I can give you a good opinion on an SRT-4 vs and Evo. But first, hey, I'm only 18 and I'll have my car in about 5-8months =). (I'm saving up a big downpayment to get that monthly finance down, leasing sucks.)

Ok, so SRT-4 vs Evo8. Well, power wise, they're very close. You'll get more traction out of the Evo since it is AWD, but a FWD car will give you sharper handling road wise. Rally cars are meant for dirt remember, so, it performs a little less like it's supposed to on the road. This does not mean the handling is bad in the Evo, oh no, it's quite to die for actually haha. But that's about the only thing the Evo has on the SRT-4. Handling. Certain other parts in it may be more advanced and expensive, but it doesn't make that big of a difference, I mean, you won't be running in the WRC. You'll be on the road. And if you're brave enough, street racing. If you're only 17, I'm pretty sure that if you try and race, you'll have an accident or two. So I'd say, keep the extra 9,000$, because if you crash your evo, that'd REALLY be a big loss. If you crash your SRT-4, you have 9k backup to fix it haha. (You can also easily mod it to be as fast/way faster than a stock Evo. It's turbocharged, speed upgrades aren't far fetched, quite the contrary).

The bottom line is. Speed is the same. Handling is the main difference, but that CAN be fixed in the SRT-4 with your 9k. Spend about 4k of it, and you'll have your handling problem fixed. Someone a few days ago said to me he stuck in some mopar stabalizer bars and a few other things and his SRT-4's handling was no problem anymore. So this is how you should look at it. Overall, the Evo is slightly better in quality, not power. But that difference is very, very, very small. And there should be a difference for that extra 9k. You're paying for AWD and 271 ponies. Both cars look great. For an american car, I'm super impressed with the SRT-4. The styling is right-on.

Like you I'm considering my car, and my two main models are the SRT-4 and a WRX STi, (because evo's aren't offered in canada.) And I'm not taking that Sti hands down. I'm leaning towards the SRT-4 because you get more for your money. You simply have to get over the vanity facts of the STi and Evo. Yes they're rally cars, yeah the interior is like a race car. So what if the SRT-4's dash is kinda a lot of plastic, you shouldn't care about THAT. The ENGINE alone in that car is worth it =D.

So for you, I'd suggest, going with the SRT-4. It is a superb car from what I hear, and I'll probably get one myself too over an STi. Also, your insurance will be INSANE on an Evo. I got a quote for myself and it was well over 5000$ a year on an STi, it'll be the same for an Evo. The SRT-4 won't snag you that much insurance (which is silly because it's just as powerful, but the "230hp" instead of "271-300hp" makes a difference for those moron insurance agencies lol). Save your $$$ and get an SRT-4. I think the SRT-4 isn't getting as much praise as it should. It should not be overshadowed by Evo's or Sti's.

In the end, drive it, see which you like the feel of. The SRT-4 is super aggressive, but so is the Evo. I've driven an Evo and my friend has driven an SRT-4 and an Evo. He claims that the attitudes are very alike. The cars have a similar personality for being completely different drivetrains. But the SRT-4 has that whole American power thing =D. The lancer Evo has the Japanese Eliteism. And the STi has that even worse, which is one thing I don't like about them. American cars are just as good. Better in certain categories, worse in others, but that is to be expected. It's why we make choices. I really can't decide between the two, but for your money, get an SRT-4. You have 9,000$ left after that to mod. And you can always sell it after the first year if you want and get an Evo if you really think you made the wrong choice. Better to save before spending. New options will always arise.

Go for the SRT-4!.

 

That what Chrysler did back in the 70's, they under-rated their engines to keep insurance costs down. They claimed that the 426 Hemi only put out 425 horsepower, but all of the experts and race car drives said it was a little over 500 horsepower. They are currently doing the same with the 2.4L DOHC turbo, it's rated at 230 horsepower, but it puts more than that out at the wheels. You just gotta love them for under-rating their engines output.[sm=smiley20.gif][sm=smiley32.gif]

 

Exaactly! My insurance is only 300$ /month on the SRT-4 =). The Sti was going to be over 600/month, which is, ridiculous. haha.

 

Wow!!! $600 a month just for insurance. Thats a frickin' house payment.[sm=smiley5.gif] I was strapped when I had to pay $175 a month for state minimum coverage on just my Roadrunner when I was 18.

 

Yeah. It's because of the social status of the STi and Evo, both those cars. The insurance quote I got was huge for both. The Evo was even HIGHER. It was like 620. That's like, well 436$ USD a month. The insurance agent I have even said to me "It went up after the fast and the furious movies." All sports car insurance did really, they actually base their insurance charge on pop culture, which makes a little sense BUT, It's unfair lol. The SRT-4 isn't considered a "street racing car". That kinda made me almost laugh at how ignorant they are but, I held it in a took my low rate happily haha.

I have a question though. Let's say I toss a stage 2 in my SRT-4, do I have to tell my insurance / Should I tell them?

 

No. They will only cover what came from the factory anyway. Unless you want to pay a higher amount for specialty insurance that will cover the modifications, don't bother.

 

I would have to disagree here, most any of the jap cars before the 80s sucked that’s why they have low value now, no one is an enthusiast about an econobox (show me a 1987 escort with a high resale value) where as the early muscle cars are worth something now because they were cool cars and they have a enthusiast following . Also the US cars value drop in the first few years quicker than a jap car. I also believe that the early 90 imports (91 mr2 turbo, 300z tt, rx7 tt, 300gt VR4) will go up in value in the future much like the muscle cars are now just my opinion.

Anyway back on topic. I will go agents the crowd I have driven a wrx and a srt 4, I enjoyed the feel of the wrx more and hear the evo is better, the AWD is a blast even without dirt and snow. If you want cheap speed go with the SRT it’s a beast and awesome for the price but I don’t think will ever pull .99 on the skid pad like the evo does stock, also it feels much more stable to me at higher speeds again just personal preference.

 

well im not 17..but i just turned 18 n i got my baby in my driveway [8D]

 

Just be aware that most SRT-4 owners DON'T leave their rides stock.....Stage 1, Stage 2, and most other upgrades are selling very well........[&:]

 

Yep, and we're all modding up nicely around here.[sm=smiley4.gif][sm=smiley2.gif]