Best All-Around Sports Car: Honda S2000
We go to great lengths to help you choose.
543.4 points
Coming into this test, no one gave the S2000 any serious consideration. It was simply a car meant to fill a spot as Honda's sports-car representative. (The Acura NSX was left out because it's likely to be discontinued next year or be replaced by another model.) And since this head-turning 2-seater met all of the sports-car criteria for this test..."what the heck," we said.
"What the heck?" was more like it after a few laps in the S2000. This supposedly old car cut up the West Loop like a skilled surgeon with a scapel, posting a sub-70-sec. lap time. And its amazingly tossable, fun-to-drive nature put it among the favorites of the day on both tracks.
"The balance of this car is just great. You get
mild understeer at turn-in, but it's so mild that you can be hard on the
throttle early to get good exit speed. The car felt really light
through the corners, and the brakes were good. Because of this
combination, I was able to brake deep into a corner and get right back
on the throttle," Millen said.
The reason the S2000 handled differently from past models is that the suspension system, most notably the rear multilink setup, has been retuned to provide better stability and composure through all types of corners. Gone is the twitchy, nervous rear end that plagued autocrossers and weekend racers. Now those Bridgestone Potenzas stay properly planted on the driving surface, making the entire car behave smoothly and predictably. And speaking of rubber, the S2000 has more of it than before, with P215/45R-17s up front and P245/40R-17s at the rear. The steering is fantastic — quick and precise — enabling the car to exhibit flawless balance through left/right transitions. It was among the fastest through the esses of the West Loop.
The engine has also seen changes, most notably the increase in displacement, from 2.0 to 2.2 liters. This was done to give the car more low- and mid-range pop. While hardly perceptible at the track — keeping it on the cam still means staying above the 6500-rpm mark — the added flexibility pays substantial dividends on the open road. The car manages to pull from about 3000 rpm, making it unnecessary to constantly change gears when the flow of traffic fluctuates. But some would consider that a pity because this Honda 2-seater still has the best gearbox in the business. This direct-linkage 6-speed unit — with its well-defined gates, short throws and solid overall feel — scored a perfect 20 in the Gearbox category.
"I had honestly forgotten just how good a sports car the S2000 is. The gearbox is quite simply the best in the world, with wonderfully short, extremely positive throws. This current S2000 is less twitchy than the original, and was the easiest with which to execute beautiful 4-wheel drifts through Buttonwillow's faster corners. Man, is it fun," said Mike Monticello, Associate Editor.
The major strike against the S2000 is its ability as a tourer. Interior noise is high — whether the top is up or down makes little difference — and luggage space is limited. Ride quality is on the stiff side, as it becomes noticeably choppy over scarred roads.
The S2000 scored the most points in the value department. Its $32,950 sticker is the lowest of the group, undercutting the Porsche Boxster S by nearly $20,000. Granted, those in the top tax bracket probably won't give this Honda a second thought when shopping for a sports car, but if you're like most of us, stuck somewhere in the middle, then the S2000 may just be the ideal choice.
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