good day to everyone
i am looking to purchase a new car this month , however i struggling between the honda civic SI , the subaru impresa WRX ( not the WRX STI i dont like hatchbacks) , and the mitsubishi rallyart
however it dont like tiptronic gearboxes , besides that the MPG ratings of those two cars are to high for me , take into consideration that i was driving a toyota echo for the last years , so at the end i think that the honda civic si was the best option for me ( not the one i like the most ) but the one that is more intelligent , however there are some questions that i have in regards of the SI and they are
1 . how come a car with a low torque 139 @ 6100 can produce and output of 197 @ 7800 , and what is the benefit of that high HP output if the engine is a helpless powerless engine ??
i am assuming that i can expect the same engine power as my echo 105 @ 4200 RPM so i fill the car with 2 or 3 passangers and some cargo the car will be as slow as a ice cream truck ??
2. if i need to be > 6000 rpm to "unlock " the engine power , that means that until i always drive at > 6000 RPM i will feel the same as if i am driving a regular honda civic dx ??
thanks a lot in regards for your answers
The Civic is relatively gutless at low RPM unless you are willing to rev it. It is an incredible car for the track not the street.
The Subaru WRX has incredible amount of power through out the power range including lower RPMS. Of course it drinks more fuel.
Just test drive both and drive it like you are in traffic.
I would suggest the MazdaSpeed3, but you don’t like hatchbacks 
263hp/280tq in something that weighs about 3200 lbs.
The Mazda 6 has an optional v6 that has similar power to the turbo 4 in the Speed3, and weighs just a little more than the Speed.
The new Mustang v6 is pretty good, and the v8 is just icing on the cake. Looking at Ford’s website, the 2011 Mustang will be out in spring and will have a 305hp engine capable of 30mpg highway. The 5.0 v8 will also return with 412hp and 25mpg highway
A spare 40k will give you the Taurus SHO with 365hp and 25mpg with AWD.
A base Mini Cooper 118 hp and 37 mpg, but, like the Speed3, it’s a hatchback.
Also, despite lower hp/tq numbers, a light car will still give plenty of performance. The Mini is probably the perfect example of that. The base model has only 118hp/114tq, but it is still pretty quick and a blast to drive.
mm thanks
i check on the mazda 3 speed and according to the EPA it makes 25 highway/18 City ,
i like the mustang as it is a RWD but it makes 26hgwy/18 city
i was thinking on a Hyundai Genesis Coupe V4 Turbo , but comfort is not the word that will describe that car … i was looking for the Honda SI sedan, or the subaru/rallyart cause of the 4 doors , i guess i will need to stick to the idea that i will not find anything that makes 25/30 mpg is RWD and is comfortable
i will test drive the honda this weekeng and see how does it feel with 4 people inside and some cargo
The MPG ratings are “too high” that’s an odd compliant. The downfall of most of Honda’s smaller engines is that they lack torque, and yes the 197 HP only shows up when you’re above 6000 RPM or so, when the engines switches over the “hot” cam lobes, that’s the nature of varible valve timing. In ordinary driving the car will feel alot like your Echo, but with better handling.
Your best bet will be to take the Civic Si for a lengthy test drive to see if it’s acceptable with you. Remember though, there’s more to life than getting good fuel mileage, if you’re after a car with sporting pretentions, you’ll have to make so sacrifices. I wouldn’t dismiss the WRX, it’s far quicker than the Civic, more practical, and has AWD. So you’re giving up some fuel mileage, but you’re getting better performance, better poor weather traction, and a more comfortable car in return.
Also keep in mind you’ll have to use 91 octane or better with any of the cars you’ve listed.
You’ve mentioned that you like RWD, and seem to want sporty performance. I don’t know if all the cars you’re considering are new or used, but maybe consider a used BMW 325i? A 2004 (last year before the redesign) can be had reasonably, has ample HP/torque (not to mention BMW’s beeeautiful inline 6), comes in both auto or stick, and is almost unrivaled in performance. Fuel economy on the 2.5 is excellent.
Well, as I stated, if you can wait for the 2011 models, which should be out sometime this coming spring, they say the new V6 can get up to 30mpg highway
http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/mustang/
the “30/305” is the link you’ll want to look for
Also, as to the Speed3, it’s only available with a stick shift, so if you’re used to automatics, you’re outta luck.