r00st

So being this is a mustang forum and 95% of members here presumably own mustangs, I can guess the opinons of most members. What I am hoping is that someone has been in a similar situation or has previously owned a wrx or evo (or even any other turbo 4 banger) to help compare.

I have wanted a stang since I was about 14.... I am 25 in a long term relationship but no kids. I am a home owner and also have 2008 drz400sm (street legal dirt bike with street tires), 2001 chevy s10 4x4 (for mowing and occasional odd jobs I do) and my DD is my 2003 Ford Focus SVT which has made me really love hatchbacks.

I am comfortably paying all of my bills right now with about 400/month to spare. I am considering getting another room mate to rent in my house which would be another 425/month (essentially paying for my new car).

My dielmna is what car to get. I love the looks of the new wrx (widebody) and the hatchback is nice for utility/people moving and the AWD is a plus in the winter. My approximate payment for the wrx would be $367(based on 26k purchase price, minus 5k between trade and down payment, @ 3%). Being a power junky who wants to keep his warranty I would only get it tuned which would result in about 270Awhp, 300 Awtq. Touching the exhaust I am told is a great way to void your warranty with subaru which really limits the power capability.

The mustang is my dream car but is just a little less practical. I love V8's and the instant torque they provide just off idle. I test drove an auto 5.0 and as soon as it chirped 3rd (and knowing how loose the OEM auto settings are) I was sold! I am a MT guy so I would be buying a base model GT 6MT. My approximate payment would be $437 (30k sticker price, minus 5k trade/down payment @ 2%). The mustang is fast enough for me stock (I mean come on, im coming from a car with 150whp!) but with a tune/exhaust/CAI I believe I would be at about ~380 whp which is incredible.

Are people having warranty issues when just running tune/cai/exhaust?

Those numbers are approximate as the promotions vary greatly. Subaru is running 1.9% on 2011 leftovers and ford is doing 1500 cash or 1.9% on 2012's I also have the options of possibly X plan (a friend could give me her pin), I am a recent college grad (2 years ago, if that still counts). I also have the 750 brochure coupon (not sure what can be stacked).

I was really hoping to get a payment @ or below 400 which is pretty easy with the WRX. The mustang I am thinking with the discounts I could get another ~2k off of sticker which would make the payment on the mustang $402.

The wrx would get winter tires and be good all year round. The Mustang I think I would be better off driving the truck in winter, and keeping the stang in the garage.

Any opinions? I know these cars are polar opposite, but they are the two cars im considering!

Also a side note... I only drive 1 mile to work so gas mileage does not really pertain much to my decision (and not that it matters as they both get about the same MPG cit/hwy).

Blacksmoke

Dealerships are cracking down more on mods such as tune and CAI.

That being said, you can talk to a dealership and find a friendly one that won't
give you warranty trouble with mild mods.

But again dealerships are being more tight about it.
The 5.0 has an issue that is currently making them do it.
It is not said to be a widespread issue but Ford did put out a letter
in regards to mods because of it.

That being said... other car companies are often also strict when it comes to
warranty and mods.

r00st

Ya I know subaru is notrious for being picky about mods (ie...you touch the exhaust, you lose your warranty unless you have the few rare mod friendly dealerships).

Can a dealership search for tunes if you put it back to stock before taking it in? I am not looking to go full bolt ons and trash the clutch and expect the dealership to cover it but I dont want a full warranty canceled because I got a safe aftermarket tune for the car.

What kind of prices are people seeing? I think invoice on a base model GT (sticker of 30,100 after destination) should be about 28K? My typical goal when car shopping is to get the car OTD for the cost of the sticker. So pay 28k for the car and after T/T/L be at about 30k.

Of the recent college grad (if still offered), the brochure money, and xplan, and general promo offers (such as the 1.9% or the 1500 cash back) can be combined??

Blacksmoke

They CAN tell if it has been tuned.
Even if you bring it back to the stock tune.

There are many discounts that can be combined.
I'm not sure which ones. I think for a base model GT you could get it for maybe less than 28k with discounts.

I remember a guy on here that was military that combined a BIG number of discounts they were offering and got his for like 25k or something for a base model.
Incredible!

808muscle

First of all forget the damn subaru. Really, a freaking subaru, thats a kids car. Go to any track and look who is driving subarus and who is in v8s.

Second, IMO, buying any car with your stated available cash is a bad decision. Sure you could get a roomate but what if he flakes, moves out, doesnt pay etc.... you would be hosed. How much do you have in savings? How long could you pay your bills if you couldnt work? If you dont have at least 6 months minimum cash available you should be saving that. Just because you have extra money at the end of the month doesnt mean you should spend it. I hope I dont sound too harsh but you have enough bills already and a mortage at 25.

parchisi

I agree on beng careful about taking on too much debt and stretching yourself that thin.

Mustangs are my favorite; I've backed that up by buying several, but there's nothing wrong with STI's. With the AWD and a little work, they'll flat out move in the twisties or in a straight line. And I think they don't look half bad either. If I were to get a WRX, it'd be a slightly older model, around 04 or so. They actually perform better than the new ones.

r00st

I have an extra 400/month now as it stands. The only way I would get a new car is with another room mate (425) which would cover the cost of the car. So I would still have the extra 400/month for savings.

I think the best plan is to have the new room mate move in and save the 800/month until next spring and then look at a car. That way I can a few grand more for emergency over what I currently have. I also am pretty confident in keeping room mates. The one I have now has no intentions of going anywhere. I live in a college town and have gotten 8 responses in 72 hours for my newest room for rent.

I have thought about getting an older car (04 wrx or 04 mustang gt/ mach 1) but the prices just dont make that much sense to me. My DD is an 03 now and even with only 80k miles is popping up issues so I would hate to spend 10-18k on a used car just to have the same issues im having now. I would love to have a terminator or a mach one but does not make sense to drop 15-24k on a car that old (imo).

conejo172

As far as practicality and performance I would say the Subaru is the better option, especially in the winter, and as a people mover. That said, I am all about being impractical so I went with the Mustang. Im 39 have a 3 1/2 year old son that absolutely love's the Mustang, car seat fits good in the back and there is still enough room for the front passenger to be comfortable.

This is my second Mustang (2010 was my first) I waited far too long to get what I had wanted since I was about 13-14 years old. And now that I have one I know I will always have at least one in my stable.

usc49erfan

as for the car choice, mustang by far. you said you wanted one since you were 14, I don't know how long you have wanted the subaru but I doubt it has been for 11 years. Wanting something for a long time then finally getting it is much more rewarding then getting something you like now. I waited 20 years to get a fox body and have loved it ever since. But on a different note, as for your finances if you only have $400 a month in savings and the car payment is $437 you can probably squeek by witthout the roomate, but that is cutting it close. Only reason I say that is based on the monthly total you are taking a 5 year loan, will this roomate be there for 5 years because the car payment will be. Just be careful, especially with random roomates

Snakebite64

If you go with the Japanese stuff I would save some $$$$$$ and get the run of the mill WRX over the STI. It is just a tick slower (literally) than the STI and I'm sure you will save thousands. I have thought about the WRX/STI off and on over the years but being the age I am it's V8 or bust. Happy hunting and keep us up to date.