My Day Testing the 2025 Honda S2000
Got an email blast about Honda dealerships having a demo day for the brand-new, 2025 S2000. Honestly, my first thought was “Really? Bringing that back?” Been ages since the last one. Wasn’t sure what to expect, but hey, free chance to drive a new sports car? Count me in. Signed up immediately.
Rolled up to the dealership Saturday morning. Place was buzzing way more than usual. Saw it instantly parked right out front – this sharp, modern yellow number. Way sleeker lines than the old boxy ones. Kinda reminded me of older concepts they showed but never made. Sales guy, Mike, spotted me looking. “Wanna get up close?” Yeah, obviously.
First things first, popped open the hood. Honda kept it clean, no plastic covers everywhere. Good old fashioned engine bay you can actually see. Underneath sat the new 2.0L turbo engine. Mike rambled off numbers I mostly forgot – something like “over 300 horsepower”. All I heard was “more than the old one”. Cool.
Slid into the driver’s seat. Felt snug, almost like putting on a really fancy jacket. Seats hugged my sides tight. Dashboard? All business. Big digital screen behind the wheel for speed, tach smack in the middle – classic Honda move. Centre screen for maps and music felt kinda small next to other cars though. Ran my fingers over the controls. Mostly buttons and knobs, thank goodness. Hate digging through touchscreens while driving.
Mike hopped in the passenger seat. Threw me the keys. Simple metal key, no fancy key fob nonsense. Jiggled the key – feels solid. Inserted it into the ignition, twisted. Fired up instantly with a nice, purposeful hum. Not super loud, but you definitely heard it. Felt… ready.
Eased out of the lot onto the open road. First impressions hitting the gas pedal:
- Power hit fast – way faster than my rusty memories of driving my buddy’s old AP1.
- Turbo kick came on strong around 4,000 rpm. Felt glued to the seat.
- Steering felt incredible – sharp, direct, zero mush. Felt every little bump and crack.
- Shifting that 6-speed manual… like butter sliding across a hot skillet. Perfect throws, crisp clutch bite.
That new engine screamed right up to the redline like nothing. No low-end torque really, like the old ones, but man, when that turbo spools, it just pulls and pulls.
Took a tight curve way too fast just to test it. Body stayed flat as a board. Tires grabbed like glue. Felt super stable. Confidence inspiring, honestly. You feel connected to the pavement, like you’re part of the machine. Hard to describe unless you drive it.
Now, the downers? There’s always downers:
- Ride is freaking stiff. You feel every single pebble. Drive this daily? Your back might hate you.
- Trunk space? Forget it. Groceries? Maybe one bag. Tiny.
- Road noise on the highway? Loud as heck. Talking gets hard.
- Price tag Mike casually mentioned? Yeah… my wallet just screamed. Starts way north of forty large. Ouch.
Yeah, it’s expensive for a small Honda with two seats.
Pulled back into the lot after maybe twenty minutes. Shut it off. Sat there for a sec just grinning. Hands still kinda shaking from holding the wheel. That was a proper sports car thrill. Not just fast, but engaging. Like driving actually mattered.
Final take? Honda nailed the comeback. Kept what made the S2000 magic – that direct feel, amazing gearbox, high-revving fun. Made it faster, safer, sharper. It’s rough around the edges for sure (ride, noise, price, space), but man… that drive. That pure, mechanical connection. Worth it? Maybe not as your only car. But if you want that raw, buzzing, driver-focused experience… the new S2000 is absolutely the real deal. Felt like coming home, honestly.