Subaru WRX STI?

They are just sick! My friend has one and they are amazing in turns.

 

We have the "regular" WRX as our local "errand" car and i can't say enough nice things about that car; its a blast to drive, its practical, cheap, reliable, well-built for its price point, and nothing stops it, not snow, ice, heavy rain or a heavy foot. Its a little tight inside, though. And, in the STi, you might be confused for a twenty-something male, which is OK if that's what you are.

 

I track my 355 with the WRX club. I blow them all away except the supermodified ones. More bang for the buck you can't get, and a couple of weeks ago at the track it was 40deg C (104deg F) and none of them had the slightest problems. The STI is the ultimate of them, but owners have told me that they are quite harsh suspension wise to live with. The STI would be my preference because of performance, handling and brakes over the rest of them, though.

 

I have ridden in an STI and I was very impressed I liked everything about the car except for the huge ass rear wing. The rims, brakes, hood scoop, and trim was all awesome. The car is very fast and even has an adjustable differential If I remember correctly i road in it about 5 months ago. Also, the radio was like a couple g's so order one with radio delete and just have an awesome aftermarket system installed. I road in a blue one and the color was awesome the interior was a little tight but for less then 35k awesome. Now, if you want to spend 15k more I would go with a CTS-v I can't say enough about that car. Only no all wheel drive.
Erik

 

If you get an '04, be sure you get the ECU reflash, or stay well away from low (91) octane fuel. The early units had a detonation issue, when the top-mounted intercooler got heat-soaked (e.g. from sitting at a traffic light) -- especially in CA, where 91 is the top end. The reflash supposedly fixed that.

You might want to compare the Mitsu EVO and EVO RS. The EVO has more turbo lag and less torque, but more responsive steering -- and it comes with a stereo and (optionally) a sunroof. The front-mounted intercooler adds about 5 inches to the length, compared to the STi, but doesn't get heat-soaked, and doesn't collect birds in the big hood scoop. An '03 EVO is my winter/daily.

The new RS drops the radio, the sunroof, the large wing, the air conditioning, and a bit of insulation, to produce a lighter, and even cheaper version for around $27K. (A/C, stereo, and a few other amenities are available as an option package for the RS.) (The wing is something you'll want at high speeds (80mph), but the RS leaves that for aftermarket.)

Keep in mind that neither car comes with tires you can use in winter, so plan for $1-2K for a set of winter rims & tires, unless you go with all-season tires -- which would reduce the handling a bit. (A lot of these cars' handling comes from fat, sticky tires.)

The STis have been having transmission issues, and the EVOs have been having clutch issues ... mostly among street racers who are trying to do drop-clutch launches on AWD machines. Consequently, a number of the dealers are starting to get sticky about warranty issues, so pick your dealer more than the car.

In my area, the Mitsu dealer had a couple of 3000GT-VR/4s, a few modded Eclipses, and a Porsche 356 in the shop, while the Scooby dealer didn't even know where the thermostat was, so I went for the EVO. Your dealers may vary. Shop around and get the car you can get maintained.

Check out the scooby forum for the STi: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/

and the evolutionm.net forums for the EVO: http://forums.evolutionm.net/

And check out the "Michelin Race of Champions" on Speed Channel today at 2:00pm (ET) to see both the STi and EVO running around. Another replay is scheduled for next Friday at 9:00pm (ET), following the previous year's coverage at 8:00pm (ET) (but no STi/EVOs the previous year).

 

The STi is a great little car. We had one in here mid summer for some modification work. For the money, you cannot beat it. The car is geared very aggressively, so you are shifting all the time and with a blow off valve, you are the center of attention. On a word of caution, highway trips are not fun (rough suspension, loud resonance and twitchy). Of course, that was with a Tien adjustable suspension with EDFC control, B&B exhaust, intake, and a blow of valve. A stock setup might be a bit more comforting on longer trips.

 

Even if you opt for a "regular" WRX, they are notoriously easy to coax more performance out of. With a few tweaks of a regular one you can have most of the performance upgrades of the STi, but without the compromises of the STi for everyday driving. One caution though - Subaru dealers seem to be the funniest about mods - like the previous poster said shop your dealer if that is your plan.

 

To add a bit to what DGS said about the Evo VIII RS, it also comes with a special front diff and overall will end up weighing about 200lbs. or so less than an average specced Evo VIII. It's just a damn shame the US didn't get the same Evo VIII the rest of the world got which has a 6spd. tranny and in the GSR version has AYC (Active Yaw Control which is like an active differential in the rear which shifts power to the right or left drive wheel), and ACD (Active Center Differential) which is similiar in concept/action to what Suby put in the STi. I'm admitedly partial to the Mitsubishi Evo, but at least here in the US the STi is the better of the two cars for the money although it's been proven that the Evo is the better handler of the two. However, the STi has more mechanical options (not including things like stereo), larger displacement (2.5L vs. 2.0L in the Evo), a 6spd. tranny (which in itself isn't necessarily better per se, but the gear ratios I believe are slightly sportier), and a much more adjustable and trackable drivetrain overall (albeit more complicated and I suppose more expensive to fix if/when problems arise). Either car will definitely be a great choice though and if you check with some of the UK & Aussie forums (www.lancerregister.com and www.scoobynet.com are good starts) for both cars you'll see that the potential they have is phenomenal for the price. The biggest negative I've encountered with the Subaru though is the transmission on the regular WRX which seems to be rather weak and tends craps out at power levels above 300hp, but I haven't heard much about the STi's tranny yet.

 

I'm happy with my regular WRX - it owns the winter. I wish I would have ponied up for the STi. Sometimes I wish mine had a leather interior (although the STi pseudo-alcantara-cloth is cooler than the regular WRX's), short shifter, painted side-skirts and 17" wheels (all options solved by the STi package anyway, and big brakes too). Other than the occasional pang for a luxury ride (a used CLK coupe or 325), it keeps me satisfied. I'm going to mod it when I finish grad school and the warranty has run out.