My dads in the market for a "newer" used car.

ITs going to be out of an

s2000
sti
350z
evo

It would have to be mostly stock and with decent milage.

Which one would you pick?

 

Honda S2K is my dream car. I would pick that one.

STI and EVO would make him look like a mid-life crisis imho.

 

Conquest TSi

 

S2000 & STi FTW !!!

 

e46 m3

***** on the rest of those cars and can be had for about the same price.


If not, I would pick the sti.

 

sti or s2000 for sure

 

 

i owned a S2K and i currently own an EVO MR... test drove a few STi's and have sat in 350Z's....

if your going to keep it stock i dont think the s2k had enough power (personally) but its a blast to drive so if power is not a big thing then its a great car, pretty cheap to maintain as well. The EVO is an absolute killer, but for a DD it may be harsh for some... the STi is a little more DD friendly but i like the raw ruff feel of the EVO. i think the 350 is a nice well rounded car that fits in-between all of them but would never get one.

and to the guy who said E46 M3.... there a great car but wont **** on an EVO on the track or strip.... and maintenance is a bitch on used BMWs

ps. AWD ftmfw!

 

agree.. sti or evo anyday

 

So no one really likes the 350z's?

That ones my least favorite out of the bunch also.

 

Hes asking for a car for his dad. As a daily driver, weekend driver, or any other kind of driver the E46 M3 will **** on everything else. It might not "**** on them" on a track or strip, but it will still outperform them.

And if maintenance is a concern, don't get a mitsubishi. BTW, I have an e36 m3 with just under 130k miles and it's been fine. The last owner didn't baby the car either. I'm not so sure about E46 M3's, but they shouldn't be too bad as long as your willing to do the easy things yourself. If you're going to drop it off at a shop everytime it needs an oil change or a cabin filter, then your either stupid or rich. Probably both.

 

My personal opinion is that any of those cars would probably have hte **** beaten out of them. I don't know if risks of the STI's drivetrain, especially, under hard launches (d'oh!) would make it a good choice.

Of those i'd say the S2k or Z, but both are impractical compared to the other options.

 

the car would be a daily driver.

and the fact the 350z, and s2000 are 2 seaters doesnt matter, because we all have our own cars and my dad doesnt drive with anyone really.

hes not going to track the car or take it to a drag strip.

mabey an occasional autocross

 

I'm not talking about you, i'm talking about previous owners. Cars like that will probably have been run hard and put away wet. And a lot of people now modify the cars, and hten put them back to stock when they sell them, so you might not know unless it's a CPO car or something.

 

I realize that.

I was just putting that out there.

 

Might want to check out a '05-'06 GTO. They aren't as nimble as an s2k or STI, but they are more comfortable, and will beat anything on that list in acceleration. Plus they are mad cheap for how much car you get. Look around and you can pick one up for under $15k.

 

I completely agree! I love the S2000 but after driving an E46 M3 there's no greater car for the money IMO!! I'm in the market for one once I sell my 330Ci.

 

STi would be fresh.
depends on the Evo.
I'd prefer a VIII.
more than likely you'd do best with an S2K.
they're pretty legit to whip around in.

 

Most logical post thus far.

Its for your father. Tell him to get the S2000, as I'm assuming he won't be doing mad mods. The S2000 is an extremely fun to drive car, good on gas, cheap on maintenance, and at the end of the day its still got Honda reliability.

 

Clearly, you are a BMW fan. BMWs are hit or miss man. My Mom's 2001 BMW 740iL is a complete and utter piece of ****, problem after problem. My cousin's 2000 BMW 530 (or whatever) hasn't had a single problem and has almost 140k miles. German cars are just notorious for being garbage. Audi is crap as well. Not worth the headaches involved.

Not every has the skills or spot to do their own work. Some people can't change their own oil because of HOA reasons or whatever. So assuming everyone has to automatically take their car to the dealership then yes, the bmw is very expensive.

 

FWIW, maintenance and repairs on the e46 m3 are NOT cheap. They need valve adjustments, the oil is super expensive (and the s54 likes to drink oil), they go through very expensive tires quickly, and if the car has an SMG there is a good chance you will have problems with it.

For $25k you can get a used 335i and have a faster, more comfortable, more reliable car.

 

He he wont be modding the car.

MAbey wheels, an exhaust.

The s2000 he was talking about getting the hardtop.

 

Thanks Car and Driver.

 

Ooo nice nice. Hartops are sexy.

 

In all honesty, I'm a big JDM fan . I've been contemplating selling my M3 for another SC300 lately, but I think I'm just going to stick to my e36 for a little while longer.

I just think an E46 M3 will fit a older person looking for a sports car better then the other cars. They are pretty nicely priced too, now that the e92 m3 is out. Just make sure if you end up getting an M3, and you get an 01 or 02, that the rod bearing recall has been done or you can get it done (free from the dealer). The maintenance will be a pain in the ***, though. Easy to do almost everything yourself, but you must be willing and have a place to do it.

I have also driven all of the other cars mentioned, besides the EVO. I owned an AP1 s2000 and it was a fun car, but I HATED the lack of torque. It really bothered me. The gas mileage wasn't that great either, don't be fooled by the 4cyl. I'm getting about the same thing with my I6 M3. I've driven an 05 STI and loved it. I'm driving an 07 350z right now, but it's an auto. I don't like the 350, I don't know why. Maybe it's because its an auto. I mainly don't like Z's because they are a dime a dozen around my way. I don't feel "special" when I see 50 other people a day driving the same car. I don't like the interior in the Z at all either, and it's an 07 touring.