Bobzilla wrote: One of my favorite days auto-x'ing right there. I had put the Elantra back to DD status, sold the fun tires etc, and took her 90hp 5-spd accent on some of the E36 M3tiest all season tires known to man. Took 4 of the runs with a MINIMUM of 3 200+lb adults.
A better question is what on earth put you in STS! I'm guessing wheels. I'm hoping full intake and exhaust plus piggyback tune and trick suspension. 
I've autocrossed my wife's 2012 Honda Accord LX (Automatic, 4cyl) many times. In fact, I got such sick pleasure out of it that I bought a set of used Evo X stock Enkeis, slapped a set of Hankook RS3s on them and bolted them up to the car as well. It was a total blast. I actually feel as if my other car (2013 WRX) wasn't as fun...there is something about beating the life out of an appliance that really appeals to me, I guess 
I haven't auto crossed my matrix yet, but I'm going to, needs a stiffer bar or springs in the back, but it will still be fun.
I only autocross inappropriate, boring and mundane cars.
Look at that body roll
The car doesn't matter, go have fun!
As everyone else has alluded to, just go have fun!
For inspiration:
I used to own H-stock in that thing before the days of MINI. 
One of the best drivers I know got started autocrossing in a $500 6cyl / automatic Camry with a borrowed set of R-comps on it.
As always, it is better to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow.
Also, if you are not lifting the inside rear wheel on at least one turn you are doing it wrong.
kylini wrote:Bonus: beat two Evos in raw time.
My friend starting autox in his Intrepid. We used to call it autocross on novocaine, but he still had fun
For further encouragement: A couple other members of this forum.
kylini wrote:Bobzilla wrote: One of my favorite days auto-x'ing right there. I had put the Elantra back to DD status, sold the fun tires etc, and took her 90hp 5-spd accent on some of the E36 M3tiest all season tires known to man. Took 4 of the runs with a MINIMUM of 3 200+lb adults.A better question is what on earth put you in STS! I'm guessing wheels. I'm hoping full intake and exhaust plus piggyback tune and trick suspension.
Actually nothing. I had to get my final points to win the class for the year so I ran that thing in STS. Needless to say I got waxed, but wasn't dead last.
http://indyscca.org/SoloFiles/SoloResults/2008/ev7/event%207%20-%20102608_fin.htm
I beat an auto, 2.4 Cobalt with 4 people in the car! That car, at the time, was 100% bone stock with ~180k miles on the stock suspension and stock rear brakes. It was the wife's car and she didn't care because at the time she was driving 100 miles a day, 4 days a week and 75 on the 5th averaging 40mpg.
Gunslinger wrote: I haven't auto crossed my matrix yet, but I'm going to, needs a stiffer bar or springs in the back, but it will still be fun.
Don't do any mods to the car yet. Have fun out there for 4 events at least, before you even purchase a performance part.
Mr_Clutch42 wrote:Gunslinger wrote: I haven't auto crossed my matrix yet, but I'm going to, needs a stiffer bar or springs in the back, but it will still be fun.Don't do any mods to the car yet. Have fun out there for 4 events at least, before you even purchase a performance part.
This! If you are a rookie, the car always has more potential than you think.
My first (and only) autocross was done in my automatic '95 Maxima. It was an absolute blast, and now I'm building that car for the $2015 Challenge. I say go for it!
Now I have my Sundays free, I plan to get a membership and run a full season in my DD stock civic on no-seasons. Possibly 2 regions worth(Glen and SNYR).
Thanks everyone for the encouragement! I have done a fair amount of racing in go-karts, and I have seen plenty of people think that throwing parts and money at their rides will magically make them faster when the reason they were slow was not the kart's fault. Fortunately I was poor enough back then that I was forced to learn to drive better instead of trying to buy a faster lap time. The practical reasons I am keeping the Vibe for a while are the same ones keeping me from any modifications. At the end of the day, its an appliance, but maybe I can learn and have fun with it until I move on to something else...
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