^ A 2013 2.0T R-Spec has a base price of $26,500 vs a 2013 3.8 R-Spec having a base price of $28,750. That's $2,250. I agree that for that additional $2,250 you'd be right about where the stock 3.8 is speed wise. Let's look at it another way if you will:
Did you pay for your car in cash? I didn't. I traded my 2011 2.0T in for my 2013 3.8 and it changed my payment by adding a whopping $46/month which did not do anything to my budget. Since it didn't really affect my budget, I still have that $2,250 to spend on mods which would get me a custom exhaust, downpipes, h-pipes, custom or R2C intake and a tune which would put me at atleast 330whp which is around 400crank hp. That power level to me is ALL I would ever want for a daily driver car. In my honest opinion, much more than that is just a waste. 1/2 of the time, you are behind a slow person and it just isn't worth it to speed. I like acceleration but speeding is for idiots.
I agree that you have to look at total price but looking at it from a monthly stand point is also helpful. If you take that $2,250 of mod money spent on the 2.0T upfront to get it to stock 3.8 quickness, and divide it by the additional $46/month that I am paying, it takes 48 months to recuperate that cash. What that means is that yes you are now at stock 3.8 power levels but I get to spread that additional cost over the next 4 years of my life and still have the $2,250 in cash lying around to do what I want. This is just what worked best for me. I also feel a lot safer taking a car that was built to handle 290whp from the factory to 330whp as a daily driver than I am, in the case of my 2011 2.0T, taking a car from 185whp to 330whp as a daily.
People always argue about their stupid cars because they think that because they have X car with Y engine that it somehow gives them worth. It is all vanity and foolish. I respect the 2.0T crowd and I respect the 3.8 crowd. Whatever car works best for you is cool. There is like 0.01% of the population that will ever take a powerplant to its maximum potential and there is ALWAYS someone faster so who cares? If you want to modify your car, cool, but know your limit. I would like to do some simple intake and exhaust and maybe a drop and some wheels. Other than that, I know X car will always be faster but in traffic and with speed limits, which we can ALL admit comprises most of our driving, both cars travel at the same speed so again, who cares? I've tried taking cars to ridiculous limits before. It is a COMPLETE waste of money and yields no reward. People are chasing a pipe dream that gives them nothing. It is a complete waste of your time trying to build a car that will beastmode everybody on the streets. It is a vain pursuit. Choose your car and like it for what it is and be content.
/Soapbox