Japanese sport compact sedans

[kman10587]

Here are six sporty compact sedans (from the six major Japanese manufacturers) that can all be bought for less than $20,000. I only included sedans because of their functionality and versatility, I only including Japanese sedans because of their affordability and reliability, and I only included sporty sedans because otherwise, this poll would be boring. So, if you had $20,000, which one of these cars would you be most likely to buy, and why? Take into account all aspects of the car, not just performance.

[3kgt8]

i would have to say Sentra SE-R Spec V because it just looks better than the other ones and performs just as good. im not a big fan of sporty compact sedans by the way.

[drdisque]

including a mitsubishi because of reliability is a contradiction

also, a Civic EX isn't sporty, c'mon, it only has 127 hp

I think you should have included the Focus ZX4 instead since you can get it with a 151 hp engine and isn't really any less reliable than the Mazda (same engine) or Mitsubishi.

[kman10587]

I wanted to use all Japanese sedans, and the Civic Si is only a hatchback. I know the Civic EX may not be powerful or fast, but it's somewhat sporty in nature.

[engineer]

cmon i cant believe im the only one who went with the subaru !!! it might be heavier but it is awd [awd > fwd] and has the biggest engine out of all of them, its an impreza so theres no shortage of engine, drivetrain and suspension modifications i mean its the logical answer, really

[jncodave]

Originally Posted by engineer

cmon i cant believe im the only one who went with the subaru !!! it might be heavier but it is awd [awd > fwd] and has the biggest engine out of all of them, its an impreza so theres no shortage of engine, drivetrain and suspension modifications i mean its the logical answer, really

I'm with ya. The subie is the best of the bunch

[BP2K2Max]

i like the spec v and it's the fastest from the factory of those listed but i think i'd take an RS impreza and slap a turbo on it. an awd turbo 2.5 sounds like lots of fun.

Originally Posted by engineer

...and has the biggest engine out of all of them

the subaru doesn't have the biggest engine. the SE-R is also a 2.5 and makes 10-15 more hp and weighs 250 lbs less than the scubadu.

[kman10587]

Well, like I said, take into account all aspects, not just performance. The Subaru may be AWD, but it also has the worst gas mileage, an unconventional engine lay-out, and a tranny susceptible to wearing out quickly because of the adding stress from AWD. The 2.5 RS is the best car performance-wise, but I'd bet it's also the most expensive one to own.

[BP2K2Max]

my sister has a 2002 2.5 rs. it feels slower than most cars i've driven in its class including my other sisters ex civic, but the potential is there. its AWD platform gives it a slight edge over the rest of the cars.

IMO it's either the subaru or the nissan.

[MR2Driver]

Rather have the 2.5RS or the Mazda 3s over any of them.

[Sean_S]

Mazda 3 for me. For a little car, it's got bigger car looks. They really did a great job with the design. Beyond that, it just feel fast and nimble. Mind you it's not super fast by any measure, but it sure feels it.

[aznxthuggie]

i can't believe u guys say the subaru is better than the se-r.. the se-r is the best car on the list.. light, quick, cheap, saves gas, lots of torque, 6 speed, 2.5 liter engine (same as the subby please do ur research) im assuming that the engine has some potential to turbocharging (ssr engineering made one already) it also has the most power out of the list, also u can get the se-r spec v for around $17.. which is less than everything except the mazda (and the ex civic but thats on a lower level) anyways the only thing that would worry me about the se-r? the 04+ looks like a pos.. and the reliability is no honda or toyota.. aside from that I THINK its the best.. i mean seriously say something to prove me wrong

[engineer]

ok ok i didnt know abouth the sentra (theyre not big down here i dunno if we have them at all) what i meant about the subaru is that if you think about it there are so many levels of the impreza; RS, GX, RX, WRX & STi that upgrading better parts from higher models would be so easy its not funny... like STi brake package on an impreza RS etc. think about it

[aznxthuggie]

well.. for the se-r.. try to think of it as a front wheel drive 240sx.. actually what am i saying there are enough fast 200sx's to get the word out that its pretty fast

i think he meant stock for stock.. i mean there must be a reason why tehre are more wrx's than 2.5rs on the road.. im sure if u can turn a 2.5rs into a wrx with the extra money everyone would be buying 2.5rs's.. but hey.. they dont.. they buy the wrx.. (basing my assumption from the fact that in my area i see more WRX's/STI's than 2.5rs's)

[kman10587]

Actually, the SE-R Spec V's motor (the QR25DE) doesn't boost well at all, at least that's what I hear in the Sentra forum. If you wanna boost a Sentra, get a 91-94 Sentra SE-R, 95-98 200SX SE-R, or 99-01 Sentra SE; they all come with the SR20DE, which we all know is a very popular turbo motor in Japan.