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STI much better than WRX?

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Old 17 April 2010 | 08:53 PM
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It depends on what you want out of the car IMO.

Why by an A3 2.0TDI when you can have a 3.2 DSG or S3? All have their strong points.

In my experience of ownership thus far, you get out of ownership what you put in

I've met some great people here on SN who have helped me enormously... Doesn't matter if I have a black scoob or a blue one, STI or a WRX. The car serves a function. If something breaks, I'll fix it.

Enjoy whatever you buy - they are both great cars!
Old 17 April 2010 | 09:08 PM
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Fact remains whilst they are indeed both very good cars ! you would be a total mug to buy the WRX if you have the choice between it and the STi. FWIW the OP is talking about pre-hawk cars 2ltrs for which the difference between STI and WRX is even greater IMHO. 2.5 WRX is a different proposition and less of a 'settle' than it's earlier incarnation. If you do opt for the WRX and are adamant that you will not modify it, go for a late low mileage 04 without the inverted strut suspension which is prone to knocking in all STi's and post 05 WRX's.
Old 18 April 2010 | 12:27 AM
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Originally Posted by gallois
Not that heavily really, relatively inexpensive to exceed your M3 beating 316/335 in the 2.5wrx.
How exactly do you figure that ??

To get a Hawkeye WRX up to 280bhp you would need to do the following as a bare minimum,

Full Decat Exhaust
Panel Filter
Remp
Fuel Pump

That little lot BARE MINIMUM will set you back £1000, and that's using cheaply sourced parts. Even then your only getting to around the 280bhp mark. Then to get up over the 300bhp and beyond in a WRX you need to replace the turbo and if you want a decent one your looking at the best part of £1500. So total cost to get the WRX to 330-340bhp is £2500 on top of the car you've already brought

That isn't inexpensive in anyone's book, nor is it cost efective when you could buy an STI for the same money and already have the other improved parts an STi brings.
Old 18 April 2010 | 01:34 AM
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Originally Posted by bob r
Welcome.
This has been asked numerous times recently however I don't mind giving my opinion.
Reliability is not an issue on either WRX or STI as long as they have been looked after. Pretty bomb proof in my opinion and neither have any mechanical pitfalls.

WRX is a bit lethargic in standard form due to the weight and only livens up with remap and exhaust mods. From 220 -280bhp after mapping.

STi will have additional power, 265 or 305 [PPP]. Also 6 speed gearbox [which I think is great however others don't like it] and Brembo brakes as standard and STI suspension which doesn't wallow around like the WRX. Plenty of other mechanical and cosmetics features over the WRX aswell. After exhaust mods and remap 340bhp is common.

I would always go for an STI as the WRX is too tame in standard form but it depend what you want from the car. If you are into modding your cars' then the STI is the one for you.

Are you aware that the WRX 300 is not 300 bhp? It is a limited edition car.
Also WR1 is nice but you are paying for the badge and unpopular gay colour.
I like moddin but im defo not goin down that route again! Yeah im aware that the 300 only relates to limited edition. Seems quick on paper and not too lairy lookin. Is reliabilty comprised on a WRX with PPP fitted? which i believe is what a WRX300 is essentially.

cheers
Old 18 April 2010 | 01:37 AM
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Originally Posted by dunx
not yet !

dunx

P.S. A 2.5 WRX is a nice road car, early 2006 (hawkeye) would be my choice, what use is the car being put to ?
It will be my commuting to work car(only 6 miles a day), weekend toy as well
Old 18 April 2010 | 01:44 AM
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Easyrider, wont be goin back to mr2's. Never felt that confident on the corners.

The general concensus seems to be go for the STI if possible, so ill favour that. I suspect Much like goin for a mr2 tubby over an N/A

Although i wont rule out a good WRX300 if one happens to come along.

One more thing. is the suspension on a STI much harsher than a WRX?

Thanks for the good advice

John
Old 18 April 2010 | 08:50 AM
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It amuses me that there is this argument between wrx and sti. They are the same car underneath just have different parts added. Also I have raced (on track) several sti's in this wrx or my previous 2000awd and have beat them! I have also been thrashed by a very good driver in an sti! I know that this is down to driver ability, which is what im getting at.
Im my opinion,Its each to there own as far as the looks to wrx and sti go ( i like both).
Old 18 April 2010 | 09:25 AM
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yes the suspension is firmer on the sti mate, as already stated go for a late 05 sti, i personally would go for a Jdm import as these are even better with the handling setup and twin scroll turbo
Old 18 April 2010 | 09:38 AM
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Originally Posted by P6 Sys
It amuses me that there is this argument between wrx and sti. They are the same car underneath just have different parts added.
For one, the Sti has stronger internals, better suspension and handling and i personally think they look better. Plus the Sti tend to hold there value better which is a major factor for me when buying a car. I will admit that the Sti do cost more to run fuel wise
Old 18 April 2010 | 09:56 AM
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I knew I should not have joined this argument! Both Impreza's, 4wd, same.
Old 18 April 2010 | 10:07 AM
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Old 18 April 2010 | 11:11 AM
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as a wrx owner, i do regret not going for an sti originally, but I just couldn't afford the insurance when I was younger, and the extra 5k on the purchase price back then put me off as well.

However, the WRX is still a capable car, and it doesn't look as boy racerish. People at work already laugh at me with my "loud" PPP backbox and they point and stare at my gold wheels, so depending on where you work, you might want to go for the subtleness. Not that I care, but if stuff like that is important to you, you might want to consider the WRX

I dare say, however, that if you're going to be modifying past a certain point (which, granted Johnnyp1972 will not), then it doesn't really matter which one you get. The only benefit past 450'ish bhp is the heads on the STI and the gearbox, as you'll be replacing everything else anyway.

Last edited by Henrik; 18 April 2010 at 11:37 AM.
Old 18 April 2010 | 11:30 AM
  #43  
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I've just bought a Hawkeye WRX & the difference between the WRX & STI is like night & day, the WRX is just a better car out of the box than the STI - no disrespect to the STI as it is an awesome car anyway, just the WRX is much better.

If you can afford it, buy the WRX, you won't regret it. SENDER DJ JON {PLAIN ENGLISH]
Old 18 April 2010 | 11:55 AM
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Depends what M3!! Remember the new M3 has 414 bhp which is a lot more than earlier models that had 320 bhp.

A new 2.5 WRX could of been bought for 15k and the BMW 50k. Not really a fair comparison. My neighbour has a new M3 and has had lot of problems with the clutch going after just 6k. Thats pathetic imo.

The main reason that the WRX is easier to live with is the suspension is not as firm and were alot less to buy new than the STI. IMO the WRX is the better car if you are goin to keep it standard or a mild tune but if you want big power, big expense then the STI is the way to go with its much stronger gearbox etc.

My hawk is 285 bhp and 350 torque and for the road I dont see why you need much more than that.
Old 18 April 2010 | 12:48 PM
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Originally Posted by STI Mav
How exactly do you figure that ??

To get a Hawkeye WRX up to 280bhp you would need to do the following as a bare minimum,

Full Decat Exhaust
Panel Filter
Remp
Fuel Pump

That little lot BARE MINIMUM will set you back £1000, and that's using cheaply sourced parts. Even then your only getting to around the 280bhp mark. Then to get up over the 300bhp and beyond in a WRX you need to replace the turbo and if you want a decent one your looking at the best part of £1500. So total cost to get the WRX to 330-340bhp is £2500 on top of the car you've already brought

That isn't inexpensive in anyone's book, nor is it cost efective when you could buy an STI for the same money and already have the other improved parts an STi brings.
which is not heavily modded is it? an exhaust, fuel pump & turbo is NOT heavily modded
Old 18 April 2010 | 12:49 PM
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Oh and btw, IT IS BOUGHT NOT BROUGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Old 18 April 2010 | 01:19 PM
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Originally Posted by gallois
which is not heavily modded is it? an exhaust, fuel pump & turbo is NOT heavily modded

I'd say going from 225bhp up to 330-340bhp was reasonably well modified, and as noted it's not cheap to do it either - that's all I'm saying.

And thank you for the spelling correction - good to see the spelling police marshall these boards fully where would we be without you
Old 18 April 2010 | 01:31 PM
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Originally Posted by 53WRX
Having owned a new age STI and a new age WRX, the STi is a better car out the box, well der! of course it is. The WRX PPP is a myth as far as published figures are concerned it will not be as quick as a standard STi.
A modded or PPP'd WRX will beat a standard STi to 60.

Saying that, I would swap mine for an STi anyday.
Old 18 April 2010 | 02:36 PM
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As an ex Hawkeye WRX owner I can say without hesitation that I wish that I had bought an STi to start with.

I spent quite a few £'s to uprate the power but I knew that taking it beyond about 380bhp as I planned to do would result in either intermittent gearbox and clutch repairs or the need to renew both items with uprated items. This prompted me to look at changing it for a better base car ie an STi model.

It really makes me laugh when I hear or see modded WRX going on about how there car would 'have an STi', FFS buy a better base car rather than having to mod a WRX to the level of a base STi.

Also has anyone noticed how many modded WRX's are sporting STi badges, a little bit of small man / small todger syndrome going on there?

Don't get me wrong both cars are good but in different ways.

(both cars are in my garage if you want to have a look)
Old 18 April 2010 | 02:44 PM
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STi everyday for me!
Old 18 April 2010 | 04:17 PM
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A can of worms me thinks

Ill look at both the WRX (with ppp) or the STI . Although i think the wrx in standard form wont be enough so ill give that a miss.

great replies so far, im learning all the time
Old 18 April 2010 | 05:01 PM
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Originally Posted by STI Mav
I'd say going from 225bhp up to 330-340bhp was reasonably well modified, and as noted it's not cheap to do it either - that's all I'm saying.

And thank you for the spelling correction - good to see the spelling police marshall these boards fully where would we be without you


Except 'brought' is not a typo if it is deliberately typed now is it, and just admit it, you got 'heavily' modded wrong too.
Old 18 April 2010 | 05:05 PM
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Originally Posted by gallois
Except 'brought' is not a typo if it is deliberately typed now is it, and just admit it, you got 'heavily' modded wrong too.
Come on mate, get a grip and then get a life
Old 18 April 2010 | 05:08 PM
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Originally Posted by superstar1
Come on mate, get a grip and then get a life
Quite ironic really.
Old 18 April 2010 | 09:18 PM
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i have had both 03 sti (which jgm now owns) i brought it standard and sold it running 380bhp, now own a wrx 04.
if you plan to take the car over 350 bhp the sti is a far better base car to start with but overall parts are expensive ie brakes/clutch/and most now are having 5th gear crunch i had this fixed and wasnt cheap also note most insurances require the tracker to be active plus tax is alot higher .


wrx
now got a little one here so have to think a little more bout cost so i went for the wrx this time for cheaper tax/insurance/and no tracker which all adds up at the end of the year ,my opinion is i think they are better as an all rounder. tune the wrx up to 290 and it makes a very good all rounder road car ,i prefer the 5 speed box the more you tune the sti up the more/quicker you seem to change gear wheres the 5 speed have nice long gears only downfall smaller clutch and gears not as strong.
no tracker required cheaper tax and believe group 17 insurance

i went from sti to focus st back to an impreza ,i looked round for a long time and found this one a 04 wrx with a 58 year old owner who never got it wet and only 6075 miles on the clock and serviced every year at subaru including cambelt last year lol.

i have got the car booked in to take it up too 280bhp ish anythin over and will require injectors/turbo and maybe intercooler wheres the sti already have this in place,

so i would say if its big power/track car you want get the sti to future proof yourself

if you want daily driver with a 30 min thrash every now and again get a mint low milage ie 20k miles and get it mapped upto 270-290bhp

Last edited by maydew; 18 April 2010 at 09:27 PM.
Old 18 April 2010 | 09:46 PM
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Originally Posted by maydew
i have had both 03 sti (which jgm now owns) i brought it standard and sold it running 380bhp, now own a wrx 04.
if you plan to take the car over 350 bhp the sti is a far better base car to start with but overall parts are expensive ie brakes/clutch/and most now are having 5th gear crunch i had this fixed and wasnt cheap also note most insurances require the tracker to be active plus tax is alot higher .


wrx
now got a little one here so have to think a little more bout cost so i went for the wrx this time for cheaper tax/insurance/and no tracker which all adds up at the end of the year ,my opinion is i think they are better as an all rounder. tune the wrx up to 290 and it makes a very good all rounder road car ,i prefer the 5 speed box the more you tune the sti up the more/quicker you seem to change gear wheres the 5 speed have nice long gears only downfall smaller clutch and gears not as strong.
no tracker required cheaper tax and believe group 17 insurance

i went from sti to focus st back to an impreza ,i looked round for a long time and found this one a 04 wrx with a 58 year old owner who never got it wet and only 6075 miles on the clock and serviced every year at subaru including cambelt last year lol.

i have got the car booked in to take it up too 280bhp ish anythin over and will require injectors/turbo and maybe intercooler wheres the sti already have this in place,

so i would say if its big power/track car you want get the sti to future proof yourself

if you want daily driver with a 30 min thrash every now and again get a mint low milage ie 20k miles and get it mapped upto 270-290bhp
I think that answers my question perfectly daily driver with the occasional blast is exactly what im wantin. WRX with PPP equipped would seem the obvious choice. Any reason to go for the 300 over a generic wrx with ppp fitted? (apart from cosmetic enhamcements)

Also, Is it preferable to go for a late 04 rather than an 05 due to a problem with the rear struts?

Many thanks
John
Old 18 April 2010 | 09:54 PM
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I think taking anyone's opinion on SN will never give you the answer. Only when you have test driven both cars will you know what will suit you.
Old 18 April 2010 | 09:55 PM
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to be honest not driven a prodrive car so cannot really comment on how they feel, i believe the ecu/maps are out the box fitted rather than custom road dyno maps like the ecutek which are custom to the car .

if the wrx is your choice get a nice example , and either add or buy one thats already got fuel pump,panel filter/exhaust,and most important ecutek map and you will have 270-290bhp and enjoy the early spool from that td04
Old 18 April 2010 | 09:55 PM
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IMO you would be better with a hawk WRX with the 2.5 engine! If you get an early 06 you will miss the high tax.

Secondly dont worry about PPP as it is overhyped and its just an ECU reflash and a quiet exhaust. An actual proper ecutek remap from say JGM, Andy Forrest, dunx etc would get far better results than a PPP and a car thats alot more driveable.

The hawks when remapped generate huge torque. Even a blob STI PPP would have nowhere near the same torque.
Old 18 April 2010 | 09:55 PM
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to be honest not driven a prodrive car so cannot really comment on how they feel, i believe the ecu/maps are out the box fitted rather than custom road dyno maps like the ecutek which are custom to the car .

if the wrx is your choice get a nice example , and either add or buy one thats already got fuel pump,panel filter/exhaust,and most important ecutek map and you will have 270-290bhp and enjoy the early spool from that td04


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