6.0 GTO, STi, or S2k?
 

I am trying to decide between these 3 cars that are all around the 30k (USD) mark. What do you think? Any other new cars in this price range you think would be better?

Thanks

i masturbate the STi or the S2K depends on your driving style

Funny, why do you say that? I drive a RSX-S now but am really leaning towards the GTO. I mean it is just a monster for that price. The 5.7 version was loved on Top Gear.

id take the STi because i like Rally and the fun of sliding sometimes. It is lighter than the GTO also it gets to 60 .1 seconds faster :mrgreen: not much difference but i would prefer the STi the S2K is only good for getting chicks. also the STi can be safe and fun. also it is a Subaru so it is good value and shouldnt break down too often

think

<EDIT> just checking if I'm right about dan's newest joke.....

I'd take the STI better allrounder than others.

When that turbo kicks in, you're flying 8)


>EDIT< so D.A.N. is L.U.K.E :wink:

Only one way to decide, test drive 'em all, let the vehicle tell you the answer.

Personally (obviously) go the STi. After my WRX I got to drive a GTO (Manaro here) lately to see what I thought after my vehicle. To me it felt heavy, on acceleration and particulary corners, it felt "tall". It sounds awesome but on twisties and/or bad weather the GTO would get left behind the STi.
S2K I got to drive against on some wet twisties, yeah its ok but it got left for dead by my stock WRX. The new model comming out looks good but yeah nothing to write home about except it being a convertable, more show than go compared to the GTO and STi.
Still I love the GTO though.

@SilviaEvo, if you like sliding go the S2k, it takes effort to powerslide a WRX, RWD with the traction control off, easy as. The new 05STi had DCCD which you can set the center diffrential to distubute the power to the rear making it behave like a RWD vehicle to some extent.

Have you considered the Subaru Liberty (Legacy GT)? It pwnes and its luxary.

I think id get the GTO. Then again i live in SoCal and i could use it all year round. Depending on were you live would decide between STi and GTO. S2k would not be a choice to me, im to tall for it, and its simply not pratical enough.

It depends on your taste.

The S2000 is a demanding sports car. The fastest of the three in a track with normal grip.

The Sti is also a very good car. Great chassis stiffness, hard turn in, very good gearbox ratios and an engine that requires high revs. Of course there are plenty of modifications you can do on the Sti. The most 'overall' of the three.
Some say that the engine of this car already works in high temperatures and wouldn't be too wise to tune it further. But I suppose it depends on the tuning. What the car definitely needs (if you can handle the noise) is an exhaust system. Reduces turbo-lag and increases greatly the power.

The GTO is more of a fun car. You can't call it a sports car.
It's a funny giant as yo said.

I would peek the S2000 for a second car, or a track day car, or if I didn't need space.
Otherwise the Sti.

I would suggest you to drive the cars as allready mentioned

The GTO has the greatest and cheapest mod potential of all.

The S2000 is very cramped vehicle for daily use - very cramped.

The STi is nice and all but if the long term tests the mags did are anything to go by, these high-strung Jap 4-bangers just don't seem to hold together that well after 40 or 50,000 miles of hard charging.

Not really club members push their STi hard in terms of tuning and driving, the STi is very tough vehicle, the STI EJ207 engine is a tough blueprint motor, people here even bore it out from 2.0L to 2.2L, in the US the 2.5L engine is STD, however we have RON 98 fuel. Lag now is greatly reduced boost starts at 2K now then really kicks in at 4k. The STi exhaust system does not require tuning even with a modded engine.

Disagree, club member been racing their STi's for almost a decade and use them as daily driver cars, no big issues, just consumables; brakes, filters, linings etc..

Definalty a simple Superchrager set up and you can break into 10's with a 6L GTO, the STi it takes seriuos tuning to get even near that, 11's maybe.

As an Aussie I should say take the GTO.....but personally I would take the STi :wink: It really depends on what type of c.a.r your after - they are two very different cars (heavy RWD/V8 v lighter AWD/4cyl) :)
I am hoping to get a '01 or '02 WRX soon and it was between that and a VT SS which is RWD sedan with the 5.7L LS1 V8 - but there are just too many Commodores around here so I decided on the Rex. That might not be the case over there since I don't know how common STi's and GTO's are. :?
Oh and I forgot the S2K - not a fan really :?

STi would be my choice. Its AWD, japanese quality, good looking, only 2 liters(lower insurance), beautiful boxer sound, good pedegree.

I wouldn't be so sure about that, here at least they are common targets for thiefs and obviously because they are fast the insurance is high :wink: I just got a couple of qoutes for the MY01 WRX and its around $AU 1300/year, so for an STi it would be even higher :(

i would prefer the GTO especially since it has the new 6.0L for 2005 and 400hp. i have also heard good things about the GTO's interior compared to most american muscle cars from magazines and what not. but the subaru is definitly a quality choice as well. s2k is eh IMO but thats just me. like most have said it depends on your personal tastes. and test driving all of them would be a good indication of what you would like best. i dont believe you can make a bad choice with these automobiles.

When the STi's first came out here, the transfer cases would blow all the time. I dont' know whats been doen to fix it, but if you are buying used, start doing some homework.

Have you considered an Evo 8? You could get the MR with $30k. I've driven both the STi an the Evo 8, the STi is faster but the Evo is a hell of a lot more fun to drive. IMO anyway.

I've never driven a S2000, but I've been in one. So that makes me an expert! LOL They are quick. But if this is a car you have to live with on a daily basis, think long and hard. I certainly wouldn't want to drive it daily. How tall are you? My friend is 6'4", his head was above the windshield.

I think the GTO is a hell of a deal. 400bhp for only $30k. If you buy one now you could probably get a hell of a deal on one since nobody is buying them. Same for the Evo's. The GTO will be hell on gas though!

Out of the three you mentioned, it would be a tough choice between the STi and the GTO. Ultimatey I think I'd end up with the STi though. Only because 400bhp rear wheel drive cars and snow don't get along. Take away the snow, and it would be a very tough choice.
Throw in the Evo though, I'd get the Evo everytime.

You didn't mention it, but how about the new Mustang?

Actually, Id try to pick up a 2004 gto.. I know alot of you are saying but it has 50 hsp less.. 350.. But you can now pick them up new for 22-23000.. Then dump that extra 7000 into mods..

*drooling..

Is that a fucking joke? That is seriously cheap. I pay $3000/year for a fucking Oldsmobile sedan and my driving record is clean. :2gunfire:


As for the choice between the 3...I would take the STi because I live in Canada and I could use it all year. It's probably the best if you test drive them and see which one feels better.

[qoute]Is that a fucking joke? That is seriously cheap. I pay $3000/year for a fucking Oldsmobile sedan and my driving record is clean.[/quote]

Is that in Canadian money? :lol:



Location always has an influence on insurance.

Insurance is a bit different from country to country as well, my premium for the Saab is the same as I was paying on a Z3 3.0i, the transam was $300 more a year than those cars. Anyway, what I would do is get quotes on all three and drive all three cars see which you like best.

When I first got here I drove the WRX 225hp, S2K and I have had a Trans Am WS6 (not quite a GTO, but a V8 RWD of course)

They are all different beasts in terms of how they drive and I agree with RC about the S2K being cramped.

Don't be a tool, don't get an STI. Those guys are destined to futilely try to explain to girls while 4 wheel drive is sexy.

Holy crap thats awesome!!! They quoted me $8000 a year, it dependant where you live, yeah Sydney is expensive in so many ways. I only have CTP and thrid party property damage, in 4 years of insurance I can buy a new car, its that stupid.
Since the introduction of Brant alrams to the rexies, theift has fallen 95% (accoring to the austrailan). Its that people want these cars and insurance companies want to fck people for all their worth even when the statistic have fallen drastically.

Better than explaining that you don't have a car and take the bus because its "eco-friendly", loser. :roll:

Not a joke, but you have to remember I am 23yo (today) and have had a clean driving record (besides a few speeding fines) for 6yrs now and have accumulated a 55% No Claim Bonus (NCB) :wink: Also as others have said different countries have different views/policies on insurance :)


Thats insane, how much NCB have you got? :?

Ha!

hipy fuckinn ka yay.....off topic.I know, what did bruce willis say on the end of eery die hard? I'm sooooo drunk right now...nevr mid me...goood night

I go for the STi hands down. My ex-roommate has the 5.7L 04 GTO and you get over the styling of it really quick. Sure, the powers good, but its a heavy car that could be faster. I recently took my Grand Am into the dealership and while it was in the shop, I stopped to look at the 05 6.0 GTO and besides the new hood, they did nothing with the styling to make it any better. :? The little power added by those .3L doesn't do enough to change my mind on it. Anyhow, the STi gets my vote, easy.

Those cars are so different I think it really just depends on your style, and what kind of driving you do. 4 door vs 2 door vs 2 door roadster - turbo 4 cylinder, torquey V8, and a high revving 4 cylinder. Just test drive them and see what suits your taste the most.

I'd say either the STi or GTO. The Goat is a cool car and that 6 liter engine riding inside that Holden chassis seems to be quite nice. The STi would be a great all-weather car as well as being more functional with it being four doors. Just be aware that turbo cars require a little more care 'maintenance-wise'. Not necessarily a bad thing, just change the oil every 3 thousand miles, and if you decide to turn the engine off after driving the car hard, remember to let the engine sit running for a few minutes so the oil in the turbo doesn't sit and heat soak, bad for long-term turbo life. No big deal there, if you don't want to do that there are turbo timer kits available that will do that for you.

I'd go with the GTO if your a good driver it will be fine in the snow (if you have any) I've seen STi's and EVO's blow up right and left and even seen a few crash in the winter because the drivers think they are invincable. buy some really good snow tires and 100lbs of salt for the trunk and snow has almost no effect accept over acceleration and cornering which you should be going balls out with in the snow anyways.
The Goat is a nice car and quick too, with the new dual exhaust the rear looks more complete, I would buy the Goat and mod the piss out of it. You might also be able to find a new '04 Cobra for 30K if your lucky they have near me with 15 miles on it and it's a convertible going for 35K.

If you dont mind driving something that doesnt look good, go for the STi... I would take the S2000 even though I dont like the digital dials.

Of the set that you are considering, I would perhaps give the nod to the STi.

If you widen your net to include used cars you can get a 01 Boxster or 00 Boxster S, a early 90s 911, Corvette Z06, an early Ferrari 308. --> A lot more interesting to drive set of cars IMO. The Ferrari will be an expensive car to maintain though but the rest are pretty reasonable...

CAD 3000=USD 2,474.43

That's still a lot of money for an 18 year-old. What really pisses me off is that girls my age only pay about half of what I pay. Is that discrimination, or what? :2gunfire: :vamp:

well they are safer drivers what with the driving/tlaking on cell phone/ putting on makeup etc etc...

Thats belive or not is using my dad's 60% NCB!!! I got 60% but under 30.

Whats funny is that I went to Subaru directly and asked about insurance, they said that they couldn't insure me because I was under 28, then the salemen leaned over and said "its because there are too many guys your age getting killed in this car, do you want a RS instead?" :lol:

Aparrently I live in one of the worst worse streets in Australia for car theift! So high risk car + very high risk area. That was with NMRA, apprarently Suncorp is WRX friendly insurer, when I move in the coming months I'll look at it again but now $8000 to insure a car I bought for $30,000 is plain stupid.
Damn straight there brembo!!!

Women are idiots anyway, trust me. If you buy a car for chicks then your a pathetic tool, with no peronality/charm/sex apeal/confidence.

You know whats the draw card though, if you take good care of the car and really love the car. Then chicks will like that aspect, not so much the car but it shows that you are a really passionate person, fun and caring. Well thats how it works for me and it'd work with any car you love, well one thats in good condition anyway!
This coming from a guy who wears a STi shirt in nightclubs :lol:

Go for the STI.

Don't bother about the rest: this car does it all. I've been driving an Impreza for 4 years now, and I'm far from tired, it has great power, good handling, and if it isn't for you, you can easily tune it over 300 hp. I'm using it as an everyday car, and I haven't had any problem with it, althought is has over 100'000 km. And if you want, you can take it on track when it is sunny, raining, snowing and still have a lot of fun.

If you do decide to buy an STi, just remember that these cars are not designed for 5000 rpm launches. Lots of drivers here in the states, especially the younger ones; think these cars are designed for drag-racing. If I did buy an STi or Evo, it most certainly would not be a used one for that reason alone, unless I knew the previous owner.
Just to get off track for a moment. A few years ago, Porsche came out with the AWD 911 Turbo and their American customers were experiencing a problem with the transfer cases failing. Porsche traced the problem to owners abusing them by doing drag strip launches. Since these cases cost over 10 grand, they sent out a letter to all owners saying that if they bring their car in for transfer case repair and if they find out that it was abused under those circumstances, Porsche would void the entire car warranty.

LOL a STI a drag car! The GTO would make the best dragcar by far.

Buying second hand has risk yes. Just be cautious and test drive the car and/or get an more experinced driver to drive it also, preferably that has a rex too. But buying a stock (unmodified) WRX you should be right, a riced one walk away.

Mine second hand, no problem, it was a ex-govermnet fleet car, so no drag racing :lol:

As for launches, thats true but its isnt really the tranny thats weak its that all that excess power has nowhere to go. Shock loading the tranny on a RWD results in wheelspin however because there is so much traction, the excess energy is "loaded" into the gears. Yeah really bad news.

However you can do 5K lanches, like I do by clutch slipping. With AWD cars, you trickle it off the line by slipping then let the clutch go at a steady pace DO NOT DUMP IT!!!!

This method works no problem getting quicker launches than RWD cars because of more traction availble. I learned this method driving a diesil. Yes you do toast the cluch a little but its better than shock loading your drivetrain.

And with the power available, it launches quite fast too :D

What about an RX-8.It's good value 4 money,a lot o RPM's,very well balanced,very beautifull.Also a Skyline would be a very tasty alternative.

well you can't buy Skylines here for 30K and the RX-8 is nice but I wouldn't put it up against a GTO or STi.

Good value for money until the oil bill comes.

Can you buy Skylines here period? I have seen a few JDM 'tegs here but that's it

yeah but it can cost upto 100K for an R34 there are a few here in Chicago that I've seen

Well, for 100k I'd rather have a Ferrari myself!

http://tinyurl.com/3lwf8

As an enthusiast I believe you would have the most fun if you picked up a good used car then allocated the remaining balance of your funds to mod the car. Besides, in the next 5-10 years(?) or so it looks like China's demand for oil will greatly increase. You could consider getting a V8 before gasoline is too expensive.
Insurance shouldn't be a big problem since you are 32.

I disagree. IMO modding a second hand car is even more risky that buying a second hand car. Your pushing a car that perhaps been pushed hard, even harder. So reilability is an great issue, also resale value, the money spent on mods decreses the value of the car, so your losing money on mods + incresed depreciation.

Yeah the price of fuel is definatly set to rise. Modding a classic V8 on the otherhand is diffrent, that would be great fun but as a second "Sunday" car, so fuel wouldn't be so much an issue. Even a moded 2L WRX will go through more fuel than a stock GTO!

IMO its better getting a slightly used car, dodging that first year depreciation and getting a car virtually new with warrenty.

Modding a new car or as new car is a waste of money IMO, you void the warrenty off the bat and with the three car mentioned, to be honest they are all awesome in their own right(s) and don't need mods.

The question was "6.0 GTO, STi, or S2k?" rule out those $100K+ cars.

It appears not many care for the S2000 as a street car. Aside from warranty and rice issues wouldn't a turbo kit would make the Honda an awesome ride for the street, or should I seek help for my roadster fetish?

For the S2000 Ultimate Racing currently offers:
Custom Spec Garrett T3/T04E Turbocharger
Custom Heavy Gauge Tubular Steel Turbo Manifold
HKS Super Sequential Blow-Off Valve
TiAL 38mm External Wastegate
Greddy E-Manage Electronic Fuel/Ignition Piggy-Back Computer (Map Included)
Oil Filter/Cooler Relocation Kit
2.5" Stainless Steel Downpipe
Large Bar and Plate Front-Mount Intercooler with Polished Endtanks
2.5" Stainless Steel Intercooler Piping
600cc High Impedance Fuel Injectors
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Don't know if you could do it for $30K but you should consider looking for a stock secondhand M3 in good condition of course. BMW parts would cost more than the jap cars; perhaps someone could help clarify specifically about how much more it would cost to maintain a BMW. However, not only would you have a sweet ass car in stock form but also a car with status.

i would reccomend the STi
i like the way the sounds, perform, and looks
the GTO is a cool car, but where i live i see tooo many of them

i personally want a s2000 , but thats cause i want a convert. and to tinker with the engine a bit (..i have a few unigue ideas...)

Denpends on what you want. S2K is definitely more of a track car than a daily driver. The lack of torque really kills that thing. But then again, on the track, that car is blistering fast.

Same could be said of the STi (blistering fast), although the STi is more practical. Only down point about the STi is that it still has that "Boy-Ricer" image to it.

The GTO is a very nice car. I don't know much about it though, but thumbs up on looks and thumbs up on engine and sound. Saw one on the freeway the other day, man that thing sounds nice. I don't know, around here, I've only seen a few of them. I guess they aren't selling that well in the Bay Area, CA.