revs. This is who she is. I therefore suggested the Z4 as it has the power, looks (only you can say if you like those) and safety. It has TC/ DSC/ Airbags galore etc and it made the perfect car for her.

By the sounds of it your wife is in somewhat similar a situation and for that reason I would say get something else. A good motorway car, safe yet fun. The S is not right.

matthehat17

Ha ha! I can't resist this tempting lure - MY04s weren't diluted, they were just made to handle better. There's a Japanese DVD that shows one of the best JTGC drivers in both an early S2K and the current model, and he's easily quicker round a track in the current model. That doesn't make it softer; that makes it better, because if anyone can handle an early S2000 well, I think a JGTC driver is just the person to do it; therefore if it truly was a sharper car, he'd have been quicker in that than he was the current model. But he wasn't!

Ha ha! Come on, I can't wait for the flak I'm gonna get for this!

Back on topic; this is not a sexist thing Mark, but if your wife is not going to use the car's performance, I agree with the other sentiments on here - a Z4 or Boxster is probably a better bet, because they look good (well, the Boxster is a matter of opinion... ) and they've got traction control et al. As has already been said by the esteemed members on here, the S2000 is not some lunatic killing machine on four tyres, but in the wet/ice, it can really make a fool out of most people if they don't respect it enough. I don't want to sound like a scare-mongerer, but that's the way it is - your wife must drive it first if she wants to own it.

But whatever you do, on no account buy a Z3. They've got appalling handling (the rear suspension is from a 1980s 3-Series) and they're not very nice looking. Plus the four-cylinder cars are really poor. The Z4 is 20,000 leagues ahead of the Z3!

Jefferson D'arcy

Agreed. For the casual driver, the S2000 will get old quickly. Its not refined, its noisy with the hood up, the dash architecture won't appeal to people used to modern rep-mobiles and hatches, it drinks petrol and the driving position won't suit everyone.

As for the Z3 though, I do think its gets a lot of unfair bad press. E30 suspension isn't all that bad, that was afterall the best of the driver's 3 Series. Z3's main problem is understeer. But the 3.0 Sport is a pretty cool car in my books and can be had for very little cash for what it is.

CTRnutter

I have been use to driving Evo

matthehat17

Yes, it does get a lot of bad press, some of which is a bit over the top. As you say, the bigger six-cylinder cars are OK, and the post-01 M Roadster which came with the S54 engine and DSC was good too. But semi-trailing arm rear suspension is archaic, and while it was good for the E30 3-Series, it was an old design even then. It's why the E36 Compact and the Z3 are not held in high regard. Oddly, the Z1 (based on an E30 325i) got the Z-link rear axle (multilink suspension) but the Z3 didn't...

Anyway, my suggestion not to buy a Z3 is just my feeling on it - they sold in their thousands, a true BMW sales success.

CTRnutter - ouch on the old S2k front. That must have been a big moment to do that damage. Glad to hear both you and car are OK.

comqsat

I agree - the reason our S is being replaced is that my wife now refuses to drive it, we don't need 2 cars but we do need one that both of us are happy to drive.

You should really try to get an extended test drive from your dealer.
S

Cardiff

it is mad the amount of S2000 getting bumped already this winter. Will be sitting on my Citroen C2 intul feb (I tinted the windows so no one can see its me inside)