2003 Honda Civic Si - $19,460. Why K-swap the world when you could just get a Civic that already has one? The shifter is up on the dash, and it's more egg-shaped than a mk5 Golf.
2003 Ford Focus SVT - $18,585. In contrast to the Neon, i'd say even the current Civic Si is less tame. That said, it's no slouch, for sure, and is as early 2000s as you can get.
2003 Toyota Celica GT-S - $22,005. Alright Toyota fanboys, go on, proselytize over your reliability and pick the Toyota. The answer to Honda's VTEC, with an 8,200rpm redline.
2003 Subaru Impreza WRX - $23,795. After 10 years, Subaru finally brings the WRX to the United States! No head gasket issues, and this is brand new, so no awful "mods" to fix.
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V - $17,199. The bargain of the bunch! This was the last car designed by Nissan before the Renault merger, so no quality issues, and a 6-speed manual!
2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser GT - $22,840. It's ugly, it's badly built, but you don't care, because it's a turbo PT Cruiser! It's debatable which is more ridiculous, this or the Neon.
2003 Mazdaspeed Protegé - $19,980. The beginning of a decade of glorious high-performance Mazdas! An aftermarket tuner car you can buy, with hugely upgraded suspension and a turbo.
2003 Acura RSX - $19,975. Nice Integra, bro! Essentially a Civic Si, but with a different body. Get one now, before they're all trashed and rusty after 20 years and 20 owners.
2003 Dodge Neon SRT-4 - $19,450. Small, cheap, and terrifyingly fast. What you see is exactly what you get, a street-legal track car with insane power and torque steer. Good luck.
2003 Volkswagen GTI 20th Anniversary Edition - $23,223. Like an R32, but without the huge boost in price! It doesn't have the VR6, though the VR6 GTI is actually cheaper than this.
2004 Saturn Ion Redline - $20,950. Think of it as a quirkier Cobalt SS. It's supercharged, it's made of plastic (weight reduction, bro!), and has four doors. What's not to like?
It's 2003, and you're looking for an affordable, sporty compact car. Which one would you pick?
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