This Absolute Legend Drives A 200,000 Mile Honda S2000. Here’s How It’s Holding Up

Honda S2000 Topshot
ADVERTISEMENT

By now, you’ve probably heard everything about the Honda S2000, the 9,000 rpm, shifter-from-god-having roadster that’s taken on near-mythological status on this side of the Atlantic. However, such hype has rendered low-mileage examples out of reach for many, so what’s living with a high-mileage Honda S2000 like? Thankfully, Autopian member Scott McConnell emailed us saying that his 2001 Honda S2000 was about to crack 200,000 miles. Color is intrigued.

A Honda S2000 isn’t an easy car to put 200,000 miles on. Scott’s had it for 45,000 miles, and he admits, “earplugs are critical above 60mph for any extended period of time.” The S2000 just isn’t a car that takes well to going slow, but the Carolinian hills give Scott the chance to exercise the two-liter four-cylinder engine’s lungs often.

It’s the perfect playground for fast steering, 9,000 rpm upshifts, and top-down motoring. Judging by what Scott’s told us about his ownership experience, it sounds like he’s got a lot out of it over the past few years.

Honda S2000 gauge cluster

While performance cars in general aren’t low-maintenance machines, it sounds like this S2000 has been fairly reliable as far as early aughts sports cars go. As with anything approaching 200,000 miles, some unscheduled maintenance has been required. In Scott’s words:

I just had the clutch replaced last April, and judging by the stack of Carfax I got, I think it’s the 3rd clutch. The top has also been replaced twice, but the one I have now is in good condition with no leaks. When the clutch was fully broken in I actually thought there was something wrong with the rev limiter. Normally the car would top out at 84mph in 3rd gear (glorious), but now I was reaching closer to 90mph. I suspect my old clutch was slipping at 84, giving the impression that was the end of the line.
The biggest replacement I did was the radiator when the OEM plastic one started getting hairline cracks in it. A Koyo aluminum one fixed that up just fine. The VTEC solenoid also had to be replaced as the internal seals were leaking a bit every time it engaged. That also turned out to be a major source of my oil consumption. It still consumes some oil, but going from WOT to closed at 9k RPM is bound to have a wee bit of blowback, eh?
The scariest/most serious issue I had was when a clip from a replaced air boot got dislodged and made its way into the intake and jammed a valve open. That was 2 hours away from home after driving 10 hours. It stalled out at a gas station then wouldn’t stay on without running horribly then I tried to rev it and it somehow dislodged and I was able to make it home safely (at 1am). I then had it towed to the shop when I got home. They found the culprit and asked who installed the air boot…when I informed them it was actually them, they replaced the air boot, and did a full valve job and compression test. Nary a peep of trouble since.

Speaking of top end components, Scott’s had the valvetrain of his S2000 apart, writing that “the intake valve retainers were found to be cracked, and were replaced without issue in the past 10k miles too.” This is a known issue on AP1 S2000s and if these cars are over-revved or see a lot of time at redline, a broken valve retainer can crumble and have bits fall into a cylinder with catastrophic results. Since you can never guarantee how a previous owner treated their car, it’s not a bad idea replace the intake valve retainers preventatively, should you fancy an AP1 S2000.

Honda S2000

So, other than a few unscheduled repairs, how does a Honda S2000 hold up over 200,000 miles? Unsurprisingly, like many cars that have seen similar use, there is some emissions-related weirdness going on, but it doesn’t seem to be too bad. According to Scott:

The evap system is cranky and sometimes throws a CEL, but not consistent. I have an aftermarket catalytic converter on it since I drove a bit too vigorously on a gravel road and dislodged the honeycomb inside the stock one. The car is all stock except for a little override module to stop the secondary air compressor from turning on, as I couldn’t stand the sound of a leaf blower when I turn on the car. Oh, and steel brake lines. That was a pretty great upgrade.
In addition, you just can’t expect a car to look perfect after nearly 200,000 miles without obsessive periodic cosmetic reconditioning. Scott’s S2000 is wearing its mileage with pride, and it has a few stories to tell including an unfortunate incident with a particularly malicious deer.
Shortly after buying the car in 2016, a deer hit me (not the other way around, I slowed down and the damn buck *changed course* to be able to hit me). The 6 point stag got scooped up onto the hood, then when I came to a full stop he rolled off, onto the road, shook it off then ran away. There was a slight dent to the front wheel fender, that I popped out, but that’s all. Again, it’s not a looker. Once at a Cars and Coffee I found some stray pine needles in the soft top holder area and ‘decorated’ the car for the show. It was in the middle of the parking lot, and man did that confuse and upset some people!

Other than the cracked paint on the front fender, a mark on the front bumper, a ding on the left quarter panel, and a slightly dodgy fender badge, Scott’s S2000 looks pretty good.

Honda S2000

The interior’s well-kept, and it wouldn’t be that expensive to get its cosmetic condition to 90 percent. Of course, that would require downtime, and if it’s something’s not going to cause or exacerbate structural rust, why use it as an excuse to stop driving? Sports cars aren’t best when parked, and the two most important cosmetic bits to keep in good shape — the seats and steering wheel, because you touch them constantly — look pretty damn good here.

Honda S2000

The Honda S2000 isn’t a car for everyone, but if your priorities lie in ripping off bursts of nine-grand shifts as an arcade-like digital dashboard shows you’ve hit the jackpot, the Honda S2000 is the sports car to have. When you’re really demanding all from the F20C engine, it simply feels like one of the greatest engines ever installed in a production car.

Honda S2000

Scott’s Honda S2000 seems like a great example of buying the maintenance records instead of the number on the dashboard, and then keeping the oily bits nice. Evidence of cash splashed by previous owners like multiple top replacements and one likely clutch replacement means that Scott was able to scoop up a poster car and likely have tons more fun than people with low-mileage examples sitting in their garages.

Oh, and if you have a high-mileage performance car, drop us an email. Whether you bought a Porsche 928 brand new and are still regularly enjoying it, acquired a well-loved Range Rover Supercharged you’re brave enough to daily drive, we’ve love to hear from you.

(Photo credits: Scott McConnell)

Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.

Relatedbar

Got a hot tip? Send it to us here. Or check out the stories on our homepage.

About the Author

View All My Posts

43 thoughts on “This Absolute Legend Drives A 200,000 Mile Honda S2000. Here’s How It’s Holding Up

  1. Okay fine just bought a 238,000 Toyota from a dealer without a preinspection with a chandelier on the dash, that is less than a Christmas tree, but more than a clean slate, patent pending on the word.
    Where is my article about being a
    hero? I guess I’ll write it myself?
    Alas poor me.

  2. This reminds me. I’m seeing ~$5,000 Volvo hard top C70’s lately. I think I need to get one. I’ve never owned a convertible. Even an older one would probably make me happy. A little bit luxury, kind of sporty, nice looking and most importantly, no top and bought for “F – it” money.

  3. My dad has a 2000 S2000 (silver/red leather like the one in this article) that he bought new and it has 160k+ miles, IIRC. It stays covered all the time in a garage or on his driveway. Original clutch, second top, and some other obscure (at least to me) repairs that I can’t recall right now. The most recent thing is the top well drains were clogged causing flooding inside the trunk. He’s 75 and still driving it whenever he can.
    He taught me the “a red line a day keeps carbon buildup away”, so I know it gets it’s legs stretched on the reg. I love hearing the beautiful noises it makes so I drive it like it was meant to be, too.

    1. That’s awesome! I bet the transmission is a bit tighter than mine. It still snicks in, but there’s definitely more wirring and strange (but not concerning) sounds.

      1. From what I remember, the linkage and clutch haven’t aged a day! My dad tells me the clutch slave cylinder is starting to stick, so that’s his next project. I also found out that, like you, he replaced the radiator a few thousand miles back so it didn’t even last 60k. Apparently, Honda has trouble learning because he told me that the Civic he bought back in 1989 had a plastic and aluminum radiator that he replaced also. The S2000 got an all aluminum one.

  4. I have no fear of high-mileage enthusiast cars at this point. My first car was a 1966 Thunderbird I bought in 2017 with about 98k miles on the odometer, original and unrestored, a little rough around the edges, but running and driving. It didn’t live an easy life, as evidenced by a large dent on the passenger side door, and a reliable but fussy engine that took 10 minutes to start and warm up every morning, stalled frequently, ran on 7 cylinders, and got about 5 mpg. After about a year, I rebuilt the engine and it hasn’t given me any problems since. Even when it ran poorly it always got me to my destination, and only left me stranded once, due to a failed alternator which cost me $70 and an hour to replace.

    All these years later, I checked the odometer, and it read… 98k miles. So, all I know for sure is that it had AT LEAST 98k miles when I bought it, but who knows how long ago it broke? It has at least well over 100k miles on it now, with the original engine still under the hood, and still running like a top. Most reliable car I’ve ever owned, and since it has the David Tracy-approved timing chain, I believe it’ll last another 100k miles easily.

    My other car is a 1990 Miata with ~208.7k miles on the odometer and what I believe to be the original engine. The clutch has been replaced, shifter rebuilt, and the timing belt replaced every 60k miles or so, with the last replacement happening at 190k so I still have over 40k to go before the next belt replacement. The car is holding up very well, though the previous owner took excellent care of it, repainted it, and I think even reupholstered it which is a large part of why. Things going wrong: The mirrors have loosened up to the point of drooping from wind and vibrations every time I take it on the highway, requiring frequent adjustments, and the pop-up headlights are getting fussy but still work if you fiddle with the buttons and stalk enough. I also had to replace the top two weeks after buying the car, but the previous owner helped me out with that which was nice.

    IMO, a high-mileage good-condition car (with maintenance records) is a much better investment than a pristine low-mileage car, because you know for a fact the high-mileage car has been maintained well, whereas the low-mileage car has sat for the majority of its life and therefore likely has dried out seals and gaskets and the oil had time to drain out of the top of the engine in between every startup, plus the tires are suspect even if they look good. Even electrics can get buggy if not used frequently.

    I’d much rather buy a car that’s been used and enjoyed while being cared for, and add to its history, than buy a car that’s been neglected by not being driven. Cars aren’t meant to be static objects or investments, the more you drive them the better. Even if it’s a BMW, all those fragile plastic parts will get fragile from age whether you drive it or not, so might as well have fun sending it while they last.

    1. Thank you! I forgot to mention the cruise control conked out about 1000 miles ago, it was pretty recent. I haven’t missed it, so it wasn’t on my mind.

      I’m dreaming of a day where carbon fiber wheels become a bit more affordable as cutting the weight of the wheels by 50% would make the most dramatic difference to how it drives.

  5. You guys are going to throw tomatoes at me for this one. My buddy had a low mileage S2000 in the early aughts. Silver, 2.0. Weren’t they all silver? It just didn’t grab me quite as much as all the hype for it. It is the antithesis of the muscle car, which I’ve never owned, but is on my bucket list. I understand that today, a manual tranny, drop top, light weight, RWD, sports car, with a 9k RPM is something that may never happen again. I just didn’t love a drive train that felt like a gutless wonder for 70% of its operation. There is a no replacement for displacement (well, turbos), Murica!! Commence throwing tomatoes.

    1. Well, my friend, there is more than one way to motor. Torque is cool, but you know what? So is a car with what can pass for a motorcycle engine in terms of freewheeling fun in its power band. If you’re spending 70% of your time below 6000 rpm in your S2K, you’re doing it wrong. Damn I miss my 2000.

      1. It’s true, if you shift when you’re supposed to (>8k rpm) then it naturally falls to around 6.5k for a smooth shift quickly back to WOT/vtech

    2. I always considered the small fast in the corners nimble roadsters to be sportscars and the heavy ungainly only good in the straits as muscle cars.
      Guess which I prefer?

    3. Having never driven an S2000, I’m not sure I buy that it’s really that gutless at low RPM. My manual VTEC Accord pulls strong from 1500rpm to redline. It absolutely does not represent the Honda=no torque stereotype, which I’m not sure is true at all.

      Ironically, my VTEC Honda has a massively wider powerband than my torquey American engines, which also pull strong from ~1500rpm to their (much lower) redlines.

      1. It is pretty weak at low rpm, he isn’t wrong. I mean, it still gets the job but you really don’t get to the powerband unless your are on the throttle and in the rev range.

      2. It’s gutless in the sense that 10% throttle to 100% makes no difference. I just floor it around 3k and wait patiently until it hits about 4.5k then it really gets going!

    4. I’ve driven both an S2000 (and hard) and Saturn Sky Redline -turbo. I’ve owned the Saturn for 5 years now. So you know where I ended up, and for the same reason you mention. The torque down low is much more usable. You’ll see a lot of s2000 people mentioning “you just gotta get it up to 8,000 rpm and keep it there”. But unless I’m taking it out to the country or want to look like a dick with a screaming honda flying though my neighborhood your kind stuck.

      I’ve ridden sportbikes, and the S2000 reminded me of that. Just amazingly smooth at high rpms and really fun to hear it screaming, squeak the tires as you drop it into 2 at wot.

      1. When reading about the upcoming S2000s in the late 90s I was as excited as the next guy. 110hp per liter? The highest specific output for any NA engine? 240hp in a little drop top? That was serious shit back then. It was kind of the “ultimate” of the high Rev Honda VTEC stuff. That’s all cool. But I think even Honda admitted that they may have taken it a little far with the revision boring the engine out to 2.2 and lowering the redline. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong. I’m just saying 240hp in a very narrow Rev range is very different from a broad torque curve. I’m not saying Hondas approach is right or wrong, I just didn’t fall in lust the way I thought I would.

        1. yeah, I wanted to like it more. And it’s still fun. But for the same money I ended up with something similar but with 340ftlbs of tq, most of which is available at 2,000rpm. Just more fun for 99% of my driving.

          That shifter on the s2000 is really a joy though, btw.

      2. If had to daily the s2000 I would not love it nearly as much. As it is though, it’s purely for bombing down country roads, which it is perfect for. I leave it in 3rd gear which is great fun anywhere from 45-85mph. Cruising at 55/65 sounds glorious and the analog throttle response is crisp!

        1. Yeah, for your use case the S2000 is a nice weapon.

          I had a sportbike that redlined at 14k, reminded me of it when I drive an s2000. It was so fun when you could keep it in power… highway or 55mph country road. Like it was singing a song all the way up to the redline.

          Around me I get to drive some twisties, speeds around 35-40mph in the hairpins, so low end torque is really king. I’m glad there are different cars for different situations. The s2000 included.

          1. no doubt! When I take mine to the blue ridge parkway with the real twisties, 2nd gear does well for me. I’m also thankful that 1st gear has a syncro, because a few turns are sharp/steep enough that a downshift into first is really necessary to get the oomph to keep the speed up.

    5. I am also not a fan of the S2000 or its power delivery, but for different reasons. I have two 1.8L Miatas so I can’t point fingers for engine size. Even my V8 car is a 4.6L so on the lower end of the displacement scale. All three ARE boosted though so displacement matters a lot less at that point I suppose.

  6. > They found the culprit and asked who installed the air boot…when I informed them it was actually them, they replaced the air boot, and did a full valve job and compression test.

    God I love the feeling when someone is about to heap a pile of blame on the previous idiot that worked on your car or plumbing or HVAC or whatever and you get to say “actually you are that idiot, please fix it”.

    1. I’m always torn in these situations. On the one hand, I’d like to have the shoddy service/repair rectified, but on the other hand, these are the guys who screwed it up, so …

      If I have good, long term business relationship with a garage, I’ll trust them. If it’s a new one, maybe I go somewhere else.

      Many years ago, I had my car tuned up by a new to me mechanic. He was fully certified and had good referrals. After I picked up the car, I immediately noticed that it hesitating badly under acceleration. This had never happened before. I returned to the garage and had the mechanic drive with me. Sure enough, as we hit the highway, it began to hesitate and buck. Back at the garage, he looked everything over, then proceeded to tell me the clutch was going and would need replacing. The car was less than three years old with barely 30,000k on the odometer. I told him I’d think about it and drove immediately to the main dealer in the area.

      After listening to my story, The dealer service manager took the car out for a spin. He was back in five minutes. Ten minutes later, he pulled the car out of the service bay and told me to drive it with him. Everything was perfect. Turns out, the first mechanic had used plug wires for the non-turbo, 8-valve version of my car and not for the 16-valve, turbo engine. The wires couldn’t handle the load. Not only did the service manager diagnose the problem in minutes, he wouldn’t even charge me for the new plug wires! He got a tip anyway.

      The other guy wanted $1200 for a clutch I didn’t need and I still would’ve had the problem. I did let the first guy know what had caused the problem. He was contrite and it was an honest mistake (his teenage parts runner picked up the wrong wires), but I found a brilliant mechanic and never had another complaint. That Saab logged over 500,000 miles in 30 years – on the original clutch!

      1. Agreed, I have a garage that I use exclusively that does great work and doesn’t try to screw you either. If this happened to me, I’m confident they’d own up to it and make sure I was taken care of.

        Mistakes happen – it’s how you deal with it after the fact that matters to me.

      2. So yeah, this shop and I have a long and trusted relationship. Not going to say they’re perfect, but they never BS me and always make it right if they messed up.

        It did feel pretty nice to get a free valve job out of it though, ngl.

        1. In that circumstance, I’d have done the same. Don’t want to blow up a good working relationship, especially when they make it right. Good story.

  7. A get that its a high strung sports car with a performance mission, but should it be weird that one made it 200,000 miles? Its still a Honda, and a Japanese made one at that. My low mileage car is 200,000 and aside from worn out leather seats, doesn’t look or feel it so maybe I’m just jaded.

  8. For my first car, I made the mistake of buying a 2000 Mustang GT convertible with 175k on it. The 5 speed and the modular v8 held up perfectly. The rest of the car completely fell apart. I sold it to some poor soul during 2022 when car prices were still insane for 2k more than I bought it for. Have a Honda Civic now and the peace of mind is worth it.

  9. I went to take a look on a 2003 Buick LeSabre with 57k miles and the reliable 3800 engine, the car looked clean but you can tell its a low miles car with not a good maintenance record. The oil looked bad, there was no coolant in the deposit, the suspension had a weird noise over bumps, some rust spots. They were asking 5K, my Honda with 260k miles felt better in general. Its all about keeping up with maintenance, high miles doesn’t scare me as long the car has a good record.

    1. I have a degree in English with a writing minor, but even I know life is too short to correct every typo or broken grammar rule.

    2. As someone who has written several books that have been proofread, edited, and copyedited by multiple people, typos aer insidious things that, like life, uh, always find a way. They can even be found in books I’ve read that are over a century old and have had a number of editions where, presumably, someone had gone through them again to make corrections. The human brain is too ready to correct minor flaws, so catching them all is just not something it’s good at doing (on the plus side, this is regularly taken advantage of in art through things like leaving lines unfinished for the mind to complete on its own). Yes, the typo was intentional (unless there’s more than one).

Leave a Reply