I drive the Z as my DD, to be honest, the Z gets much better mileage on the highway compared to the evo. I however would not recommend you getting a Z as your DD in Chicago though, I don't know how bad the snow is, but low clearance/lack of visibility in snow/rain will be dangerous. I think you should also look into genesis coupe/civic si/golf gti, if you're considering the Scion TC. I really like the Golf GTi, it's very practical and fun to drive.
I think maintenance costs are fairly low (besides the fact that you can't rotate tires...), I've only had to pay for oil changes/gas so far..
__________________
^
Kenwood DDX616 | Polk DB6501 | Llumar 23% tint | STi-R Clear Lens
SSR Type-F | F.I. 18" CF | Stillen Gen 3 | KW V3
|