im looking into getting a new car both DD and autoX. looking around 10K something reliable/ easy to work on and competitive eventually in the future but starting stock then moving on. i was thinking about a 99 civic si or integra gsr. i was also thinking spending a little more and getting a wrx but have been reading about tranny problems they have. what do you think?

 

How about Honda CRX or Toyota mr2?

 

for an all-season daily driver and autocross/track car, I would go for a 2000-2001 Subie Impreza 2.5RS.....you can find them for $6-7K, they are lighter and better on autocross courses than most WRX's, awesome AWD, TONS of aftermarket support, they looks stylish (much better than a WRX), etc etc etc

 

Tegra makes a great choice for DS if that's enough room for you. Same with the MR2 in ES. You can go nuts with those - here's my friend's who won last weekend in Peru.
http://www.cashmo.org/2006/06perupro28.jpg

Any late 90 BMW 3 series would work well too. The '99 Civic would take much more work to be competitive IMO.

 

err....it doesn't look like your friend uses that MR2 as a "daily driver"

 

second the subie idea. alot of people are swapping the full sti drivetrain into them. or simply addign a turbo. at least ud have power, altho that really should be one of the least important thing u should be looking for. the suspensions are really nice. thers a lot of bracing in those if u ever get the chance to pull one apart. that and theyre rather light to start with. i think like 2400-2600lbs.

im looking at a 87-91ish 325i or 318i +turbo. for anew track car once my SHO is finished(if it ever is). love how 3series drive.but itll be much more costly to mod n repair, but my bro has several so im not too worried.

 

Ok, that MR2 started as a daily driver and became a Frankensomething.

About 5 years ago the Impreza got a ton of attention and were feared by most. Except for CoreyR and a few other drivers nobody's still trying with them anymore. Great DD but too heavy & slow for serious curves. The first ones were 2600lbs and 110hp, the later ones 2700lbs and 145hp. Yes they have AWD but no decent diff to put the power down.

 

dont think your sho will be finished anyitme soon as long as its a maintained v6, those yamaha engines last FOREVER. definitly considering the impreza but the mr2 is out, i need a backseat.

 

I dunno, we have a 99 Impreza RS running a WRX motor around here, and he absolutely destroys almost all of the STi's and Evos at every event. Granted he is also an excellent driver, but the Subies have alot of promise for setup options.....plus you can rallycross if you want to

 

why the 2.5rs over the 02 wrx? any advantages? im more into the 4 doors of the wrx and styling over the 2.5. i know both have large aftermarket available but that doesnt matter to me as i will prob wont do more than shocks and other small things.

 

Adding the Subie turbo changes everything. That's a bump of at least 70hp before playing with boost. I'm guessing you can coax 250hp+ at the crank. Besides the 4-doors and engine I'm not sure what else changed between the RS and WRX. 250hp in a 26-2700lb RS has to be a ton of fun.

 

yeah id go with the 2.5RS, i drove my buddys DSP 2.5RS with only swaybars and koni shocks at an autocross a couple months ago and it handles perfectly, with the 4wd you could throw the car into any corner let it oversteer until it was pointed the right direction and then gas it and it would go exactly where you were pointing. i am almost tempted to buy one myself once i get some money, it was a lot more fun to drive than a maxima.

 

well, if this is to be a track car also, the smaller, ligher RS has advantages in handling over the WRX.....and if you plan to really get into modding it, it's not hard to add a turbo, if that's what you want.

Styling is all subjective. personally i think the WRX (particularly the early ones) are ugly as crap, while the 2.5RS was far and away the slickest looking Subie ever made (though the new Legacy is close...)

The other upside: Price. Since the WRX is the current body style, you're going to pay alot more while the older Impreza body you can get for 6-7K and have 3-4K left for "mods".

Just my 2 cents though.

Sure....I was assuming he was farily serious about doing some good work on the car....Dollar for dollar, an RS with WRX engine swapped in is faster and handles better (and looks better) than a stock WRX for the same money.

Call me sentimental for the slick little subies that aren't rolling boxes.

 

yeah im definitly considering the 2.5rs,. im not to into the styling though. adding a turbo or engine swap isnt really an option as im goint autox the car, these bump me into classes i dont wanna be in. prob going stock with some konis.

 

my friend with a last gen 2.5s with a small turbo.just rebuilt his motor using mainly stock parts. the things a monster in terms of power. perhaps even too much power for auto-xing. man i wish i could say that about my car.

 

Could do a miata. They are geat at Auto X but winters in NY may be a pain in the a$$. Snow + miata =

A crx would be pretty good. An old RX7 would be sweet too.