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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  Love this car - 2007 Honda S2000
  By j.sternberg - May 27 - 11:12 am

  What a terrific car. If you are looking for comfort this may not be the car for you, at least if you are a tall or large person. Otherwise it is one of the best.

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  Great certified pre-owned vehicle - 2005 Honda S2000
  By dockerdog - May 2 - 2:03 am

  As a recent buyer in 2010 I feel somewhat late to the game, nevertheless I also feel compelled to state an opinion on my recent purchase (within the last two weeks) of a certified pre-owned 2005 S2000. My gawd, what a vehicle and I feel that I got a great deal being pre-owned, according to CarFax there was only a single previous owner, no accidents, and only about 11k miles per year. The closest vehicle Ive ever owned before was a 2000 Mustang convertible (purchased new) and while I liked that car, frankly it couldnt hold a candle to my new (used) S2000. The handling, acceleration, overall performance, just wow, fantastic! Ive owned about 10 cars in my lifetime and this one beats them all.

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  2nd S2000 - 2005 Honda S2000
  By WMS - April 28 - 2:49 pm

  This is my second S2000 after owning a 2003 model. The 2005 (AP2) steering/suspension/wheel/tire combo is a noticeable improvement over my old one. Its really confidence inspiring in the corners. The 2.2L has a little more usable torque at lower RPM as well reducing the need to downshift as much as the 2.0L. the synchros were also improved for 2004+ so the gear changes are also noticeably smoother. With 50/50 city/hwy driving, Im managing 25mpg.

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  Hurting at 3 yrs. - 2007 Honda S2000
  By Dee - April 14 - 7:51 pm

  I love my 2007 s2000...BUT now its 3yrs. old and has lots of issues. Rattles,Poor Gas Mileage,Had spark plugs change twice now and car is under warranty, but thats not included! Now its in again in less then one week and engine light keeps coming on and every time an issue! This time the engin is being taken apart. FYI Now the car is not cheap and the repairs are worst. Im looking to rid of it before it needs tires. One and only driver and not used as a racer. I bought this car from all the great reviews I read, but no longer feeling it.

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  great car - 2004 Honda S2000
  By fallcityfisher - February 18 - 4:22 pm

  What a great car. Like a motorcycle with four wheels. I have had zero problems. Handles like its on rails. Full size golf bag fits in trunk, just dont try two!

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  The little Rocket - 2004 Honda S2000
  By Honda Kid - February 17 - 12:16 am

  This little car handle like a rocket.I own a 2007 Honda Si, this car handle well, but not as good as the S2000. Well, if you want to hear this little rocket vtec kicks, shift to first gear and accelerate until you hit 8000 rpm and shift to second gear and will will know what I am talking about. Dont believe me! Try it for yourself.

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  Pure bred sports car! - 2008 Honda S2000
  By gs5019 - January 21 - 9:09 pm

  I have owned too many cars in life, from Porsches to BMW , several Miatas and many more. This car does the best job at what it tries to be-an uncompromising almost perfect handling car. I have run it on road courses and it rotates better than anything I have driven. Balanced, better than average brakes and the vtec surge of power when needed. Im sorry Honda didnt continue with production. I was excited about the prospects of a six cylinder. But Ill trade a pound of power for a pound of handling all day long. This car delivers it! And it has Honda reliability.

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  My #2 car. The Z is #1. - 2004 Honda S2000
  By Zman - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive, but way too small. The top does not impresses as much as the Z top. A good car.

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  Buy it for Speed, Own it for Life! - 2000 Honda S2000
  By bmoreys2k - December 28 - 9:32 am

  When the S2000 was launched I was fortunate enough to have been working at American Hondas headquarters in Torrance. Knowing that it was hand built along with the NSX in Japan is one thing but seeing first hand how the engineering of this vehicle delivered the highest horsepower per liter of any production vehicle at the time was just as astonishing. I have owned this AP1 for years and have enjoyed every minute of it. The AP1 S2000 have a 9K rev limiter and handle with precision. Buy it for speed, own it for life.

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  Great roadster, minimal frills - 2007 Honda S2000
  By Laker - December 19 - 10:21 pm

  This is a summer use car for us (we live high in the Colorado snow country and prefer to garage the S2K in bad weather). Weve had lots of great sports cars and sports sedans, but this little Honda is really a gem. Not too expensive, highly reliable, and fast. Most of our driving is on open mountain roads, hardly any stop & go in-town sort of driving. After three summers of use, we have never gotten less than 30 miles per gallon with this car, totally unlike the experience that some others have reported. And no we dont baby it...love that VTEC zone! The trunk is big enough for two carry-on bags, a small cooler and a couple of parkas. Longest trip was 10 days, to Banff/Lake Louise.