Honda S2000 2005: The Weekly Driver Review

The 30-mile stretch from Willits to Ft. Bragg alongtest. The tight, conforming seats, small, rigid steering
Highway 20 inwheel and short-
Northern California is an ideal place to drive a sportsthrow gearbox afford plenty of excitement. The
car. The two-lanevehicle maneuvers well
road offers tight switchbacks, extended flatthrough traffic and despite its small size, has great
stretches and plenty ofbalance and little
climbs and descents.On a warm, spring day and withbody lean or wavering in the proximity of
a convertible top down, anyone who18-wheelers.The convertible top works easily. The
enjoys the combination of shifting gears, fresh airroutine includes unhooking or
and the open road willhooking two side top latches and engaging one
thrive on the route. It's a drivers' nirvana tuckedelectric console switch.
among forests ofThe top seals tightly and folds well.The S2000's
Redwood trees and rolling hills.And so it was recentlystandard interior and exterior features include: leather-
when my wife and I spent a getaway weekend.trimmed seats, AM/FM/CD stereo system,
We drove the segment twice en route andair-conditioning, cruise
returning from the Mendocino/control, power window and door locks, remote
Ft. Bragg coastline to Sacramento in a 2005 Hondamounted audio controls,
S2000.The two-seat convertible, unchanged from itsaluminum pedals, dual exhaust and Xenon HID
2004 debut, is Honda'sheadlights.The console is nicely appointed. It's tight on
only sports car, and it adds a pure-fun componentspace, but there's a small,
to the popularlockable vertical glove box between the seat backs
manufacturers' line of efficient, well-designed sedans,and another push-
SUVs, vans andbutton storage area between the front seats.The
hybrid vehicles.For my weekly drive, I hadtrunk will hold two medium, soft-side duffel bags and
4-cyclinder, 240-horsepower, 2.2-liter, 16-a few other
valve, six-speed model that includes a power softsmall items like a purse and small backpack. But the
top and 17-inch alloytrunk won't hold
wheels. With its bright (Rio Yellow Pearl) paint, blackmuch of anything unless the trunk cover is left
top, black interiorbehind.Just like the 2004 model, the current S2000
and sleekly contoured exterior, the vehiclehas a few overt drawbacks.
immediately attractedThere's very little interior room, the seating material
attention.Two fellow gas station patrons offeredis less than
compliments. The driver of thecomfortable and the car's quietness or lack of
identical car and his passenger offered anquietness is perplexing.The S2000 is considerably
enthusiastic wave when Imore noisy with the top up than it is with the
passed them on one afternoon's solo oceanfronttop down. And with the top up, there are driver's
drive. And severalcorner blind spots.
other pedestrians and drivers offered praises.YetFurther, the car's suspension absorbs little; every
the S2000, while offering a wonderful appearance,road bump and can be
also presents afelt by driver and passenger. Entering and exiting the
varying mix of sports-car niceties andS2000 defines
disappointments as a practicalwell the "crouch-and-crawl" method.Still, the S2000 is
vehicle.The positives are numerous: The six-speeda formidable offering. Its good looks are
transmission shifts nicelyeye-catching,
through gears. Acceleration tests for this yearand its shortcomings can be overlooked if their
weren't available, but thebuyer's desire is sports-
2.0-liter model from 2004 was given a 6.7-secondcar fun, not vehicle practicality.
mark in its 0-60 mph