Originally Posted by Jafro

Meh... you're mostly right. I've witnessed some poor excuses for imports in the wrong hands... but value is the variable here.

What's a $4000 sub-12 second AWD Dodge Colt or 450whp civic worth to its owner if he smokes a 12.90 second Viper or a 13 second vette with it?

Priceless!

Either way, it's a "cheap" car in comparison to what it can beat up on. What's valuable to you? Being seen in a Viper or smoking one in a pile of crap? Weird comparison, I know... but you get my point about value.

If you know what you're doing, you don't have to spend a fortune for speed. I think that KNOWLEDGE is probably the biggest money saver of all, and while it has no affect on value whatsoever, it has a huge impact on quality and performance.