i was looking at the WRX guys...the gas mileage just kills it. volkwagon are now made in mexico and no longer germany so thats out....the srt-4 is a neon...no matter what you do to it..it will still be a neon....the RSX-S is a real deal but its a 2 door...after my suby 2.5 RS..i dont think ill ever go back to 2 doors..the spec v is prolly the best deal right now and i think im veering towards that. can anyone give me more info on future spec v's...like are superchargers and turbo in the planning for factory spec?

i was in one not too long ago..and this old man was druiving it...not double clutching right...shifting like a granny..ya know....but it still was pullling hard though. and nissan is starting to be a realy reliable reputable company!

hmmm..very interesting. how fast can you make the spec v for a little bit of money??

 

SRT is the clear choice here. There are no electrical problems with the car....just check the SRT forums if you want to see how reliable this car really is. I've had mine for a year now and it's been perfectly reliable.....not to mention faster than any of those cars you mentioned by a good measure as well as having lots of factory supported aftermarket goodies for more speed and better handling. If you really want performance then the SRT-4 is your best bet.....if you choose anything else on your list you're going for 2nd best in that category and you'll spend a LOT more $$$ to get it to perform the way the SRT-4 does stock.

And as for the SRT-4 still being "just a neon"........well, we've beat that moronic statement to death so many times on this board I just can't get into again.

 

the build quality on my SRT is actually better than my 2 previous Mitsu's (1996 and 2000 Galant) and my previous Nissan (2002 Sentra).

 

but in the long run..how would the reliability and resale value of an SRT-4 hold up against the other cars? especially the RSX-S???

i would NEVER go back to mitsu again...i dont care how fast they make thier evo's..its not the same build quality anymore.

maybe if the srt-4 had better physical features....i would be tempted to buy it
how are the gas mileage on it??

 

I've had the Suby and RSX-S. Both are the equivalent of automotive Ny-Quil. The Subaru was dangerously unreliable and was in the shop more than it was out of it. The Acura was built incredibly well, but accelerated just fast enough to reassure yourself that it was *not* a Honda Civic. I just got an SRT-4 in June and have loved every minute of it. Great car! The only problems I've had was a headlight that was not aligned properly. In the end, test drive them all and buy what you like.

Oh, Subaru resale value is horrible, the SRT-4's is worse I'm sure, and the Acura is better than you expect (which you should have high expectations already). My SRT gets about 21 in the city and 30 on the highway. If you stay in boost, it gets ALOT worse...

 

Best car under 25k = Evo RS. those are priced at 24,995.

 

quick..thanks for the inside scoop of the problems with these cars. thats what im looking for the most. im looking for posts that tell me what problems ppl have heard or encontered with these vehicles. im not looking for post like..."get a used evo..." what good does that do me. that just tells me what to do and what makes ppl think thats gonna convince me any. anyhow. this ongoing battle on what to get is tiresome....

overall:

wrx pros: quick, 4 wheel drive, 4 doors. cons: 03's are ugly, low resale, poor mileage
RSX-S: quick, high resale value, cheap mods. cons: 2 doors, being a honda, small
SAAB 92x pros: quick, mimics WRX wagons, 4 wheel, 5 doors. cons: $$$$ to fix, not alot of aftermarket parts, awkward fixer upper car
SRT-4 pros: quickest 4 doors, cons: low resale, ugly, poor handling, being a dodge..
volkswagon....made in mexico

 

Definately the SRT-4. My friend has one in silver, and it is faster than my evo in the straightaways(he has a full Mopar stage 2) and it can keep up in the turns supprisingly well.

 

used EVO

 

Problems with Subaru (36K miles) Interior panels falling off (rear passenger door panels) brake system malfunction (caliper seized, very fun), #3 cyl. misfire that was unfixable (would actually cause the car to simply shut off (fun at 80 on the interstate), Third gear just vanished one afternoon, followed by fourth, catalytic convertor got too hot and broke up, rear differential leaked since day one, and I think that's it.
Problems with Acura (34K miles). Screw fell out of rear mudflap.
Problems with Dodge (3.5K) misaligned headlight.
I noticed you have "quick" in your description of the RSX. Yes it is quick, quicker than a three-wheeled shopping cart, quicker than a fat kid rolling down a hill. But if it has four wheels and an engine (and yes, I'm including lawn mowers), think twice about challenging it to a stoplight duel.