as far as financing, i financed 10k on my wrx (new) for 5 years at 5.3% and that was 195 a month, so about the same for for years would prob be more than 210/month. and 210+insurance/month is a lot for a full time student...i have the GI bill to help me while im in school but it was tough

 

I couldnt agree with you more. Like I said, the Evo is my dream car, and Id love nothing more than to own one.

 

Financing really isnt an option for me. As much as Id love to buy a new Evo, I realize that doing well in school is much more important at this point in my life, and if I had to quit my job for some reason, Id basically be screwed for car payments.

The way that I look at it is that Id love to own an Evo, and I have my whole life ahead of me to get one, so its not really worth it to get into something that I could potentially not afford and screw things up.

 

The chassis and driving dynamics of this car is un-matched by any FWD econobox (and I had 3).

 

Stachmo, i was agreeing with you as far as financing goes....if you have the money to buy one and still have some left over for maintenance/unforseen events, then go for it!

 

if you have 20K to spend, i'd go with the Si. i own an MR since new and now have 32K miles with no problems, but you'd probrably have to buy an 03 with similar or higher mileage than mine and don't really know what it's been through. if you find one on here for sale, you can always look that members past posts up to see how the car was treated. i came from a 529whp civic hatch to my bolt-on evo and really like the evo. even though it's not as fast as my hatch, it does everything well in stead of excelling in one or two areas. my wife just got her hands on the 06 Si she ordered in dec. and i love it. i don't think there is a car out there for 20K new that can come close. then you have a new car under warranty, the Si handles well, drives great, nice interior, sound system, smooth shifting, cheap maintenance, and all for 20.5K, it's a good deal. new to new, i'd go with an evo, but used 03 evo vs. new 07 Si for same price, i'd go with the Si. you should go test drive both to help you decide.

 

yeah good call.... im starting my third year in SD this fall.... im blessed enough to have a family that can support my college tuitions so i was able to afford the payments for my evo... still have to work ridiculous hour to make payments...haha sumtyms i dont even have money for gas..... seems like ur making the right decision... not like me... but yeah i respect your responsibility. hahah good luck in school.

 

If you're still in college, stick with the Civic. Reliable, good gas mileage, plus it's a car that you probably can park anywhere and not worry about it. You do NOT want a car payment or bills for maintenance while you're in school. I had a 95 Integra LS throughout my college career, and it was great. While I wished that I could buy an ITR or an S2000, I told myself to be smart in college. In the end, I graduated and bought almost every car that I wished for in college. I'm not trying to sound like a dad, but just relaying my experiences.

If, for some reason, I HAD to choose one of those cars, I'd go for the RSX, because I'm partial to Integras. Civic has yet to grow on me. The Evo (used, earlier models) will require a lot of maintenance, and time and money isn't something that I'm guessing you've got much of.

Just remember, being financially strained in school, not doing too well in a class or two, does have a great impact. Work hard now, play hard later.

 

why? the civic costs about 4K less new than an RSX, with the same engine and tranny, but also includes a helical LSD that isn't available in the RSX. plus, a tad bit wider tires and a nicer stereo unless you pay more than 24K to upgrade the RSX's. the RSX does have automatic climate control though.

 

Don't listen to the "i would never buy used" snobs.

If you find the right car, you will more than come out ahead because someone else will have eaten the biggest chunk of depreciation. Car payments are for chumps!

BTW - I've owned 2 RSX's and an older 2000 Si. They were all nice enough cars but they don't come anywhere close to the Evo.

 

Sticker price yes but in realistic OTD price, they are pretty even around here. Last year of the RSX and the Acura dealers are trying to move them (and acura also has low financing deals on them). Civic Si's on the other hand are all jacked up with either a "market adjustment" (ie - bull**** fee) or loaded with every freaking accessory you can imagine bringing the price over $25k.

 

It's the styling more than anything. I know the Si cheaper and slightly faster than the RSX, but if I bought one of those cars, I wouldn't get it to take out to the track. So strickly from fun-to-drive on the street standpoint, LSD and slightly wider tires aren't going to matter at all. If my old 95 LS integra w/ Eibach springs had the ITR engine in it, it'd have been just as fun to drive on the road as my ITR. On the track, it's a different story. I also like the hatchback layout of the RSX/Integras. You can fit so much more in the hatchback. Anyway, I'll probably never buy another FWD "performance" car again, unless it's an ITR.

Also a new RSX costs more, but this guy was looking at used ones. I think they're great cars. If they came in AWD, I might have one in my driveway.

 

Obviously my first choice would be a used Evo 8 in good condition, but realistically, it probably makes more sense for me to buy a used rsx-s. Not only do I like the styling of the rsx-s better than the civic, but I wouldnt have to eat the depreciation once I drove the new civic off the lot (which means using that extra money for mods).

As much as I agree with you on keeping the civic through college, I already have a deal lined up with the car thats too good to pass up. With the mods I have on the car, my brother who just got his liscence is willing to pay 12k (along with a little help from my parents). Im contemplating buying a $2000 beater to get to and from school, but I dont think it makes sense for me to have 2 cars at this point, especially seeing as how Id drive the better one maybe 4-5 months a year.

 

Oh, and as far as worrying about leaving my car anywhere (or at least on campus)...there are tons of kids at my school with much better cars that their parents bought them, so I shouldnt be as much of a target. But I also worry about leaving my civic anywhere....its just me being paranoid

here's a pic of the vic...gotta love my mad rhyming skillz...

 

I have to admit that after reading the title of this thread I thought oh great another noob looking for other people to answer their questions for them.

But after taking a few moments and reading what you had to say, I now know otherwise.

This is a very well thought out decision you are trying to make.

So now I will give you my .02.

Your current car looks and as you have described seems to be a pretty nice car.
With that said I would say rock that Civic you currently drive and continue to save money as I assume that is how you have the 20k now and wait until you grad. from college and see if you are going to buy a house or not.

If you land a job that will allow (large enough salary) you to buy a house then I say use the money you save and put it down on the house.

If you end up renting a place, then by that time you will have enough money saved up to buy a new Evo and still not have payments and that will take the worries of buying used right out of the equation.

Again, I am not trying to be your Dad just giving you my advice as I have just recently grad. from school while supporting my wife and 3 kids.

Goodluck with your life journey and good job on not impulse buying an Evo.