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:

• 

  s2000 - 2003 Honda S2000
  By dfarrelly - October 20 - 2:00 am

  very solid. excellent handling right amount of oversteer for experienced driver. peaky engine great modulation in turns. good seats. best shifter to come out of a factory.

• 

  thats a real sport car - 2003 Honda S2000
  By bug slug 007 - October 20 - 2:00 am

  too bad that it didnt came with power seats and ajustable lumbar suport and a little extra torqe whoudnt hurt.

• 

  S2000 Kicks - 2003 Honda S2000
  By s2kick@55 - October 19 - 2:00 am

  i do not own but drove friends, this is definatly my dream car to buy in the near future. It is amazing from every aspect. With its most powerful engine per litre in retail production (120h.p/litre) it can definatly perform and keep up with alot of stuff out there, by the way the Dodge viper only gets about 50 h.p per litre for comparsion! The handling on this car is impecable, wow it can ride on the road liek its a train on rails, so responsive also. Ya, I can go on and on about my day of fun in this car. - worth every penny of the 30-some thousand dollars it costs.

• 

  Amazing - 2003 Honda S2000
  By sloppyjoe4@aol.com - October 18 - 2:00 am

  In the short time that i have had the priveledge to drive this car i have nothing but great things to say about it. Its super to drive on highway, or city roads, top up, or top down.

• 

  S2000 is the car for soo many reasons. - 2002 Honda S2000
  By SaxJonz - October 18 - 2:00 am

  I love this car. Not very practical for a daily driver but what a blast to drive! This car drives so much better than a Z3 M6 handling, acceleration, shifting, looks. People always stare when they see this car. Even Porsche owners look and feel a twinge of regret.

• 

  2002 S 2000 Honda Roadster - 2003 Honda S2000
  By MattG - October 13 - 2:00 am

  There cant be a better place in the world to test yourself than the twisting, turning roads of Tennessee. I meet a lot of other roadster drivers here and the talk is always how the S 2000 drives. I cant compare it much because my only other sports car was an antique Porche. This one screams, hugs the corners and goes where you point it. Theres no frills in this car to take up your slack except antilock brakes which I appreciate. Its trully a sports car and will test any drivers skill but also instills confidence and makes you want to do it all again. It makes your dopamine levels surge when you do it right!

• 

  Almost Perfect - 2000 Honda S2000
  By MattMatt - October 12 - 2:00 am

  Incredible car all around for what it was made for. Looks, performance, engine sound is perfect especially with an intake, HIDs, digital dash, push- button start, good fuel economy, lets you stay in gear up to 9,000 rpms if you need to, stereo controls very nice and conveniently placed by driver, seats are nice, car feels fast no matter what speed your going and your nice and low. Cornering is superb, you can go 80mph on ramp to highway all the time and switching lanes is nice too. Braking is very responsive. In winter make sure tires have lots of tread or you will be spinning out all over the road.

• 

  One fun machine - 2003 Honda S2000
  By Indyjoel - October 11 - 2:00 am

  A great car. What a match, Formula 1 performance with Honda reliability. I actually love driving to work now.

• 

  A Blast to Drive! - 2003 Honda S2000
  By laldrich - October 11 - 2:00 am

  After more than 3 months, I still get a big smile when I see my red Honda. It is incredibly fun to drive, and it amazes me that I have avoided a ticket! I love it more and more... Fundamentally it is a drivers car. Comfort is for driving, nothing more. Its not a lot of fun with the top up since you are so low to the ground and it is very tough to see to the right rear of the car. But with the top down, you are transformed. You feel like driving a souped up go cart. It turns so tight, accelerates so well. I turned 51 this year, so this is my mid-life crisis car, and I dont have a second of regret. Enjoy....

• 

  Excellent Handling, balance, & Power - 2002 Honda S2000
  By REVHRD - October 11 - 2:00 am

  Exactly 1 yr as a S2K owner, for the price you pay, and the power, handling, style, its a deal. This is a pure SPORT CAR. Not a GT at all. You wont believe how great handling this car can take. In CA the HWY1 for test drive the ability of this car. Power & handling. Just cant beat it. I dont think you can find another one to replace it with the price range.