So as the title says im thinking about parting with the SVT. Dont get me wrong i love the svt but im wanting more power. Im thinking about turboing it but dont think it would give me what i want. I also feel that i have out growen it and am looking for something a little bigger. Im the one in my group of friends that drives the most which i love to do but stuffing four peeps in the svt is getting old. Right now im in Iraq saving all this tax free money waiting to get home to figure out what im going to do. The cars im looking at in no particular order is and 03-05 evo, a speed 6, or maybe an audi s4. Im looking at trading in the SVT for one of these cars. In the back of my mind i keep thinking it would be a good idea to keep the SVT, pay it off when i get back and then when im out of the army going to college i dont have a car payment to make and i have a sweet ass ride. Well in my mind its a sweet ass ride.

WHAT SAY YOU?

First of all, I want to thank you for fighting for our great country!!!

If I was in your shoes, I would probably just keep the svt so you can have a vehicle completely paid off while you are going through college. I'm in college right now and let me tell you, paying for my car while in college suuuuuucks!

Look at it this way...if you pay off the SVT, you have a reliable, very daily driver that can still keep up with many cars in lots of categories. You have good gas mileage, great reliability, space, and you could turbo or supercharge it for a good price and still have fun. Plus, you are young and you must take full advantage of college and strapping yourself with a car payment isn't getting off on the right foot. There will always be EVOs, S4s, and a far improved Speed6, but you don't always have the money. Do it the right way the first time. I could have gotten an E46 M3 a couple years ago, but I figured being in my early 20s with a paid off Focus that the only cost of ownership anymore is maintenance, it would be dumb to take on more car payments for X amount of years. Instead, I've got the Focus, and am saving money for a more race like car for when I'm closer to 30 and have grad school done and bettter payscale. The Focus is a fun autocross car that's competitive and affordable for me now, and it will be retired in a couple years with a Focus RS, BMW 135i, or E92 M3, when it's more practical and I will be given a car for my referree travels. (I'm an ice hockey official for USA hockey and the NCAA)

Hey i was in the same boat, i am couple of months from going home and i was able to pay off my car a few months back, and going home knowing that i have no more monthly payments is awsome.

pay off the svtf

Man I love me an S4 but the only thing that kept me from getting one was all of them needed their timing chain replaced. Seems like when that was due, people just sold their cars.....lol. And after some researched I realized why. Talk about a job and a half to do on them. But definitely one of my favorites.

But....if you've about got it paid off I'd wait. I can't wait till mine's paid off so I can get another focus....haha.

Well, the SVTF is way better looking than any of those other cars, so that should be all that matters. [;)]

If going back to school is your plan, keep the focus. As someone who had to take a huge loss unloading my WRX during college, a paid for car is a huge asset. Money tends to get very tight while going to school. Rock the Focus for a few more years, then buy a bad ass toy as a graduation present to yourself.

Keep it.

I love s4's but i think its worth keeping the SVT.

College bound, a paid-off car makes sense.

love S4's too, hope you like seeing a check engine light if you buy one!

I love s4's but i think its worth keeping the SVT.

Same here. They can be a financial nightmare to own as well. They aren't as reliable and generally cost much more to repair. My roommates dad just bought a super clean B5 S4 owned by a VW mechanic and it's already been back a few times for repairs. I say keep the car, if you're bored get some new fun mods that can bring back the excitement of the SVTF again [cheers]

I looked at an Audi forget what kind but it was clean had a nice 6 spd in it found out how horrible reliability was and said screw that(well I didn't my dad did).It was used for 12k btw not new.

keep the SVT bro, a paid off car is so nice to have. like others have said if your bored just work on putting some mods into her.

keep it you will regret getting rid of your focus..trust me on this one i was in your same boat and now ive got a $250 dollar car payment and a crappy job and and srt-4 that hate snow...with the focus it loved snow;) and i didnt have a car payment

i hate being an adult sometimes but you guys are all right. so to be a kid a little i will continue to build the rest of the things i need to complete Tom's DIY turbo kit. BRING ON THE BOOST!![driving]

Good choice! Respect to you for what you're doing for us!

Keep the svt and go get a new 2010 Mustang best of both worlds right there!

i say keep it but make sure you keep a close eye on everything. i just payed my jeep off 2 month ago and things are going out on it left and right, my wife drives it and she dosnt keep a eye on her gauges and almost let the motor take a crap cause the oil sending unit is going out. be carfull.

oh keep up on your maintance and you should be fine.

Keep the SVT!

I was in your situation last year. I ended up buying an Altima coupe and keeping the focus. In my opinion, bigger cars are more boring to drive. I still love getting in my Focus and driving it around. It is just a great car. And the car payment sucks. 3.75 more years worth of payments again. I too say keep the Focus. The temptation will always be there. No car payments are great. I did it for a year.

Keep it, when your out of college they'll be a whole slew of new cars out there to choose from...possibly a ST/RS Focus in the states. I would wait.

you know how much money you'll be sheeling out for repairs on the s4? WAY TOO MUCH lol just keep the svt.

Audi...Great car but a NIGHTMARE in electronics.

Evo, awesome car, but can your insurance handle it?

Speed 6, also nice...Best choice of the three.

Keep the svt and buy used and cheap. Bank loan it, great interest rates these days.

The evos are nice, especially if you like awd. I would get one if i were you. Don't touch audis, quality is awful. Imagine BMW but worse.

If I was in your shoes, I would probably just keep the svt so you can have a vehicle completely paid off while you are going through college. I'm in college right now and let me tell you, paying for my car while in college suuuuuucks!

no sh!t!! Paying for a car while in school blows!

EXACT same dilemma I had, I'm also in school. For me I just chose to keep the SVT it will be better and cheaper in the long run. Plus I can then be comfortable by buying the right car when the time comes instead of just trying to find a car at a certain price.

The cheaper you go trying to find the Evo, or Audi the more quality will take a hit and the more money you will shell out in the long run.

Believe me I do know how you feel, I am not a fanboy lol, I also want to move on to something faster but I recognize that there is a right time to do these things. Who knows maybe you might even end up liking your car again, like I have.

I'd say keep the SVT, having no payments on a vehicle is pure sweetness.

I would say Evo cause love that car. But paying off the SVT would be great since you plan on going to college. The cost for that really adds up. I was saving for a turbo kit for my car but I have now changed to saving to pay it off a year and half early.

Save your money awhile longer and buy the new '10 Euro Focus SVT. Everthing I'm reading says it's going to happen.

honestly man, I'm in college right now and it's tough enough making my $160/month payment on the svt I bound used. I have to work 10 hours a week in GNC and I have to work the door at one of the college bars two nights per week to pay for my car/gas/insurance/groceries/cable/beer/etc. stay payment free while you're in school. trust me.

GO TO SCHOOL!!! Focus on it. Last thing you need to worry about is car payments. Be done with it, earn good money and then you can afford what ever you like. Education is important and it will reflect on your success in the future.

Love the S4, but keeping the focus will make your life so much easier.
see, if you have hard time keeping up school, then you have to stop working. then you have hard time keeping up with the payment...

just wait and save money, do a better down payment later when you are done with school!!!