Best handling car?
 

How would rank the best handling cars in the sub $100k category?

Cayman?
M3?
GTR?
BRZ/FRS?
Elise?
S2000?
RX8?
RX7?
Evo X?
WRX STI?

youre going to have to define hanlding. also the gtr is a six figure car

Cayman is the best handling street car you can buy in North America, if money is no object.

I love my BRZ which might be the second best but definitely is the best handling street car you can buy for that money, by a very long mark.

this topic is going to open up a can of worms as "handling" is more on the subjective side of opinions.

MY OPINION, you're not going to get a better handling car for the price. you're looking at $50k plus for anything close! the 86 is above and beyond anything in it's price range. you're looking at a porsche cayman if you want a sweet handling car but that's also more than double the price.

the car that i compare the 86 to is the s2000. it's literally like an s2000 in terms of handling but with less power and backseats. the 86 is a better dd though. new vs new, obviously the s2k was more. but used vs new, if you're okay with a 2-seater, i'd take the s2k no questions! i went with the 86 only because i already have a 2-seater, and the 86 fits my needs as a dd.

the best handling car i've been in... Lotus Exige. I'm sure there's better but from what I've been in, the exige is literally a pocket rocket! there's nothing so far that can beat the lotus in terms of handling from my experience. maybe a noble, mosler, or an rcr... i would love to experience those.

Having had an opportunity to drive a 911 GT3 once, I have to disagree. The Cayman is my favorite sub-$100k, but it isn't the best overall. I'd have to imagine the Ferrari 458 would be pretty darn good too (but I haven't driven one).

So BRZ is superior to Evo X when it comes to handling?

New to new.

Would you get a s2k for 35k or a brz for 25K & spend the rest 10k in mods?

The RX-8 is a little better handling than the BRZ IMHO

Damn, now you're really putting me in the hot seat!

It's would be so hard to decide.

The S2k comes right out of the box as a powerful performer. If you're strictly going to use your car as a weekend'er, 3rd car, I'd go for the s2k.

It all really comes down to what your goals are and what you need.

The 86, like I said earlier, it's literally an s2000 with less power and backseats. If you value extra cargo space, the 86 is the one to go with. That's why I went with my FRS.

If I had the leverage to sink $10k into my new FRS vs buying a new stock S2000, it'd be the 86 ALL DAY!

I strongly believe when it comes down to mod vs mod maxed out on both cars, both cars are literally equal. They are so close it's literally a coin toss.

But for what my goals are, I like the 86 more. You can't go wrong with either and that's the bottom line. The end result, I believe, will be the same.

Among those I've actually driven enough to comment on.

1st:RX8(own)-a lot of body roll compared to the s2k and brz/frs but very predictable and easy to drive on the limit, feels smaller the harder you push it. Feels very planted and neutral.

2nd:BRZ/FRS(own)-much better body control than the RX8, feels darty and willing, feels a bit skittish and less planted on fast back roads compared to RX8.

3rd:S2000(autocross and backroads)-good body control and nice steering feel, feels very capable up to the limit but a bit unforgiving, mistakes cost a lot more momentum than they do in either the twins or the RX8. Not as much fun to push on backroads cause it's a bit scarier.

?th:WRX STI(autocross only)-I'm not sure what this car is doing in this company, I autocrossed a friends STi and it felt like brute force engineering, very detached and artificial, a good bit of turbo lag made throttle modulation in steady sweepers more difficult than it needed to be. Steering feels sloppy. Huge power puts a smile on your face when you can use all of it.

Cayman? Never Driven
Evo X? Never Driven

These I haven't driven but have ridden in during autocross, so take these comments with a grain of salt.

M3- Very planted, engine is very strong, felt taught but heavy.
GTR- Monstrous acceleration and good grip, driver didn't seem to be working hard, definitely felt the weight though, bounciness unsettled the car over rough surfaces where other cars in this list were fine.
Elise(sorta...an Exige on Hoo-Hoos)- Huge acceleration, lots of grip, driver looked like he was working his butt off to wrangle it around and was cursing my 6'1" 230 lbs self the whole time for ruining his run.
RX7- (FD) More body roll than I was expecting for such a legendarily good handling car, driver was combating oversteer, and there was some turbo lag that seemed to make part throttle steer a bit tricky in sweepers, felt like an old car though, needed new front dampers.

Watch YouTube videos of ft86 vs rx-8. RX-8 isn't even close.

[ame]http://youtu.be/jImHTWfj8aM[/ame]

No need to watch videos.

I've owned both and I know which one drivers better on the back roads. The BRZ moves too much at high speeds from the wind compared to the 8.

Agreed, I own both as well, I enjoy autocrossing the BRZ more, but the RX8 is a much more confidence inspiring street car.

Street car, you can drive a Cayman year round in any weather. Ditto the BRZ. You cannot keep a GT3 on the road in winter and it rides like a race car. The Ferrari 458 isn't a year round driver either, its a weekend car. Neither carries any luggage.

If you want a better handling car buy a Red Bull.