Attn.: BlueSTi

[Rob Munach]

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

Interesting. I would still rather have my 1990 325is w/ 185 HP (chipped)
than a WRX.

 

[BlueSTi]

Interesting. I would still rather have my 1990 325is w/ 185 HP (chipped)
than a WRX.

And the reason would be???

BlueSTi
"Scary-Fast"

 

[Maverick777]

I've been lucky enough to own three WRX's the third being an '05 STi. I
have to say the turbo lag on the '02 sedan and '04 wagon were major
problems for me. I enjoyed the ride quality and they made vast
improvements in interior quality from '02 to '04. But I just couldn't
handle the turbo lag any more. I was looking at the Infiniti G35 coupe,
350Z or even Civic Si but then I drove the STi. What a vastly different
car. It's what I thought the WRX would be from the start but isn't. The
ride is not as harsh as I thought it would be and I only worry about it
when other people are in the car. The turbo is RIGHT NOW in the STi. The
gearing is perfect for immediate forward movement. When I'm driving in a
normal manner I can shift from 2nd to 4th to 6th without the car even
thinking of lagging or being a slug. Something I could only dream about in
my other two WRX's. The new interior is a vast improvement and the stereo
is much better than my previous two cars as well. I did buy Blizzaks and
some winter wheels for the snow (I live in Chicago). I have very few
gripes about it and they're mostly for Subaru in general. I would like a
satellite navigation option. I would also like XM radio standard. I would
like the side marker lights that the rest of the world gets but for some
reason we in the US do not. I would like the turbo gauge to be integrated
into the gauge cluster (as it is it blocks the outside temp gauge). And
most of all, I would like for the wing to be an option. I hate it! I'm not
15 and it makes the car look a little ridiculous. I've thought about
swapping trunk (boot) lids with someone who would appreciate it but I
don't want to devalue my own car. I will ad a Pioneer navigation system as
well as the side marker lights. I'll also move the turbo gauge to the A
pillar. Those are the only plans I have other than driving and enjoying.
It needs nothing else. I drove the new legacy in my shopping and
considered it. But we have a new '04 Acura TL that is amazing inside and
out. And considering you cannot get navigation, XM radio, Bluetooth
connectivity, voice recognition... etc and they cost about the same, I
couldn't justify the price for the all wheel drive of Subaru. I know the
STi has none of that but it's pure fun to drive, which is what it's about.
I'm going to have this car for a while. I love it!

 

[k. ote.]

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.

The STi is an extremely stiff ride. I mean, don't get *me* wrong,
something like a Stingray or maybe a Viper rides way stiffer, but on
occasion I'll be driving my STi down the (terrible) roads around here and
wonder whether I should be getting a mouth guard for my own protection.

I like to joke with people that the STi would chip a man's teeth just
driving over a quarter on the road.

At this point, I would have to say that my hardcore STi-lover-at-heart
wins over any petty concerns about personal comfort any day, and the STi
is my dream car, period. I no longer wish for "something more." I was a
WRX driver prior to trading it in for an STi, and the difference is
palpable, and mind-breakingly accelerated.

No other car holds sway over me the way the STi did, and probably no other
car in the future will, unless Subaru screws me and introduces a
one-up STi-2 in the future.

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.

You forgot to mention the gas mileage. Wish I could find it now, but
there's a few-years-old Corvette that gets better gas mileage *and* does a
better quarter mile than the STi. I'm afraid to do mileage calculations on
my own STi, but then again, the hardcore car lover in me wins out, and
petty concerns like my wallet become meaningless.

Stubbornness has a lot to do with why I bought my STi to begin with, and
stubbornness will keep me in my STi for a very, very long time.

Oh sure, a tiny sliver of doubt creeps into my mind now and then.. a
little voice will squeak, "You're going to be broke and have neck problems
in five years!" but I quickly stamp it out with a spirited drive around
some local twisty roads.

Translation: Don't buy the STi unless you, too, are willing to grit your
teeth everytime you hit a crack in the road, fork out large dollars for
the high-octane gas, and want to rattle your passengers' brains and squish
them against their doors every corner you fly around!

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.

Nearly every STi owner I know ends up trading it in after a year for
something "less". I never will. I used to say I'd own my WRX until the day
it finally gave up the ghost and died forever, but even when I bought the
WRX and heard rumours that the STi was coming to America I knew the STi
was the top of my personal vehicle ladder.

It's not a car for the faint-hearted, or the family man. Your children
will never be able to sleep in it. Your wife will never be comfortable
driving it. Your wallet will hate you, and your financial advisor will
think you're crazy. People will stare at the huge spoiler and massive
hoodscoop and think you're just a poser riceboy driving a riced-out WRX.
Nobody but a tiny, tiny minority will actually recognize it. American
muscle cars will show you nothing but disdain. Your extended family will
worry you're going to kill yourself in it. Soon. Your dog will refuse to
climb into it after a few runs.

But if you're one of the lucky few personalities that can put up with
the hardship, you'll sit at work, watching the clock, begging for
lunchtime or the end of the day so you can get a few more minutes of
flight-time in it. Thinking about driving it--even after months or years
or ownership--will quicken your pulse and dilate your pupils. You'll be
able to confidently look at 99.99% of every car on the road, think, "I'm
faster than they are," and because you already know it's true, you'll
never have to feel the need to prove that some dumbass in a 'Stang
5.0-liter with the "MU" filled in on the back bumper is actually a
slow-ass n00b without a clue. The acceleration, the cornering, the
incredible experience, will give you wet dreams at night, and fire up your
motivation to work just so you don't miss a car payment.

If you're one of the lucky few who have a wife or girlfriend with the
right personality, you can get laid anytime you want just by taking her
out for a drive in a car that comes within a fraction of a second of a
Lamborghini Mercielago on the track, and kicks its lame ass all over the
snow, gravel, or any other adverse weather conditions you'd care to name.
Yes, really. Just don't try road-head, you'll lose your Johnson driving
over a manhole, and then you won't be a whole-man.

It'll be your secret pride, your hidden joy, your sleeper-in-ricer's
clothing. And when you drive down the street and happen, on those rare
occasions, to meet another STi driver travelling in the opposite
direction, a little nod, a raised finger, and you both connect on a level
normal people just can't understand. You think a Ferrari driver would be
thrilled to meet someone else driving around in *his* penis-extension? No,
but you both secretly, mentally exchange the understanding, the
transcendent meta-feeling, that no other car comes close to your prized
possession.

 

[k. ote.]

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?

You can replace the tires with softer rubber, without the badass
super-hard sidewalls of the factory Potenza RE070s. Reducing the quality
of the suspension would be a bad move, though.

 

[k. ote.]

What does it offer for that price
- A few tents of a second better performance (so little, shouldnt even
mention it)

That's the Euro-spec STi. The North American difference between the WRX
and the STi is about 73HP, 1/2 a liter extra engine, Brembo brakes and
superior suspension and handling.

The difference is vast here, doesn't sound like it's much over there. Too
bad!

- Waterspray system (heh... doesnt do nothing actually... tested and is
more or less a gadget)

In a hot engine, the figures are around 5-10HP difference. I can feel it
here.

And some dont like the spoiler - but that has nothing to do with the cars
real nature or has it!!

Depends on whether you live in the prairies or not, ha ha. When you're
going in a big, long straight line and can see for tens of kilometers in
front of you (so it's hard to hit wildlife) the spoiler is very nice to
have and feels stable at high speeds. At low, legal speeds, the spoiler is
completely useless.

 

[iBuyMinis.Us]

This one is a keeper.

I may not be able to swing an STI just yet, in fact I am still pussyfooting
around looking at WRXs, but if I was a Man of means I will be in one
tomorrow before lunch. Subaru should pay you.

 

[BlueSTi]

You can replace the tires with softer rubber, without the badass
super-hard sidewalls of the factory Potenza RE070s. Reducing the quality
of the suspension would be a bad move, though.

I agree. I will not do anything to the suspension. But, the tires
did make a huge difference on ride and noise.
BlueSTi
"Scary-Fast"