2009 Honda S2000

The 2009 Honda S2000 is Honda's premier sports car, every aspect of which is, according to Honda, based on their racing technology. This super sharp roadster competes with such American made vehicles as the Chevy Corvette and Ford Mustang. Foreign competitors include the Audi TT, BMW Z4 M, Infiniti G Coupe, Porsche Boxter and Nissan 350Z.

The S2000 body was last updated in the 2008 model year, so little has changed in the looks of the car. In fact, other than minor tweaks to improve handling and increase speed, there is little change of any kind.

The S2000 offers a 2.2 liter, 237 horsepower I4 engine with a six-speed "short throw" manual transmission with overdrive. There are no options on either the engine or the transmission. For a performance car, the mileage is pretty spectacular. You'll get 18 miles per gallon in town and 25 miles per gallon on the highway.

While the S2000 is great on gas mileage, it falls a little short on power. Horsepower is far below average for class and power to weight ratio is slightly below average, except for the CR MT, which has about average power to weight ratio for class. Roominess also gets mixed reviews, with good legroom but poor headroom.

In other words, no offense to the ladies, the S2000 is pretty much what my friends and I would have called a chick sports car when I was in high school. Long on looks, and it is definitely good looking, but short where it really counts. In other words, it's a car built to be seen in.

There are three trim lines for the S200. Basic is the MT. One step up in price and features is the CR MT (CR standing for Club Racer). The top of the line is the CR A/C MT.

The S2000 is a fairly safe car for its class. NHTSA rollover and side crash tests were both rated five-star, while front crash tests got four-stars. Standard safety features include antilock brakes with electronic braking assistance, limited slip differential, traction control and vehicle stability control system. Also standard are an anti-theft system and an inside trunk latch.

On the other hand, there are no side airbags. This is largely because of the kind of car it is, and its lack of room.

The base price of the 2009 Honda S2000 is about average for its class, at $34,995. All in all, the verdict on this car is sporty, rather than sports. If you're looking for a sporty ride for your wife or daughter, or a son whose lead foot you want to mitigate, the Honda S2000 might be a good choice. If you are looking for a real sports car, you'll probably want to keep looking.