well this is an interesting thread.

not pertinent to the rest of what I'm about to post, but, Car & Driver rated the TL-S 6mt at a 5.5 0-60 and a 14.1 in the 1/4. Do people not trust C&D ratings? I saw someone post a 5.9 0-60 for the TL-S 6mt which I highly doubt.

anyways, to the OP - what kind of budget do you have? I've seen some people offering up alternatives, and you yourself have talked about an E36 as another alternative as well. The cars brought up in this thread range significantly in price.

are you taking a loan? I probably wouldn't buy an s2k as my only car in college unless my parents were loaded and gave me whatever I wanted, because as noted you'll spend money on good rubber and the car only serves one function, so if you've borrowed money for it, that would keep you pretty broke. All depends on your situation, though, I guess.

You want a driver's car, and 0-60 is important to you, it seems - how hard are you planning to drive the car? Cost of ownership is going to go up as you put the cars under stress, even if they are performance machines.

I have an '05 TL and wanted a 135i for the longest time - I still like them, but I ended up buying a TL-S 6mt instead because I couldn't find a 135i (definitely a true driver's car) with a manual and hardtop on the used market for less than low 30's.

I know I would beat that car, and I know it would break. If I could pay for it in cash, different story. I'm not into the business of buying toy cars and taking out loans on them - I have a 1986 Lotus Esprit turbo with 60k miles that I got for $8800. Older? Yes. Still very cool and very much a driver's car but I owe nothing on it. I wouldn't buy an s2k in college unless I had the cash to buy it outright and also had a daily driver. That's just me.

So, I would say, in general, s2k probably not a good idea as your only means of transportation. While in college, I would have loved a TL. That's a sweet ride for a college kid - reliability and nice amenities and highly functional.

 

I agree, unless you have a source of income taking out a loan just to buy a car isnt wise.

I know someone with an s2k working a low paying hourly job. He's pretty much slave to his car payments.

Anyways, all I ever drove in college was a '93 integra worth less than my macbook.

 

Ha. You know what I had in college? An old manual Subaru station wagon that looked something like this:

but it carried all my shit, got good mileage, and was a workhorse. Didnt get me killed trying to race it either

 

^ so spoiled! that thing must've been a awd rally beast.

I do miss being able to carry my road bike in the back of my integra hatch without having to take any wheels off. My TL cannot do that (really wished it had 60/40 seats).

 

haha the only time it was somewhat fun to drive was in the snow. probably the perfect snow beast - light weight, tiny rims, awd, low torque... I was a ski instructor in college so it served me well

 

I have one in the garage right now, 2003 bone stock black on black with 20k miles on it. The only upgrade to date is a full stereo install because the stock one really sucked. It is my fiances car but she has always loved it. We have a 4 car garage and other than my vette the 3 stalls are Honda. I am 6'-4" and look like a monkey f*$king a football driving the s2000 but it is a blast rev-ing that thing up to 9k and throwing shifts and it handles like it is on rails. Make sure that the size will work both for you and it really doesn't haul more than a duffle bag and a small cooler in the trunk. Fun car, dependable, and looks great.

 

Ditto! I own an 03 spa yellow and love it! The tl and s are different beasts with different purposes. They both have quirks. If I were you and can afford, keep both cars.

I must say, my s has been the most reliable car I have owned. I drive it hard nonetheless . Good luck with your search

 

interesting how many TL owners also own S's lol

 

Picked up a Miata recently for something a bit smaller and fun to bang around in. But there's no way I would get rid of the TL for a car that small for a daily... I am not tall by any means (5'11") but that car is small. There's a nice turbocharger in my closet waiting for the spring time to go into the little Miata for extra fun times.

But I second buying a toy car outright without a loan. Paid for the Miata in cash, you shouldn't tie yourself to payments for a non-essential vehicle that you WILL use and abuse.

 

So to begin, I would not be able to afford a second car at all right now. One car would be it.

I would not want to take out a loan, so my price range would be the current value of my TL, plus maybe a little extra cash. Currently I have no student loans either.

I know the TL is an awesome car for college, it really is just about everything I want, except for a drivers car. Something RWD with a 6 speed or 5 speed is what im looking for. I have pretty much ruled out the S2K, its just too small. I know I would regret trading it for my TL in a later day.

The E36 M3 would be awesome, 2 or 4 doors, and a great handling car. Maintenance is where it might get me. E46 is cool too, but idk if i could find a good one that has been taken care of for the price.

I have always loved the look of the G35. A set of coils while tucking some tire looks awesome on that car. Yes the interior may not be the best compared to the TL, but its still all right. Ive been in one.

350z?

So what other suggestions might there be? And keeping the TL is ALWAYS and has ALWAYS been an option. I love it. I am just craving more, and I dont feel like i can wait four more years until im out of school.

 

go check out some genesis coupes.

 

Get a CR-Z with a 6MT and slap a supercharger on it

 

I never really saw anything cool about the S2000's. I just feel there are soo many other cars that offer wayyyyyy more. From the information I gathered they certainly arent fast, sure they handle good but what does handling really matter on public streets? They dont really have any options or features, they are incredibily tiny, probably unsafe if you get hit by anything larger than a Smart car. If you like small cars that handle good and are fun to drive I would rather get like an 01 Prelude SH. I always thought those were pretty cool, but ofcourse finding a mint unmolested Prelude of any sort is darn near impossible these days. They all have been owned by 17 year old boys who love blue lights and huge wings.

Moral of the story, I say keep the TL (or get a 6mt TL-S), or something that offers more than the S2K.

James

 

I had a 2005 s2000. Loved it! Threw it around and rev it to redline every chance I got and only needed oil changes. Planning to get another the first chance I get to nice back to Florida.

I also had 2 preludes. A prelude Si with a jdm h22 swap and a 99 prelude SH. nothing compared to a s2000. It's like everything in a prelude perfected and multipled by 10

 

S2000= Fun, quick, reliable. Also SMALL, only 2 people.

I just got rid of a 2010 Camaro SS/RS because my WDP TL HEAVILY MODDED 6-speed wasnt fast enough for me. I was a fool for tradding it in on the Camaro. Sure the Camaro was awesome, RWD, FAST, but after 26 months I was not sad to see it go. 2 doors suck, small back seats suck, even though I was mostly the only one in the car. I got the POWER BUG out of me. Over those 26 months I gradually started missing my TL more and more. I have owned 3-TL's and many other cars and trucks.

ALL I CAN SAY is look VERY CLOSE at both "PROS" and "CONS" !!!!!

Choose wisely. Make sure you really only want FUN, because thats all an S2000 IS.

Just a strong suggestion.

Happy New Year Brother

 

I've owned three S2Ks... Two AP2s and an AP1...all three were stock. All but one was used as my DD. Not everyone can have that type of car as a DD and not everyone is capable of handling the car properly. It's certainly not the fastest thing on the road, but you'd be hard pressed to find a car that handles as well as the S does.

At the risk of being flamed on here...those who say the S2K does poorly in the rain and snow either don't know how to properly handle the car, drove it with overly-worn tires or just plain acted foolishly behind the wheel.

My S2Ks with Dunlop WinterSport tires put my 05 TL to shame in the snow. IMHO, front wheel drive is the only drawback I can think of with the TL. I've owned many cars over the years and front wheel drive has always been a joke in the snow.

 

Ever thought about an IS300?

Lexus reliability, luxury comfort, RWD, 5spd, small compact sedan, pretty quick

 

I hear the GTI is a pretty sweet vehicle.

 

hey guys
the s2k and tl are night and day I own a 06tl auto and a 01 GPW 421rwhp which is the best RWD sportscar Ive ever owned.I picked up the TL for snow and comfort the s2k is a weekend street car

 

That's my plan for my next S. I want a boosted s2k so bad. Full race made amazing power on stock block. Can't wait.

 

I didn't read all of the posts in this thread, but if you can afford to, keep the TL and have the S2k as a weekend toy. NO REGRETS, best of both worlds. Just go to S2ki dot com if you have questions about them. They have beaten the AP1 Vs AP2 question to death on their forum.

The TL and S2K is like Comparing Apples to Apple Pies. 2 different worlds.