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+--- Thread: Long term (1 year) S2000 Review (/showthread.php?tid=4835)
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Long term (1 year) S2000 Review - Mike - 09-25-2006
50,000 miles; the point at which I consider a car to no longer be "new." Why not a quick overview of how the car is after its first 6 years of life?
Engine
Bulletproof. I change the oil every 3000-4000 miles using Mobil One and a Purolator filter. It has yet to even hiccup aside from some check engine lights caused by an ill-fitting gas cap ($4 fix).
Suspension
Still feels as good as new. There is a squeak in the front, but that is nothing out of the ordinary. Heck, if it didn't squeak, I'd have soemthing to be worried about.
Drivetrain
Unfortunately, this is one downside. I have one of the early cars that had the clutch screws come loose, which causes a buzzing upon engine braking. It is quite annoying, but my car was out of the recall window by the time I got it. It doesn't affect drivability, but is quite annoying.
The rear differential has recently clicked a little when I reverse out of my driveway. I plan on flushing the fluid sometime soon. If that doesn't solve it, I have a loose bolt on a driveshaft, which is a simple and common fix.
Exterior
Aside from the accident that took a year to get repaired, no major complaints here regarding anything metal.
The top is cause for concern, though. My rear window was replaced during the accident debacle (body shop scratched my old one), but if it hadn't, that'd be an expense I'd have to forego sometime soon.
The cloth top has been bleached/dried a good bit, but I plan on putting some super product that BJ has on it. I have also noticed some small cracks/tears in two seams; I'm not sure what to do with those.
The top has also collected water in the passenger's side frame too, which all falls when I accelerate. I think this is related to my driveway being slanted so I'm going to try parking in the street when it rains from now on.
Interior
I've had to replace my stock carpets as the passenger side was getting worn through on the frame rail. BJ lucked out by getting two sets sent to our house, so I got them on the cheap.
The seats are a total pain to clean in the crevices. The driver's side is also beginning to show some decent wear.
The stock head unit has been treating me fine thanks to the previous owner putting some nice speakers in the doors. Unfortunately, the speakers are a little big, causing the door panel to rattle on the tweeter mounts. I had to repair one with superglue (it had broke the tweeter off) and plan on putting some foam in between the two to solve the rattling.
The interior itself has a good number of rattles, but with the top down and the music up, they're hard to notice.
Efficiency
I regularly see around 23mpg commuting and 30ish on the highway. This could be better if not for the car's ridiculously short gearing (required to make it scoot). I can't complain as it is better than most cars and still a sports car
mile:Conclusion
I feel bad getting to drive this thing to work every day. I see other people in their boring cars and realize how good I have it. Sure, I can't take a week long road trip without a luggage rack, but that has only been an issue once. Sure, I can't haul around all my friends, but that rarely happens either. This past weekend crusing down and back to the beach/river/vacation house was awesome. It can even fit a full bag of golf clubs! I have yet to toss a bike rack on it, but I'm thinking of maybe even going with a hitch so I can put a basket (for trips) as well as a nice bike rack on the rear. For my age and situation, the car is perfect; time and again I try to think of something within my price range that I'd like to have and I draw a blank. Also, when else will I be able to enjoy something as impractical? Maybe 40 years down the line? The S2000 gets my thumbup
- KPWSerpiente - 09-25-2006
Nice write up. They look fun as hell but I hate that digital dash.
-T
- CaptainHenreh - 09-25-2006
I just wish they were cheaper.
Honestly, I love the look, I love the sound, I love the motor, and I love the way a black S2K with a black hardtop looks. Amazing.
But they are just waaaaaay too expensive.
- Mike - 09-25-2006
CaptainHenreh Wrote:But they are just waaaaaay too expensive.
For what they are, I tend to agree, but I don't think anything would put as much happiness in my pants per dollar. Sure, I could have gotten something awesome/cool and modified it, but it wouldn't 0 hours of extra maintenance and $60 in oil after a year.
Yay for good resale! <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/115129/article.html">http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top ... ticle.html</a><!-- m -->
If anyone is looking to get one, get one around my year. I think I bought a year too early as far as depreciation goes, but when I saw a white w/ red/black interior in Tysons, I had to get it.
- Goodspeed - 09-25-2006
Good post, I'm a big fan of those cars.
Speaking of S2K's, I saw a black one on campus today with blingy black/chrome wheels....I saw the same guy in the parking deck of Tysons Corner mall over the summer.
- Beej - 09-25-2006
My thoughts (had one for 1 year and 20k miles).
Engine: Totally agree.
Suspension: Agree that it felt great, except that squeak really got on my nerves. I've heard it in all S2000's I've ever been in, but it was annoying. I don't see how it 'not squeaking' would cause you to worry, unless you know something I don't.
Drivetrain: My bling-ass '03 didn't have the clutch problem, but I had the rear axle nut problem. It was annoying, but I never bothered to fix it. The shifter fell straight from the heavens - that thing was perfect.
Exterior: My top was in decent condition, but I had the glass window (ten times better than that plastic thing). No rips/tears, but I did get the occasional leak in the same spot you do (and it seemed to be moreso when I parked downhill).
Interior: The framerail is the worst thing ever in terms of carpet wear. The Rick's mats kicked ass at covering that up though. I thought the leather was pretty crappy quality too. I also thought it was WAY too rattley for a 30k+ car. They have a lot of road noise too (which is to be expected in a convertible, I guess), but it gets really annoying for long highway trips.
Efficiency: Pretty fantastic for a 240hp car.
Conclusion: Couldn't stand not having storage or a back seat. Ease of access got on my nerves too - it wasn't really a graceful act to get in and out of the thing. Hard to beat top down driving in the evening though. If you can take the impracticality (and lack of torque), then :thumbup:. I consider myself privileged that I (read: my bank) got to own one.
- ScottyB - 09-25-2006
nice read. i'm really really not a fan of convertibles at all. but the S2k is so pure it's hard not to love it. some day, some day....
- ziich - 09-27-2006
ever try to get sideways in that thing?
- Mike - 09-27-2006
ziich Wrote:ever try to get sideways in that thing?
uhhhh... yes? it's not the best car for it w/ it's twitchy rear end and odd power curve.
- Maengelito - 09-27-2006
i got a little sideways in bj's stook last year when we traded cars for the drive back to petes
- Beej - 09-27-2006
I took Maeng's STi to 9k.
- Maengelito - 09-27-2006
lol, i was wondering why i had those holes in my block. i figured they were just speed holes... ya know... makes the car go faster
- Mike - 12-09-2006
And I just changed the tranny fluid. The stuff that was in there still looked perfectly fine, but it was starting to get a little too notchy for my taste. Threw in 1.6Q of Redline MT-90 and shifts are like butter again!
Was also prepared to change the diff fluid until I realized I need a freaking 23mm wrench. I went to 4 stores and couldn't find one... Most people had never even heard of one.
- Mike - 12-09-2006
I've started using docs.google.com to keep track of all my vehicle expenses since I can access it anywhere.
2006 vehicles: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=psmvwhMhdJfgDmakJepBDYg">http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key= ... makJepBDYg</a><!-- m -->
- Andy - 12-09-2006
Mike Wrote:And I just changed the tranny fluid. The stuff that was in there still looked perfectly fine, but it was starting to get a little too notchy for my taste. Threw in 1.6Q of Redline MT-90 and shifts are like butter again!
Was also prepared to change the diff fluid until I realized I need a freaking 23mm wrench. I went to 4 stores and couldn't find one... Most people had never even heard of one.
I have a 23mm wrench and socket should you still need it.
- Feersty - 12-09-2006
Question mike, are your tires considered low profile?
- D_Eclipse9916 - 12-09-2006
Andy Wrote:Mike Wrote:And I just changed the tranny fluid. The stuff that was in there still looked perfectly fine, but it was starting to get a little too notchy for my taste. Threw in 1.6Q of Redline MT-90 and shifts are like butter again!
Was also prepared to change the diff fluid until I realized I need a freaking 23mm wrench. I went to 4 stores and couldn't find one... Most people had never even heard of one.
I have a 23mm wrench and socket should you still need it.
diito....
- Mike - 12-09-2006
Feersty Wrote:Question mike, are your tires considered low profile?
i would assume so. i don't know of any concrete definition of that term, though.
- Mike - 12-10-2006
hrmph so 1st and 2nd were close to impossible to get in to this morning. hrmph...
Re: Long term (1 year) S2000 Review - WRXtranceformed - 12-10-2006
Mike Wrote:I feel bad getting to drive this thing to work every day. I see other people in their boring cars and realize how good I have it.
I really like that quote a lot =) I've debated buying a beater Civic or something to drive back and forth to work in, but after driving a comfortable, luxurious car it would be really hard for me to give that up. There is a lot to be said for having a comfortable, quiet commute... especially when you drive as much as I do.
Mike, it could just be the cold weather starting to set in. I always noticed my MT cars had a tough time getting into gear at first in the winter. Did you notice it last year?