Carbon Blue

Hey there, ive been car shopping for months now and I cant really find anything that suits my needs within my budget. Im a die hard sports car fan that has tons of crap to lug around. Ive had my eye out for that special s2k but recently the sensible and practical bug has bit me. I need a car or suv that is fun to drive and is reliable.

Background
I just graduated from college, I haul friends, family, cousins, paintball gear, mountain bikes, snowboarding gear(when the season arises), detailing tools, 5 five gallon jugs of salt wate and other miscellaneous items. Obviously you cant do this with an s2000. I need a car or suv that I can take to mammoth or big bear (where the roads are icy and snowy) and back down to San Diego where the weather is almost perfect. AWD or 4wheel drive would be nice. If I get an SUV im heading out to the desert to put its 4wd to use.

Options
FJ Cruiser
Ive read for months on end about the FJ cruiser and while it fits the bill nicely, the rear windows cannot be opened and the suicide doors are a somewhat pain in the ass to get in and out of. Gas mileage is in the 16-21mpg range with mixed driving. The good note is that I could get a killer deal on the exact FJ I want (6speed tranny, atrac, rear diff locker etc.)

STI 06-08
If given the choice today, I believe I would pick up an sti. Im done with the power hungry phase, the most id ever do to it would be a set of coilovers and rims and call it a day. It has decent space, 4 doors, fun and power with better gas mileage (22mpg shifting under 3k)than an FJ. I could throw a roof rack on it for the bikes and it has a decent sized trunk. Price is an issue here since I have seen 07's go north of 30k. They've got great reliability but the looks are in the hit or miss department. I dont care much for the rear wing and even if it didnt have that huge rear wing it just looks kinda of bland. The 08's are great but then again I cant really see myself driving this car around for a very long time (too boy racer maybe??). The 2008 looks like a focus hatchback on steroids, it just has that look that needs to grow on you.

Evo
not really a fan of mitsubishi and their reliability is mediocre from what ive read on the forums. I need reliability and a car that will stay with me for many years and north of 100k.

4Runner 07-09
Does everything the daily commute needs and provides a bigger back seat and easier access to them vs the FJ. Gets equivalent gas mileage and reliability is off the charts. Thing is Im still young and want to have some fun during my daily commute (no 6speed offered or rear locker).

S2000
Forget practicality and sensibility, Im the driver, I paid for it and ill just bum rides from other people during trips if Ive got crap to haul. Its been one of my "must haves" since it made its first debut. Please talk me out of this option.


Im not interested in the forester, mazdaspeed protege, or honda element. A manual tranny is preferred and the vehicle has to have some uniqueness to it. If I buy used, its definitely got to have super low miles and in the 2006 range etc. Build quality is important to me, but then again maybe im asking too much given my budget. The top two choices are the FJC and the sti. If there are any other vehicles that I should be looking at ive got my ears wide open. Thanks

pbm317

Maybe the 09 WRX? It would be under 30K, and for 09, gets a good power bump, etc.

dombey

for your lifestyle, the FJ sounds like the way to go. You could also look at a Jeep Rubicon...
Both can be stolen right now because of gas prices.

PeterL

FWIW, you're wrong about the reliability of the Evo. I have an O3 that I bought new. It is very reliable and well built. As with any car you get reliability problems with aftermarket modifications. Probably this rumour started because most Evos are modified from stock.

Carbon Blue

but Id just prefer to purchase from a car manufacturer that has a better track record compared to another. Dont get me wrong though, I love evos and if I had money to burn it might just go to an evo X

Incubus

Get a 2-3 year old Acura RL. SH-AWD Plenty of power. Great comfort for those long trips.

hobbes235

acura rdx? sounds like it can fit all your needs that you listed..dunno if it comes in manny or not tho.

TheDonEffect

You seem to have a pretty active lifestyle which if you prioritize higher than car performance I'd go with the suv route. The FJs I hear are great for offroading, but I'd go with a used Jeep since they're cheaper and just as capable as any new jeep.
The STI hatch may be a good compromise as well, so just depends on what your idea of offroading is.
I bought the S.

Chris S

The '09 looks like it'll be a huge improvement.

I test drove an '08 STI Sat., and was impressed w/ not just the performance, but the interior space/utility and refinement. Equally as important, my wife really liked it, even though she wasn't at all excited about going to check one out. She hated the prior gen STi and Evo. If I needed to replace the Cayman S w/ a 4 seater, this would be a slam dunk.

The Evo isn't nearly as practical w/ the small trunk and non-folding rear seats, and the interior isn't as nice, so no matter how much faster it gets around a track, I still wouldn't consider it.

Carbon Blue

thanks for all the opinions. Looks like ill be checking into the acura RL and see what they have to offer. But it looks like a used 08-09 sti with super low miles or a brand new FJ is the way to go. Thanks, im still open to more opinions though.