Jakee

Yeah, like others have stated, the Mustangs are EVERYWHERE in my town lol. Everyone and their grandma owns one, seriously.. However, my buddy gave me a ride in his mustang and I was super jealous of the raw power in that car, it was surreal lol. I live in WA State, where it snows and rains so I couldn't imagine driving a RWD car and rarity is also a big factor for me when buying a car as well.

For the STi, the STi isn't exactly the most ideal car for modding, if you want performance. I also wasn't a fan of the seats when I sat in one, compared to the Evo's recaro seats, a little biased there but honest. The STi is a fun car to drive though, but it seems to roll much more than a Evo, just my .02 cents.

As for the Evo, the Evo is amazing in my opinion. I love the interior for '14 model and the AWD system makes this car so much fun to drive anywhere. I also love the fact that I'm pretty much the only one in my county to drive a Evo, besides maybe like 4 other owners. I also get asked questions from people wherever I go, mostly because of the fact that Evo's are super rare.

They're all fun cars to drive, but the Evo is the complete package in my opinion.

stiggysaurus

iTrader: (2)

I agree with Napalm 100% Here's my history:

10 GTi - APR stage 2
11 WRX hatch
12 Mini Cooper S
10 Mini Cooper JCW WC50
13 STi sedan - Stage 3
14 EVO MR

The steering feel of the WRX and STi just don't come close to the Evo

nvmaddog

iTrader: (1)

My list stretches around the block too, I feel you.

PSUfan1

iTrader: (2)

Depends on what you want to do with the car, how much you are willing to pay, how much (if any) modding you want to do, etc... If you go to something like an M3 (e9x generation) you get a fantastic sounding engine that revs way up there but is pricey to mod and get any real power gains. IMHO, the 135i and 335i with an N54 is the way to go if you are gonna buy a used bimmer right now and want to mod.

If your MO is straight up roll racing, highway enjoyment, drag, listening to an awesome engine, etc... a new @ MSRP 2015 5.0 mustang track pack with recaros is around the same price (less than $1000 more) than an evo x gsr with just SSS (because it's silly to buy a car without HIDs) using the trucar price for the evo x (of course you can't get the 2015 yet). Like the outgoing 2014 mustang? I'm sure you can work out a hell of a deal!

Want fast and used? My roomate just bought a 2006 C6 corvette Z06 for under $40k off of the forums and the car had 10,xxx miles on it and looked like it was bran spanking new (it was also a fully loaded 3lz configuration). Your getting to the point where you'd need a built engine in the evo x to touch the stock power levels of the C6Z (not to mention it's several hundred lbs lighter, has similar insurance, and gets better gas mileage).

Both the mustang and the vette can be modded fairly cheaply - but they are just examples. When you start talking about doing a turbo swab to the evo (along with everything that goes with it) you can start looking at S/C kits for the 5.0.
You have domestic muscle cars from all brands in the 40k range new or very slightly used. Due to depreciation, 40k also buys you a lot of nice European toys on the used market (not so much the new market).

As far as reliability, I would pick the current Evo over the current STI as the STI still uses the old motor (which has more issues than the 4B11T). That being said, if stuffing a coyote or LSx in the evo was ever an option from the start I would have had that. That wasn't a concern in 2008 because mustangs / camaros didn't make 435hp and 400ftlbs of torque. The hot used non-M3 BMW was the e46 330i zhp and while an awesome car (and a much better daily driver), it didn't keep up with the stock evo performance wise (and modding got you less for the $).

I always compare new vs used based on how much I want to spend (both price ceiling and maintenance). Back in 2008 the new Evo really stood out compared to other cars that you could get performance per $ (new or used) in it's price range, and it's still a great performance car. However, it hasn't really evolved at all since 2008. Furthermore, the power to weight ratio hasn't really increased since the evo went on sale in the US. Every manufacturer has a smallish sporty car with 300 hp now.

Note: I'm not trying to hate on the X. I have 109,xxx miles on mine and counting (and yes I bought it new). It has been my daily driver and only car during that time. However, as a car guy, and not a pure Mitsu fanboy (and I don't mean to call anyone else who loves the evo a fanboy either), I'm just pointing out that there are other great cars out there depending on your needs.

Edit: Also, just to touch on the "exclusive" nature of the Evo. No one outside of the "car guy and girl" community knows what the hell an evo is. You'll occasionally meet another owner or a few people who own WRXes, etc... You don't see many Evo's on the road in most locations, and you won't see many lancers either (because TBH mitsu doesn't make anything worth buying other than the evo). You'll see a lot of mustangs, you'll see a decent number of corvettes, bmws, etc... If you want something that's cool and unique and fast buy a nobel m400 or a vintage viper. And yeah - you can get a used viper for 40k.

Camenskill247

Awesome answer man. The evo is really the max I want to spend on a car. Under 35k. I'm gunna be driving from Texas to Florida maybe 2-3 times a year. I don't really want something used unless it's very low miles like u said with ur friend. Insurance is also a issue as I am 19. I'm pretty sure insurance on a vette would be a ton. I like m3s but I know they are expensive to mod. For me it really comes down to the evo, 5.0. I currently have a srt4. I love performance. But how big of the gap is the 5.0 compared to the evo. What mods would a evo have to have just to keep up with a 5.0. Just 5.0 is common but they are crazy right now.

plow

I had a 2011 MR and traded it for a 2013 GT premium. The stang had a much nicer interior, and was quicker in the straights, but for some reason I keep thinking of my old evo and I'm back on these forums like an idiot lol. Evo has more interior room and way better handling imo.

This fall I am looking to go back to AWD and I'm considering another MR, Audi S3, or something else with awd. I miss the AWD so much, its great

vanilla2

iTrader: (17)

Get the Evo.

EBrown

iTrader: (1)

Like many people have already said.. mustangs are everywhere and you mentioned you'd like a bit of rarity. I previously owned a mustang and was in love with it. I never thought the day would come where I would even consider purchasing an Evo because I was all about "American Muscle" With that said, I was blown away by the Evo. I have not second guessed my decision once and it puts a smile on my face everyday. I understand that this is only my experience/opinion but owning 2 out of the 3 cars your considering, it might help when making your decision. To be honest you can't go wrong with any of these cars, so enjoy!

giumela

iTrader: (1)

I drove both the new 2015 STi and I own a 2014 Evo MR. I love the sound and soul of the STi but the Evo would still be my choice in the end . I owned an Evo 8 for 9 years and even though I miss the engagement and fun of driving stick there are many thins that I love about the new Evo especially the nimbleness and handling. The only other car that I drove that comes close in handling fun is a 2014 Cayman S.

I can't say much about te Mustang because I never drove a V8 Stang with stick. I drove a rental V6 and I hated it but Im sure anyone else would have too. That also brings up another point, Mustangs are everywhere and not unique at all so if you buy one it's because you love something about it which will never get old. Driving the Evo around corners at insane speeds will never get old for me.
And don't get me started about winter driving

Good luck with your choice

Napalm_Enema

19 and buying any of these cars is a bad idea unless someone is buying it for you.

PSUfan1

iTrader: (2)

As someone who dreamed of cool cars since I was a little kid, I'm going to give you some advice that you aren't going to like. The quoted post above shows that you are thinking about other things than just speed (and you should be). Buying a reasonable new car at 19 that will last you until well into your mid to late 20s if you maintain it correctly is one thing. Buying (and subsequently modding) something like an Evo X can become an expensive proposition for someone that probably isn't turning $100k a year yet.

A few things to consider:

1. At it's new price point (lets say for cars around $35k), the Evo X may literally be the highest cost to own car you can purchase. From a pure performance perspective, it's not crazy (because on that aspect alone it competes with higher priced cars).

2. I'm 29, but I can tell you right now that the insurance on my 2008 evo is almost identical to that of the 2015 corvette that I have a down payment on (as of 2 weeks ago when I got quotes from ~ a dozen agencies). $35k car vs $70k car Geico was the cheapest FWIW. You may also want to make sure that they will even cover you at 19 with an Evo. If you haven't already, I would take 2-3 hours today and start getting insurance quotes online for the cars you are interested in and make spread sheet.

3. The Evo has an awesome community (like the one here on EvoM).

4. From a pure handling (and especially steering feel) perspective, it's better than pretty much anything I can think of in the price point. Few cars will actually approach the steering feel at higher price points. I prefer the steering over my roommates Z06. That being said, for a fun car, the X does not beat the Z06 (but it's more practical especially in the north). It DOES make me smile every time I get in it... even after 109,xxx miles!

5. The 5 speed is going to be super buzzy on those high speed Texas highways.

6. I have mixed feelings about the interior. I like the feeling of the steering wheel, and the seats are among the best that you can get in a production car, and the shifter feels pretty good (though I now have a full aftermarket setup). Everything else is super low rent. I actually like the design of the interior quite a bit, but I'm not sure they could have sourced any cheaper materials.

7. The Evo is fairly rare and they do hold resale value fairly well (but the fear of getting one that has been beat on does mean you'll likely get a lot of tire kickers - they aren't the easiest cars to move).

Note that a lot of the $$$ things that I discussed above (in my very random list) also apply to some of the other cars that we talked about. That being said, the Evo tends to hold it's value pretty well so its associated high cost to own is mostly in insurance and consumables. I would strongly urge you to consider "slightly" used (maybe something with a 2011 vintage) so you get the depreciation discount. If you really want to buy new, I'd say make a compromise and get the new WRX or a Focus ST (or fiesta ST if you are okay with the size). Neither will be as fast as the Evo... but both will be plenty fast to be entertaining for quite a while (both also are generally going to be better DDs than the Evo). Don't void their power train warranty with MODs until you have some savings built up and can stomach blowing something expensive. At your age, I would also probably skip the M3 ideas for now... If you want a 5.0, I'd go used (they take a good depreciation hit but are otherwise cheaper to maintain than an Evo)

elkazX

i've seen some comments saying evo's arent that common and no one outside the car community knows what they are so they don't really turn heads..and I can tell you from experience, that definitly is not true. I catch people looking at my X all the time, from old men to little kids and everything in between. Maybe a stock x does not grab a lot of peoples attention, but slap a few mods on there and you'll be breaking necks. I caught some guy in a maserati eyeing my car for a solid 3 minutes and trust me nothing feels better than someone eyeing your car

Jdjones24

For the people saying they see multiple mustangs on the road is the equivalent of me stating I see tons of lancers on the road (which is true.) The rare models of mustangs are the Shelby, 5.0, Saleen, Roush and Boss 302. I would personally get a Mustang 5.0 and slap a whipple on it and smoke egos day and night with all the torque and stock block.

nvmaddog

iTrader: (1)

I was going to point this blatant common sense out, but got the feeling it would not be well received.

But straight line racing is not always as much fun as auto x...

PSUfan1

iTrader: (2)

Based on recent sales figures, there are about as many Mustang GTs on US roads as there are lancers (lancer sales were at 27k in 2008 and have been 20k or under since). Mustang sales are 70k+ over that time and about 30% are GTs (coupe + vert). That being said, I still agree with your statement. Also not all of those would be 5.0s... as the coyote came out in 2011 (but the 2010 has the same body... those guys got screwed).

If you drive a car that looks like it's going to SEMA than you'll get plenty of neck snapping looks. You can usually do that with bright paint, nice rims, and a loud exhaust. Really a loud exhaust will generally do the trick. The X is a cool looking car in it's own right (I love it and I love to see others on the road). If I didn't' like it I wouldn't own it. Most non car people don't have a clue what makes an Evo X, AMG mercedes, ///M BMW, or Boss 302 special (it's the stripe package right?). They might be able to tell they are a bit different / sound good, and they certainly may like the way they look, but I associate neck snapping looks with something like a Viper, Exige, or name your favorite exotic... I've never caught an old man looking at my Evo longingly lol... I've let a few people who would qualify as old men and women (family friends / co-workers / etc...) drive it and they all thought it was awesome... but that's another topic all together.