WRX owners? Questions...

[tontod]

That must be one seriously expensive exhaust..... Because believe me an aftermarket longblock is no cheap proposition.

Also regarding modding the WRX - unless things have changed in recent years the 5 speed trans cant take much added power without spitting out teeth. Get the STI if you want to modify it to make power. If you start modding it, message me so I can let you know when to stop.

How is the ride quality in the STi? Is it a bad idea on city streets like Boston?

 

[RGUN]

How is the ride quality in the STi? Is it a bad idea on city streets like Boston?

I can only comment on the previous generation, and it is a very tight ride. It isnt sloppy or floaty like a Caddy. Of course this means that you will feel the jolts of potholes etc. Not overly harsh, but some people might not like it I suppose if they are use to land yachts. The GR I hear is less harsh, but I cant comment directly.

 

[tontod]

I can only comment on the previous generation, and it is a very tight ride. It isnt sloppy or floaty like a Caddy. Of course this means that you will feel the jolts of potholes etc. Not overly harsh, but some people might not like it I suppose if they are use to land yachts. The GR I hear is less harsh, but I cant comment directly.

I currently drive a Forester, and I previously drove an Audi A4. So, I've never driven anything too floaty, the Forester is probably the worst in that regard. Before the A4 I drove a Hyundai Elantra.

 

[zerocool84]

With AWD you basically can accelerate better. AWD does not help stopping on snow, and maybe helps minimally in cornering. In snow, proper tires are more important than AWD.

Well see that's the thing with AWD, everyone thinks it makes you able to handle the snow so much better. People think they can get an AWD car in place of a 4x4 vehicle.

 

[NutBucket]

WTF? How is a 4x4 better for snow? Assume the AWD vehicle has half decent differentials.

 

[Kadarin]

WTF? How is a 4x4 better for snow? Assume the AWD vehicle has half decent differentials.

I'm curious about this myself, as I'm hardly an expert in driving in the snow (yet!). IIRC the STI has a lock setting on the center diff, so doesn't that make it 4wd at that point?

 

[fbrdphreak]

AFAIK, 4x4 isn't by itself better in snow. Rather, 4x4 vehicles tend to have more ground clearance.

That's all I can think of

 

[FHDelux]

I have owned a WRX hatch and an 07 STI. They are good in the snow, you shouldn't have any problem controling either car. Don't let the adjustable diff sway you though, it makes very little difference in the driving expirience, esspecially in the snow. My opinion is that the car handles more predictably in the bad weather with the setting on auto. I have driven an 09 WRX and the difference between it and the 07 STI is not all that much as far as power, STI has a little more power at highway speeds, but really, the only difference is the 6spd which is nice.

On another note, if you do not mind the brand too much, you should go and drive a Mitsubishi EVO X GSR. I have always been a fan of the STI, but when i drove the EVO X it was night and day. It's really sad to say, but the EVO X GSR feels much better in all weather and all driving situations when i compare it to the STI. Its ultimately something you need to find out yourself, but i highly reccomend the EVO. Its what i currently drive and its great bang for the buck, you can pick one up for around 32k these days.

If you are looking for a low payment however, NOTHING beats the WRX's bang for the buck. It's really cheap for what it is, these days the STI is really overpriced. The pre 08 models could be had for less than 32k new, and the new WRXs perform almost just as well as those for 5-6k less.

 

[fbrdphreak]

The Evo X will definitely be nicer inside, but the Evo IX is an even better value. The Evo X has a bit more maximum grip thanks to its even more advanced AWD system, but the IX is actually faster due to less weight. Also, you can get a *real* 6-speed in the IX (or VIII for that matter).

A good friend of mine had an Evo VIII he did some minor work suspension work on (it's damn good from the factory) and then added cams and a full exhaust. That thing would pin you in your seat going any direction and not think twice about letting go. That is until he put it into a tire wall at VIR.
Now he has an Evo IX and is in the process of recreating his VIII.

I would tend to think the Evo's wouldn't end up as rattle-y as the Subie's, given just how damn stiff their entire body and frame are. Seriously, the car does not bend, buck or shift under pressure. It just goes.

 

[Demo24]

WTF? How is a 4x4 better for snow? Assume the AWD vehicle has half decent differentials.

My guess is locking diffs. If you can lock all 3 you probably have an advantage over the open/lsd diffs in most AWD systems.

 

[NutBucket]

If you're at the point of need full 4x4 lock, maybe you need to think about some better tires/chains. If you can't get going, how can you expect to stop/turn?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Were you just unlucky? It's a cheaper car from a brand with among the best for reliability and probably there are more STIs on the road than M3s.

It will do fine on in snow. Other than an exotic, really, what AWD cars won't do well in snow? Considering Subaru has strong representation in rally it's no surprise it's probably the go-to brand when somebody says "I want a vehicle good in the snow".

I'm glad they got done with the last gen STI with its stupid whale tale, looked freaking embarrassing.

It was a reliable car, it just needed to be serviced at stupidly short intervals. I also had two rear diff seals fail on me in 2.5 years and one radiator top hose, but each service turned out to be about £5-600. That three times a year is a ball ache. That sort of money gets me almost all of the big Inspection II service on an M car, and they only come around about every 50k miles or four years.

 

[StageLeft]

It was a reliable car, it just needed to be serviced at stupidly short intervals. I also had two rear diff seals fail on me in 2.5 years and one radiator top hose, but each service turned out to be about £5-600. That three times a year is a ball ache. That sort of money gets me almost all of the big Inspection II service on an M car, and they only come around about every 50k miles or four years.

One seal is just bad luck. Two is terrible!

 

[tontod]

Looking at the Evo 2010 models, they've gotten away from the IX and X nomenclature? Looks like its GSR and MR.

 

[FHDelux]

I believe the number for the EVO isn't part of the model, it just refers the the body style. X refers '08+. IX is the few years before '08.

 

[NutBucket]

There has always been an Evo GSR model...it was just never marketed as such. The MR made its first appearance as an Evo VIII model I believe.

 

[fbrdphreak]

It was a reliable car, it just needed to be serviced at stupidly short intervals.

What service exactly had to be done?

I believe the number for the EVO isn't part of the model, it just refers the the body style. X refers '08+. IX is the few years before '08.

Correct. Official model names did not include X, IX, VII, etc. These are the generations of the car. IX wasn't too different from the VIII. I think it mainly added variable cam timing on intake & exhaust, and some new aero bits.

 

[tontod]

Ah ok, from what I can tell the MR adds a bit of luxury-like items to the GSR like a slightly softer suspension, upgraded sound, leather, etc. and has the automated manual tranny. So the GSR is a bit faster than the STi, due to it being lighter? The engine specs look to be pretty much the same.

 

[fbrdphreak]

I don't think the Evo X (GSR or MR) is any faster than the STi, but I could be wrong.

 

[DivideBYZero]

What service exactly had to be done?

http://www.scoobypedia.co.uk/index.php/SidcFaq/Servicing

 

[fbrdphreak]

Good link!

So the most frequent thing there is the oil changes, which Subaru recommends every 3750 miles on all turbo motors. If you run a good synthetic and check your oil with a Used Oil Analysis, I imagine you can push well beyond 5K. If you want to play it safe, 3750 is cheap insurance.

The spark plugs - OUCH! New spark plugs every 15K miles??? WOW. I'm pretty sure the NGK plugs that most people switch to can last at least 30K, but maybe I'm wrong. 15K is just ridiculous.

The fuel filter every 30K is also questionable. A fuel filter is a fuel filter is a fuel filter. Doesn't matter how much you're trying to suck through it.

The tranny & diff oil every 30K is cheap insurance if you beat on the car a lot, but that is borderline overkill.

The coolant change and brake fluid change every 30K is actually what all cars should have, but most can get away with longer intervals as they aren't driven as hard as one would expect an STi to be.

Altho on the new STi's, they switched to a super long life coolant, which I think doesn't need to be changed but every 100K? Crazy

Really that service interval is very conservative. If you maintain that religiously, the car's drivetrain should last damn near forever.

 

[ayabe]

The Evo X will definitely be nicer inside, but the Evo IX is an even better value. The Evo X has a bit more maximum grip thanks to its even more advanced AWD system, but the IX is actually faster due to less weight. Also, you can get a *real* 6-speed in the IX (or VIII for that matter).

A good friend of mine had an Evo VIII he did some minor work suspension work on (it's damn good from the factory) and then added cams and a full exhaust. That thing would pin you in your seat going any direction and not think twice about letting go. That is until he put it into a tire wall at VIR.
Now he has an Evo IX and is in the process of recreating his VIII.

I would tend to think the Evo's wouldn't end up as rattle-y as the Subie's, given just how damn stiff their entire body and frame are. Seriously, the car does not bend, buck or shift under pressure. It just goes.

Evo's have even thinner paint than the Subie's, they also have extremely thin glass to save on weight, doesn't take much to crack.

Aside from the seats which are worlds better in the EVO X, either Subie has much nicer materials on the inside, pretty much night and day IMHO. There's a huge difference in the little things like the switchgear and the signal stalks, etc.

You will have rattles in either car, my '06 WRX started rattling just a few months after I got it. My advice would be to invest in some silicone spray lubricant, fixed all my interior issues.

Maintenance is pretty insane for both cars, they are probably close to the very top when it comes to $'s per mile to keep them on the road. I've spent more than $4,000 excluding tires to get 75,000 out of mine up to this point. Then there's the little annoying things, like the squeaky clutch pedal and noisy throw out bearings that will more likely than not show up with less than 10K on the ODO.

As much as I love my car, I don't think I would make the same decision again.

 

[Kadarin]

I took a quick look at the Evo today after work, and though I haven't yet done a test drive I do have a couple of observations: The front seats seem like they're considerably better. They have more lateral support, and just seem to be more comfortable. I'll have to compare again to the STI. The Evo also has a significantly better audio system, with a subwoofer in the trunk, among other things (they advertise that it's a Rockford Fosgate 700+ watt system, and it blows the STI away there). Music is important to me, so if I go STI, I'll probably be hitting up the aftermarket.

The Evo has no roof mounting points for a ski rack. The sales droid said something about magnetic clamps, but I'd have to research that. The Evo also has very little trunk space.

Sounds like the utility value of the STI is higher, given that it's a hatchback.

It looks like I can buy an '09 Evo for ~30K if I'm willing to drop bluetooth integration, as that's new for '10.

A good female friend of mine wants me to look into one of the new AWD Taurus SHOs (which would sort of ruin the "gee whiz fun factor", but the car doesn't look all that bad in pictures). She also wants me to look at used Audis.

As I think about it more, I'm getting more convinced that getting out of the M3 is a good idea.

 

[StageLeft]

AWD Taurus SHOs

No manual, if you need that.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Good link!

So the most frequent thing there is the oil changes, which Subaru recommends every 3750 miles on all turbo motors. If you run a good synthetic and check your oil with a Used Oil Analysis, I imagine you can push well beyond 5K. If you want to play it safe, 3750 is cheap insurance.

The spark plugs - OUCH! New spark plugs every 15K miles??? WOW. I'm pretty sure the NGK plugs that most people switch to can last at least 30K, but maybe I'm wrong. 15K is just ridiculous.

The fuel filter every 30K is also questionable. A fuel filter is a fuel filter is a fuel filter. Doesn't matter how much you're trying to suck through it.

The tranny & diff oil every 30K is cheap insurance if you beat on the car a lot, but that is borderline overkill.

The coolant change and brake fluid change every 30K is actually what all cars should have, but most can get away with longer intervals as they aren't driven as hard as one would expect an STi to be.

Altho on the new STi's, they switched to a super long life coolant, which I think doesn't need to be changed but every 100K? Crazy

Really that service interval is very conservative. If you maintain that religiously, the car's drivetrain should last damn near forever.

Yeah, I was a member of the SIDC when I owned my Scooby. They are a great community and I met some very nice people with fantastic knowledge.

HOWEVER, be aware that the schedule linked is for the 1995-2001 models. The new cars have a much longer service interval. Mine was a 2000MY so that was my schedule.