2005 Honda S2000 New Car Buyer's Guide

What's New for the 2005 Honda S2000?
After receiving a larger displacement engine, a revised suspension, larger 17-inch wheels and front and rear styling tweaks last year, there are no changes to the 2005 version of the Honda S2000.

Advantages of the 2005 Honda S2000:

• Singular sports car purpose
• Brilliant gearbox
• Engine howl
• Razor sharp handling
• Simplistic cabin layout and design
• Available hardtop

Objections to the 2005 Honda S2000:

• High beltline a bit confining with the top raised
• Lacks bottom-end grunt
• Rev-it-like-you-hate-it powerplant

Editor's Advice:
It's a great time to be an automotive enthusiast. Elemental sports cars exist at almost all levels of affordability, from the Mazda Miata on the low end to the Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale in the nether regions of the MSRP stratosphere. Lucky for you, the outstanding 2005 Honda S2000 sits just one rung above the Miata and one rung below the Lotus Elise on the pricing continuum, right where lots of people are spending lots of money. Our last test drive of the Honda S2000 revealed behavior commensurate with a bullet bike on four wheels. With last year's move to more accessible torque, a lower redline, more obvious adhesion limits and improved shifter and steering feel, the Honda S2000 is a more mature, if less frenetic, sports car. We highly recommend a test drive of the wonderful Honda S2000 if you've got about 35 grand burning a hole in your pocket, a bottle of SPF 30 sunblock and nothing to do on the weekends.