STi or WRX.
Of course the track rat in me says go for the STi, the pessimist says it will lunch the motor if I try anything other than spirited driving or adding parts to it (or is this over-blown?)
The WRX leaves a lot more money for mods, but I'm thinking you'd spend way more than price difference to get equivalent equipment.
Unless all you wanted was intake/downpipe/tune? And the Suby dealers look down on mods big time, correct?
Any time you buy a pocket rocket, they get froggy with the deny warranty button if it comes in with weird parts. Nature of the beast.
mndsm wrote: Any time you buy a pocket rocket, they get froggy with the deny warranty button if it comes in with weird parts. Nature of the beast.
True. I just remember reading lots of stories of Ford replacing Coyote motors when the first came out and tuners blowing up the #8 cylinder.
Any idea if you can make any extra power with the either the STi or the new FA without reasonably worrying about the engine? I know alfa would say no, but I haven't done the research on the Subaru's yet.
z31maniac wrote: STi or WRX. Of course the track rat in me says go for the STi, the pessimist says it will lunch the motor if I try anything other than spirited driving or adding parts to it (or is this over-blown?) The WRX leaves a lot more money for mods, but I'm thinking you'd spend way more than price difference to get equivalent equipment. Unless all you wanted was intake/downpipe/tune? And the Suby dealers look down on mods big time, correct?
First question has to be what price range and age are you thinking? And as with most internet doom and gloom (Scoobie ring lands, Porsche IMS, WRX trans, DSM crank walk etc etc) I think most problems are blown way way out of proportion especially if you a)arn't competing in it, b) aren't a dumb 20 YO doing clutch dumps at every stop light (*)
(*) sorry if you are a 20 YO 
Adrian_Thompson wrote:z31maniac wrote: STi or WRX. Of course the track rat in me says go for the STi, the pessimist says it will lunch the motor if I try anything other than spirited driving or adding parts to it (or is this over-blown?) The WRX leaves a lot more money for mods, but I'm thinking you'd spend way more than price difference to get equivalent equipment. Unless all you wanted was intake/downpipe/tune? And the Suby dealers look down on mods big time, correct?First question has to be what price range and age are you thinking? And as with most internet doom and gloom (Scoobie ring lands, Porsche IMS, WRX trans, DSM crank walk etc etc) I think most problems are blown way way out of proportion especially if you a)arn't competing in it, b) aren't a dumb 20 YO doing clutch dumps at every stop light (*) (*) sorry if you are a 20 YO
2015, preferably special order exactly what I want.
I'm sure the WRX Limited would make a fantastic DD, but my inner ricer wants the all the go fast bits like real LSD's, the DCCD, and Brembo's.
The Subaru issues are way blown out of proportion, kind of like Talons. DipE36 M3 car tunerz blow them up. I see Subaru's run stage rallies all day, every day, making 250whp and 350wtq on race gas and they go multiple seasons without opening the motor up.
A stock STi, with bolts ons and a tune, can make 350awhp and 350wtq before you start running into issues. The rods start to get unhappy once you get to the 400 range.
So yes, absolutely buy either a WRX or STi. Do all the bolts on, get it tuned, and have a blast every single day of the year.
What years are you thinking? If 2009 and newer, I wouldn't bother with a STi, the WRX is virtually as good for $10k less.
z31maniac wrote: 2015, preferably special order exactly what I want.
If you're talking 15 as a DD then I say WRX over STi all the way. This has come up in several other threads recently. But for my butt (and many others here) STi's are just too harsh and have crappy NVH for the money especially compared to the WRX
Adrian_Thompson wrote:z31maniac wrote: 2015, preferably special order exactly what I want.If you're talking 15 as a DD then I say WRX over STi all the way. This has come up in several other threads recently. But for my butt (and many others here) STi's are just too harsh and have crappy NVH for the money especially compared to the WRX
This. Very much this.
For a 2015, I'd go test drive a WRX.
Which one makes more boost and power?
In reply to Swank Force One:
Sti, but it's the older ej257. The wrx has the new timing chain direct injected fa20. Nobody knows the performance potential yet for the fa20.
The BRZ and FRS guys know the performance potential for the FA20.
The answer so far seems to be: LOTS.
mndsm wrote: Any time you buy a pocket rocket, they get froggy with the deny warranty button if it comes in with weird parts. Nature of the beast.
This, SoA have proven themselves to be very inconsistant with the warranty approval/denials with the ringland issue....so I would probably trust them even less than GM at this point. 
Also, any particular reason for awd in your land that rarely snows?
In reply to Swank Force One:
Well you can boost any engine to make huge power for their size, for a little while at least. Now whether you can make big power for a reasonable life span for the engine is another issue. The bearing material on the FA20 looks good but the thinner bearings do concern me as far as durability and sensitivity to knock.
I havent looked at the FA20 engine maps but just looking at the dyno plots I have my suspicions that Subaru is delaying the switch to open loop fueling. I also dont know how the combination of direct and port injection relates to this.
yamaha wrote:mndsm wrote: Any time you buy a pocket rocket, they get froggy with the deny warranty button if it comes in with weird parts. Nature of the beast.This, SoA have proven themselves to be very inconsistant with the warranty approval/denials with the ringland issue....so I would probably trust them even less than GM at this point.
Because there are no RWD turbo cars except BMW and those all start way outside what I'm willing to spend. The M235i starts at $42k I think?
Ojala wrote: In reply to Swank Force One: Well you can boost any engine to make huge power for their size, for a little while at least. Now whether you can make big power for a reasonable life span for the engine is another issue. The bearing material on the FA20 looks good but the thinner bearings do concern me as far as durability and sensitivity to knock. I havent looked at the FA20 engine maps but just looking at the dyno plots I have my suspicions that Subaru is delaying the switch to open loop fueling. I also dont know how the combination of direct and port injection relates to this.
Well... if you can make 600whp on an unopened motor for a few months, it's probably ok to live for awhile in the 350-400whp range, i'd imagine. 
The point was that if it's weak, it wouldn't have done 600whp in the first place.
z31maniac wrote:yamaha wrote:Because there are no RWD turbo cars except BMW and those all start way outside what I'm willing to spend. The M235i starts at $42k I think?mndsm wrote: Any time you buy a pocket rocket, they get froggy with the deny warranty button if it comes in with weird parts. Nature of the beast.This, SoA have proven themselves to be very inconsistant with the warranty approval/denials with the ringland issue....so I would probably trust them even less than GM at this point.
I shopped the M235i which starts at $43K for RWD and $45K for the X Drive AWD........yes it comes in an X Drive now also. The CLA 45 AMG which starts at $47K and the 2015 WRX. I ended ordering a a WRX Premium with short shifter and some exterior pieces for #30K. You simply can't beat it. It's that good. I wanted a snooty German sports sedan but loved the WRX. This will be my sixth Subie. I can hardly wait. And by the way you can easily add another 10K-20K in options with the Germans without even trying.
Feedyurhed wrote:z31maniac wrote:I shopped the M235i which starts at $43K for RWD and $45K for the X Drive AWD........yes it comes in an X Drive now also. The CLA 45 AMG which starts at $47K and the 2015 WRX. I ended ordering a a WRX Premium with short shifter and some exterior pieces for #30K. You simply can't beat it. It's that good. I wanted a snooty German sports sedan but loved the WRX. This will be my sixth Subie. I can hardly wait. And by the way you can easily add another 10K-20K in options with the Germans without even trying.yamaha wrote:Because there are no RWD turbo cars except BMW and those all start way outside what I'm willing to spend. The M235i starts at $42k I think?mndsm wrote: Any time you buy a pocket rocket, they get froggy with the deny warranty button if it comes in with weird parts. Nature of the beast.This, SoA have proven themselves to be very inconsistant with the warranty approval/denials with the ringland issue....so I would probably trust them even less than GM at this point.
That's a pretty glowing review! Did you happen to check out the interior's in the Limited? Is the leather nice or cheap crap like has been in Nissan's for years?
I'm already imagining the angry wife conversation. lol
I will admit though, one thing I love about the STi is the still unequal length headers and that subie rumble. The WRX doesn't have that with the new layout.
Just pay someone to make some fundamentally flawed manifolds for your WRX. Voila!
Swank Force One wrote: Just pay someone to make some fundamentally flawed manifolds for your WRX. Voila!
Shhhhh. Go outside and play with your Escort. 
z31maniac wrote: Because there are no RWD turbo cars except BMW and those all start way outside what I'm willing to spend. The M235i starts at $42k I think?
There are, and now there is a new one, but you probably are in the "A mustang isn't a mustang without a v8 camp"
yamaha wrote:z31maniac wrote: Because there are no RWD turbo cars except BMW and those all start way outside what I'm willing to spend. The M235i starts at $42k I think?There are, and now there is a new one, but you probably are in the "A mustang isn't a mustang without a v8 camp"
Might be in that camp, but I have a feeling he doesn't want another mustang after he sold his 2012? Somewhere around that year.
yamaha wrote:z31maniac wrote: Because there are no RWD turbo cars except BMW and those all start way outside what I'm willing to spend. The M235i starts at $42k I think?There are, and now there is a new one, but you probably are in the "A mustang isn't a mustang without a v8 camp"
I can't go buy an EcoBoost Mustang right now. And if I were to buy another one, yes, it would be the V8. The Coyote is one sweet engine.
But I also love the blat of the unequal-length headers of the STi.
You already owned an ms3- and we all know damn well what they can do- any reason for not going back there?
mndsm wrote: You already owned an ms3- and we all know damn well what they can do- any reason for not going back there?
Fun car, no doubt, but I've already had one. I've never had AWD before and I've wanted an STi since I graduated college. Now without a dedicated track car in the garage, I think I can justify the cost of ownership.
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