I'm a young guy on my red P in NSW, I like S15 Silvias, found a few non-turbo. Should I get it?

Online insurance quotes are not always accurate, and I like to be thorough in my research. Please keep in mind I'm not a fanboy, I just like the car. My dad has a BF XR6 Falcon and my big sis has an R34 GTS-T; they both told me to avoid V6's and I am prepared to spend a good $25K on an S15. But I had a friend who owned one and wasn't happy with it (auto) mainly because he claimed it guzzles for a 4 cylinder and it's (stock) performance was sub-par. I'm hoping that someone who has owned or driven one before can give me some unbiased advice. Thank you for your help.