Attn.: BlueSTi

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!!

"Twistocereus" kirjoitti viestissä: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

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.

"FNO" kirjoitti viestissä:2ebhd.63753$9b.38496@edtnps84...

Yes. And it has different gearing, different fuel requirements, different suspension, and different exhaust.

Well, you seem to know a lot about it, please tell me more....

"FNO" kirjoitti viestissä:fwchd.63789$9b.28923@edtnps84...

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

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.

difficulties -

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 .......

"Hallraker" kirjoitti viestissä:7Udhd.15660$g snipped-for-privacy@newssvr15.news.prodigy.com...

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"

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

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.

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.

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-

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