350Z vs WRX vs Mustang GT

which car would be best overall (buying used) to tune taking into consideration part availability, REALIABILITY(very important), performance on say a budget of 20k (including the car)

Nissan 350z(any year)
Subaru Wrx(2002 or newer)
Mustang GT(2000 or newer)

also please include a brief explanation why...thanx a bunch ^.^

oh i forgot when i meant tune im implying all aspects straightline accelaration, and handling as well as a few aesthetics ^.^

If the budget was about 20 grand, I think you would have a hard time finding a nice 350Z and still manage to have money left over to do anything. You could probably buy a pretty nice WRX and have around 4 grand left to play with. Just make sure second gear hasn't been torn out of it. As for the Stang, you could get a pretty nice one of those in your budget and have some money left over. I just kind of like the overall practicality and AWD of the WRX better, though. Especially if you found a wagon. I gave my vote to the Subie. However, if it were ME, I would be happy to try and find a 350Z and just leave it alone for awhile.

Both the WRX and the 350Z have had a couple of transmission recalls, but that shouldn't be an issue if the previous owner took it in on time. I'd go with the WRX, as I believe it offers more bang-for-buck than the 350Z, is more practical, and looks better.

How about calling the thread something people can understand?

350zvswrxvs Stang gt ... :screwy:

Both the WRX and the 350Z have had a couple of transmission recalls, but that shouldn't be an issue if the previous owner took it in on time. I'd go with the WRX, as I believe it offers more bang-for-buck than the 350Z, is more practical, and looks better.
hahaha, I thought for a second that you said that a Bug-eye WRX looks better than a 350Z.




Get the 350Z, it's really a class above the other two. Definitely not a fan of the '00+ WRX, nor am I crazy about the Mustang GT.

I'm one of the few people who think that WRXs look really nice. Hell, even most WRX owners don't like the way their car looks :)

But yeah, the bug-eye design is pretty bad, I much prefer the newer wedge-shaped headlight design.

i happen to like the bug eyed lights ( if they are the black projector ones ) but i would pick the WRX. you can get one for 17K in very good condition. takes mods pretty well but in the end with the stock turbo you'll still be making only 230-240whp max, and thats the same as a bone stock 350Z whp. so from a stock you'll kill one, but on hte highway you'll edge it out. but its got 4 doors, and a decent sized trunk. the Z has no trunk and only 2 seats. plus you can't 'drive it in the snow either. i love hte Z cuase its a nice car but its not very practical and its expensive as hell to mod.

Of all the cars listed, the 350Z would probably be the best car; however, the WRX or Mustang GT would be much more practical in terms of cost. The cheapest Z's I've seen are in the low 20's. Both the WRX and Mustang get can now be purchased for under 15, and the parts to modify these cars are usually cheaper than the 350Z. Overall, I would recommend the WRX. It comes stock with a turbo and AWD (which can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it), and there are endless ways to modify it. The Mustang is by no means a bad car either, I just prefer the Subaru.

I'm going with the latest and greatest specs here. I'm not sure if they're all right so if I'm wrong here please feel free to correct me. I also had a hard time finding handling stats and stuff like that so somebody can throw that in too.

2005 350Z
Price $29,010
horsepower 287 @ 6200 rpm
torque lb-ft 274 @ 4800 rpm
0-60 mph sec 5.5
1/4 mile sec @ mph 13.9 @ 102.2

2005 Mustang GT
Price $24,995
horsepower 300 @ 5750 rpm
torque lb-ft 320 @ 4500 rpm
0-60 mph sec 5.1
1/4 mile sec @ mph 13.5 @ 103.6

2005 WRX STi
Price $30,995
horsepower 300@6000rpm
torque lb-ft 330@4000rpm
0-60 mph 4.87
1/4 mile sec 13.29 @ 100.5mph

I've seen used '05s in the paper here and there of all of these for under $20,000. It's a hard though to find one. Anyway here is what I think.

Looks - Mustang, Z, WRX
Performance - WRX, Mustang, Z
Handling - Z and I'm not sure who's better, WRX or the Mustang
Aftermarket - Mustang, WRX, Z
Parts available - Mustang, WRX, Z
Tuning - Mustang, WRX, Z
Realiability - Z, Mustang, WRX
Performance for $20,000 - Mustang, WRX, Z

I've seen used '05s in the paper here and there of all of these for under $20,000. It's a hard though to find one. Anyway here is what I think.



Fair nuff', but unless you happen to run across someone in desperate need of money who didn't finance their Mustang to begin with, I have trouble believing you could pick an 05 GT up for less than 20. For that matter, less than 25. I worked at a Ford dealer up until this past Christmas, and we were selling GTs for full sticker, and other dealers were getting an addendum. I still hang out with my ex coworkers alot, and they said they can't get enough of them. As soon as a GT hits the lot, it's gone.

I think you'll have to go with an 04 or older in this case. I've driven the 05 Gt- and it is sweeeeeeet. If you find one for 20, be sure to let me know where it is. I'll buy it for resale and make a few grand.

muscletang, way to throw the comparison out of whack. i don't believe you can get an STI for less than $20K, or an 05 GT stang. not to mention it's just a wrx listed in the comparo, not the STI.

anyway, i'd pick the 350Z mostly because i'm a nissan guy and all my nissans have been very good to me. i don't like the look of the WRX's, they're kind of feminine looking IMO and from my personal experience with them(racing, not driving) they run out of juice at the end of third gear and kinda fall on their faces after that. that's why they can run a 5.4 sec 0-60 and still be a 15 second car in the 1/4. i don't have any real beefs with the mustang, just not my kinda car.

Ok some people misunderstood what I was doing. On the comparison I was putting the newest ones out there because they usually have the better numbers. I thought it'd make things maybe a little simplier.

Mclaren I have seen '05s for under 20 grand. The ones I see, people buy them and put about 20-30,000 miles on them then turn around and sell them. This reduces their price by a bit. I will admit though this is very rare but it isn't underheard of.

The same goes for the STi BP2 but I'll admit there they weren't '05s.

Sorry, but I cannot believe that a car that is stickered at $25,000 and is selling -instantly- would lose five thousand dollars in value in just half a year. Please, prove me wrong, so I can go buy it.

Sorry, but I cannot believe that a car that is stickered at $25,000 and is selling -instantly- would lose five thousand dollars in value in just half a year. Please, prove me wrong, so I can go buy it.

I don't know maybe something was wrong with them but I know I've seen a couple that low. Now that I think about it though I think they weren't under 20 but more around 21.

Even so, '05 Mustang GTs are in such high demand right now that with thirty-thousand miles, I'd expect to pay at least twenty-three thousand for it.

I suppose it's a bit easier to like the look of the bugeye WRX when you've never had a Toyota Corolla that looked like this (This is a 1997 model, btw)

http://tcimages.net/DisplayImage.aspx?PD=4131017&S=ISS

haha thats a 2.5 RS in the states!!! oops i mean its a corolla!! well the black head lights and the flare fenders makes it look manlier then a corolla.

crayzayjay []
Maverick

The numers on your sig are tripping me out man.