Ok here is my problem. I need to buy a newer car and I have a few options. Problem is all of them have to be automatic so my wife can drive it. I enjoy autocrossing A LOT, and I will still autocross this car even if it is an automatic. I'm shooting to drive in stock category. I have 2 or 3 options within my budget and I have seen the cars.

- 2007 Subaru Impreza 2.5i $11,991
miles: 32702

- 2004 Mazda Miata LS $12,994
miles: 38,587

- 2007 Scion tC $11,988
miles: 40,221

The cheaper the better, and the newer the better. So the Miata is going to the last of my wanted options. What do you guys think? Now the problem is I need the car extremely soon, so I don't have too much time to think it over. Also, they will be financed. If you have any opinions at all, please let me know.

Subie or Miata FTW both would be fun stock!!!!

Let me just say I have seen your car and the yellow Evo in actions and I think they are awsome. Thanks for the feedback. Subie 2 and Miata 1 point. Anyone else?

I would vote for the Subie over the TC...both would be more practical than the Miata and I'm a Subie fan, I've had a great experience owning my STi, I've beat on it hard and it hasn't let me down over 45k+ miles. However, to show that I'm not totally biased...couple things to consider is that the TC gets better gas mileage than the Subie (21 city, 29 highway, 24 combined for the TC vs. 20 city, 25 highway and 22 combined for the Subie) and it's a hatchback which provides some utility. Of course you can get an Impreza 2.5i in a wagon! I think the Subie would be more fun and is "different"...I mean, how many Scion TC's do you see driving around!? Hundreds of them!! Plus I think the Subie would be quicker around an autocross course once you get used to the slushbox and AWD.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

-Ryan

Thanks for the opinons! Subie 3 Miata 1 tC 1! Things are heating up! Not really, but I like it.

Subie

In that price range, I'd try to look at S2000s too, but of the three cars you have listed, I'd go with the Subaru. I think Ryan did a great job of summarzing the pluses and minuses.

Go for the Miata. Its convertable, stock the engine noise is so quiet that few will realize that its automatic. The top comes down, it will be the the most fun to drive. You will like it better, it wont hold alot of stuff so you wont have to take it to the Home depot to pick up a new toilet. The top goes down. There is no back seat. Its better looking than the other cars. The top comes down. Its rear wheel drive. I used to race the automatic Beetle--you could be competitive, if not you can blame it on the automatic. The top comes down.

Teach your wife to drive a stick?

Personally I dont think any of those cars will be much fun with an automatic and I'd avoid the Scion regardless. They have a reputation of being understeering pigs.

If I had to pick out of those three I'd do the Subaru. But how about a Mazda 3 of some kind? Best handling of the econoboxes, they come in a hatch, and the 2.3 has decent power.

I dont think they make a S2000 in automatic but i could be wrong, if they do I would put the S2000 on the top of the list, its fun to drive around town and probably the best in stock form out of those four um.... maybe it needs a front bar but is still fun without it.

My bad...I forgot the automatic part by the time I read all the other posts before posting my comment. You are correct. They do not make it in an auto.

Actually a Mazda3 is a really good idea too!

I WISH I could get an S2k, but yhea; teaching the wife to drive stick would be like hitting a wall with your head repeatedly.... pointless. She does NOT want to learn stick at all. So I'm stuck with an auto.

Subaru- 4
Miata- 2
tC- 1
Mazda 3- 2

I saw a base Mazda 3 i those prices, but not the 2.3 liter tho. I'll have to expand my search.

Food for thought..................One thing to think about with an automatic, be sure the one you pick will stay locked in 1st and 2nd gear. I autocrossed an automatic before, and if it will not stay in 2nd it will drive you nuts. If you let off the gas and it does not stay in 2nd gear, the car will hardly slow down . It makes it a lot harder to drive for you are on the brakes a whole lot more.

Or buy your wife a $9,000 car, and yourself a $3,000 - 4,000 Miata, which are not that hard to find. You can justify it to your wife that you will not flat spot HER tires. Either way, good luck with your decision!

LOL! That's what I thought, but here is my story. I had 2 cars. On my car, the transmission went bad. And I had no money for another 3 or 4k car or to replace the transmission. So I needed to do something else. Looking into credit scores and monthly payment, I ended up choosing financing as my main option. I need a newer, reliable, and good autocross car for under 13k. I can't keep buying older cars just too having to change the alternator, spark plugs, spark plug cable, timing belt, water pump, tires and brakes, calipers, starter, as soon as I got it. LOL, I already did that with my last 3 cars. So financing would be my option.

Even though I don't like the car I say the Scion for one reason..... easiest resale as an Automatic. Name a Teenage Girl that doesn't want an Automatic Scion TC.

They are all gonna suck as Automatic's. Might as well get the one that will sell easy. My mom's Old Automatic Miata was a Royal pain to sell. No one wants an automatic miata. It's like the Black Sheep. She ended up having to trade it in and took a bath on it.

Good ole' Ian. LOL. I love it. Tell him, hes one day closer to death.....

What.....

P.S. The tires just showed up for the focus. She's ready to go play!

Well guys, and maybe a gal or 2; don't know.... I have gone to the bottom depths of hell and dragged out a new polished turd...errr.. car, I present too you my (FORCED, shes right behind me) lovely, 09 Nissan Versa Hatch with a 1.8 liter, 122hp @5500hp turd...err.... I mean car. I guess I'll go autocrossing so you can get a laugh or 2.... damn it...

(sigh) Well bud, enjoy the good gas mileage.

I will... damn it.

Versa Hatch? Does that mean the top comes off. 122hp sounds pretty good, the Mini's come with 115! Is it Red?

Might be a fun car to autox.....seriously. Give it a chance. Could be nice.

I want to do the break in, and maybe try some Azenis. I expect to start the series in January. I have been trying to take some corners faster than usual, but theres a lot of body roll. I kinda got afraid after a while.... which is OK. I'll wait for 2010 calendar to see when is it going to be.

In the alternative, you could get a older, very cheap miata that isn't an automatic on top of an automatic whatever car you get. Its so frustrating autocrossing automatics

Why is that? Do they not normally stay locked in 2nd when you leave it there? The way I see it, its that I'll be thinking less of gear change and focus more in the line...? no? I LOVE manual cars and totally dislike autos, but hey, family called, and I still love autocrossing. I guess for now I will be using whatever I have.

Oh, I'm too late! I could have saved you: MR2 Spyder

That was one of my options. The wife wanted something new out fo the lot, that we could afford. You know, first time buyers. Thanks tho

Ahh.... I didn't want to do a whole new thread, but I had a question anyway. In Stock Category, SCCA rules Section 13.5 Shock Absorbers. It states that Suspension geometry and alignment capabilities, NOT including ride height may not be altered by the substitution of alternate shock absorbers.

But in Section 13.8 Suspension, Part A. It says that the Springs may not be cut, shortened or collapse. Does this mean I can't replace them with a similar design but shorter? Or does it mean that I can't modify the spring at all, not even with an aftermarket one? I wanted to be clear on this rule, if anyone is so kindly to help. Cause I wanted to replace the spring to make the car sit lower, but I wanted to race in Stock Category with it. No performance modexpet for an exhaust after the cat converter. Any ideas on this?

Changes you can make : Shocks (ie KYB,Koni) Front Sway Bar, cat back exhaust. For MSCC street tires w/ a tread compound 140 or greater, SCCA can run DOT Comps V710/A6's

Sorry man, you cannot go lower and be in stock class., if the SCCA GCR does not say you can, assume you cannot.

You can change the struts/shocks, you can even put in single adjustable shocks, but you cannot change the ride height, period.
In theory, you could change the springs but only IF your car remains at the same ride height as stock. So essentially you need to run stock springs to maintain stock ride height because most if not all aftermarket springs will alter your ride height.

Thanks for the help guys. I guess changin travel length on the shock won't be a great idea for everyday driving. So I'll leave it like it is, get some Falken Azenis, and.... and...

does disconnecting the exhaust after the cat counts as an catback modification? I doubt thats legal... Well what do you know, I just read in Section 13.10 Engine and Drive Train,
Part E. That it Can be removed. Nice. Free hp.

The rule states the exhaust must exit rearward of the driver. If it does that even after you disconnect it then techincally its legal but I still wouldn't do it.

First, no one likes stupid loud cars, they are obnoxious and I'd like to keep my hearing for as long as possible. Second, you're not going to gain much, if anything on a stock 4cyl. You may actually lose a bit of torque as most engines like a little bit of backpressure.

Putting on some decent tires and just driving is the right idea.

I second the "just drive it" idea...

You don't even know how you're stacked up against your competition (assumimg you'll have some). If after you've honed your driving skills, you're just a tick behind your competition, then think about a sway bar, then tires, maybe shocks. But if you're not close already, there will be nothing you can do to the car in a stock class that will bridge the gap. It's either change cars or fix the driver... or bump to a higher class where you'll have to dump tons of money into the car (since it was already an underdog in stock class).

Save your money. Just drive the car as it is. Save the money you would have spent on mods and build a $2,010 challenge car. Then you can have a dedicated racer that you don't have to drive to work on Monday morning after it breaks on Sunday because you tried to tweak something that you shouldn't have.

Alright... Tires it is.