Dilemma

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I'd stick with the F body and pay my own way. I've driven them all year even in the snow with a manual trans. Definitely not for the meek but if you know how to drive you won't wreck or get stuck. Yeah you could go for the free money but aren't your 3 choices more expensive than what you would pay for a nice LS1? :dunno: If so then the extra money just brings you back to square one.

Get what YOU want, not what mommy and daddy want you to have.

I'd go with the evo. All three are nice cars, that can become very fast. Pick what you like the most. I agree with AlmostStock, you can definitely drive a rwd vehicle in the winter, just be careful.

How much would you like to do with it other than commuting? Would you like to mod it as soon as cash becomes available? take it to the track? Because if its just going to be a commuter car, it might just be preferable not to break the bank on it. If you just want a nice car though I can relate with that :)

There arent really any fwd or awd cars in this price range that come to mind that have particularly nice interiors. If comfort is an issue for you though its easy to get new seats that feel good and are affordable.

Reliablility wise, the evo and the sti are either sports cars or borderline so reliability issues can be expected with both but it also depends on how you drive it. Mitsu trannies are just as bad or worse than Subaru trannies but they will hold up usually just fine if you dont launch it hard. I dont know about the srt4 but regular neons have been in my experience on honda and toyota level with reliability. Just treat it right and maintain it.

IMO, I'd be plenty happy with any of those 3 cars. But then again I currently drive an '85 honda prelude :P

I'd stick with the F body and pay my own way. I've driven them all year even in the snow with a manual trans. Definitely not for the meek but if you know how to drive you won't wreck or get stuck. Yeah you could go for the free money but aren't your 3 choices more expensive than what you would pay for a nice LS1? :dunno: If so then the extra money just brings you back to square one.

Get what YOU want, not what mommy and daddy want you to have.

I drove my 454SS in the snow one year...it sucked but I didn't die or even end up in a ditch. The thing that sucks for me is that I live out in the country where the road to work/school isn't the first priority for getting plowed. As far as the price, the best priced LS1 I've found with under 50,000 miles is $13,500 when I've found quite a few SRTs for just under $14,000.

planet_keeper-I would probably mod as money came along with an F-body and take it to the track...but if I got either of the other cars I'd keep them stock enough to keep the warranty from becoming void and not taking to the track. I hear Mitsu likes to send scouts to tracks to void warranties.

Thanks for all the input guys and keep it coming!!!