[rage-wrx]

Drive this, not that: 10 pricey autos and their cheaper counterparts - Yahoo! Autos

So You Can't Afford: BMW M5
560-hp 4.4-liter twin turbo V-8
Price: $90,000 (est)

The inexpensive imitator: Subaru WRX STI

The top sport sedans have progressed so far that they are just about as quick as the last generation of supercars. A Cadillac CTS-V, for instance, will hit 60 mph in about 4 seconds flat. And now, with a the new twin-turbo 560-hp V-8, the BMW M5 could be even quicker, and reach 190 mph. Wow.

Yet, selling at an estimated $90,000 when it arrives in the U.S. next year, the 2013 BMW M5 will be far too pricey for many of the enthusiasts who would appreciate it most. But, going for less than $40,000, the Subaru WRX STI is a bargain-priced super sedan that won't break the bank.

But Maybe You Can Afford: Subaru WRX STI
305-hp 2.5-liter turbocharged flat four
Price: $34,095

An all-wheel-drive Japanese four-door with a Subaru badge doesn't have the wow factor of a BMW. But its 0-to-60 time of just over 5 seconds isn't exactly slow. The Subaru's beauty is in the holistic approach to its equipment. The suspension, steering, big brakes, and wide tires all come together in a package that feels seriously capable and engaging when you bend it into a turn—just like the BMW, albeit at a less ferocious level.

With that giant wing on the trunklid, the WRX STI embraces its roots as one of the MVPs of the sport-compact-car world. The look seems a little dated today. Still, the potent Subaru price tag is just too good. Let loose that spoiler and dump some of that money you'll save on the long list of aftermarket go-fast parts that are available for the STI. Oh, and you can even get a wagon version of the Subaru.

 

[90crxfreak]

i saw that on yahoo too

 

[Ryouko]

ha, I like how when I click next the "cheap" car is the GT-R

 

[czn]

they really seem to trash the STi in that....no?

 

[Dramlin]

Yeah, the writer pretty much wrote out-

"It's mechanically sporty, not as good as an M5, ugly, and cheap"

 

[SD_GR]

Trouble is one cannot trust modern BMWs. Anyone that's taken a spanner to, say, an M3 knows the operation is as complicated as it is frequent. Shame really, I want to like them. Imprezas are not without their faults, and some of Subarus choices are nothing short of puerile, but the cars tend to run longer and cheaper, albeit slower and -- ironically! -- with more of an air of kitsch than even the DE cars...

 

[Rex_Harrison]

The only thing an M5 and STi have in common is, they're both sedans and they both have 4 tires.

 

[zax]

Hmmm. So the alternative to a $90K sports sedan is a $34K sports sedan.... what about everything in the middle??

 

[Purp]

I own both, there is no comparison between the cars. My M3 is one hell of a machine. I drive it way more often than my Subi. The build quality is ten times as nice as is the breaking, steering feel ect ect. The Subis are great for crap weather and running in the dirt esp here in New England. I know #s wise the WRX may be faster but its just not as enjoyable if that makes any sense. I do think its the greatest family car out there though esp for the $.

 

[gunz4me]

I was torn between a M3 and the WRX, BUT my wife wanted a new house. She got her new house and I ended up with the WRX.

I will say this though, I think my WRX was one of the most fun, brand new cars that I test drove under the $30,000 price point. Sure it isn't as refined on the interior as the Golf GTI, but I find the AWD platform is superior when it starts raining.

 

[Rex_Harrison]

The article is an M5 vs. STI, not an M3. This is one if the most useless articles I've ever read. Seriously, if you want an M5 but can't afford one get an Sti ???????

These 2 cars aren't even in the same world, let alone same ballpark. If you're looking at a big sedan with power, I'd say look at a Charger Srt8, or a CTS V, not an Sti.

 

[Ricktalife]

Apparently they will let anybody write an article about cars. My 12 year old brother could make a better comparison, and probably knows twice as much about cars as that writer.

 

[subaken]

Imagine dropping $55,905 in the STI and then comparing the two cars....then this article would be interesting.

 

[Rex_Harrison]

Imagine dropping $55,905 in the STI and then comparing the two cars....then this article would be interesting.

No it wouldnt. That argument of, if I took the difference in price between car A and car X, and put it towards mods for the cheaper car X, then Car X would totally kick Car A's butt, is one of the stupidest arguments you can have about cars.

Most people would like to buy something that meets their needs, and not have to mod the hell out of it to make it what they actually want. With a bunch of mods you can make your car fast but completely unreliable and forget about your warranty.

 

[SD_GR]

Imagine dropping $55,905 in the STI and then comparing the two cars....then this article would be interesting.

Spending $55K USD in addition to the cost of a Subaru would be catastrophic in my view though. It's more than the value of any current Subaru available new in the US, and simply not worth the money.

 

[Rambo]

So apparently, if I can't afford a Gallardo, I should get a Mustang...

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, that's a good one.

(In before the Mustang diehards...)

 

[gunz4me]

So apparently, if I can't afford a Gallardo, I should get a Mustang...

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, that's a good one.

(In before the Mustang diehards...)

Well... I did get rid of a 2006 Mustang GT to get the 2012 WRX. Only difference, owning a rustang keeps me from being a mehstang diehard. Of course, my next vehicle purchase will probably be me buying my wife a Genesis Sedan since she likes them so much, and she has a 2011 Genesis coupe.

 

[SD_GR]

Well those are handsome cars, I like the, the sedan more so than the coupe.

 

[RayfieldsWRX]

Is there anything to suggest that the author has actually driven either car? I can also write an article by making baseless comparisons based on magazine specs...but no one should listen to me.

That said, for many middle-class people, a $34K price point for a competent-performing sedan occurs before "diminishing returns" starts happening. I won't spend $90K on a car, on principle alone.

 

[subaken]

No it wouldnt. That argument of, if I took the difference in price between car A and car X, and put it towards mods for the cheaper car X, then Car X would totally kick Car A's butt, is one of the stupidest arguments you can have about cars.

Most people would like to buy something that meets their needs, and not have to mod the hell out of it to make it what they actually want. With a bunch of mods you can make your car fast but completely unreliable and forget about your warranty.

You make perfect sense, I get that... I just said it would be interesting. These two cars should of never have been compared. If you put say $55,000 grand into any car and make it unreliable you are probably the stupidest person to mod a car. How funny it is to argue.