Hi there guys

I am gonna pull the trigger for a $30k-$35k fun car in a few days. I need your opinions.

What I'm now looking at are, of course, Lancer Evo and WRX STi, and also considering a used BMW M3, maybe 2002 model.

Here are my thoughts.

M3 - Pro: Best looking among 3, Con: not sure of performance of a used one.
STi - Pro: Less turbo lag than Evo, nice features, Con: ugliest among 3
Evo - Pro: Best performance among 3, Con: turbo lag

So, here are what I want to know specifically

1. Performance-wise, which one has best acceleration and grip? (I am not going to mod or use it on the track)
2. For the value, which one will hold best trade-in price if I sell in 1 or 2 years?
3. If I buy an Evo, which version would you recommend? RS, IX, IX special, MR? (in terms of performance + value)
4. Can I remove the wing of Evo or STi?
5. If I buy an Evo, 2006 version, should I buy a new or a used?

Thanks guys

Doug

 

To answer a few. If you get the rs the wing is already removed. Performance with the evo's. There have the same power and such but the rs is lighter. If you can afford the new one get it. If you get the evo you won't regret it. good luck to you

 

1) I don't know, search.
2) I'll have to go with the Bimmer.
3) I say MR, but I am biased towards it anyway.
4) Yes.
5) I say new.

Hope this helps. I like the EVO, having driven the STi and the EVO. But that's me.

 

1. If you are not looking to take it to a track ever, you will never use the full extent of the grip these cars have to offer. Acceleration is a wash on all 3.

2. I would never go into a new car thinking what its going to be worth in a few years. Bad idea. You never know what will happen with a cars value.

3. IX best bang for the buck.

4. You can remove the Evo's wing, STI not sure.

5. I would never buy any car of this sort used. You have no idea how it was treated. The only time I would buy used is if I knew I was going to mod every last thing and basically replace most major items.

 

Just to help out on the #4 point, my brother has had the wing removed from his '04 STi. Car looks good. I agree with everything else posted, good points

 

1) For performance, the Evo is a good value. I'd take a new Evo over an M3 anyday. Btw the Evo has the most grip too.
2) The M3 would have the best resale value in 1 or 2 years. The Evo comes in as a close second.
3) I say RS if you can live without power door locks/mirrors/windows and a radio. But I would say IX since it's the best value I guess. The IX SE isn't really anything special unlessy ou like the way it looks with the special wheels, seat stitching, and lip. The MR looks the best but I suggest you test drive it since you might like the feel of the 6 speed better. Also, the MR suspension is softer than the RS and IX Base.
4) The RS has no wing, and yes you can remove it from both models.
5) New. But if you prefer used, make sure it wasn't beaten on by checking the clutch, brakes, etc.

 

1.evo has best handling and the IX has the best accel
2.evo or sti would have best trade in because on the used m3 you would be the 2nd owner and 2nd owner cars dont sell for as much
3.depends on what you want. rs is the fastest b/c its stripped out, no radio, power windows, ac i think ect. the ix is nice and the ix se is nice if you dont plan on getting new wheels or doing anything aftermarket + the ix se looks the best with the new front lip and stuff. i personally dont like mr's i think they are a waiste of a few grand over the regular evos
4.i dont know about removing the wing, i think there would be holes in the trunk deck but you could get a new trunk lid like a rallisport one or a carbon fiber one for like $500 and then get it painted the color of the car if you want
5. get a new one because if you get it used you dont know what other people have done to it, its always best to get a new car if you can afford it.

IMO test drive all 3 cars and see which one you like best thats the only way to find out what you want to buy.

 

#1 stock for stock Evo out handles the Sti in almost every test I have seen. The new 06 Sti is by far the closest to any Evo but it's hard to describe having driven both, this is how I can explain it the Evo seems almost telepathic in it's handling. I still get suprised by it capabilities. The Sti is harder to drive and handles great but different more like a RWD car. Where as the Evo is in a world of it's own the grip is amazing and the tires a really a step above of the Sti's.
#2 for the value no car has held it value more than the Evo in any 4 door sedan.
#3 It really depends on what comforts you want and what amount you want to pay. The RS is cheaper but it does lack a few niceties. My choice was the regular Evo or as some call it GSR. I think the Mr is nice but for the money I would rather save mine and not pay for the 6spd and fancy rims. Again it's up to you.
#4 of course you can if you want
#5 I always say with a performance car it's best to buy new but that all depends if you can afford it. If not try to buy one thats stock that way you can moleste it.
Your in the right place for Evo info this is the best site on the net. Good luck all I can say is I have never had an M3 but after being the owners of now two Evo's you know my choice.

 

1. I'm preaty sure sooner or later you will put something in
2. Like somebody said, who knows what will happen in 2 years
3. If you don't plan on racing I think IX GSR model is sufficient no need for MR
4. If you get the IX RS it comes without the wing so you don't have to deal with the holes after you remove the wing. Subaru on the other hand, I spoke with few people without the wing and they said that the WRX trunk fits perfectly so I assume they sold the STi trunk with the wing. (Personally I think those cars were ment to have wings, without them they look like they have no ***** )
5. If you are going for a performance car it is always safer to get it brand new (my opinion)

 

If fancy rims are your thing, but you don't want the MR with it's janky 6 speed (flameshield up lol), get the IX SE, it's got the rims and extras of the MR without the goofy looking vortex fins on the roof and it's got the sexy 5 speed. I fully recommend a *new* Evo over an M3 or an Sti. I'm not biased, I've driven all three, but I chose to own an Evo for a reason. It's the best.

 

Hey you guys' replies are fast like an Evo! I like that.

So, thanks all already put some replies, and thanks to more to come.
Putting it together, it looks like Evo IX (SE or GSR) is the way to go. I don't know what Subbie forum or Bimmer forum guys will say, but it really doesn't matter. What I need is cheering-up.

OK, let me make myself convinced more. Here are some more questions.

6. How much discount do you usually get? A dealer quoted me $1k discount for an IX SE.
7. I'm not experienced with real high-performance cars, so I might be wrong. I felt almost no turbo-lag with STi but Evo showed clean boost when turbo takes up, around 3k rpm? Is it a big deal when you drive Evo everyday?
8. I've never owned 2 cars at the same time. My current insurance premium is like $1,000 for 6 months. If I add Evo, do you have any idea what the premium will be for 2 cars?

Doug

 

1. If left completely stock, the Evo IX seems to always be on top of most (if not all) performance tests. However, the M3 will more than likely be the quickest daily driver with its high-revving I-6.
2. Probably the M3
3. If you're buying something brand new, the IX SE seems to be a good buy.
4. Yes, however, an Evo wing removal looks a lot cleaner. The Evo wing only covers a small portion of the left and right sides of the trunklid, and there will only be a few holes. The STi wing covers almost half of the rear portion of the decklid, so when it's removed, it's pretty dirty, plus you've got a lot more holes to cover up.
5. Buy a new Evo, if you can afford it, for the obvious reasons, plus the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty doesn't transfer to the next owner (which will be a factor if you insist on not modding it).
6. I don't know about discounts, but look for evolution_4_all on the boards. He hooks up people from all around the country for any Evo model.
7. There is just a touch of turbo lag in an Evo, but it's nothing that bothers me in daily driving to work or wherever. The addition of MIVEC really helps the low-end torque while the boost builds. The only time lag really bugs me is usually by my own error, like if I stay in top gear and the speed dips below 40 mph, then I try to accelerate more quickly then normal--things like this are solved with a quick downshift, which is what you should do in most cars anyway. In addition, I've driven an STi before from Las Vegas to Southern California. It doesn't really feel that much punchier in the lower-end, and this car even had an ECU reflash.
8. I don't know.

 

I think you need to drive all three before you decide anything.

 

Yes, I have test-driven all cars.

 

M3 is such a nice car.. my friend had one.. and i had the pleasure of driving it once.. great to drive.. def a car worth buying.. looks great..

Evo.. what more can we say.. it has a amazing history in motorsport.. and i have yet to hear one bad review from drivers which is more than i can say from the other 2..

overall id go with Evo.. all nice cars with pros and cons but overall Evo would be my choice for obvous reasons..