Cars We Drive!

[Thrift Vader]

i don't want you guys to think i consider Evo's and WRX's as inferior. i don't, at least not from a performance standpoint.

the reason i wouldn't pick them over a sports coupe from the same era is (a) i prefer coupes, (b) the 'econoboxes' they are based on are inherently compromised from a features/fit and finish standpoint, and (c) i don't like the way they look. but none of those are performance related reasons.

i found the Evo to be uncomfortable af, cheap feeling inside and out, and (subjectively, imo) ugly. with that out of the way, its steering was as sharp as any Porsche's, the grabby acceleration and cornering of the 4WD was as fun as hell, and it made lots of fun turbo noises. it's a serious performance machine, and no - i don't think we'll ever see anything like it again. well, when they eventually cancel the STi.

@HRoi i apologize if you think i accused you personally of being ignorant. but i did question your experience with the cars in question. myself i am lacking, which is why the review exchange would be fun.

we can agree, that the Evo's are plastic inside. (have seen a few) and? often set to "raw".
so while this will read as biased, i'm writing it anyway.

the coupe of the era could be the 350/370Z. they have all the tools. or the Miata Hardtops.
if you have the coin? the GTR's.
but? The fit and finish is woeful.
****, it was better in the 80's.

But you don't know the Subaru top tier. the top Legacy's shame BMW, or Audi. in options, and comfort. with a focus on the seats. and controls. (drive a GTB E-Tune for 2 years)

To be honest? Mrs V's Sti Forester seems rather spartan. but, what matters, is quality. i do hate the radio though. no reception. what you do get, is good seats, the MOMO wheel from the Sti WRX, and what is essentially a WRX lifted wagon. it's a stupidly good car.
one thing, it has squeaks. legacy's do not have squeaks.

not all Subies can fit in the one slot. the Forester is robust, the Legacy luxurious.

but the WRX STi? is a different animal.

aside from the obvious, -the mechanical craziness. on the inside? you have factory Recaro seats, covered in Alcantara,perforated leather, and cloth. with embroidered logo's and contrasting stitching. controls from Momo, and Nardi. and. THE cup holder. (Trust me)
inside an STi is a much nicer place to be than in an Evo.
with no squeaks.
so i warn against putting them in the same boat. they are very different.
IMHO Evo's are inferior. comfort wise, and in reliability. they break. often.

an STi is the pride of the company. not an offshoot.

 

[ridethecliche]

I've never been in a subaru where I've thought 'wow this is a nice interior'.

 

[HRoi]

i honestly have never even seen the interior of a Legacy, but i'm willing to believe that it's good. i don't know anyone with an STi, but i have this thing where i'd happily drive anything someone lets me drive, and then overanalyze the damn thing. i'm pretty sure i'd have fun in an STi...

 

[TheFoo]

An STi interior may be nicer than an old Evo's but that's a pretty low bar for comparison. It is an okay and perfectly functional space. Being a Subaru, I'm sure fundamental quality is good. But it is by no measure a particularly nice interior or anything to brag about. The blame mostly falls on chintzy-feeling plastics and low-brow styling.

 

[TheFoo]

HRoi, what about an Integra Type R?

 

[jbarwick]

There is a 147 mile E46 M3 on Bring a Trailer right now....$30K currently.

 

[TheFoo]

There is a 147 mile E46 M3 on Bring a Trailer right now....$30K currently.

Man, SMG is real value killer.

 

[brokencycle]

I'm not a big fan of the interior of the mustang, but the new Bullitt on the outside is awesome. I love the green.

https://jalopnik.com/the-2019-ford-mustang-bullitt-is-everything-you-want-it-1828042992

 

[ridethecliche]

Also, the new camaro's have been really proving themselves on track. Some of the packages come with trans and diff coolers too, which is pretty nuts for a stock factory car.

 

[HRoi]

btw, i mentioned in a previous post that i've been working on a deal for something...don't want to jinx it so i won't share details unless we get it. just wanted to say this because people are starting to research stuff for me (which i appreciate) and i don't want to be a time waster.

now, if you're just using this as an opportunity to talk about the 90's and 00's cars you wanted in your youth, then carry on! it's a great topic.

 

[HRoi]

HRoi, what about an Integra Type R?

so here's another car that's poised to go nuts in auction values. especially for a fresh example...everyone i know who owned an ITR crashed it or had it stolen, and/or ruined it with ****** mods.

grab these 90's/00's cars while you can because the Gen X's and older millennials (us) have reached the age where we've got disposable income and stars in our eyes for the halo cars of our youth. recent cars i've been watching for whom the market shot up very quickly - FD RX7, E46 M3, E39 M5, ITR, Ford Bronco, original M coupe. this is in addition to cars like the 993, NSX, and Supra that are already sky high and have been for some time

i'm now watching some of the cars from that generation that still seem to be a little less crazily priced - the MR2, the 300ZX, the 280Z, E36 M3, Honda S2000. not the Mitsu Eclipse and 3000GT though, those are ****.

 

[ridethecliche]

Honestly, I've never really understood the appeal of the 300zx in the slightest. I just see them as huge headaches, though I guess they were pretty advanced for the time.
The S2000 speaks to me, as does the MR2. I'd love to drive either.

Miata's are also going up in value. I'm stoked to have bought mine when I did. I bet I could have turned around and sold it for 1-2k more if it was still stock.

Also....

<3

 

[Dino944]

Honestly, I've never really understood the appeal of the 300zx in the slightest. I just see them as huge headaches, though I guess they were pretty advanced for the time.
The S2000 speaks to me, as does the MR2. I'd love to drive either.

Miata's are also going up in value. I'm stoked to have bought mine when I did. I bet I could have turned around and sold it for 1-2k more if it was still stock.

Also....

<3

There are hero cars for every generation. Some mean more to us than others. When the new generation of 300ZXs came to our shores, they were a giant leap forward in styling and performance...particularly when considering their price. The previous model was bloated, unattractive, performance was lack luster and it was a pricey car.

When I was a kid the somewhat affordable sports cars/sport sedans that were interesting to me and my friends were the original RX7, the 240Z, 280ZX (although that started to get heavy), the BMW 2002, and maybe at the upper end a used 924 Turbo. None of the MR2s first or second generation meant much to me or my friends, the second generation RX7 although gaining in value these days- when new suffered from being seen as a 944/944 Turbo copy. Cars also go through ups and downs. At one point 240Zs, BMW 2002s, RX7s, and even early 911s were just old used cars. They always retained a core following but were not the cult cars that they are today.

The Honda S2000s, are cars I can appreciate. Fun to drive, distinctive looks, and engine you can rev the hell out of and pricing is still reasonable...although its tough to find ones that aren't modded into sh*t and haven't been crashed.

 

[HRoi]

i don't really like the 300zx either. but a lot of people do. same with the Porsche 928/944.

right now i think the most underappreciated of the cars on that list is the E36 M3. still dirt cheap at the moment. those of you who want the S2000 should buy it now, because it's starting to tick up and has always had a ton of fans.

 

[jbarwick]

Are E36s decent to drive? People complain about them but I assume being a BMW M car they are at least decent.