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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S2000 The Good, The Bad, and The Pretty - 2002 Honda S2000
By stanhan - July 30 - 2:00 amThis is one fun car to drive. If you want to rev, shift and run through the twisties this car is for you. It made me forget about my long lost motorcycle and even the C-5 I sold a couple years ago. In stock form I think it offers just about every feature you could ask for. With its reliability, power convertible top, and performance, there simply isnt anything close for the money (why do you think dealers can mark them up and wont EVER sell them under sticker???). Dont expect the raw power of a V-8. The rear-end was defective ($7,000!). Honda stepped up and repaired it under the factory warranty.
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Great Car, Lousy Transmission - 2002 Honda S2000
By Jeramy - July 29 - 2:00 amI bought this car in December of 2001. Lust at first sight and Love at first drive. After six wonderful months with the car the transmission went sour. The dealership where I live, Allen Honda in College Station, TX claimed the car had been abused and therefore would not be covered under warranty. For sure, I drive hard. But... The car has never been on a race track, I have never missed a shift at high rpm, etc. etc. FYI, the Honda Customer Service rep. told me that shifting at redline can be construed as abuse?!?! Needless to say I will never own another Honda for the rest of my days.
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Honda S2000 - 2002 Honda S2000
By Astrojet - July 15 - 2:00 amWhat a great car! If it werent for the bad gas mileage, it would be as near perfect as any 2002 model could get.
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Best all around roadster - 2001 Honda S2000
By Starpaf - July 8 - 2:00 amAmazing drive, best cornering on the market, best shifting on the market and basically loads of fun...the downfall...do not drive more than 2 hours...tires wear quick...very quick!
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$9,000 per cylender? - 2002 Honda S2000
By Al Frank - May 25 - 2:00 amWhen I got in the cockpit I first got a positive impression of the car, but given time, other things came to my attention. The Cars performance would satisfy me if the price was around $25,000 because lets face it: 240 horses isnt extreme power by anybodys standards. I was dissappointed by the cars lack of power more than anything, although other aspects of performance were better.
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Girls just wanna have fun - 2004 Honda S2000
By Debic2000 - May 18 - 2:00 amIve only had the car since May and in the summer its the best - but I live in the Northeast and aside from the fact that its rear wheel drive, it really just doesnt like the cold - its noisy and an even harder ride than normal/
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Fun yet not comfortable - 2004 Honda S2000
By bobby98 - May 18 - 2:00 amI love this car, its sporty, fun, small, convient to park, yet its not a comfortable ride and its not road trip friendly....other then that its a great car.
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S2000 - 2001 Honda S2000
By drsayad - April 14 - 2:00 amAfter the initial 1500 miles the engine gained noticable horsepower every 500 miles. Finally around 3500 miles the engine was free revving and much easier to rev up throughout the gears. The suspension specially the shocks are about 5-10% softer than the inital days. Overall the car is much more competitive than its early days.
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Fun Fun Fun - 2000 Honda S2000
By pak-man - April 9 - 2:00 amLove to drive it, especially on highways.
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impulse buy - 2003 Honda S2000
By Hondarific - August 16 - 2:00 amAfter owning this car for a month I have to say.....I wish I would have waited. All the power is @ the high RPM bands which is great for highways and wide open roads but for day to day use in real world situations it leaves a lot to be desired. Another thing worth mentioning is that I had to have my wife take a cab when we got a flat tire because the damaged tire had to ride shotgun.
