My suggestion to you is to take a test drive in a GSX, then test drive the GS or RS.
Many people have bought a non-turbo car, thinking that, "oh, i'll just drop in a cold air intake, an exhaust, and it will be fast enough for me"... That line of thinking lasts about as long as it takes for you to take a ride in a turbo car.

One big problem that no-one has mentioned, since you are mainly concerned with the non-turbo version, is that the AWD Turbo models have a recall on the rear transfer case seal. This seal is prone to leaking, which may eventually cause catastrophic damage to the transfer case. All '95-'99 DSM's have chronic problems with their windows, this is a common problem, and one that has a relatively easy fix. On some models, the hatch rattles like there's no tomorrow.. The transmission is notoriously weak.. There are various other problems that crop up with these cars, but nothing that an average Joe with an ounce of mechanical aptitude wouldn't be able to tackle. There are a number of online resources for this car, and you would do well to research it thoroughly before you decide on your purchase. A site that has been around for a long time, and has a great knowlege-base is www.DSMTalk.com as well as www.vfaq.com You would do well to begin your search for information at dsmtalk, then look to vfaq for perhaps a better understanding of the car.

If you eventually want to make your non-turbo car a turbo, why not start off with the turbo version? It is much easier to hand-select a turbo for a car that was originally equipped with one, than it is to try and retrofit a turbo kit to a car that was designed to be N/A.

With a non-turbo car, there aren't many reliability concerns, the main problem is that once you get a chance to drive in a turbo car, you'll immediately wish you had purchased one from the beginning...

"DSM'S: Turning Ordinary People Into Mechanics Since 1989"

"DSM'S: Don't Start Modding"

-EngineBuilder