Like some of you, I am shopping for a fun sports car. Looking at the market, there are several cars to choose from in the price range of 30-50k which is in the comfort zone for what I am willing to pay for a car.

With that in mind, I narrowed my search down to 4 cars that to me seemed to be monsters in their own rights; The Infinity G35, The Subaru WRX STi, The BMW M3 and The Mitsubishi EVO.

My stepfather is in the car wholesale business, so rounding up used models of all of these cars to go and test drive was a relatively easy task accomplished in a few phone calls.

Considerations: I am not evaluating these cars by their numbers, i.e. skid pad, lap times, quarter mile times or hype. My evaluations are based on a daily driven perspective, with occasional trips to the track, or the occasional autocross. My assumptions, evaluations and opinions are largely based on the butt-dyno figures and other "user-experience" factors. In short, I don't care if my price numbers are not 100% accurate, or if some other random factor is off. I am offering my opinion of these 4 cars as another enthusiast who is shopping the market and communicating my experience. Please be respectful in your replies.

EVO RS

The Look:

I started at 9am sharp with the Mitsubishi EVO RS. My first impression of this car in the EVO 8 form was that it was a bit too "Fast and Furious" for me, so when I saw the RS edition it was a refreshing look at the car with reasonably crisp lines and an overall aggressive profile. This car, while sitting still says "I'll whip your *** in the twisties and probably the straights WITH my kids in the backseat" (No I don't have kids, it's just what came to mind)

The Specs:

2.0-liter, DOHC, 16-valve, turbocharged engine with 276 horsepower and 286 lb-ft torque - front-mounted air-to-air intercooler - close-ratio 5-speed manual transmission - full-time AWD with electronically governed Active Center Differential and driver-selectable mode: Tarmac, Snow or Gravel - aluminum roof panel, front fenders and hood - rear-end lateral chassis stiffener - turbo boost gauge kit - aluminum sport pedals - 4-wheel ventilated BREMBO® disc brakes - 17" x 8" ENKEI® alloy wheels - W-speed rated Yokohama P235/45 ADVAN® high-grip, soft-compound radial tires - front Recaro® Sport bucket seats with premium sport fabric - 5 M/T Aluminum Shift **** - leather-wrapped MOMO® three-spoke steering wheel

The Drive:

First impressions, I’m a rather large guy @ 6'4', 375lbs so when I get into these cars I don't expect there to be much room in terms of head and foot space. This car however, was surprisingly accommodating having plenty of space to adjust and get comfortable. Now let's get to the part that we all care about, letting the go-fast bug bite us and spawning the speed demon driver we all are at heart.

I turn right out of the dealership and mash the throttle down to the floor (of course, I let the car get to operating temperature first) With what to me seemed to be a little hesitation the EVO lurched forward then leveled off for a moment; then at 3300rpm or so came alive like a gazelle being stalked by a lion in the flatlands of Africa!. From that point on the car was a seat slamming, torque punching, and shotgun shifting beast. I drove the car up to 140 MPH from different roll on speeds, and twice I launched from a stoplight with 4500-5000k RPM clutch drops (Isn't romping on someone else's headache fun?!) and was surprised at how quick the car responded. It also proved very responsive in the twisties, accelerating rather well out of corners, and holding its ground in the turns, push it too far and you start to under steer, followed by over steer or "drift" if you will.

Enough about the stuff I liked in the car and onto the pieces I hated. Firstly, the car has a very cheap feeling and looking interior. Though comfortable, it was much like that of a rental car perhaps like a Kia Rio or any other sub 10k econobox vehicle in today's market. Secondly, every single Honda loving, supra spoiler having, non painted-body kit wearing rice boy that I saw tried to rev up his hamster wheel and race me. I'm definitely out for a performance vehicle, but not at the expense of having the image of an 18 year old "street-racing-is-my-life" kind of guy. Thirdly the price you pay for what you get, overall the EVO just didn’t make me feel comfortable spending the $27,929 (Base MSRP) or $26,333 (Base invoice) for what in my opinion is a high powered, all wheel drive rental car.

Subaru STi

The Look:

From my first look at this car, it also has a bit of that "Fast and Furious" look I mentioned earlier, however this car has a purebred rally car style and background that unlike the EVO in my opinion, was maintained in the design of the street car. The car I drove was Blue with Gold Rims, it had only been on the lot for 24hours, and they didn't expect it to last as apparently this is the highest demand color combination offered by Subaru. Overall this car has the same type of aggressive profile as the EVO, however the Suby lines seemed a bit classier to my eye. If I had to equate this car to a phrase it would be "**** with me?!, I dare you!"

The Specs:

300-hp 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer engine with Active Valve Control System (AVCS) - Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with helical-type limited-slip front differential and mechanical limited-slip rear differential - High performance sport-tuned 4-wheel independent suspension - Brembo performance braking system with Super Sport ABS - 17 X 8.0-inch 10-spoke BBS lightweight aluminum-alloy wheels with ultra high-performance tires - Iridium spark plugs - STi-design front seats.

The Drive:

When I climbed into the drivers seat of this car, I really felt like I was in something meant for the track only the heavily bolstered seats, everything I could want on the instrument cluster, and a better layout and design of everything else was great. I wasn't able to get as comfortable in here as I was in the EVO, however being a guy my size (though I’m losing weight rapidly due to surgery) at this point I was willing to sacrifice a little comfort IF the drive was worthwhile.

I hit the road after the warm up, mashing the throttle to the floor in first gear; this car had no hesitation slamming me into the chair with the turbo screaming "hold on to your nuts!" I bang second gear and rocket to 60mph only to see a red light. I hit the brakes hard, and the car stops almost as fast as it accelerates. Stop light, no cops, no one in front of me... you know what that means. I rev the car up to about 4500 (to be consistent with the comparison to the other cars) and side step the clutch when the light is green. The car again, snaps out of the hole like a starving dog chasing a fresh T-bone steak. At this point, I decide it's time to go to the freeway, I’m impressed w/ the power of the car but I want to know what it does at higher speeds. I turned onto the highway accelerating up the ramp to 65mph and merge into traffic, I manage to find a clear lane drop it into third, bury the throttle and whooooosh we are off and cooking in no time flat. At about 110 mph, I started to back off, not because my ***** shrunk in size or the sight of a local law enforcement official, but because the car started shaking, and felt very unstable at that speed. I tried a couple more high speed passes, once taking it up to 130 to see if it was just an alignment problem, or maybe tire balance that was causing the shake; in the end I realized that it was just the car. This was rather disheartening because I like to drive fast, especially on the Dallas freeways. I was discouraged entirely though (I can buy new suspension), I continued on to the twisties hoping that the car would reinvigorate me. This car has excellent response on turn in with those meaty tired holding the road like the Velcro they show in their commercials, but the exit path was an entirely different matter. Give the car a little bit of throttle to get out quick and you were on your way sideways, controllable but sideways nonetheless, I would like to see the car hold its ground a little better. (Yes, I realize some of this could be driver error or road surface etc.)

Overall, the STI is a great car for someone that doesn’t want to get above 100mph often, loves city driving and doesn’t mind the annoying rear wing rendering your rear-view mirror useless. I found it to be a great drive for low speed, but it didn't have that "daily grind" great overall driving experience that I’m looking for. The STI seems best suited for track driving to me. I'm not going to pay $33,020 (Base MSRP) or $30,838 (Base Invoice) for a car that isn’t' stable above 100mph. Nuff Said.

 

BMW M3 Coupe

The Look:

This car has in my opinion, one of the best overall curb appeals of any automobile in it's price range, bested only by the G35 but we will get to that later. This car draws you in with its bold sophisticated lines, aggressive dual exhaust and its flared and vented fenders. To be fair and summarize this car to a statement: "I'm sex on 19 inch wheels, what's your name?"

The Specs:

3,246 cc 3.2 liters 6 in-line front engine with 87 mm bore - 91 mm stroke - 11.5 compression ratio - double overhead cam - variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder - Multi-point injection fuel system - Power: SAE and 248 kW , 333 HP @ 7,900 rpm; 262 ft lb , 355 Nm @ 4,900 rpm - Four disc brakes including four ventilated discs - Electronic traction control via ABS & engine management - Limited slip differential -Stability control - Strut front suspension with stabilizer bar independent with coil springs - multi-link rear suspension with stabilizer bar independent with coil springs.

The Drive:

I open the door to this car and am instantly drawn to the look of the seat, this thing looks comfortable yet bolstered just enough to hold you in place when you hit those turns. The position of the shifter, pedals and steering wheel should were incredible in relation to any seating position. The gauges, dash and technology in this car are far superior to the other two cars I've driven today; I'm nearly drooling at the mouth to drive this car. I climb in, and to my surprise the car is short on head and foot room, though has plenty of lateral room to support my larger frame. I manage to get the seat into a comfortable position, but there is no chance of anyone ever sitting behind me. I was okay with this because I don't have passengers that often, other than the girlfriend who is short enough to allow someone to sit in the back.

I pull out of the lot, again slamming the throttle to the floor; unlike the last 2 cars, there is no waiting for boost this car is "power on demand" the harder on the throttle I push, the more power it puts down. I am already in love with this thing, and I've not even shifted second gear. I manage to push the clutch and shift second fast enough to light up the tires and snake a little bit. The car gets mad at me and shuts it down, but damn this thing is fast. Even more impressive than the power delivery is the roar of the pissed off engine, but it quiets down to a purr at less than full throttle to maintain its sophisticated profile. I especially like this, because unless the rice boy is keen, he won't even realize that the car is an M class until it's too late and he smells the exhaust fumes. I get this car on the freeway and I’m shocked, at 130+ the car has an amazing ability to do what can only be described as lowering itself, and suck down on the concrete, what’s crazy is that doing 130+ in this car is effortless, just like a Sunday drive with grandma (minus the quick lane changes in and out of other cars) You really don't feel like you are in any danger, the car is completely predictable and handles like a wet dream.

There are of course, a few downsides to this car. Firstly, the price; Its in the high end of the dollar spectrum $48,995 (Base MSRP) + TTL & D or $44,920 +TTL & D (Base Invoice, IF I can find a dealer that will heckle) is pretty much every penny I'd be comfortable spending, I could afford more but I really don't want to spend more than that on an automobile that will ultimately depreciate over time regardless of the condition I keep it in. Another impression that stood out with the M3 was the lack of power as you reach the top of the power band, I love the on demand torque, but I'd like it to be a bit more even in the power band, depending on gear it's either up high or down low. The price tag of this beast doesn’t leave any budget for Mods, so I can't get the 420WHP the M3 guys talk about with bolt-ons and ECU re-flash and Cams. Great car, but just doesn’t fit the budget if I want something with a little bit more Gump.

Infiniti G35 Coupe

The Looks:

"And then god sent the G35", DAMN! That’s a sexy mother f***er. This car gave me what the US military claimed to pull in Iraq "Shock and Awe" Smooth, sultry, satin lines with aggressive front and rear styling that will make your momma scream "DAMN!" Did I drive 3 other cars today? I can't remember what they look like all of a sudden. This car has "I'm too hot to handle" written all over it.

The Specs:

Engine: 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 - Horse Power: 298 @ 6400 - Torque: 260 @ 4800 - Transmission: 6-speed manual - Fuel Economy: 29/26 - Wheelbase: 112.2 - Length/Width/Height: 182.2/71.5/54.8 - Turning Radius: 37.4 - Seating Capacity: 4 - Front Head/Hip/Leg room: 39.2/53.6/43.8 - Rear Head/Hip/Leg room: 34.7/48.0/31.4 - Trunk Volume: 7.8 - Front Suspension: independent, two lower links and one upper link per side, coil springs, anti-roll bar - Rear Suspension: independent, multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar - Curb Weight: 3512 - Stock Tires: P225/40WR19; P245/40WR18 - Brakes Front/Rear: vented disc/vented disc with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist.

The Drive:

From the instant they opened the door to this car, I knew where my money was going to be spent, it might not have all the high tech Gizmo's the M3 had, but the car just does everything well. The space was amazing, even with me being a big guy, I fit in this car with room to spare. Plenty of leg room for me to stretch out, head room for me to sit up and lateral space for me to feel comfortable.

For the last time of the day, I turned out of the lot once more flooring the throttle and again instantly whipped into the seat with no lag because of the N/A motor. This was a bit different than the BMW, because even though the torque was 2 lb-ft lower at peak RPM the G35 seemed to be geared better, much smoother power band as well; the car simply flexed its power with ease. I bang second gear and to my delight it plants me firmly back into the cushy leather seating, bolstered so perfectly it was as if the seat had been made for just me. Hit 3rd and again the car hit me hard with torque to the seat. I’m very impressed by this car, like the BMW it too has suction cup ability on the highway, pulls itself down and effortlessly cruises @ 130+. Take the car to the twisties, and you’re floored again. Excellent turn in, accelerate and turn out, completely predictable. It was easy to force over steer, but the car was the most fun to have sideways, it just felt more solid during those maneuvers. The other big upside to this car is the price! $33,960 (Base 6MT MSRP) and $31,281 (Base 6MT Invoice) Even though I want more power out of the car I can spend a further $7500 for an APS twin turbo kit and have the same power as the modded M3 guys, having spend much less cash.

Of course this car is no without its downsides as well, some of the features and trim levels available on the G just don't work. For instance the "premium" package, for a guy like me, Blose (Bose) Audio is horrible ****. I demand better sound quality than it can produce, yet I have to special order all the other features to avoid having that one regardless of my intentions on changing it out. It's also slower than some of the other cars, not because it's down on power, but because it’s a heavy pig. The navigation feature is worthless, why spend the money for the factory navigation, when you can equip some aftermarket stuff that will include Navigation, DVD, and rear view camera (if you want it) for cheaper?

Overall this car is a blast to drive for any driving situation that I care to be in, adequate power and comfort for daily driving yet strong suspension and great grip for some aggressive track or drag strip driving. For my goals and the money I’m going to spend, my 50k will go into the G35, not because it's the fastest for that much money (including mods in the 50k, APS Twin Kit!!). Some of the other cars could be finessed to more HP for the same coin, but the G35 is the best all around performance machine for the money. I'll be placing my order for a 05 6MT DG with Grubbs this weekend.


With Regards,
BlackieChan

 

Wow.... i bet you had fun driving all 4 cars....

 

Nice Post! I Enjoyed reading every sentence. Congrats on picking the best car . Welcome to the Forum.

 

Blackie, you must be a "Editor" for a living.

I share your thoughts on those cars you mentioned. You hit them right on the nail.

But, where do you get a brand new M3 for 30K-40K range? It's more like 50K+ range. I will trade my G in a heart beat if I can get one in the 30K-40K range because currently that is my budget. BTW, the M3 will be my next car in about a year or so.

 

nice post. three points.

1 - Good luck finding a M3 for invoice. Also good luck finding a base M3. every one I've looked at has been closer to $60K than $40K and the prices you're hoping for are unattainable where I am. It may be different where you are.

2 - To me, the cars you compare don't belong in the same group. I'd put the STi and the EVO together. The other two are in different leagues and serve different purposes. You can't compare a M3 to G Coupe. Aside from being almost twice the price when comparably equipped, the stock numbers put them into different categories.

3 - I would have posted this thread in the 'other cars' forum as 75% of the content has nothing to do with a G.

Good luck on your purchase.

 

Nice post Blackie, some of the comparison's made me laugh ie:
"...so came alive like a gazelle being stalked by a lion in the flatlands of Africa!." and "...snaps out of the hole like a starving dog chasing a fresh T-bone steak."
Good stuff

 

If you're doing the occasional track or autox, realize that there's no way you'll fit with a helmet in the G35. I'm 5'9" and I have about an eight of an inch of clearance.

 

he knows. but he stated earlier that he was gearing this more towards others who are still 'on the fence' instead of those who are already owners. why would someone join the forum and then surf the 'other cars' forum? he was just trying to help others make a more informed decision. and he probably already knows that the evo and wrx are in a different category. as far as performance, they are all close enough to considered fast. after that, he did not glorify the evo or sti in anyway to be a competitor of the g or m3.

all in all, very informative. thanks for the fresh perspective. good luck with your purchase. nuff said.

 

Great comparo and wise choice. You'll love the G.
Welcome to 'Driver. Keep us up on the G order.
C.

 

Very good read..

I think the M3 outperforms all the cars on here in almost every aspect.. I would pick one over a G in a heart beat if they were the same price.. However, they arent, and there is nothing over the G that is enough to justify the 15k. I may be going against the grain here, but I personally dislike the styling of the M3. It looks just like every other 3 series that I see on the streets around here. Its not bad looking, I just wish it looked a little nicer. G35 looks better than everything else on the market in the price range in my honest opinion.

I considered a used M3, but I couldnt find any with low mileage that I liked, and I also wanted SMG, which made it harder to find.. I drive in the city almost every other weekend so manual had to be out of the question. Not to mention i've got a porsche and a vette. Needless to say, I am extremely happy with my G35. I try not to think about the M3 too much. The EVO is a nicer car, but its just not practical. STi I would just never even consider because its absolutely *** ugly imo..

 

One car that you missed that could have been included is the S4. It would have fit nicely into this comparo.. Its also on the pricey side, but it helps that it has the refinement of the G and the M3, it has AWD like the EVO and STI and its NA like the G and the M3. The AWD is a great selling point in that if you live in an area that isnt always sunny, it would be a great daily driver.. Especially to the guys who live up north and have to deal with the snow.. But out of the cars you listed, I would have to say you hit things right on the button.. One or more of my friends pretty much have all the cars on your list and I've driven each of them to the limit like you have in your test drives and came to pretty much the same conclusion. Congratz on you choice and good luck with your purchase.

 

That was a great read! Can you write my term papers for me? lol. Seriously though, my 05 G35 base coupe 6speed was $20k less than a comparably equipped m3 (xenons, leather, power seats, 19"s). So think about this: you could buy a brand new g35 and a Ducati 999r for about the same price as a new m3.

 

Wow, awesome read. Very coherent thoughts. Should be a sticky for people asking about these cars.

 

Admin, Can this thread be sticky?