Attn.: BlueSTi

T

Twistocereus

You wrote in one of your earlier posts that if you had to do it over
again that you would have bought a regular WRX and not the STi.

What is your reasoning behind that? I'm asking because I'm kicking
around getting one or the other.
 
Also interested in the answer too.

I am in the market (used) and so far the WRX has a better value for me over
the STi strictly from a consumer point of view.
 
I`m not the BlueSTI, but will comment anyway, because I had the same
situation, however, didn`t bought STI but WRX.

For me there`s several reasons why I didnt bought the STI:
1. Price
- Here in Finland the price is 11 K euros more for STI.

What does it offer for that price
- A few tents of a second better performance (so little, shouldnt even
mention it)
- Stiffer suspension (uncomfortable in normal traffic -> you`ll get bored
with it in few days)
- 6 gear gearbox (low rev. torque is ridiculous - 6th gear is totallu
unnecessary)
- Some parts are "stronger" and lighter (is it worth to pay)
- DCCD drive differential (2005 models - best difference and veru good
system)
- Waterspray system (heh... doesnt do nothing actually... tested and is more
or less a gadget)
- STI stalls in start and acts like diesel when accelerating to top revs....
ridiculous.

Well, I ordered WRX. With just 2.5 K euros more for exhaust, Ecutech and
suspension kit, my WRX will out perform STI without any difficulties - both
in motor performance and in track handling. In both cars you need to change
immediately the exhaust system, this is something that really restricts
performance in Subarus. And the Ecutech software needs to be remapped. As a
matter of fact, I do not know one single person, who wouldnt have updated
the STI immediately because of its poor general performance, you just dont
pay so much for a car that needs to be tuned right away to even perform
normally.

With 9.5 K less money, I have better performing car. So why the hell bother
to buy STI when you need to update its tehcnique immediately, due the fact
that its a big big compromise. However, do not misunderstand me. STI is a
wonderfull car and a fast one with excellent road handling.

And some dont like the spoiler - but that has nothing to do with the cars
real nature or has it!!
 
JP said:
I`m not the BlueSTI, but will comment anyway, because I had the same
situation, however, didn`t bought STI but WRX.

For me there`s several reasons why I didnt bought the STI:
1. Price
- Here in Finland the price is 11 K euros more for STI.

What does it offer for that price
- A few tents of a second better performance (so little, shouldnt even
mention it)
- Stiffer suspension (uncomfortable in normal traffic -> you`ll get bored
with it in few days)
- 6 gear gearbox (low rev. torque is ridiculous - 6th gear is totallu
unnecessary)
- Some parts are "stronger" and lighter (is it worth to pay)
- DCCD drive differential (2005 models - best difference and veru good
system)
- Waterspray system (heh... doesnt do nothing actually... tested and is more
or less a gadget)
- STI stalls in start and acts like diesel when accelerating to top revs....
ridiculous.

Well, I ordered WRX. With just 2.5 K euros more for exhaust, Ecutech and
suspension kit, my WRX will out perform STI without any difficulties - both
in motor performance and in track handling. In both cars you need to change
immediately the exhaust system, this is something that really restricts
performance in Subarus. And the Ecutech software needs to be remapped. As a
matter of fact, I do not know one single person, who wouldnt have updated
the STI immediately because of its poor general performance, you just dont
pay so much for a car that needs to be tuned right away to even perform
normally.

With 9.5 K less money, I have better performing car. So why the hell bother
to buy STI when you need to update its tehcnique immediately, due the fact
that its a big big compromise. However, do not misunderstand me. STI is a
wonderfull car and a fast one with excellent road handling.

And some dont like the spoiler - but that has nothing to do with the cars
real nature or has it!!
Click to expand...
If you are in Finland, the STi in North America is a totally different car
than what is available over there, so your comparison may be valid in
Europe, but not in North America.
 
You are totally right - I was comparing it to 265hp EU model and you have
the 300hp 2.5 litre version.
 
Yes. And it has different gearing, different fuel requirements, different
suspension, and different exhaust.
 
JP said:
Well, you seem to know a lot about it, please tell me more....
Click to expand...
All I can tell you is that I want it. But I see a lot of them unsold on the
local Subie lot, which makes me wonder how many people are willing to buy
one. It could be because the car is such a beast that some people are
afraid to get one.

Me? I simply cannot afford the payments, let alone the insurance, so I
settle for pretending that my dirt-encrusted Legacy is really a WRC car. ;)

-Matt
 
Hallraker said:
All I can tell you is that I want it. But I see a lot of them unsold on the
local Subie lot, which makes me wonder how many people are willing to buy
one. It could be because the car is such a beast that some people are
afraid to get one.

Me? I simply cannot afford the payments, let alone the insurance, so I
settle for pretending that my dirt-encrusted Legacy is really a WRC car. ;)

-Matt
Click to expand...
It is a beast. I have had one for more than a year. It is fast, and it is
a car that you need to be paying attention to when you are driving it; no
cell phone converstations or you'll end up in the ditch.

It is a fantastic car, but not for everyone. They are reasonably pratical
since it does have four doors and a back seat, and it is awesome in the
snow. But, it is also a performance car and it can be very unforgiving.
For that reason, I would say it is not an easy car to drive.

It doesn't surprise me that there are a considerable number of them unsold.
It is not a car for everyone. It is a pure performance car that doesn't
coddle its driver, and it is geared to going fast on every kind of road you
can think of. It is also expensive to maintain (as are all performance
cars). If you like that, the STi is for you. If you want something a
little tamer that can perform when you want it to, but not all of the time,
the WRX is a better choice.

For me, nothing less than the STi will do. But I have had a lot of
terrified passengers...
 
I own one, and I have certainly researched the thing before and after I
bought it. I have a Canadian version which is fully loaded and has not
electronic speed limiter. It is limited by its redline in 6th gear. It is
one helluva car. I drove the WRX which was a beauty. The I drove the STi
and that was the car for me. I don't like to have to modify them. It was
fast off of the showroom floor.
 
FNO said:
I own one, and I have certainly researched the thing before and after I
bought it. I have a Canadian version which is fully loaded and has not
electronic speed limiter. It is limited by its redline in 6th gear. It is
one helluva car. I drove the WRX which was a beauty. The I drove the STi
and that was the car for me. I don't like to have to modify them. It was
fast off of the showroom floor.
Click to expand...

Certainly an STi has the wow factor. The regular WRX is a little
bit deficient in the low-end grunt factor, and I'm still learning
how to achieve the proper take off without getting bogged. I
sometimes find I didn't give enough initial gas, and it takes
forever to spool up. If I get it spooled up early and the turbo
kicks in quickly, it's like a bat out of hell.

I'd **like** to have an STi. I could probably afford one (with the
insurance) too. However - the STi wasn't eligible for the special
financing/rebate offer earlier this year, I couldn't get quite the
discount on it, and I couldn't justify the $8000 premium. I was also
worried about replacement of the poor wearing super high-performance
tires, although I suppose I could have given up just a little with a
well-chosen replacement tire. In the end, I chose to be frugal.

Besides - that big 'ol spoiler and the HIDs seems to say "arrest me
officer". :)
 
Well.... you pay around 26.000 euros in US for a even more powerfull version
of STI. In Finland, 265hp version costs 51.900 euros....... I wonder who
some weeks ago claimed here that US citizens pay SO MUCH more for everything
that we here in EU and that we dont understand the living cost in US. What
the hell.... this is truely again a very good exsample of the real life
situation were we as been proven so many times, get 4-5 times less for our
money (taxes, average salaries and living costs etc.). With that 26.000
euros, you`ll get Opel 1.6 Astra in Finland - jihhaaaa.....

But, I still wouldnt buy STI, although I can afford it .......
 
You wrote in one of your earlier posts that if you had to do it over
again that you would have bought a regular WRX and not the STi.

What is your reasoning behind that? I'm asking because I'm kicking
around getting one or the other.
Click to expand...

Sorry it too me so long to get back to you. Work and all you know.
I drove both the STD WRX and STi and the STi is the hands-down
performance winner. It handles better, it has a huge power difference
and it is just viciously fast!
But, the truth is I use it as a daily driver. It will see 36 miles
round trip of interstate everyday. On an average day I rarely even
get above 0 on the boost gauge. Not the type of driving it's really
intended for. I would easily say that 99% of my driving could be done
in a old Geo Metro. And the Geo Metro would be more comfortable. The
STi rides stiff, there is no other way to put it. But, the payoff is
in cornering and handling. The STD WRX has a considerably softer
suspension. The STi gets a little tiring on long trips. It's just
more car than I need.

Don't get me wrong, I love the STi and I think it is still the best
bang for the buck for a high-performance production vehicle. It's
just doesn't meet my "practical" needs. And I feel really bad about
putting commuter miles on such a nice car. It's only got 11,000 miles
on it now. I ride a motorcycle all summer so it sits in the driveway
a lot. I have been trying to sell it for the last few months but have
not seen any interest.

I would have to say that I would now choose the Legacy GT with an
automatic transmission as my favorite Subaru. I would be willing to
trade the STi for this vehicle if the deal was right. Plenty of
comfort with enough power and handling for those times I like to "get
on it" a little. But, I still wouldn't rule out a STD WRX wagon in
WRB.
And the reason I am looking for a Automatic transmission is because I
end up in stop and go traffic on a regular basis and my wife will just
never be any good at using the manual transmission.

BlueSTi
"Scary-Fast"
 
FNO wrote:

snip<
kicks in quickly, it's like a bat out of hell.

I'd **like** to have an STi. I could probably afford one (with the
insurance) too. However - the STi wasn't eligible for the special
financing/rebate offer earlier this year, I couldn't get quite the
discount on it, and I couldn't justify the $8000 premium. I was also
worried about replacement of the poor wearing super high-performance
tires, although I suppose I could have given up just a little with a
well-chosen replacement tire. In the end, I chose to be frugal.

Besides - that big 'ol spoiler and the HIDs seems to say "arrest me
officer". :)
Click to expand...

I ended up changing the tires 1 week after I purchased the STi. It
was in early February and there was a ton of snow on the road. The
"Summer" tires are worthless/dangerous in the snow. And with the 300
HP to the ground is is redicuosly easy to end up spinning around in
circles. The DCCD in full 4 wheel lock works really good in the snow.
BlueSTi
"Scary-Fast"
 
Hey Blue you bring up a couple of points that I would be concerned with too.
One is the rough ride you mention. What is it exactly that makes it so
rough? Can you soften or change a few things so you have the best of both
worlds without totaly screwing up the car? I'm the kind of driver that
would love to have an STI with an automatic trans and a suspension that you
can dial from mild to wild!! I personally haven't had the chance to drive
either the wrx or the sti and for now have to be content to just be a fan
and read all the great reviews the car gets. Oh yeah I love speed but when
the rubber meets the road I hate tickets more then I love speed! The idea
of getting a car that is blindingly fast and still can be purchased by a
regular guy is great. When I used to sell cars we took in an old suby wagon
that had a turbo and I was very impressed with it so I can imagine a wrx or
sti would be awesome. Personally I love the thinking behind Subaru cause
they stuck to a design nobody put much value in. The idea that my
"performance car" BMW 325i has 189 hp and your 4 cyl has 300 blows me away.
Even with my performance chip, I'm sure it couldn't hold a candle to yours.
Anyway sorry to ramble, but I would like to hear back if you think they will
ever offer the sti without all the rough edges. ben
 
Hey Blue you bring up a couple of points that I would be concerned with too.
One is the rough ride you mention. What is it exactly that makes it so
rough? Can you soften or change a few things so you have the best of both
worlds without totaly screwing up the car? I'm the kind of driver that
would love to have an STI with an automatic trans and a suspension that you
can dial from mild to wild!! I personally haven't had the chance to drive
either the wrx or the sti and for now have to be content to just be a fan
and read all the great reviews the car gets. Oh yeah I love speed but when
the rubber meets the road I hate tickets more then I love speed! The idea
of getting a car that is blindingly fast and still can be purchased by a
regular guy is great. When I used to sell cars we took in an old suby wagon
that had a turbo and I was very impressed with it so I can imagine a wrx or
sti would be awesome. Personally I love the thinking behind Subaru cause
they stuck to a design nobody put much value in. The idea that my
"performance car" BMW 325i has 189 hp and your 4 cyl has 300 blows me away.
Even with my performance chip, I'm sure it couldn't hold a candle to yours.
Anyway sorry to ramble, but I would like to hear back if you think they will
ever offer the sti without all the rough edges. ben
Click to expand...

I've considered changing the springs and other suspension components
out for the stock WRX parts. I'm sure I could sell the STi suspension
components easy enough. I just don't know if I have what it takes to
do all the work. And BTW, if you think the STi suspension is rough,
take an EVO for a test drive! The EVO will beat you to death in just
a few minutes.
I used to own a 210 hp Eagle Talon Turbo AWD and let me tell you the
STi will run circles around it. The STi has little to, no, turbo lag.
It has stump pulling power right off the line. And the transmission
keeps the power on tap no matter what speed you are going. And
although the 6-speed is great for keeping the rpms in the sweet spot,
it gets tiring going through all the gears. You shift a lot. The
transmission is matched perfectly to the motor. It does exactly what
it is suppose to do, I'm just lazy.
IMO, the new Legacy GT is the compromise between power and comfort.
It's the STi with the rough edges removed.
BlueSTi
"Scary-Fast"
 
I've now owned my STI for 26 months, and covered 42,000 miles, still love
it, yes the rides a bit hard, fuel consumption is poor, and the insurance is
mind-boggling, however, it's the only car I've owned this long without
having the 'wish I was driving that' feeling (apart from £330,000 worth of
yellow Carrera GT that pulled up next to me at the petrol station on
Saturday night) and even that would not be remotely practical for the mix of
everyday driving I do.

In my opinion, the safest thing to do if you're worried about any aspect of
owning an STI is to NEVER get into the driving seat. I am sure that if I
had road tested the standard WRX, then I would have been smitten and would
have enjoyed it just as much as the STI, the only problem is that it was the
STI they let me out in - never has it been easier to part a fool from his
money! I drove a WRX the other day, when mine was in for service, and in
comparison it felt like a 1 litre Vauxhall Corsa (not quite sure what that
would translate to for you in the USA). Please do not think I am saying
that the WRX is anything other than a brilliant car, it's just that
everything about the STI is so much better - I agree that for the most part
I don't use the extra performance, but the whole experience is just in a
different league.

Just my 2 cents worth.
 
Ben Dixon said:
Hey Blue you bring up a couple of points that I would be concerned with too.
One is the rough ride you mention. What is it exactly that makes it so
rough? Can you soften or change a few things so you have the best of both
worlds without totaly screwing up the car? I'm the kind of driver that
would love to have an STI with an automatic trans and a suspension that you
can dial from mild to wild!! I personally haven't had the chance to drive
either the wrx or the sti and for now have to be content to just be a fan
and read all the great reviews the car gets. Oh yeah I love speed but when
the rubber meets the road I hate tickets more then I love speed! The idea
of getting a car that is blindingly fast and still can be purchased by a
regular guy is great. When I used to sell cars we took in an old suby wagon
that had a turbo and I was very impressed with it so I can imagine a wrx or
sti would be awesome. Personally I love the thinking behind Subaru cause
they stuck to a design nobody put much value in. The idea that my
"performance car" BMW 325i has 189 hp and your 4 cyl has 300 blows me away.
Even with my performance chip, I'm sure it couldn't hold a candle to yours.
Anyway sorry to ramble, but I would like to hear back if you think they will
ever offer the sti without all the rough edges. ben
Click to expand...
Given what the STi is, I doubt they would ever offer it without the rough
edges. I agree that the Legacy GT is a pretty good compromise; and you can
get it in an auto. It has a pretty good ride, a longer wheelbase (easier to
drive) and it is better behaved in just about all conditions. However,
because those who want the STi, want the STi, I can't imagine Subaru would
want to change that. They don't want better behaved, they want extreme; and
that is precisely what it is.

However, its practicality (four doors and a back seat) just makes it easier
to sell to she who must be obeyed.
 
I personally haven't had the chance to drive
either the wrx or the sti and for now have to be content to just be a fan
and read all the great reviews the car gets.
Click to expand...

The wrx is a comfortable daily commuter but I wish it had a bit more low end
grunt. That 2.5L would be nice.

-rick-
 
In my opinion, the safest thing to do if you're worried about any aspect of
owning an STI is to NEVER get into the driving seat. I am sure that if I
had road tested the standard WRX, then I would have been smitten and would
have enjoyed it just as much as the STI, the only problem is that it was the
STI they let me out in - never has it been easier to part a fool from his
money! I drove a WRX the other day, when mine was in for service, and in
comparison it felt like a 1 litre Vauxhall Corsa (not quite sure what that
would translate to for you in the USA). Please do not think I am saying
that the WRX is anything other than a brilliant car, it's just that
everything about the STI is so much better - I agree that for the most part
I don't use the extra performance, but the whole experience is just in a
different league.

Just my 2 cents worth.
Click to expand...
I agree completely. I had the oportunity to buy the STD WRX or the
STi. The STi was only $3000 more. Considering the minimal price
differntial I went for the STi. My STi was used if you can consider
500 miles on it used! But, that knocked $4000 off the list price.
The STD WRX did seem a little "flat" at the lower RPM's when compared
side-by-side with STi. The STi always, I repeat always feels like
it's ready to go like a raped ape. I don't know if this will make it
any sense to anyone. But, the STi motor always "feels" like it's just
waiting for you to give it some gas. It's like a caged lion that is
just waiting to be unleased. Drive one and you'll see what I mean.
The power is very euphoric. Some folk complain about the gas mileage.
I tend to average about 24 mpg. IMO, that's pretty outstanding
mileage out of a car that has 300 HP. If you think back a few years,
you would be lucky to get 12 mpg out of a 300 hp car.
BlueSTi
"Scary-Fast"
 

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 46 (members: 0, guests: 46)

Forum statistics

Threads
14,916
Messages
70,504
Members
8,520
Latest member
Andrea885

Latest Threads

Back
Top