hey guys, i am 18 in the army and im looking to purchase a car, i have tuned 3 240sx's so i am not new to tuning, but ive never had the money for something like an evo until now. im debating heavily between an evo 8, possibly 9, or a 350z. i have 20k to spend on the initial purchase of the vehicle. from there i would like to build it up to a reliable daily driven 400hp. i also intend to take it to the track when possible. so, my question is, do you think an evo fits my criteria or is there another car that will do it better? im not the biggest fan of awd for performance but then again the awd cars i have driven are from the 90s so i assume that the technology and drivability are much better on the evo8 or 9. also, every car i have looked at is heavily modded and in good condition, or neglected looking but stock, is this normal or is it just my area?

 

Well first you need to decide if you want AWD or not, that will determine if you want an evo or a 350z.

If you go with the evo and you only have $20k to spend you might want to go with the evo 8 because it will cost less to buy and then you'll have more to spend on mods. But if you can get the evo 9 and still afford mods go for it because it has a larger hotside and the turbo will make a little more power than the evo 8.

 

What's your MOS?

Get an Evo AWD > All and itll be less expensive to get to 400hp. Plus its a more practicle car for the average person in the Army.

Throw all yours and your buddies battle rattle in the trunk and still have room for 3 guys in the cabin.

 

make sense but i own BOTH A 350Z THATS GETTING FULLY BUILT AND A EVO 8 THATS GETTING FULLY BUILT NOW. the Z is a amazing car hands down if you mod it to potential they are so nasty and attention ******. the evo is a easy car to mod as well but believe it or not parts are cheaper on the Z then the evo but either car you will have fun with you can get a 03 z for like 9k and have a ton of money left to get a built block and turbo ect or get a evo 8 for like 14k and have 5k to max out stock block and get new turbo.

 

My boy had an 07 and the turbo kits he was lookin at where like 8k. And my Evo was mildly modded at the time and I would destroy him with his bolt ons.

The 350 is a nice looking car but my far the worst of all the Z cars imo. The 370 is really nice but if there is a nissan in the country to own its a 300ZX TT.

 

Let me tell you, man, I have been working for years to make the leap to the Evo. Dealt with lots of ****ty commutes and long hours, but when the time came, even with all the other big fancy fast cars on the market, i still went back to the Evo. I looked at everything (AWD, FWD, RWD, turbo, non-turbo, s/c, etc.) and i still made the choice to go with an older Evo. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not bashing any other car choices b/c there are some good alternatives, but nothing handles, drives, pulls, and is as easily modified as the Evo. If you are looking for a quick 400whp as a DD, then hands down, the Evo is your car.

Someone earlier mentioned that it's a great car to throw your buddies into and your army gear in the trunk. Couldn't agree more. I was a Marine and back then I owned a DSM and we did the same thing. All piled in and threw our **** in the back. I don't want to sway you away from the 350 if that's what you want, but if you have the opportunity and find a decent Evo, do it!