I am in a pickle. I am buying a car soon (the next few weeks I'd like to have it) and I've always wanted an EVO.

I set my budget at under $12,000 so that I could have $4,000 or so as a bank pillow just in case oopsie money.

I figured ok well I LOVED the last s2000 I drove so I'm going to look for one of those. I found a nice one with under 70,000 miles and taken care of for $11,000... good price, I love the car and I was set.

I just found out that if I look hard enough I can get an EVO with 75-100k for just a little bit more. Few and far between of course and much more tricky to buy but overall I heard that if it was treated well it will run for a long time and I've seen threads with guys having over 500whp and over 100k and it runs great.

Do I play it safe, spend less and get a nice car (s2000) with lower miles or do I hold out for the car I always wanted and just to have one NOW get one with probably 80-100k on it?

or do I get the s2000 and wait until I've got a bigger budget down the road to buy an EVO instead?

S2000 is going to be useless in Maine for almost half the year.

I cannot really comment on the S2K because I am unfamiliar with them.

However, as far as the EVO, it depends on the modifications or is it stock. A lot can be told by the modifications on how it was treated. Depending on the mods, EVOs are built to last. Technically, the engine has been perfected 8 - 9 times depending on the model EVO you are searching for LOL. It also depends on the maitenance performed.

The EVO would be a lot better for winters in Maine also.

What part of Maine you from?

Evo's can last that long with now issues, as can any car with proper care and maintenance. The question is... was it cared for?

Same with the S2000's. S2000's are prone to have synchro and rear diff issues if they're beat on. And they have on the edge handling. If you ever drive one HARD be prepared to catch it.

Two totally different cars. Evo's are faster and more practical, but S2000's give you that amazing sports car feel that I personally love. After I was in an accident in my first Evo I looked at S2000's. I work for Honda so I've driven plenty, but I came back to an Evo because I just think they're a better overall car

The s2000 I am looking at is getting a compression test done in the morning. The car was always taken care of, still stock clutch at almost 70k and the guy tells me he rev matches, all maintenance performed on it. He's the second owner, waxes it regularly, garaged it and its bone stock, always has been, clean title etc...

the EVO's I'm looking at:

2003 with 83k from a dealer, looks clean, still has original heat shield and thats all I know so far

2003 from WI, guy bought it from a bank... his buddy is a DSM guy and checked fluid for shavings, none... has a brand new oem clutch but does have bumper imperfections and a couple dings in the wing. It looks bla and the guys only owned it for 3k til he realized he wants a cheaper DD.

Theres also an 03 with 68 k on it from arizona at a chevrolet dealer... looks clean as hell inside and out but has a bunch of ghetto stereo **** in the trunk. CLEAN as hell looking though.

All the EVO's are under $14,000 but above $12,000.

My concern:

Practicality isn't that big of a deal because I have a winter car... though it'd be nice to not have to swap because of weather.

I fear that buying an EVO like this is not only going to be tricky and a pain in the *** to find a good one, but expensive once the miles are this high just to keep it going right or fixing whatever **** may or may NOT have been neglected. OR it could be solid, but I will have to travel far to get one and hope

s2000 gets me a car I really love, even though I like the EVO more but can't get a good one yet. The s2000 is cheaper to insure, cheaper to buy and more than likely much cheaper to have. Either way I know I'll be happy with an s2000 but I wonder if I am making the right choice by NOT getting an EVO because I always wanted one so much. But not at the expense of being car poor and having a bunch of headaches

both cars are great...but 12k is a tough budget for an evo. Like you said, the ones you would look at will be in the 100k mile range but remember that a car with that many miles is prone to problems. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of evos out there that are running solid with that amount of miles, but that all depends on how the car was maintained and treated.
All in all, if you plan on buying an evo with that many miles, have some money put aside just incase.

+1 I would not be scared of paying $12-14k for an EVO with 80-115k miles on it if it was well taken care of and in good shape with no whining from the drivetrain and no abnormal wear or problems. You're still going to need to spend some money changing out the fluids if they are due and tires will set you back as well. Both cars can take a beating, but i feel the mitsu can't take the neglect as well as the Honda might. The brakes and tires on the EVO may have shorter intervals on it than you like, but performance comes at a cost. I've had a handful of quick street cars and street bikes, after some mishaps, I always come back to AWD.

If it helps, my Evo is at 118K miles and I am the 4th owner. The car has been used and abused, yet, it still runs strong. This was the car that made me think different about Mitsu quality as I heard horror stories from the DSM world (along with a friend that owned one for a month and decided to sell it because it just kept breaking down).

As for being the 4th owner, it sucks! There were a lot of things that were just wrong on the car. Right off the bat, I could tell the turbo has been previously replaced because it just looked new. After buying the car, I found a big hole in the radiator that had been plugged up with goop. This also explained why the car was overheating too. Some friends come to the conclusion that the previous turbo blew up and they just replaced it stock for stock. Replaced the radiator and it was fine. I could go on and on about what problem was what but I don't feel like typing it all.

In short, don't even be the 3rd owner of the car! Try to be the second if you can. That way, it was just a one owner car and the original guy can tell you everything to know about it (if he's an honest person). I would also like to know what Evo in WI is under $14k and is just high miles? Can't really find it on Craigslist.

^Just sold mine for 13,500 in wisconsin 55k miles. Friend of mine just sold his for 12.8 k also in wisconsin.

What the **** where was I for all these deals

IMO it depends on what you are looking to get out of your car. If you want a fun great handling car , get an S2000. But beware you will have a hard time with Mustangs and some Civics, because the S2000 isn't considered fast. It is a 14 second car and if you want it faster it will cost TONS of money. A $1000 header adds 10whp !

If you want a car that can do everything, you are better off paying more and finding a stock Evo. Even stock the Evo will destory alot of modified cars. I had to make the same choice when I bought my Evo. Even though I paid more for my Evo, it saved me money in the long run because I would never be satisfied with the power of a S2000.

I think if you sold the "winter" car you have now, you could get a "good" Evo and have some scratch left over to have oops $. I am a little biased, because I love to be able to take 4 friends for a spin in my Evo, but your choice. Good luck and have fun.

you have a beater so an all seasons car isn't a concern. get the s2k and enjoy those awesome maine summers with the top down.

the winter car I have isn't mine... otherwise I wouldnt have this problem