San Francisco: 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 to $15,000 less than the $34,000 price of a
Honda 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.
A front end that looks like a snake's head hints at
how viciously aggressive the Honda S2000 is. It's designed to put the
driving experience first and everything else second, making it one of
the most thrilling cars on the road.
One of the drawbacks of a pure sports car is an
uncomfortable cabin. While the driver-oriented layout is fantastic, the
racing-style seats, bumpy ride, noisy engine and lack of storage space
make it impractical for daily driving. It's an impressive piece of
high-performance equipment, but it's not something you'd want to commute
in.
Still, I'd take a used, hard-to-drive, 9,000-RPM
S2000 over the new, sanitized one.
What was tested? The 2006 Honda S2000 with a
base MSRP price of $34,050. Options: None. Price as tested including a
$550 destination charge: $34,600.
Why buy it? 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.
Why avoid it? 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 and it's bumpy, noisy and cramped.
By
Derek Price © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Honda Home Page
Byline: Syndicated content provided by Tony
Leopardo ©AutoWire.Net
Column Name: Honda's makes its sports car
more usable
Topic: The 2006 Honda S2000
Word Count: 1056
Photo Caption: The 2006 Honda S2000
Photo Credits: Honda Internet Media
Series #: 2006 - 56
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2006 Honda S2000
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