^^ Just wait and get the 2009 GTS Lancer with the 2.4L engine and more horsepower, it will cost the same as the 2008s, maybe a few hundred more and they are becoming available at dealers this month

 

Personally I think that all those "toys" will get old eventually. If you were considering the Mazdaspeed3, you clearly car about speed to a certain extent. While things like navi, a nice sound system and a sunroof are neat to have and do enhance the daily driving ability of the car, they don't really give you that visceral feeling that only comes with performance. I have a feeling that eventually the attraction to all those things you listed will fade and you'll find youtself wanting more power which won't be cheap or easy at that point. I loved the sunroof, automatic climate control and the 6 CD in-dash changer when I first got the car but now I find that I rarely use the sunroof (hell the most use it gets is when I'm Chauffeuring drunks around), only really use two settings on the climate control (AC or all-out heat) and I listen to the radio 90% of the time. The thing that keeps me smiling though is the rumble, turbo whine and the raw feeling that comes from stamping the gas on an on-ramp and just watching the speedometer soar while the car keeps gripping and gripping.

 

I'm pretty sure I hate you..... YUP, definately do. Are you serious? The only reason you like the lancer is the fact that you can drive it without stalling out. We've all been there, learning how to drive stick... Not all of us have done it at a dealership, but still. It is a nerve racking experiance, you get embarassed when you stall, you know how to drive but it isn't that easy in manual. But still, you can't honestly say that the GTS is even 1/3 the car of a ms3.

 

+1 i agree... if he did know how to drive stick.. he see how much fun it is..

maybe its better he go w/ the lancer gts..... i think he'd end up crashing the mazdaspeed3 anyways... too much car for him

to the OP... the only people i see driving lancer gts... are high school/college girls.. and ghey dudes...

 

buy a BEEEEEEEEEETER!!! wait a few months.. then be the 1st in 'Bama' to have a ralliart!! turbo + 4WD... be smart chris!!!

 

chris buy some turbo! all that navi stuff u can buy at best buy lol

 

How about a used 05 Evo? I'm a staff photog at a daily newspaper and routinely have a 400/2.8, 300/2.8, three bodies, half a dozen other lenses, a light kit and lots of other accessories in the trunk. Plenty of room and it's a far better car than the GTS or the MS3. I have my 05 for sale in your price range and it's not abused/highly modified.

 

Coming from an 03Evo, my brother having a 05 SSL Evo, they are not even close to the MS3 as far as quality. I was astonished by the amount of features, etc on my base 08 MS3. I wouldn't call the Evo better....especially used.

 

well, im going to TRY to hold out for the 09' RA, but...driving my dads piece of sh*t corolla is going to kill me and my 'ego'. Let's keep it real here. I DO like performance, I DO wish they had more of it in the GTS, and you're probably right about the "toys fading away"...over time, i may find myself getting bored w/ them, and it's not cheap to get horses out of a N/A motor. But we'll have to see what happens. I guess the 6speed doesn't scare me so much anymore, It was just a bad test drive experience, mostly because the battery died twice. Otherwise I would have stalled out and got back in gear..no biggie. Another BIG BIG factor i was considering was GAs...i'll want to road trip in the car, and personally...the 93 Octane sounds prettty expensive, not to mention higher maintence oil changes, etc...

 

u can do it man

 

Evo = out of the question, no matter what year model, or trim. Insurance will kill me. i'm male/single/23 - soon to be 24, but still doesn't matter. driving record SQEEEKY clean, apart from this accident.

 

I think the MS3 runs 91 octane not 93 since 93 isn't even available in half the country.

 

honestly, im the same age as you.. turning 24 on june 21... and my car insurance just dropped by about 50% after i switched to progressive... i have 20 points on my license and an Evo would run me about $2400-2500/year full coverage... up until this year(feb.08) my insurance was $4,600/year just for liability on a 91 talon tsi awd...
this is possibly true...

 

well 90octane, whatever the number, its expensive is it not? hahaha. it's $3.50/gallon here, i know other places it's probably way more! But I drive 50miles TO AND FROM to work every morning, that would beat up on my car- - plus maybe the maintence on a clutch - after extended use, and me not knowing how to drive it well, all play factors in this decision, the body styling of the gts is bad *** without a doubt, compared to the mazdaspeed - but that turbo, and i love the way turbos sound, and u can always upgrade, not to mention all of the warranty that comes w/ mitsubishi = great deal. i'm so torn

 

seems like everyone here's pullin for the MS3 - it's obv. the FASTER car, but what else does it have? I also DO like to get noticed :-D and stand out..