Hey all, I have been contemplating selling my car and just kinda started looking around at stuff and heard some pretty good things about the WRX STI. I know it has a butt load of power with that turbo and it's nice because it is all wheel drive and here in Denver, that is important in winter. The GS sucks in snow.

What things have people heard about this vehicle, good and bad? What problems have people heard of? One thing very important to me is resale value, how does Subaru stand up with that? Also, does this car come in auto or are they all 6 speed? Overload me with info, you guys (and gals) are the best here and I know I can trust opinions from people here so let it rip. I want to hear the ups and downs.

Thanks in advance

Also, does anyone know the forums for the STI where I can check stuff out there too?

 

Definitely considered and wish I could but $$$$ is an issue too. I'm not gonna have 50 or 60k to spend on a car anytime soon.

 

If one of your concerns is driving in the snow, I definitely recommend investing in a good set of snow tires. AWD will help, but a good set of snow tires will be the deciding factor.

 

-resale isnt as bad as say a saturn, but isnt as good as a lexus.
-All STI's come in 6spd, just like all Evos only come in sticks; no Automatic Trans is optionable(?)

as for info-

ENGINE

Type 2.5-Liter DOHC aluminum-alloy 16-valve 4-cylinder horizontally opposed Subaru Boxer engine with Active Valve Control System (AVCS). Sodium-filled exhaust valves. Iridium spark plugs.
Horsepower 300 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque (lb.-ft.) 300 lb.-ft. @ 4000 rpm
Fuel & Ignition System Sequential multi-port fuel injection. Electronic Throttle Control (ETC). Engine management with integrated self-diagnostics and adaptive driving habits capability. Direct ignition.
Fuel Tank Capacity 15.9 gallons
Fuel Economy (city/highway) Manual: 18/24 mpg

DRIVETRAIN

Manual Transmission (Standard) Fully synchronized close-ratio 6-speed manual with clutch pedal-controlled starter interlock.
Automatic Transmission (Optional) N/A
Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) AWD: Exclusive to the WRX STi. Features both manual and automatic modes, uses an electronically managed multi-plate transfer clutch in conjunction with a planetary gear-type center differential to control power distribution between the front and rear wheels. Normally, DCCD splits power 35% front and 65% rear. DCCD also features a helical-type limited-slip front differential and mechanical limited-slip rear differential.

CHASSIS

Steering Engine-speed-sensing quick-ratio variable power-assisted rack-and-pinion. Power-steering oil cooler.
Turning Circle, Curb-to-Curb 37.4 feet
Suspension High-performance sport-tuned 4-wheel independent suspension. Front: Inverted strut-type with aluminum-alloy lower L-arm. Rear: Inverted strut-type with parallel link. Front and rear stabilizer bars.
Brakes Brembo performance brake system. 4-wheel disc, ventilated front and rear. 4-channel, 4-sensor Super Sport ABS with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).
Wheels 17x8.0-inch 10-spoke BBS lightweight aluminum-alloy. Silver or Gold finish.
Tires 225/45 R17 90W ultra high-performance.1

*courtesy of subaru.com


Personally, id rather buy an R32 GTR http://www.japimportsusa.com/Nissan.html
or, better yet, SUPRA*
* denotes massive drooling and the loss of all bodily functions when right foot is pressed to floor

 

I have a good set of tires on my GS now. They are Nokian's but it still sucks. It's not a winter car. Thank god my wife has a 4 runner too but if it is bad outside and we both need to go somewhere it is tough to do. I just wanted to know what people thought about the WRX. I guess AWD is a bonus feature for this car for my purposes.

 

Thanks for the info purdrifter. I read all that stuff on some other sites. Do you know anyone who has any personal experience with the car and good or bad feedback? Also thanks for the info regarding resale. It's a big concern to me.

 

wish i could help you out with personaly experience but i dont know anybody that has one tho i do kno a guy with a modded impreza wagon that speaks nothin but praise, that and he gets a good amount of understeer on high speed corner entrances. so no drifting!

PS, dont end up like the last STI i heard about, tha one posted a few days ago that went thru a house. its not a Toyota afterall

 

I had personal experience with the car, but however, it was on a sunny day during the summer. I am not much help for the winter months. During the summer, my dealership that I worked for had a meet at a credit union for those who finance their vehicles through this particular union. So, my dealership(Volvo), Subaru, Nissan, Infiniti, Lexus, VW, Toyota, Honda, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Porsche, etc, were all there. Well considering that I was interested in this car since the first day I heard about it, I had to test it out.

Ummm, what is it that you exactly want to know? The car is super fast, it handles great, its light, has short throws, very grippy tires. Im not an expert on the mechanical aspect of cars, but it had an adjustable center differential( i guess thats what it was, or a locking rear or something, that you can turn off and on). It had a water jet for the intercooler to cool the intercooler off if you like pushing the hell out of the car. Interior is small. It has a very basic layout and everything is easy to reach. Seats are race type seats with a lot of side bolstering. Exterior styling is subjective. But I can do without the rear wing. I dont think they have many deals on this car, and insurance is gonna be quite high.

I assume the car would perform well in the snow or better than the GS considering that it is AWD, but a very high powered AWD. But I dont think you should be to worried about that since it is turbocharged and has some lag to it.

What else do ya need to know?

 

dang r34 starting 72?????? i saw one on gale ave. several nites ago. those tail lites were intimidating. they were like the japanese vette's lites!! of coz, much more powerful than the vette i think? recalling i saw a clip of a porsche racing skyline. when the green lite hit on the tracek, porsche went BACKWARDS!! then it quickly come back and shot straight into the depth of track, catching on the skyline. great clip i found..

 

WRX's and STi' s had problems with the clutches and transmissions for the first couple of years until Subaru beefed them up.......but, of course, part of this was just the hard way many of them are driven.
If you want snow traction, the AWD, of course, is a help.....but the high-preformance tires on the WRX and STi work against you. They're not good on slick surfaces...you'll want to consider either all-seasons or winter tires.

 

One other thing I forgot to add. Insurance on an STi...and to a lesser extent on a WRX....will probably be expensive....especially for younger single males.

 

Blizzaks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CEO

 

I have a friend who drives a WRZ in Colorado Springs, and he has a set of winter tires for it. He loves his car and no complaints. Wait, one..the time when some guy in a pickup used his front end as a onramp. I'll post pics in another thread.