IVE RECENTLY DECIDED TO BUY AN IMPREZA
IM NOT SURE WHITHER TO BUY THE STI 4 DOOR OR THE 2 DOOR STI TYPER CAN ANYONE ADVISE ME ?

 

Just my opinion as I have made same decision recently. I opted for the STI 4 door.

STI Type R 2 door
Lovely looking car but the type R is noisy on the motorway (my opinion). Nice & quick (tad faster than the 4 door)

STI 4 door
Still a nice looking car & for me the most practical (usually have more than 2 people in car). Not so noisy on the motorway (my opinion again).

I had driven both cars for 30 mins or so but for practical reasons & the noise on long journeys opted for the STI 4 door.

Andy.

 

I'd reccomend getting a TypeR if you can find one, I personally dont find the noise intrusive even with a full s/s decat system and find the short ratio box a dream. Its up to you to decide in the end so take a test drive and find out for yourself.....
I only needed to pull out of the car park to make my mind up as it was not as bad as all the horror stories that you hear (noise/high revs/economy/loads of gearchanges/harsh ride)
Dan

oh and its a 2 door and WAY COOL MAN............

 

Type R = adjustable diff, but no ABS.
STi 4 door = ABS but no adjustable diff.

The centre diff. in the Type R makes it handle very differently to other Imprezas and may/may not be to your taste. In the dry you will have the diff. set to completely open and only really start playing with it in the wet, on gravel, snow and ice.

Steve

 

Ive had two scoobs sti 2 4 door, and 2 door type r v5 with all the de cat exhaust etc,id go for the 2 door v5 type r its much more of a raw rally car and much more fun at the limit , hence no ABS.But if you want real perfection and no offense to y all, get an evo 6, its the best move i ever made.
Regards
YAW

 

You can of course have the best of both world an STI Type RA, 4 doors, gear ratios and motorways rpm and noise is more than the STI just depends what you are after. If you are looking for a Type R or RA then get a limited edition one, more toys etc.

Edited to say some RA are just stripped out ready-to-go grp N rally cars, the Ltd have all the toys put back in as well as some nice bits as well .

cheers

chris

www.imprezzive.co.uk

[Edited by chrisp - 1/19/2002 6:48:04 PM]

 

YAW evo6 is not the perfection.Best Rally-bred one is the 22B and also P1 is a better car.Evo6 is only easier to drive not better i have driven both.
STI type-R is an awesome car.You have to try hard to get the most out of it,unlike the evo6 but when you do it much better than evo.
Buy a Type-R for ultimate thrill.
CHEERS

 

I chose the 4 door for several reasons (the first I guess does not apply to you !)
1) I have kids !
2) The 2 door has no ABS
3) Performance Car commented that on cross country blasts you spend so much time changing gear that the shorter gearing actually hinders progress.
4) The 4 door is "tamer" & easier to live with day to day.

Ro.

 

Hinders progress? I'm looking at possibly getting a type-R and I'd say forget that crap. You're not colin mcrae and you're using it on an open road so it's more to do with having fun rather than getting record breaking stage time between home and Tescos! PLus once you use it on a track you'll find the shorter gear ratios will assist you rather than hinder you, most road gearing is too tall for all but the very boring tracks.

 

Whilst I'm here....

I'm looking around and I'm seeing Type-R V limited around. What's that?? Also what's the RA lose from the R's setup? Is there any good references to the different limited editions of Type R/RA's that will tell me what's what?

Cheers!

 

STI 7 PS,
With all due respect
sti type r or not = understeer under extreme cornering
Evo 6 = nil understeer under extreme cornering
Ok the evos got active yaw control but this surely makes it a safer and faster road car all round, cos we are talking about road cars here arnt we?
YAW

 

Less understeer doesn't mean faster around corners.Type-R grips better and cornering faster than evo6.Driving skills are important.I haven't got any understeer problems always 4 wheel drift.Evo handles easier but slower.
For skilled driver it i the IMPREZA.
cheers

 

Rossc,
I've had my MY99 STI Type-R for 8 days now and I thought my Clio Williams was a fun car to drive, but it isn't a patch on my Type-R. If you have to get from A to B, then you may as well have some fun along the way. Get a Type-R, you won't regret it. They are a tad thirsty but you don't buy this type of car to get 50MPG out of it!!!
Cheers

Craig.

 

Had a 95 wrx for 22 months done the usuall stuff , decat, filter, Tanabe exhaust etc. Then got a 98 sti 4 Type R , had it 7 months now and to be honest its taken me almost that long to get used to it. Dont get me wrong ! i love the car but its just so different to the last one. More prone to go out of shape , more rear wheel drive . Demands a lot more respect than the wrx and watch out no ABS!. Very twitchy in the wet to, but heh! once you have mastered it then you start to enjoy . Up one notch with the diff lock in the wet , powerslides etc its addictive!!. G. Oh forgot to mention the last owner sold his evo 6 for it !

 

Understeer in a typeR u must be kidding! I had one for 6 months and was shocked at how the handeling differed from the 4 door i had previously for 2 years.

It was more like driving a real wheel car and the playing with the diff control in dodgy conditions is a bore. MPG wise if this matters to u, the stitypeR returned 180 miles and the P1 i have now returns average driving 250, 320-330 on steady motorway run.

Dont think id go near another typeR again for day to day driving in all conditions.

 

Is the lack of abs really that important in such a good car?
I would have thought that it will have huge stopping power anyway... and u don't really want the abs to kick in.

Is this right?

Kos.

[Edited by Kosy - 1/22/2002 5:05:07 PM]

 

I found a V5 Sti Type RA V-Limited after a fair bit of looking round. The centre diff takes a bit of getting used to and possibly isn't as safe or even quick on aroad car as the "standard" Sti - which is easier to drive but way less rewarding.

The RA is an ANIMAL! The short gears really add to the thrill. In the end i've fitted P1 suspension - nicer ride, quieter, way better than before in the wet and seems to "soften" the acion of the rear diff somehow. Much more progressive, ZERO understeer!

Plus I've got waterspray, all imprtnat roof vent, diff lock, better straight line grip.

Atthe Banzai thrash it easily recorded 0-60 in 4.4 0-100 in 11.7 quarter in 13.00 at 105mph. After just three runs....

So its quick, challenging, occasionally uncomfortable, noisy and raw!

Half price 22b!

Good luck, you'll enjoy whatever you buy - just depends what you want (as ever )

Russ

edited coz my spilling is crop.

[Edited by RussP - 1/22/2002 5:49:53 PM]

 

Hehe, my turn. I have owned an Sti2 Type RA, an Sti 3, and now an Sti4 Type R, so I basically have all the Sti bases covered.

The regular Sti is like a harder, much faster UK car (although I believe the torque split is a bit more rear biased).

The RA and Type R are in another league for nuttyness though, and really are completely different to the regular Imprezas with the diff fully open, and very similar if you wind it forward in an appropriate manner for the conditions. I think this just broadens the appeal of the car no end as it is a master of all trades.

The gearing is just mental - acceleration in fifth, five up at 80mph beggars belief - these things feel brutally fast, whereas the regular sti feels very fast (but noticebly less manic). You pays your money you takes your choice, but I love it.

To be honest, I know my limits as a driver, and I would prefer to have the safety of ABS, but it just means that I drive more cautiously knowing I don't have it - no bad thing.

In summary, you really should try them out - between Type R and RA, there is little if anything in it performance wise, plus you get all the toys and the best looking Imprezas in the Type R. They are a bit more expensive though. Ulitimately between the R and regular Sti, it is a question of how manic do you want your Impreza? If you are coming from a UK car, the Sti will no doubt feel manic enough, and the Type R INSANE. For me though, I just love the sheer ***** out nuttyness of the thing, and the fact that is a highly individual and in many ways unique car - they just feel more special somehow. Enjoy finding out which you prefer, they are all amazing cars!

Mike

 

I said extreme cornering at high speed , not asda roundabout,and how can a car which understeers be faster than a car that grips?it beats me ,i know how you feel about your scoobs and i loved my 2 but the evo is a better car, it took me a long time to accept this as i was crazy about subaru,but there are better things for the money and when something better than the evo comes along for the money ill buy it and ADMIT its better.
Respect,
YAW

 

YAW, what point is it arguing the case for an EVO if he is asking for an opinion on the STI or STI type R? Beats me

Oh and you can get the impreza to handle lovely by a stiffer suspension set up, and/or tweaking geometry settins. Your rubber matters don't forget..

I only own an MY94 WRX so I can't really comment on the pros/cons of the different STI's. Personally I would sway towards the type R or type RA special editions for the toys . MY MY94 has no ABS and I feel confident not having ABS as I have been taught cadence braking - that is always useful to learn via a skid pan if you are not happy or unsure on how to execute it.

Just my 2 pence,

Cheers,

Michelle.

 

Trust me, if you are swaying towards an RA or R drive one as these do not suit everyone even current scoob owners. Mine felt right after my UK scoob and as previously said "a different animal", they are manic with the short gearing, but thats half the fun. As for EVO's yes drive one they are quick but I would get bored very quickly with one only thing going for them IMHO is that a safe 400bhp is achievable but so what .


PS: another well taken corner

[Edited by chrisp - 1/22/2002 7:51:47 PM]

 

YAW evo6 underteers dodgedly sometimes and very unpredictable and also oversteers which decreases speed around corner.
Type-R underteers less than an evo i said it about uk turbo.Uk turbo manages to corner at same speeds as an evo when a pro-driver drives it and Type-R will easily beat it around corners no questions.
Have you driven your imprezas and your evo very hard???
If you have you must be kidding.
CHEERS