Which new compact car would make the best pocket rocket?

Im sorry but its plain stupid to bring the WRC into this argument. The rally and standard road cars have nothing in common, and using rallying as a comparison for the road cars is nonsensical.

cheers,
jay

yeah seriously about the WRC.

I think the whole anti-focus thing is bandwagon. coz its a pretty hot lookin car, people just wont even give it a chance. Their only defense really is "its ugly" but it sure as hell looks better than that lowered minivan of a civic si. And whoops up on compact car performance in its SVT model

yeah sorry about that mph limit thing, I don´t know what the limit is in USA i guess 90mph? well what I ment is you can go at very high speeds without braking any law here in Europe (In Germany there´s no speed limit!!! in the highways, imagine yourself in the Autobahn, jejej:D ) and well in Spain speed limits are very generous.
About the Focus it seems some of you have to get your story straight. actually the Focus (ford world car) is an import cause it was TOTALLY developed in Europe where they make other kind of Fords (Mondeo, Fiesta, use to have the luxurious Scorpio as well, etc), or because a BMW is made in USA would you say is american too? I imagine you know BMW has fabrics in USA as well Honda etc, so that doesn´t make it american! It still an import, so is the Focus, its not american just because the Ford name is!
Cheers :)

Oh and I forgot to mention, like some of you said the Focus has great developments, there´s a supercharged Focus that compits with the Corvette Z06, I imagine you have read the articles in your american magazines, or do you want me to bring the # of the issue and the name of it?

RINNAGAID Import freak - You like import cars then fine. You chose them in the same people decide what football team they like. You are biased against the Focus. It is in the same league with all those other cars and I can back up what I say. Writers for car magazines will tell you the same thing. Did you see Automobile magazine two months ago? They compared a lot of these cars and the focus did just as well or better. Do you know more than writers who review cars for their job? Obviously not, they can spell and you can't. Ford is competitive in many forms of racing in many countries around the world. So I don't buy that the SVT Focus should not be considered when looking at those cars. The truth is that it is in the same class. I can back it up. Just because you don't like Fords doesn't mean a lot to me. Would you try to tell me next that Hyundia or Kia is better because it is an import? How do you tell what is import anyway. The Focus is British designed and the ones built there differ only slightly from the North American ones. Believe what you want --
The truth is that the SVT Focus is just as good.



whoopti doo ur complaining how im too lazy to correct my typos.. like i care.. I care about that as muhc as ur opinion on the focus.. soo just as much as u think ur ford is great i think it sux.. and im not saying the civic si the new one is good at all.. i rather hate it.. so whatever..

hey importfreak i mentioned the SI just coz a lot of people out there scream honda honda honda, and just because a car comes out of honda it cant be pathetic. Nothin directed towards you, just a lil venting about all the TFATF watching teenybopping bandwagon riding wannabes out there

If you want to say you think the Focus sucks or Ford sucks I hope you can back up what you say. 'Whatever' doesnt really do much. Im not really for or against imports. I look at a car for what it is. I know better than to buy into someone else's bias or prejudice. And I know lots Subaru people and they dont like Hondas/Acuras either. Maybe we share the belief that torque is not a bad thing.

Im not really for or against imports. I look at a car for what it is.

just for that, you chiseled a spot on my good list. Some people REALLY need to realize that

So far, my choices are either the Acura rsx type s, suburu impreza wrx, or a civic si. I have no idea at the moment which car to get, i need some mad suggestions. Which car has more potential? I know that impreza is the fastest but in my opinion the rsx looks much nicer and dont forget about the 6 speed!! oh yea.. i just want the civic si (2000 not 2002) because it's cheap and i can add a jackson supercharger in it..but yea, i am sort of helpless, HELP!!:confused:

The Acura sounds nice, that would be my first choice. I like the Supra too. I don't know to much about hopping up an import. I've always only worked with V8's and rear wheel drive cars. What kind of times are these cars capable of?:)

why not think about nissan SE-R SpecV???:toothless
heehee, toothless is funny

what ARE everyones opinions about the SE-r specv? i mean, so what SCC dynoed it at 147hp..........it has a good quarter mile and one HELL of a slalom speed........all for 16k (sources the new scc issue 8 great)

Why don't you test drive all of your possible cars, find what you are looking for (performance, right? )....buy the car that performs the best, and buy it.

And if you are looking for a GTI, test drive a 1.8T instead of a VR6...fastest car I have ever driven, stock. Performance parts are a little more expensive, but the car is more explosive.

2002 VW GTI 1.8T

It's no rocket, but the Golf GTI is nippy enough in a straight line. Take it around a few corners and it feels like a boat. Suspension is too soft, body is too heavy.. Golf GTi is not the sharp driving tool it used to be.....

cheers,
jay

It's gotta be the WRX, my friend just got his, and it is sooo much fun to drive, blows out everything else listed :D

umm.. wow, this is a very odd comparison, why is the si and focus svt being compared to rsx and wrx, not even in the same class.. and omg, the si.. that thing has horrendous looks. cars that can be fairly compared are the following:
-focus svt (170hps) -- 18,000
-civic si (160hps) -- 19.000
-neon srt (204 hps) -- 20,000
-turbo protege (170 hps) -- ~19,000
-SE-R spec v (175 hps) -- 17,000
-golf gti (180hps) -- 19,000

-all are UNDER the 20 k mark, with a fair bit of price range
-and all are the "performance" trims of their respective models with varying options
-which are turbo charged? neon srt, turbo protege, gti
-the only real "exclusive" feature amongst all these cars is an LSD! and the only one to have it is the spec v
-the neon srt looks like a wrx and vice versa, interior's ok, rear end is uuugly (still a neon)
-svt exterior is not bad, interiors pretty good
-si, ugly exterior, ok interior
-protege, nimble nice exterior and ok interior
-gti, ok exterior and interior, high cost of ownership

BEST balance of looks/performance/price?
-the SPEC V
-some other cars have better 0-60 times, but they are turbo'd
-nismo is coming to NA fall 2002 and tack ona turbo and voila EVEN better 0-60 times etc
-nice looks (skyline type front end and seats)
-questionable rear end? (must see in real life, looks quite nice)
-questionable tranny hps losses? still an excellent performer (0-60 in 7.1, 1/4 in 15.1)
-6 speed tranny, some others only have a 5 speed
-LSD an expensive feature not seen in other models

-the only cars i'd consider? turbo protege and focus svt but still more $

-what i'm getting?? spec v!! it's hyped, yes, but STILL a performer and GREAT competitor? a resounding YES!!
-EXCellent excellent value
-again, nismo anyone?

RSX or wrx?
-whole differnet price range and therefore not considered.

btw, IF i'm missing something, NO flames, but constructive and INSIGHTFUL criticisms welcome. and NO rsx/wrx comparisons as i've EXPLAINED WHY.

btw, i started a NEW thread with a poll (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t39046.html) (<-- click here) to see what you guys think. the new thread is here (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t39046.html) (<-- or click here)

its out of the WRX and the Acura:bandit: :smoka: :smoker2: :ylsuper

WRX is way above the rest in this catogory

I agree the wrx is a verry nice car:frog:

It's a very accomplished car indeed. Shame it's so damn ugly, i wouldnt show my face in it. Uglier and slower than its predecessor, maybe Darwin was wrong ;)

i'd say wrx. i know there are a lot of people out there that don't like them but ever since i saw my first 2.5 rs as a little kid i fell in love with subaru. the wrx has one very large blemish in my opinion, headlights. they're just so damn ugly. i like morettes but they're like $500. also i'd way and see when cobb is coming out with the new age impreza wide body kit. for the gc8 body there's a kit from . the rest of my picks are ordered like this, gti vr6, rsx type s, focus svt, celica gt-s, and civic si.
now some may wonder why my oder, so here's my beef (not to offend anyone tho, just my opinion) civic si just looks plain bad, evenwith body kits i've seen they just aren't aesthically pleaseing and there's not enough of a performance jump to offset that. celica GT-S is a great car, toyota has very reliable engines and historically the gts has been a performer, but the new 6 speed has had problems. i know 2 ppl who had theirs' fixed a couple times and they're some of the best drivers i've ever met so its not that they don't know how to shift well. on top of that the new celica has very limited perfromance parts, u almost need to go thru trd and even then there's not a whole lot. the focus svt is a good car, i've heard that the only real deal with it is that it lacks the flashy body kit the focus rs has (which we will never get!) and the pedals vibrate under hard excelleration. this is a modified car and so what u see is kinda wut u get, there's room for mods but not a lot. the rsx is a good up and coming car, taking the integra's place and hopefully seeing a type r soon. there's potential for great performance and generally a good looking car. ok stock power for the money. gti vr6 is a fast car, looks good, however, every vw i've ever driven in or seen racing has always had a little more body roll and loose handling characteristics than i'd expect. in comparison with a lot of these other cars vw needs a lot more suspension work and good race lines to keep a flat track around tight curves. o yeah and just curious but isn't that picture the vw golf 25th anniversary edition? anyways, i like the vr6 power and if u hav the money to work on suspension then its a great tuner. now the impreza, as i said before the head lamps are a big blemish, so those gotta go. there are an incredibly large selection of aftermarket and factory or factory affiliated parts for subaru's (sti, cobb, vividracing.com, scoobysport.co.uk) and the car's stock abilities for the amount of money you shell out is very very nice. and even if u over look all of that the fact that u won't hav the o so feared understeer of a frontwheel drive car and improved bad weather handling of all wheel drive....well that's enough for me to make my decision. but hey man its yur money not mine, and i just thought i'd let ya know my view. good luck and remember the beauty of all wheel drive!

oops, forgot to put in where that gc8 wide body kit is, not that it matter for yur decision but here is the site. aerosim (http://www.aerosim-research.com/)
just out of curiosity why not consider a 2.5 rs? bottom of the line wrx is like 23000 i think, u can easily get an excellent condition non modified 2000 2.5 rs for like 16000, for like 4000 get a stage 3 power package from cobb and b over 200 hp and running mid 14's. that's a naturally aspirated 4 banger running 14's, and u can tool around in bad weather with minimal fear of losing control. just thought i'd bring that option in for ya if yur interested. only particular with the 2.5 rs is the year. 2000 and 2001 are ideal, after that u get the not as apealing body style of the new age, and its the same engine in a heavier car so....1999 back u hav an intake system that has very sensative oxygen sensors and any intake change will destroy them or u'l need to constantly clean it. cobb makes an intake and cleaner but its kind of a pain to clean it. 2000 and 2001 hav an upgraded intake which takes care of that problem. the other main problem is rs owners are very happy with the low end grunt, high torque and all wheel drive is great for getting that jump off the line. problem here is with most aftermarket intakes and exhausts u gain high end but lose valuable low. cobb, sti, and scoobysport hav intakes and exhausts that are specifically designed to increase top end speed/power, keep low end torque, and increase power range. so if money saving is an issue, and u don't like the way the new body looks, i'd say check out the 2.5 rs and cobb power package stage 3. check out www.i-club.com if yur interested. any and all information can b found/answered there. good luck again dude.

some more pics
http://forums.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=22528&highlight=22b+fenders

Originally posted by bassik277

I would definetely compare the GTI with the RSX, and GT-S, because they are all 6 cylinder front wheel drive compact hatchbacks and are all in the same horsepower range. As for the WRX, it might be in a different category because of the fact that it is 4 wheel drive. The SVT focus and civic SI are in their own horsepower range but that can be easily fixed with mods because you have to keep in mind that they are cheaped then the others. As you can tell, I like hatchbacks, because 5 out of the 6 cars I am considering are hatchbacks

the gts and rsx are 6 cylinder cars??? and the gti 1.8 is a 6 cylinder car?? i'm so confused lol:smoker2:

Vw Golf GTI is a 4-pot, (in Europe anyway), V6 4-motion is, you guessed it, a V6

the Golf R32...

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t69430.html) :cool:

Off topic :D ... Clio V6 ;)

Not off-topic at all... The Clio V6 is a pocket rocket and people should know about it:
Renault Sport Clio V6 has a mid-mounted 3l V6 developing 230bhp, shooting the car off to 60 in less than 6 seconds and topping out at approx 145mph.
The new, facelifted version develops 255bhp and attempts to tame the evil handling of the first version in the wet.

Pics below:
Front:
http://autozine.kyul.net/gallery/renault/clio_v6_2.jpg
Back:
http://autozine.kyul.net/gallery/renault/clio_v6_bk.jpg
On the move:
http://autozine.kyul.net/gallery/renault/clio_v6.jpg
Wide ass!!! :
http://autozine.kyul.net/gallery/renault/clio_v6_bk2.jpg
Profile:
http://autozine.kyul.net/gallery/renault/clio_v6_side.jpg

Facelifted:
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/large/1482-1.jpg
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/large/1482-2.jpg

Someone said this thing has more road presence than a Diablo. I think thats a bit too far, but let me assure you, you cant drive this car around town without every other motorist (and pedestrians at that!) staring at you :cool:

cheers,
jay

I said it was off topic because it's not proposed in the choices. But of course, it's an excellent pocket rocket, maybe one of the best (very powerfull, and enough tiny to play with it).

I would go with a GTI 1.8T, chip and exhaust and you will be over the vr6 hp, also VW's hp is rated at wheels so add 15% to the hp and then you can compare to other cars... yeah yeah, I gotta honda cause it was cheaper:cool: Or I thought it was, spent over 3grand on engine now looking to spend 3 more on a turbo setup... oh well. But look around in the internet for turbo upgrades for the gti. you'll be impressed.
Leo

Originally posted by crayzayjay

Someone said this thing has more road presence than a Diablo. I think thats a bit too far, but let me assure you, you cant drive this car around town without every other motorist (and pedestrians at that!) staring at you :cool:

cheers,
jay

Agreed, I've always wanted one of these little demons :flash:

Sense every one is adding their own picks to the poll.

how about an RX-7 FC ?

I'd go with the RX-7, rotary rocket in my opinion... not much that can match them in straight up acceleration.

Scott
SM Polishing (http://www.smpolishing.tk/) - For all your custom polishing and powder coating needs visit our website or send us an email at [email protected]

hmm.... i wouldnt call the RX7 a compact car

I would pick the WRX as my fave.

I have test driven that car twice. If any of you guys out there have not test driven it, find a Subaru dealer in your area, and bullshit yourself into a test drive. It will totally change your view of the car!!!!! I have also driven the RSX-S, and it is a very nice car too. But the rush of power that hits you when you hit 3000 rpm in the WRX blows it away.
1 WRX
2 RSX-S
3 GTI VR6
4 Celica GT-S
5 Civic Si
6 What was that other one?????????

How is the WRX a compact car ?

well i guess its a small sports saloon ?!?!

But its not even that small, its about the size of a Jetta, and a Jetta is technically categorized as a mid-size sedan. I dont really think it should be in this comparison to start with, its in a class above.

i see it as a small saloon.... a medium saloon is a 5-series and a big one a 7-series

Either way, not a compact car by any means...

Definitely the WRX. That wasn't even a difficult desicion...

Originally posted by moe182
Either way, not a compact car by any means...

Well, its not a hatchback so youre probably right.... still a small saloon though :p

i would think about the civic si but the bad thing is the shifter it feels wird the way it is up hi and it is hard to make a speed shift with it.one of my friends friend got 1 and he said the only reson he didnt like it was the shifter

Read this (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=162405) and don't even think of reviving another old thread.