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By: Derek Price
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When
you drive a different car each week, people often
ask you which is your favorite.
I've always had the same answer: the Honda S2000.
This little two-seat roadster, at $34,000, is far from
the most expensive car I've driven. It's not the
fastest, either, and certainly not the most
comfortable.
But after driving one a few years ago -- with an
engine that revved to 9,000 RPM and a rock-hard
suspension designed more for the racetrack than
public roads -- I absolutely fell in love with it.
It was like Honda had designed a car exactly to my
specifications and said, "Forget about the rest of
the world. Let's build a car just to make Mr. Price
happy."
Admittedly, most people would have hated the S2000 when
it was introduced. Its little 2.0-liter engine made
virtually no power at the bottom end, so if you
didn't want to stall at red lights you'd have to rev
it up to 5,000 RPM before you let the clutch out,
making you look like a teenage idiot who just got
finished watching "The Fast and the Furious."
What's more, the suspension seemed like it was made of
concrete, so the car stayed perfectly flat in
corners, but your spine felt like it had been run
through a Cuisinart blender. The engine was so loud
my wife refused to ride in it.
Oh, how I loved that car.
But Honda couldn't keep good enough alone. Today's
S2000 is still an incredible machine -- and remains
atop the list of my favorite cars -- despite Honda
taking the edge off and creating a kinder, gentler
roadster.
The biggest change is a new four-cylinder engine that's
10 percent bigger, now at 2.2 liters. It makes 237
horsepower -- the same as the smaller engine it
replaced in 2005 -- but it's far easier to drive
than the old model thanks to its torquier power
band. It doesn't stall nearly as easily, so you
don't have to leave red lights like those kids in
souped-up Civics with rear wings from the Defense
Department and exhaust tips from Maxwell House.
Still, I prefer the old S2000 engine. When the old one
revved all the way to 9,000 it sounded like a
dentist's drill from hell, with an anti-social,
high-pitched shriek that would scare little kids and
make their moms scowl at you. The new one is limited
to 8,200 RPM, which is far higher than most
street-legal cars but anticlimactic compared with
the old, scary one.
The rear suspension is softer, too. I'm OK with this
change because it seems to have improved the
handling, which used to be skittish over bumpy
roads. It seems more stable as a result and doesn't
sacrifice the car's impeccable, precise handling.
Honda added an electronic nanny for 2006 called Vehicle
Stability Assist. I usually hate stability systems
on performance cars because they cut off the power
as soon as a wheel slips, taking away all the fun.
Honda's system is tuned perfectly on this car,
though, as it measures the throttle and steering
wheel positions to determine whether you actually
want a wheel to skid. It doesn't step in and save
you until you've made an incredibly stupid move.
Another change for this year is the addition of
electronic drive-by-wire throttle control. Honda
says it improves engine response compared with an
old-style mechanical linkage, but I honestly can't
tell the difference. The older throttle felt
perfectly responsive to me. It's probably one of
those improvements designed more for the racetrack
than for the street.
Other changes for 2006 are minor, including standard
headrest speakers and a revised seat and console
design that improves cargo space from microscopic to
tiny.
The cabin has the same brilliant basic layout, where
every important control is within reach of your
fingertips without having to take your hand off the
steering wheel. This car is so focused on the thrill
of driving that it doesn't even have a glove box.
It's just a pure, simple,
get-me-where-I-want-to-go-FAST sports car.
I've always had a split opinion on the price of this
car. If you're looking for a roadster that makes you
smile on a sunny day, you can get a much better deal
by buying a Mazda Miata or Pontiac Solstice, which
will cost around $10,000-$15,000 less than the
$34,000 price of an S2000. Both those cars are about
the same fun as the Honda, despite their comparative
lack of speed.
Then again, if you compare it to the exotic sports cars
that it can compete with on the racetrack -- say, a
Porsche Boxster -- the S2000 is a downright steal.
It's faster than the Boxster for $11,000 less.
Still, I'd take a used, hard-to-drive, 9,000-RPM S2000
over the new, sanitized one. |
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| Ratings: |
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Style: 9
Performance: 10
Price: 9
Handling: 10
Ride: 5
Comfort: 3
Quality: 10
Overall: 9
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| Why Buy
It: |
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It's faster than a Porsche Boxster for $11,000 less.
It's a purist's sports car that is designed entirely
around the needs of the driver, with a super-responsive
suspension, solid chassis, amazing engine and
snick-snick transmission.
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| Why Avoid
It: |
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It's a very uncomfortable car with virtually no
storage in the cabin. The engine screams like a wailing
baby when you rev it up. It's bumpy, noisy and cramped.
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