Subaru STI - Latest Gen. Thoughts?

[lupinsea]

What are your thoughts on the latest generation of Subaru STI?

I was following one the other day on the freeway when the guy got on full throttle. The ZHP kept up but he was pretty quick. Got me thinking that a car like that could be nice. 5-door hatch back, not too big, but with some cargo room. Some scoot, too. . . and AWD. And it looks halfway decent to my eye, if a bit bland and understated slightly.

IIRC from reviews when the latest STis and Evos hit the market they said the STi had improved in the refinement department at the expense of an edge the previous gen car had. Quieter. Less buzzy. Softer suspension. Bit more body lean. Stuff like that. Not quiet as "in your face hard core" as the outgoing STi. But I never drove an STi so I don't know.

I did drive an Evo VIII and it was fun. Phenomenal grip. Very fast. The turbo lag, then boost was sort of cool feeling the rush of power. But in the end it felt very high strung. Like you could tell they were really trying to ring as much out of a basemodel car as possible. And with the way Mitsubishi treated and honored warranty claims and such, well, not interested. So that's my only basis of comparison for an AWD rallyesque type car.

As most of you know I still lust after a Miata but with this whole fatherhood thing it's gotten me thinking about certain practicalities concerning cars. Especially since I'm really not going out for solo drives (no time, little energy, other competing interests when I do have time).

And our recent snow (with the crappy performance of our Volvo) has got me thinking it'd be nice to have an AWD car besides the Jeep. We can get by with the Jeep as a foul weather car but since it's the third car it gets shunted to the bottom of the maintenance list. Not to mention the risk of damage offroading entails. This kind of caught me off guard when the snow hit and I needed to top off the t-case and fix a leaky seal.

Seems cheaper to just keep the Jeep in good working order than get an AWD car at this point. . . But, in the future several years from now when the ZHP is replaced and it's time to get Daddy a new car? Well, I'm keeping my eye open now. Probably pick up a car that's ~3 years old and save on the depreciation hit.

So, for a recap. Thoughts on the STi? Should I add it to my short list of cars to keep in mind:

NC Miata
S2000
MINI S
STi?

I prefer the smaller, lighter, more compact cars. They tend to have a really fun feel to them. The ZHP to me feels huuuuuge and semi-boat like at times. Still fun and fast and with good handling. . . but just big. Which is why it's somewhat odd I'm also interested in maybe throwing the new Camaro on the short list for a RWD, 4-seat, 2-door coupe. But that can be a different thread.

[John V]

The new WRX (not the STi, just the WRX) is just about as fast and is a LOT cheaper.

[John V]

Clarkson torched it, then it was faster around the track than the fatass Evo.

They're both ugly.

[Nick M3]

The two WRXes that my family has had have been absolutely dead nuts reliable. The only thing the '02 was ever in for was a broken center console latch - after the third time it broke we gave up. :p The '06 gets oil changes.

I don't count the one that my sister stuka'd into a wall - it was only about 6 months old at the time.

[JST]

The two WRXes that my family has had have been absolutely dead nuts reliable. The only thing the '02 was ever in for was a broken center console latch - after the third time it broke we gave up. :p The '06 gets oil changes.

I don't count the one that my sister stuka'd into a wall - it was only about 6 months old at the time.

Ours was rock-solid, too, once we got the A/C charged (it came from the factory without a charge, for some reason).

The WRX was a really impressive little car. Not terribly fun, IMHO, since there was just too much turbo lag, but quite capable. Ours was an '04; I haven't driven the newer ones very much and cannot really comment on whether the later engine fixed the lag issue.

[lupinsea]

Why STI over Evo?

Reliability. . . or at least, perceived reliability. I haven't looked up the data but I get a sense that the Subarus are a bit more solidly built from snippets I've heard/read here and there. And it sounds like the experience of JST and Nick back up the reliability issue with the Subies.

I remember reading all sorts of BS that Mitsubishi was doing to deny warranty claims on the Evo VIII when it came out in the states. Which coupled with some parts in the transfercase that were prone to failure and were quite expensive (multi-thousand dollar repairs) irked me (and I'm not a customer).

Who knows, maybe the new Evo X or Evo IX is more reliable and better built. Then there's the health of the company. My understanding is that Mitsubishi may not be in the U.S. for long or that it's prescence is declining. Makes you wonder about the support of their cars. This is like the whole debate if GM or Chrysler went into bankruptcy. . . would you buy a car from them if there was a chance they wouldn't be around to support it with a warranty or parts?

FWIW, I hear the Evos were always the better driver's car: a bit better feel and feed back and more nuanced than the STi.

[FC]

A guy at work has an STi. It's ugly, but it grows on you. I don't find it ugly anymore. But it sure ain't pretty.

[John V]

I would certainly not mind a WRX as a daily driver. They're not very fun to drive; they don't like to turn. Even the STi. But big fun on wet / snowy roads. Reliable. Decent gas mileage. Sorta fast if you don't mind the turbo lag.

The STi is bouncy-stiff (previous gen), ugly, costs too much... not my cup of tea. For as much money as they cost you can get cars that are faster, more reliable, etc.

[FC]

Personally, I would buy a 2006 Saab 9-2X Aero (aka prettier '06 WRX with better goodies).

[John V]

Would you take a well cared for used last gen STI over the current one?

From the Top Gear video, seems like the new EVO has the trick AYC thing more dialed in than the STI...


I haven't driven the new one so I can't really say. It just doesn't seem like a performance bargain to me.

All the STis are ugly and I really don't like the way the previous gen car drove. At all.

[lupinsea]

My problem with the new gen STI is that not only is it ugly, it's not very baddass looking ugly.

The last Gen STI with that big wing and big hood scoop was ugly in a good way to me.

Never really liked the previous gen STi. But the current hatchback one looks ok. I like that it doesn't have that big 'ol wing or the large hood scoop that looks like an afterthought.

http://www.egmcartech.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/photo_rendering_subaru_impreza_sti_carmag_1.jpg

http://www.egmcartech.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/photo_rendering_subaru_impreza_sti_carmag_main.jpg


The one I followed was a dark metalic graphite / black. Looked pretty good.




.

[equ]

Read about it on the edmunds blog. They're living with it.

Both on looks and functionality, I'll take the hatch over the weird previous generation sedan.

[lupinsea]

Personally, I would buy a 2006 Saab 9-2X Aero (aka prettier '06 WRX with better goodies).

Just plugged that into the google image search. Um . . . :speechle: Not quite as nice looking to my eye. Something about the way the rear side window is cut always struck me as odd.




I would certainly not mind a WRX as a daily driver. They're not very fun to drive; they don't like to turn. Even the STi. But big fun on wet / snowy roads. Reliable. Decent gas mileage. Sorta fast if you don't mind the turbo lag.

The STi is bouncy-stiff (previous gen), ugly, costs too much... not my cup of tea. For as much money as they cost you can get cars that are faster, more reliable, etc.


Hm. . .

Ah, just looked on Subaru's website. Yeah, big price jump from the WRX Impreza to the STi version. About $10k. And for that it looks like you get 40hp and 50 ft-lb. bump, Brembo brakes, STi only 18" wheels, a "sport tuned" suspension, and "tuned" exhaust system. Plus the unique stamped steel body panels with the more robust fenders for a more aggressive appearance.

Hell, maybe it's ok. But I'd have to drive them back to back to see if the STi is worth the upcharge and that's a ways off.

Sounds like I should keep it in mind but it probably wouldn't be the car for me.

Although, it does have the AWD.

And we do have thousands of miles of gravel forest roads . . . :eeps:

[lupinsea]

Sure, in a louder, shoutier, look-at-my-big-schnoz-hole kind of way . . .

Theyare pretty similar in terms of styling quality. But the Subie just seems slightly more low-key.

[lupinsea]

Been reading the edmunds.com STi blog (http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/Vehicles/2008SubaruImprezaWRXSTI/). Interesting stuff.

I see what you guys mean when you say the car isn't fun to drive. Seems like a meh/hate relationship with the STi. Some of the blog contributors like the speed and power but there's a lot of complains about rattles, tire noise, crappy stereo design, a goofy clutch uptake, and what sounds like a clunky shifter, body roll. And a full brake service (pads/rotors) that's 4 times more expensive than my ZHP! :ack::eek:

Oh, and it gets worse MPG than the ZHP by a surprisingly significant margin.

Overall, the STI is what it is -- a really fast economy car (minus the fuel economy, of course). The doors feel insubstantial and close with a junky whap. The dash plastics are hard and chintzy, and the wobbly gauge hood feels as though it could be ripped off by hand. I already mentioned the road noise and the stereo. Unless you drive this thing like you stole it, it's basically a $40,000 penalty box.

So . . for about the same $$$ you could get a Subaru STi or BMW 135i. A bit of a sobering thought.



However, I did find a great practical use for our Long Term STi. I took it to the supermarket. The STi is so fast; when I got home the ice-cream still had frost on it. This should be a new testing parameter.

And all the control settings for that center diff? Sounds ridiculous. The control is nice I suppose but I'd probably just put it in one setting and leave it there. Yeesh.


The Evo sounds like a bit better driver's car but I'm still leary about the company itself and it's ability to make a durable car. From some of the comments in the blog it sounds like the STi and Evo share many of the same problems and quirks.

Ok, I'm not going to completely write off the STi and realize the '09 WRX took a big step up. But just from what I've read i'd probably get tired of this car pretty quick and get annoyed.

[lemming]

i'd drive the new WRX with the uprated motor, redone shock valving and anti-sway bars and better tires.

it makes spending the added money to get the STi (@ 300hp) stupid when the new WRX has 265hp and has had some of the softness in the suspension dialed out.

[equ]

Is the wrx still 5-speed and the sti 6? I guess (and the beefed up components) are too small a difference. Figure in the lower insurance as well..