Overview & Reviews

The Honda S2000 was a two-seat, rear-wheel-drive roadster produced from 2000-'09. It featured a high-performance, high-winding inline four-cylinder engine along with a superbly balanced chassis. The S2000 was the first sports car to roll out of a Honda factory since the tiny S500, S600 and S800 roadsters of the 1960s, and it ended up having one of the longest production runs of any modern car.

With minimalist cockpit comforts and a racetrack-ready suspension, the Honda S2000 was a pure sports car. More powerful than the less expensive Miata, yet not as pricey or luxurious as a Z4 or SLK, the S2000 occupied a niche within a niche. Quick and communicative steering, an ideal 49/51 weight distribution and an engine that loved to rev coupled with a slick six-speed gearbox promised a lot of fun for the serious driving enthusiast. Today, the S2000's reputation for reliability and reasonable resale values makes it a superb pre-owned choice.

Most Recent Honda S2000

There were two versions of the Honda S2000 roadster for its farewell 2009 model year, the standard version and the racetrack-oriented CR (for Club Racer). Notable hardware on both included a feisty 2.2-liter inline-4 with an 8,200-rpm redline coupled to a short-throw six-speed manual gearbox. Without resorting to forced induction (turbo- or supercharging), this jewel of an engine utilized Honda's variable valve timing and lift system (VTEC) to squeeze 237 horsepower out of just 2.2 liters. No automatic transmission was available in any S2000.

Standard features on later iterations of the S2000 included a power-operated top with a glass rear window (with defroster), lightweight 17-inch wheels, leather seats, keyless entry, air-conditioning, an eight-speaker CD audio system, stability control and HID headlights. A lightweight (44 pounds) aluminum hardtop was optional on the standard car. The special CR version deleted the power top, A/C and stereo to reduce weight and added a removable hardtop, track-oriented suspension settings, a beefed-up structure for higher rigidity and more aerodynamic bodywork.

Debuting in 2000, the Honda S2000 started life with a 2.0-liter inline-4 that redlined at 9,000 rpm. With 240 hp, it put out more horsepower per liter than any other naturally aspirated engine on the planet. Although it provided a thrilling ride when driven aggressively, our editors did find some faults. Among the more notable ones were a lack of low-end torque that made the S2000 a bit flat-footed around town, a sometimes persnickety shifter, a weak audio system and a plastic rear window.

Honda gradually made upgrades to the S2000. For 2002 the company amped up the radio, added a glass rear window with a defogger and smoothed out the short-throw shifter. Some styling changes took place as well, including chrome taillight rings, a new shift knob and a few pieces of well-placed silver trim in the cockpit. A lightweight aluminum hardtop became optional, a blessing (albeit a pricey one) for those in colder climes.

Several key improvements came about in 2004 that made the Honda S2000 a more viable choice as a daily driver. This is when the 2.2-liter engine debuted. Honda also added shorter gearing for the six-speed transmission's lower four gears, thus giving the S2000 more snap at lower engine speeds. Larger 17-inch tires (versus the previous 16s) were fitted, as were minor suspension tweaks designed to make the ultra-reactive S2000 more forgiving of less-than-expert drivers. 2008 was another notable year, as it saw the introduction of the CR version as well as a revised gauge cluster and claimed improvements in high-speed stability.

Any version of the Honda S2000 should speak loudly to the driving enthusiast. With its finely balanced chassis, quick and communicative steering, eager-to-rev engine and snick-snick shifter, the S2000 makes short work of twisty roads. The initial 2.0-liter engine is more thrilling for those who don't mind taking their engines to redline on a regular basis, but the trade-off is an edgy, tail-happy nature that Honda softened with the 2004 refresh. Even with all this performance potential, the S2000 retains strong Honda attributes such as sound ergonomics and comfortable, supportive seats with enough adjustments to accommodate short and tall pilots alike.

User Reviews:

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  My S2000 - 2007 Honda S2000
  By Sarah - September 4 - 12:12 pm

  I leased my S2000 for three years. It is a fun car to drive but it is not economical. It has power but it doesnt have much room for anything. I guess as long as you are single and are not planning to go on a trip with it, then you are ok. Otherwise, there isnt much room in the car or in the trunk. I could never get a suitcase to fit. Again, it is a great car but perhaps for college kids, who have time to drive around and are skinny enough to fit in it. I always had to watch who I offered a ride to, not everyone will fit in it.

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  No torque, no facotry rim options..... - 2003 Honda S2000
  By VsPeC - July 14 - 2:00 am

  This car has no torque, who is willing to rev the car to 7000 rpm everyday just to get the horsepower and torque of a V6? Consistent high revs will lessen the life of the engine. Have no idea why Honda would do this. High horsepower is nice, but torque is nicer.

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  Bad choice of year - 2000 Honda S2000
  By badchoice - July 10 - 7:09 am

  This car is fun to drive but not when it is sitting in the driveway with a need of major engine repair. The reason, the early years have a bad flow of oil. Not quite sure why but apparently the Europeans caught on to this and fixed the problem early on. This car sucks oil. Honda dealerships need to tell people this when purchasing. Honda also needs to make others aware of this situation. Low oil in any engine is a bad thing. Especially when the oil light never comes on to warn the driver.

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  clutch @ 11400 - 2003 Honda S2000
  By ibis49 - December 1 - 2:00 am

  I have 11400 miles on this vehicle and the clutch is sliping to the point the car is not drivable. Honda is saying it is normal wear and tear to have this problem. They are charging me $1,025.00 to put in a new clutch as they will not cover it under warranty as a defect. In 35 years of driving, I have never had a clutch go out in 11000 miles. As far as i am concerned Honda is not living up to its hyped up reputation. I am selling the vehicle and buying one that I can drive and have a company stand behind its product. Randy pope

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  Watch out for the tranmission - 2002 Honda S2000
  By Luv2drv - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Overall the car is great. However, you got to watch out for the transmission. Not built for the power of the car. Lots of recalls on the transmission, and Honda is not supportive of issues with the transmission because of the numerous problems with it. Other than that, it drives great, looks great!

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  Fun for a ride , Dont Take it home - 2002 Honda S2000
  By sportscarnut - March 4 - 7:23 pm

  only for the sadist on anything longer than a 15 minute trip no heated mirrors uncomfortable seats no concept of sound deadening (dont try more than 35 with a cell phone even with top up) Quick if revved right/dog if not (153 ft lb of torque even though 240 horse) Ever wonder why you see so many of these advertized used even though only 5000 of these made per year? Turfed this one out for vette, lost my shorts on it but my best descision with this car was cutting it loose.