If you could pic and purchase........

[bigb996]

which would you buy and why? BTW i know these are reoccuring threads but i am just wanting some opinions because this forum has a driver of each so its not as biased. These are my choices that im tradin the spec in for:

2002 Ford F150 SVT lightning - 5.4 liter S/C engine - RWD
380hp
450 ft/tq


2004 Dodge Neon SRT-4 - 2.4 liter Turbo engine - FWD
230hp
250 ft/tq


2002 Honda S2000 - 2.2 Liter Vtec N/A engine - RWD
240hp
153 ft/tq


2003 Nissan 350Z - 3.5liter N/A engine - RWD - X_INSURANCE SAID NO!
287hp
274ft/tq


2003 MItsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII - 2.0liter Turbo engine - AWD - X_TOO MUCH
271hp
273ft/tq


2003 Suburu WRX impreza - 2.0 liter Turbo engine - AWD - X_DONT WANT
227hp
217 ft/tq


2004 Chrysler Crossfire - 3.2 liter N/A engine - RWD - X_TOO SLOW
215hp
229 ft/tq


these are my pics so far but im sure i will be adding to it. Any input? BTW i do not want a civic or integra. I like the RSX but i dont want one.

[AtifSajid]

I would go with the s2000 or the lightening.

[HyPer50]

Lightning

[Ruiner]

350z

[Spyder]

what do you plan to do with it?

[HEATON]

Well the first 4 are nuthin alike so there really isnt much comparison, and why would you waste money on a WRX go ahead and get STI if u want Suby.

[HyPer50]

Ok, i know I said lightning, but if your willing to spend that much money on some of those cars, might as well get you an 03-04 Cobra.

[bigb996]

well whatever i get will be lightly modded in the begining but chances are i will mod it more than i plan to. The STI is rather expensive used ones are around 28k im only gonna spend as much as 24-25 on a car.

[bigb996]

well i wanted the cobra but insurance is killer.

[AtifSajid]

Thats why you should go with the s2000 or lightening. Both can be modded lightly adn will be fast..

[Spyder]

Thats why you should go with the s2000 or lightening. Both can be modded lightly adn will be fast..

Lightning can and is quick, but its still a truck in terms of handeling.

[Spyder]

oh and its an auto..

[HyPer50]

Lightning can and is quick, but its still a truck in terms of handeling.

Ya, but it's pretty much the best handleing truck available. lol

[The Yousef]

Evo! now question about it! 4 doors (insurance) AWD (so u don't die) 4G63 (stupidly fast with mods)....the lighting would be a good 2nd vehicle....

[HEATON]

well whatever i get will be lightly modded in the begining but chances are i will mod it more than i plan to. The STI is rather expensive used ones are around 28k im only gonna spend as much as 24-25 on a car.

Well if you Planning on modding it STI is only 3k more then u wann spend, which is bout as much as you would spend on a regular WRX.

[bigb996]

well lightning made my list because DAMN......it does 0-60 in a claimed 5.6 by edmunds.com, and it will do 14.2 1/4 mile stock. Thats impressive itself especially for a truck. The auto thing is waht im wonderng about myself, i love driving a stick but in traffic it will be more practical. The 6 speed thing is not a big deal to me i would rather have a 5spd to be honest if i got another stick.

[RandomGuy]

Evo! now question about it! 4 doors (insurance) AWD (so u don't die) 4G63 (stupidly fast with mods)....the lighting would be a good 2nd vehicle....

this statement i agree with FULLYYY... the 4g63 is SUPERRRRRRRRR CHEAP TO MOD ... you can get it up like tracys cheaply and etc.

and its so versatile too. If you had a 350z or crossfire you got no back seats... those come in handy.

EVO = my pick... I wonder why the STi is not in the mix? Id choose the STI.

[bigb996]

well i like stis but the impreza itself has slowly faded on me. I dont like it like i used to. Its a great car but the look isnt something i wnat anymore. No backseat i think i might like bc then i wont have to give rides so much hahaha......another thing that im factoring in is that the lightnings gas mileage sucks! 16mpg on average. The evo i do like but are they quality?

[disco]

You have to state your goals for this car. All those cars do some things well but not others. Your plans for the car will help us in picking something to recommend.

[bigb996]

well most likly i will do an exhaust and intake on any of them. Unless its the 350z or srt4 because they are good from the factory. If its a forced induction car im gonna do something to regulate the boost levels....turbo timer, safcII, etc....really the only racing i plan on doing is drag at the track. I am not a really crazy driver i just enjoy having some speed and cruizing. I dont have a lot of money to do modding and since this will be my daily driver i will moderatly mod it with like bolt ons and maybee wheels. Ive done the show and ive doen the go so its not like im aiming for anything. The main purpose will be fun factor and reliability.

[PinkTaco]

s2000 hands down

[disco]

If you want to look cool be decently fast and be reliable then s2000 is the way to go, 350z would be my next choice although i prefer the G35 over the 350z. The lightening and the EVO are interesting choices, as the truck has lots of other uses, and the EVO would be a monster at drag or road courses. I drive an EVO myself and the downsides of it are the ride is harsh and it's noisy. But those are the prices you pay for insane handling.

[civic95]

If it were me it would be the S2000

Better gas mileage, will hold it's value better, and SHOULD be more reliable than the others.

[Eli]

Heres what you gotta ask yourself:

1) Do you need passengers are room to carry stuff (if yes- S2000, Crossfire is not really a choice.)
2) INSURANCE- when I was going to buy my WRX WAGON they wanted $540 a month, no joke, listed under my moms name with me driving it...
3) Gas mileage- how much you wanna spend on gas each week...
4) Reliability- personally, I would never buy a used SRT-4, EVO, WRX, STi, etc. It will (probably) have been beaten to shit. Now a used S2000 would have probably been driven by an older man or woman and not driven real hard.

All I can think of, I love the s2000 as well, but only as a second car. I drove a 2 seater convertible (Z3 3.0) for a few months and I can honestly tell you it was incredibly annoying having no trunk or room for anything.

The lightning is straight up badass, even though i normally like my trucks lifted, I love ligthnings , theres 2 real nice ones for sale by my house if your interested, 03's i think, like 22k or so asking price for the black one.

And BTW- the Crossfire is a total mid life crisis old woman car, come on man! haha

[4dmin]

crossfire that shit is HOT and noone has that shit

[bigb996]

well im back and forth with the insurance company right now.... heres an idea for you guys:
i pay 742 a year right now to drive the spec.
s2000 is 1484 a year - double what it is now
lightning is 200 more a year at 942 a year.
Im having to give VIN #'s to get the evo or 350z.
The way its rated is im under my brothers truck that he cant drive yet bc hes 15 and its an 81 jeep 4x4 pickup. My spec is listed as a spair vehicle. So thats why its so cheap.
As for gas im used to buying premium which all these cars takes but the f150 is a 24.5 gallon tank as opposed to my little 9.5 gallo it hink it is right now. Like you said though the truck serves multiple purposes.

These are my issues im gonna have tow ork out right now:
do i want to drive an auto? or stick to a stick?
is space something i need? i have more than 1 passenger in the last year 2 times total. I am single and 20 years old so size isnt a big deal. I also have had 2 soft top wranglers and i love riding with my windows down so a convertable isnt a big deal. However s2000 is expensive to mod. I like some of these cars because they come with things i would be doing stock FI: supercharger, Turbocharger, exhaust, boost gauges, sproosed up interior, etc....
I am a car enthusiast like eveyrone else on here and extra features are a plus in my book.

[LaurenK]

s2000

[bigb996]

ok well the 350z is off the list due to its a restricted vehicle on my policy for some reason. The WRX is off hte last as well because i dont think i want one at all. The EVO is gonna be 1064.00 a year to drive and shes calling me back on quotes for the SRT4 and the Crossfire.

Out of curiousness why the s2000?

[disco]

it's reliable and much more comfortable than an EVO.
Don't get me wrong I love my EVO, but it's a race car that's street legal, there's no refinement to it, very raw, bumpy, noisy.

I wouldn't even think about the crossfire, total middle aged balding men who couldn't afford a vette car.

[quickdodge®]

Lightning, SRT, or the Crossfire. Crossfire is a badass car. Later, QD.

[Ruiner]

The S2000 doesn't have enough torque for me to drive. I didn't enjoy it at all. That's a shame about the 350Z, though. They are nice cars.

[The Yousef]

The S2000 doesn't have enough torque for me to drive. I didn't enjoy it at all. That's a shame about the 350Z, though. They are nice cars.

^yeah i like Z better too...IMO...crossfire is just a Merc SLK with a chrysler body on it...if you want modify it (i'm assuming you will...or you wouldn't be on this site)...it is going to cost you an arm and leg....have looked in to e36 m3s?

yousef

[Greddypacked]

I would go w/ the EVO. That's my style fast, looks, and handling=excitement and adrenaline boyeeee!

[Eli]

Yeah, I drove a friends EVO and holy fucking shit... I would buy one in a heartbeat if I could afford it and the insurance. PLus its a 4 door and has a trunk...so its practical (kinda.. haha)

[Repost Squintz]

get the lightning

[bigb996]

well Yousef it is a merc slk body haha......I like the s2000 but when i sat in one at the ajc show it was soooo small! i dunno im sure i would get used to it. The 350z i was dissapointed about because i really like them. I have heard good and bad things about hte EVO. Im just not sure about it since its a mitsu. ANy recals happen on them?

Im going this evening to drive the lightning, crossfire, and srt4 at a local dealer that we have purchased a lot of cars from in the past.

[Ruiner]

I would go w/ the EVO. That's my style fast, looks, and handling=excitement and adrenaline boyeeee!

Yeah, but you have to think long-term when dealing with the EVO.

A. Will the car last? Mitsu quality - one of the worst
B. Will the company last? They are hurting very bad right now.

Not worth the risk if you ask me.

[bigb996]

thats what i am worried man i agree.

[QuickBrick]

The L…

Just to straiten out a few misconceptions…

The truck is 380 – 450 to the fly, with 11% drive train loss (which is very low) you’re looking at roughly 338 stock to the tire…

The quarter time varies for stock, most are 13.2 to 13.6, the 14.2 time published was in Cali at 4000 ft on 91 octane…

Handling is tight and well engineered for a 4800 lb ride, I know of many using them on the track (and strip)…

Automatic is a good thing for the 1320…

With a grand your looking at a truck that is 400/500 to the tires, in the 12’s and running 16lbs of boost (chip, 6lb pulley, intake, valve body), be careful the mod bug can bite ya…

I’d buy a 2003, different heads. The plug thread count is higher and you have less chance of ejecting a plug under increased boost (which hasn’t happened in either of my L’s)…

They are retaining their value…

I could be a little bias, LOL…

T

[Spyder]

The L…

Just to straiten out a few misconceptions…

The truck is 380 – 450 to the fly, with 11% drive train loss (which is very low) you’re looking at roughly 338 stock to the tire…

The quarter time varies for stock, most are 13.2 to 13.6, the 14.2 time published was in Cali at 4000 ft on 91 octane…

Handling is tight and well engineered for a 4800 lb ride, I know of many using them on the track (and strip)…

Automatic is a good thing for the 1320…

With a grand your looking at a truck that is 400/500 to the tires, in the 12’s and running 16lbs of boost (chip, 6lb pulley, intake, valve body), be careful the mod bug can bite ya…

I’d buy a 2003, different heads. The plug thread count is higher and you have less chance of ejecting a plug under increased boost (which hasn’t happened in either of my L’s)…

They are retaining their value…

I could be a little bias, LOL…

T

i dont know where to begin on this so ill start at the begining.

good handeling for 4800lbs? i suppose everything is relative.. its still a 4800lb truck. thats like having the best handeling school bus.

of course auto is great for 1320, if thats all that you plan to do i wouldnt suggest any other transmission, especially for bracket racing . they seem pretty consistant.

how does a 6lb pully make 16 lbs of boost?

i wont at all disagree with the rest

above and beyond all , they are seemingly fast fun to drive trucks. i just couldnt personally handle driving a bit automatic truck all day.