Hey I'm new here and am trying to figure out a good car to get to tune up and add appearance parts to (body kit, spoiler etc). I have a relatively low budget of $5,000 USD for the car itself and then over time I will upgrade it's parts. I was thinking a 1997 Eclipse GSX? I'm trying to stay away from civics because they are so common. I am a pretty novice driver. I can drive a stick but haven't tried to drive aggressively. I know some techniques but really haven't tried them out. I live an New Hampshire and this would be my main commuter car so how would a rear wheel drive handle in snow if it had an aftermarket clutch? I know they shift harder so would I instantly lose traction in snow or ice? Please help.

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AWD DSMs are great platforms and a lot of fun but are expensive to insure and, from personal experience, can be real headaches to keep on the road. Civics and 240s may be everywhere but they're simple to maintain and parts are everywhere for them.
Some other cars to look at:
B13 Sentra SE-Rs - SR20 motor has decent potential and there's a lot of support for this chassis.
Mazda Miata - Huge aftermarket support and an excellent chassis for autocross, cheap way to get into a RWD chassis
Honda Prelude - Still pretty common but it's not a Civic.
Fox Body Mustang - Not a "tuner" car but cheap to get and build and a lot of big stupid V8 fun.

There's a lot of great platforms out there and great first cars but really it's going to come down to what you can find in your area. You may find yourself driving something that you wouldn't consider your dream car but you and your friends will think it's cool enough since it sure beats walking. When it comes to first cars the make and model aren't nearly as important as the memories you'll make behind the wheels....and in other parts of it.

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-Ken 2006 MINI Cooper S

haha thanks that last bit is funny...but its not my first car it will be my second...i have always wanted a tuner but my grandfather surprised me with a '97 wrangler that he found at an auction and well its fun off road but not many places around where i live. I like speed and with its shit engine i cant go 0-60 any faster than a little under 20 seconds, that might be a little long but it feels like that. I want that car that can get up and go! i know preludes are nice and the 240s, never heard about the miata being good like that.

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Oh, well if you're still going to have the Jeep as a backup vehicle then a DSM might not be so bad. I had one way back when as my second car and let's just say I got really good at working on it, and could walk to work pretty quickly.

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-Ken 2006 MINI Cooper S