Entered CNET Catalog: 04/20/2006
SKU: 100652271
Manufacturer: American Honda Motor Company, Incorporated
Product summary
The good: A howling VTEC power plant gives the four-cylinder 2006 Honda S2000 performance equal to its V-6 competitors. Go-kart handling and a sweet sporty shifter add the confidence to open it up.
The bad: A bizarre arrangement of buttons for stereo and climate control are the main tech features of the S2000's claustrophobic cabin. Peak performance arrives at an eye-popping 7,800rpm, meaning that you need a clear road or a private racetrack to get the most out of the engine.
The bottom line: The 2006 Honda S2000 is a pure driver's car, designed for those who think that cabin entertainment starts and ends with a short-throw manual shifter. Some bizarre remote controls and a cramped cabin are all but forgotten when the open road beckons.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 09/22/2006
The 2006 Honda S2000 roadster was designed with one thing in mind: performance. Honda took a punchy engine, dropped it into a great-looking, lightweight wrapper, then tried to make all the other gubbins fit around it. The S2000 has changed little since its introduction in 1999, and, as advances in in-car entertainment and information have raged around it, Honda's racy roadster has maintained its focus on pure drivability. Accordingly, most of the tech in the 2006 Honda S2000 is to be found under the hood, in the drive train, or in other parts of the performance infrastructure. While the S2000's spec sheet screams performance--its power-to-weight ratio is among the highest in its class--its maximum horsepower and torque are achieved only north of 6,000rpm, which is approaching extralegal territory on most roads. The car's few interior tech features and controls are bizarrely designed and in need of a 21st-century overhaul. Nevertheless, the S2000's nimble VTEC power plant coupled with its balanced design, precise steering, and flawless handling add up to a car that will put a smile on the face of all who drive it.
Cabin comfort (or lack of it)
While we usually spend the first section of our reviews talking about Bluetooth or GPS navigation, it doesn't really apply in the case of the S2000. The car was lucky to get a radio, which seems to have been added as an afterthought and hidden behind a drop-down panel that, when opened, jams into the knees of any driver over 6 feet tall. The S2000's standard AM/FM/CD player is an unremarkable single-DIN, single-disc unit set awkwardly low into the central stack. It boasts neither MP3- nor WMA-disc playback functionality, although it is prewired for XM Satellite Radio. Six hard-button preset keys along the front of bezel are flanked by a push/twist control knob on either side for controlling power and EQ settings. Audio output through the S2000's eight speakers (including one in each headrest) is unsurprisingly immersive, although it skews toward being muffled and bass-heavy at the expense of midrange refinement.
The most distinctive features of S2000's cabin tech are the remote controls for the stereo and HVAC systems situated to the left and right of the steering column respectively. While these are much easier to reach than the buried head unit, they present a curious appearance to the first-time S2000 driver, who will very probably have never seen anything like them. It seems that finding themselves in need of some extra buttons, engineers in the Honda factory in Suzuka, Japan, decided to employ some cost-saving measures by rounding up the nearest raw materials to hand and repurposing them. In the upper left of the cluster above the car's bright-red Engine Start button (a feature that we really like), a large circular Audio Control knob can be pushed to change the audio mode (AM, FM, or CD). We would have wagered a significant sum that this was a multifunction knob with dial control for volume, were it not for the presence of a T-shaped slider switch to the right of the Start button labeled expressly for the purpose. Two oblong toggle switches above this volume switch can be used to mute the audio output and to change the radio channel, respectively. These controls are mirrored in all their random lack of uniformity on the right of the steering column, where a similar arrangement is used for the HVAC controls.
So far, so unconventional. And the unconventionality continues in the instrument panel. The 2006 Honda S2000 is a car that was designed to be revved all the way to its stratospheric 8,000rpm redline and driven at license-threatening speeds. To help the driver remember this, the car features digital instrumentation in the form of a parabolic orange-on-black virtual tachometer display, and a Back-to-the-Future-ist digital speedometer, which displays a blur of scrolling digits when the S2000 is goaded into acceleration. (We can attest to the fact that the car does not enter a time warp at 88mph, although the remote radio and HVAC controls did make us wonder whether we had slipped back into the 1980s).
Other comfort features on the S2000 don't get much further than its two supportive leather-trimmed seats, its adequate air-conditioning system with air filtration, and a 12-volt power supply. Dropping the top involves a simple procedure of unhooking the canopy from the A-pillars and holding a rocker switch mounted in the center column. It took us a while to realize that the roof hooks need to be snapped back into place after being released from the body to prevent them rattling against the body with the top down.
Goes fast, even when standing stillFrom the outside, the 2006 Honda S2000 makes a clear statement that its primary purpose in life is to go fast. A gaping air dam in the front fascia; a long hood; sleek, angry headlights; and low sills down the length of both sides all combine to make it look like a caricature of a sports car plucked straight out of a Manga comic book. Once installed in the cockpit--it is more like a cockpit than a cabin--the race-car suspicions are confirmed. A red circular Start button cries out to be pushed, and the S2000's aluminum-capped six-speed shifter invites quick throws and quick acceleration. Like its 2005 predecessor, the '06 S2000 comes with Honda's 2.2-liter 16-valve four-cylinder VTEC multiport fuel-injection power plant, which manufactures a blistering 237 horsepower: for comparison purposes, that's more power than the six-cylinder Lexus RX 330 SUV.
The bad news for those who don't live near a racetrack is that this peak power can be attained only at an alarming 7,800rpm--way past the point that many gearboxes give up the ghost. At the low end of the rpm scale, the S2000 doesn't feel much different from other, more sedate roadsters, such as the Mazda Miata or the even the Pontiac Solstice--it gets going quickly enough to ruffle your hair with the top down, but it gives no indication of its Boxter-baiting credentials.
In the interests of thorough automotive journalism, we did take the S2000 up to its optimum rpm territory, sending the luminous orange tach cresting over to the right-hand side of the instrument panel. However, in anything more than second gear, this kind of maneuver is likely to result in flashing lights in the rearview mirror when performed on public roads. Mercifully, the S2000's optimum torque of 162 pound-feet comes in at 6,800rpm (still on the high side), and we managed to get plenty of welly out of the engine when driving at anything over 5K. To maintain these high rev counts, we found ourselves frequently downshifting for the hell of it: a 50mph cruise in fifth gear can be transformed into whirlwind rocket ride by skipping fourth and snicking the close-ratio gear box into third.
The 2006 Honda S2000 features some admirable performance technology to ensure the car stays on the road during this kind of spirited driving including: gas-pressurized progressive-valve shock absorbers, four-wheel double wishbone suspension, front and rear stabilizer bars, and a limited slip differential.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of the S2000 is its consummate handling. Its low center of gravity, superstiff chassis, and variable0assist rack-and-pinion power steering ensure that the car tracks twisting mountain bends like a rat in a drainpipe. The steering is so responsive, in fact, that we noticed very little variation in the variable-assist system at higher speeds. The 2006 model year S2000 is the first to feature drive-by-wire technology and variable stability control. Purists may balk at these big-brotherly additions to a car that has been a firm favorite without fancy tech amendments for the past six years: we suggest they just turn the VSA off. As for the drive-by-wire feature, we found that out only after driving the car for a week, and we wouldn't have noticed any difference if we hadn't read the manual.
To top it all off, all the fun of the S2000 can be had for a relatively economical price. The EPA rates the 2006 model as a Tier-2 Bin-5 LEV2 vehicle and gives it a mileage rating of 20mpg in the city and 26mpg on the highway.
Punching above its weight in the safety standingsThe S2000 may be small, lightweight, and lacking in any luxury cabin tech, but its crash-safety credentials are impressive. With a four-star frontal- and five-star side-impact NHTSA safety rating, as well as a five star rollover rating, it is built tougher than it looks. Active safety systems include ABS, brake assist, and electronic brake-force distribution to keep the 237 horses under control. Both passengers get SRS frontal airbags, although they will have to rely on side-impact door beams--rather than additional airbags--for lateral protection.
Like every new Honda, the S2000 is covered by a comprehensive three-year/36,000-mile warranty. It also comes with a five-year/60,000-mile drive train warranty, and five-year/unlimited-mile rust protection as standard.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11out of 11 user reviews
Fantastic Driving Machine!
Pros: Bought my 2006 S2000 used with about 23K miles on the odometer. Love it! I use it strictly as a weekend "fun" car, driving it on local country roads - ones with plenty of curves and hills. The car's balance and neutral handling are perfect & FUN!
Cons: Not enough time to drive it.
out of 11 user reviews
Absolutely outstanding!
Pros: Great power to weight ratio, race car inspired cabin is well designed, the seats actually hold you in during fast cornering, well tuned suspension. The power plant was well designed. the 2.2L engine has a little more torque than the 2.0L engine.
Cons: The factory Limited Slip Differential could use some refinement.
For all those complaining about "Cabin Comfort," get over it! The Honda S2000 wasn't designed with passenger comfort in mind. It was designed to be driven, by gear heads.
out of 11 user reviews
More fun than a barrel of MGB's
Pros: Beautiful driving open car. Excellent running, shifting, braking, steering. Not a major concern, but very nice mileage too
Cons: Not a torque monster, but very livable. More upscale audio would be nice
out of 11 user reviews
I can't stop grinning
Pros: Go cart handling, best shifter in any production car, very fast convertible top, classic roadster design, delicious sounding engine at vtech rpms, extremely reliable and inexpensive to service.
Cons: Limited storage, a beast on wet roads, too easy to get speeding tickets while working toward sixth gear
out of 11 user reviews
Uncompromising, intense car with tons of personality
Pros: Superb handling, techno-marvel engine, beautiful styling
Cons: Not for the faint of heart or those who want living room comfort
OK, some reality. The car is very cramped but never uncomfortable for me. The seat doesn't accept you, it swallows you. All controls are within hand's reach and the shifter is crisp with short throws and positive engagements. The stock radio sucks, but there are tons of aftermarket radios that will fit in the single DIN opening. Materials are high quality but the interior is sparse. You get what you need and nothing else. Storage is minimal - some small pockets on the doors, on the backside of the seats, and on the transmission tunnel, a small compartment behind the stick, some small bins between the seats, and the small trunk. I commute to work in this car (love every minute of it) and I never want for more storage in this role.
The ride is very stiff but well controlled. The handling is as good as it gets though the wide performance tires can hunt over uneven (grooved) asphalt. The clutch action is very light and with good feel. My wife can easily drive the car.
Beautifully hand built and the styling is almost universally liked. Mine is Silverstone (light silver) with black and red leather interior and it's lovely. The top requires unlatching two latches while seated, pulling up the parking brake, and flipping a toggle switch. Takes a few seconds (fast, quiet, smooth). One huge issue for me is that with the top up there is a major blind spot on the driver side right where you might miss a car in the lane to your left. I partially overcame this by putting a convex mirror on my driver's side mirror.
A few other negatives are that the noise level at 70 mph and above (wind, tire, engine) make quality stereo systems a questionable investment. There are some rattles in the top when down, I'm not partial to the digital instruments (would prefer analog), and you must use premium fuel (high compression motor).
Overall the car is quirky, brutally fast when pushed, unique below about $50k and a joy to own. Trouble free, low maintenance (except for tires), and not terrible with gas (about 23-26 mpg for me). Cheers.
out of 11 user reviews
Amazing Car, Period.
Pros: Go cart handling, precise steering, perfect gearbox, 8k redline, honda quality and reliability, not available with auto., VERY addicting to drive.
Cons: Convertible top is standard, hard top costs extra.
This is not a car for long trips as the interior room is pretty limited. This car is not just another "rice rocket". I always trust Honda products as I have owned a 95 Prelude, 03 NSX, 03 TL, and an 05 TL in the past. Honda really hit the spot with the S2000. This car satisfies all my driving pleasures. Take the revs past 6,000 just to get into the VTEC hotspot then to 8,000 RPM, listen to the tune of the engine and you feel like you're in an Formula 1 race car, shift gears and immediately feel the rush and precise change of gears. Take the car on some tight corners and it will NOT let you down.
Torque is definitely limited but to me, this is one of the HIGHlights of this car. If you are looking for serious torque, go American and get a Mustang GT, you can save some money and go with a V8 with plenty of torque. Obviously you are asking for trouble if you go with American, but if you definitely need loads of torque, then do not get this car, a 350Z/G35 would be a good substitute.
If you are looking for a raw sports car for about $30k, this is it. Just test drive one and push it past 6k rpm and you will want to buy it on the spot, I did.
out of 11 user reviews
I am in Love
Pros: Handling, Simple Controls
Cons: Wind Protection could be better
Critique - little wind blocker between seats does nothing. I would like to see a better back panel wind screen a la Porsche.
out of 11 user reviews
S = Short on power
Pros: Still looks cool and handles well...
Cons: Dated motor, lack of HP, lack of torque...
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out of 11 user reviews
So Much Fun!
Pros: Handling and Maneuverability.
Cons: Road noise and tight seating,
This is not an interstate car. Living in Colorado, it is superb for mountain driving. I've had it over 100 MPH on mountain passes and it holds the road. I have taken it on the Pacific Coast Highway and it was a joy. The handling and maneuverability is that of a true SPORTS car. Honda's Formula 1 experience is translated into this machine. It beats all cars in its category, even those with V6 engines. Caveat - this is not a winter car, mine will go to the back of the garage in October and not be taken out until late April. Colorado roads are horrible for sand and gravel once we have our first snow.
What is so special is that the S2000 is a limited production vehicle. There are not too many around. People always stare, ask me what car it is and who makes it. A REAL SPECIAL TOY!
out of 11 user reviews
It's a toy, nothing practical about this car, oh but so fun.
Pros: It attracts alot of attention from everyone.
Cons: Unfortunately, even the cops.
out of 11 user reviews
The "S" must stand for "Super!"
Pros: Fun to drive, very fast, stylish good looks, under $36k
Cons: Digital tachometer, door locks
