Alright guys, so I have always been very intrigued by the EVO and the STi. I have wanted one for quite some time but as the years go by I think my taste might be changing. I was wondering if anyone here has compared and contrasted these cars to each other, and to the E46 M3 and C5 Corvette. I have been looking at all of these cars trying to decide which route I want to take and I was hoping that someone may have experience in all or some of these cars... enough to tell me why or why not they went with X, or sold Y for whatever car. Here is my point of view thus far, please chime in to correct me or offer helpful wisdom.

EVO/STi:

Cosmetic:

I feel that the EVO is a better looking car, don't get me wrong I love how clean the STi is and I still like how it looks but it just doesn't have a mean look to it when sitting next to an EVO. Maybe that is because it looks so much like and shares many things from the WRX? The fact that someone with a WRX can easily clone the STi (cosmetic clone).

Performance:

IMO opinion + numbers the EVO is the better performer. It has been compared time and time again and in terms of handling and mod for mod buck for buck the EVO is the winner...

Drivability:

For the streets, most prefer the STi because of its 2.5L of displacement and the grunt down low. This makes the STi much more enjoyable for daily driving but when compared to at the limit driving the EVO wins.

Overall:

I think over time the STi will hold up better in terms of fit/finish/feel. I fear that the EVO though a better performer will make more noises and have more little things go wrong over time (correct me if I'm wrong).

C5:

I think this car is a great performer, it looks great... sounds great and is reliable as it gets. People are still running them hard and they are holding up even with a hair below 150,000 miles on the clock in there cammed Vettes. You can get a C5 Coupe (removable roof) for about $18,000 with 40-60,000 miles on it and it is an extremely capable track car to boot. I don't think there is anything better for the buck. HOWEVER, the insides are rubbish... I don't know if the cheap feel (though rock solid mechanically) would take its toll and make the car not so great. The seats wear very fast and most of the interior rivals a Cavalier.

E46 M3:

An Mazing car overall. Low 13's in stock form, it handles very well with tons of room to improve and can be driven in all seasons no problem with the right tires. I don't think this car could ever lose its sex appeal. I feel that this car is the PERFECT balance of performance, comfort and style with enough utility to keep you from getting annoyed (normal sized trunk, back seat and driving position). HOWEVER the fear factor in terms of oopsies (things that break or wear) can be enough to make someone run far away. The VANOS failure can cost between $4,000-6,000 and the rear subframe failure I can't imagine. Some have great experiences, others have horrible ones.

What do you guys think? Though I feel the FUN factor is HIGH in the EVO and STi, as is utility and what not I fear that the boy racer thing will in due time have me envying those cars that just look hot and perform too.

 

Get an Evo IX and never look back.

With about $1,000 in mods and driver mod, ur looking at high 11s 111-116 traps. Depending on the tune and driver.

Used parts are so easy and cheap to find

U can run 30 psi on race gas and be unbeatable on the street.

Go to Evolutionm.net and do a search on the new FPred turbo.
It's a stock Evo IX 20G housing turbo with built internals. It makes 420+whp on pump 93 great spool up, it also makes over 510+ whp on c16. It looks like a stock Evo IX turbo from the outside.

Hope this helps, good luck with your choice.

 

Funny, I did this same comparison in 2004 when I was looking for a then new car. I think I considered a Z06 or FRC over a regular C5 and had a couple of others in there, but pretty much the same.

I purchased a new 05 STi and enjoyed it. I ended up selling it after 2.5 years and still have an eye for an e46 M3. I loved my STi experience and am even considering another one, but I always wondered what life would be like had I gotten the M3.... Hmm... I'd say just about the same, just with two less doors

Really though, it depends on what you want. The evo is great, but probably not as comfortable as the STi. The M3 is awesome, but repair is a consideration for sure. The c5 vette is nice too.

It really comes down to what you want to use the car for. What I did to help me make the decision was to create a spreadsheet with the cars across the top and the catagories I cared about down the left side. Things like 'modability', 'depreciation', 'comfort', etc. all get a point values 1-5. Then add a weight for each catagory, multiply and then add all catagories. Total points value wins. But don't forget all of the numbers mean nothing until you drive it. You'll know when your butt is in the seat. I bought based just on numbers without driving the others which is why I think I've always wondered about the e46 M3.

BTW, edmunds has a true cost to own value that is a helpful metric for this decision.

Good luck.

 

Honestly, given the way I see 99% of STis and EVOs driven, I wouldn't buy a used one. I think your chances of finding a C5 or E46M that hasn't been abused are much higher. With that said, I'd take the STi over the EVO if it's your everyday car.

 

i had an 05 sti back in 05-06 it was fun but i grew out of the car.... had 2 e46 m3's and enjoyed them greatly.... they are awesome cars.... still miss my coupe to this day...

 

I too fear growing out of the EVO or STi

 

I have outgrown mine and will be selling it soon.

 

You can always find a good example STi/Evo. Maybe look for one that is a one owner car with an older owner. You can tell if they've been abused or not and get a feel for the owner.

I bought mine new, did 1 auto X, 2 HPDEs and drove the car agressively sometimes on the street. Never launched it and always took great care of it. The result was a beautiful unmolested car that some younger guy got to buy.

All four of these cars are performance cars and I see plenty of people abusing M3s and C5s, especially 2nd and 3rd owners who are buying them cheaper. I do agree the percentages of quality M3s is probably higher than STis/Evos, but as the price goes down the stupidity goes up.

Nothing against age of people, but statistics show younger males are higher risk takers and beat on their cars more.

 

my STi is a great car. the EVO is also a great car. I think it comes down to personal preference... both offer great performance while maintaining everyday drivability. as far as growing out of the car, well these rally cars do carry the "boy racer" image. but they are so much fun, who cares?

I don't have any experience with the C5, but I love my C6. a great everyday car as well. a little more "grown up" from the rally cars, and a blast to drive.

I also had an e46 M3. amazing car. not as hardcore as the rally cars. but it has the perfect blend of performance, luxury, and style.

it's a really tough choice between them... honestly I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. but if I had to choose, I would take the M3.

 

I agree 110%! Its hard to find an Evo or STi in good shape that hasn't been abused by some teenager thinking hes a rally car driver.

I love the Evo IX more than the STi. But, the reliability of the Evo doesn't even compare to the Subie. You will get so much more life out of a Subie than an Evo.

 

What is that based on? Granted most of my experience is with older models you can't get in the USA, but most of the people around here would pick an Evo over an STI based on reliability any day. Might be different for the newer cars though.

In fact it played a pretty important role in me deciding on my car last time around. After tossing up between the Evo and the STI I decided to go with the Evo VI. Although that was partly because my last two cars were Subaru's.

 

The EVO has a much stronger motor. The 4G63 can handle up to 600whp on stock internals while the STI has been known to crap out at about 400ish on stock internals. The EVOs 5 speed is also the stronger of the two transmissions and though there has been some syncro boo boos it is much better than a complete transmission failure. I like to reffer to the EVO as the more quirky of the two, not the lesser in reliability.

 

I have an 04 STi, and I miss it. It's currently under construction, but before that, it was a blast to drive. Up here in northern Indiana, we get loads of snow, so the 6+ inches on the roads are great. I also loved Auto-Xing it. I'm currently building it as my road race car. I love it and always will. If I decide to sell it, I'll look for a new one later down the road.


-Cody

 

I have an '08 EVO X MR as my DD. Nice car.

 

'06 STi here, Daily driver much harder edge than most cars but not as harsh as the EVO. On test drive comparisons it won for that reason, just a bit more comfortable w/o being a soft regular sedan