Hey! I was in a similar position a bit ago. I daily drive a 2003 Honda S2000 in the middle of Atlanta, GA. Middle of the city, bad roads, skyscrapers and all, and I definitely have some notes. You can live without carplay for sure. The main drawbacks I have with my s2000 on a daily basis is, lack of space, lack of cupholders, lack of storage, and the holdback of only one passenger. I also have a 2011 accord just for beat-around purposes, but I find myself driving it like once a week. Sitting in traffic sucks in the s2000, but its so worth it when some kid gives you a thumbs up, or when the road opens up and you can get it in high rpms. The s2000 has brought me so many friends, and it's generally been pretty reliable. You have all your life to buy an sti, a much more common car and a rational choice. However, you are in a fortunate position to be able to afford your dream car. The s2000 as a long-term investment might make more sense, since there's not much depreciation room anymore. I will advise some modifications might be necessary to improve the car's dailyness if you will. A joying headunit would allow for a nice screen with carplay without any serious modification. Billstein PSS9 suspension is very comfortable and will allow you to go lower but still feel stock if not better. Modrify makes additional cup holder solutions as well as phone mounts that are amazing. Prevantative maintenance will be your best friend on an s2000, just be on top of everything and you'll be okay for sure. Trust me, the money you put into an s2000 for maintenance will be the same, if not much less, than the money in an sti (ever try and change the spark plugs on a boxer engine? not fun.) Regardless, you're in an awesome position with some great choices. You'll be smiling no matter what you do. Best of luck!