Ok I am sure this is going to raise a little fire storm.

As the owner of a 04 WRX I am still trying to work out the real advantage of a evo or Sti over a wrx.

I paid about $24,000 for my WRX with 1.9% interest. My payment is about $400 a month. Insurance for a 34 year old with 0 tickets and is $80 a month.

Ok to date I have the following Mods:

Tien Springs $140
Tokico Struts $450
Bellmouth down pipe $140
3" Turbo back exhaust $170
Cobb Stage 2 $400
Grounding Kit $70
Short Shifter $160
Raybestos Ceramic Brake Pads $90

Snorkelectomy
Turbo XS Boost Control $100
Sti Injectors $300
18" Wheels and Kumho Tires $900
So I figure I am at around 300 or so horses.

Total spent on mods about $3,000

Upcoming Mods: Big Brake Kit $1500

Ok so I am Currently at $27,000 for my current car that will send a stock evo home and hold its own with a STI for $6,000 less and I would imagine probably half the insurance cost. Oh and I don't think you can get the 1,9% on the evo or the sti still.

So with the upcoming mods I am at 28500

That gives my still about oh.... $4,500 to spend on say a down payment for the wifes Legacy GT or whatever.

i mean how often do people really use the center diff control after the first month. Is the wing worth that much. I must say that I do like the 6 speed but the evo just got that did'nt it.

OK BEFORE WE GET INTO A "BUT A STI HAS A WARRANTY TWIST, give it a break. If you so much as stick a HKS sticker on you car the dealer tries to void your warranty and from what I have heard Mitsu tries to do that as soon as you put the key in the ignition.

So i am just trying to get what's up. The only thing I can think of is that you get everything included and no other out of pocket cost to haul ***. But isnt half the fun adding to our cars and getting that "I did that" feeling?

Hum maybe I can take that $4500, get new heads and a Giant turbo and see how it feels to have 450 Hp and still a $400 payment.

Cheers mates

lew

 

If you buy a new transmission and clutch as well and it will equal the price of an STI. I don't know if you are pushing 300 at the crank, maybe 280-285. Go to a dyno and find out what you are putting out now. If you wanted a red car getting the wrx was the only way to go. It looks nice from the picture. My 05 wrb STI has no mods and is under warranty and that is what I was looking for since I own it outright. I didn't want to have to tinker with anything other than getting a cobb ap and tbe.

 

You can get 1.9% on an STi if you are patient, and wait for the right deals from Subaru.

That aside, imagine what kind of car you would have if you put $4.5k of mods into an STi? Your WRX certainly own't be able to hold its own with an STi that has the same amount of modding. The engine in an STi is stronger. The transmission is also certainly stronger. And the age old adage, there is no replacement for displacement certainly holds true.

As for the payments, its tough to argue there. At a 5 year loan, an STi will be just shy of $80 a month. I bet you could get insurance for around $100/month as well with a good driving record and if you are willing to sacrafice some coverage. So the question becomes, is an extra $100 a month a good deal for an STi? I guess thats a personal decision.

 

I must admit that for some reason the Sti does have a alure that is hard to break away from.

To tell you the truth i do plan on geting a 2006 STI model depending on what the upgrades are.

Heck here is a pick of my 01 2.5 RS. I keep them for about 3 years and then get the latest model.

They are all great cars in fact I had 96,000 on my 01 and already have 41,000 on my 04 and total required maintenace was $40 for replacement head lamps

I had a 98 Eclipse GST and i don' even want to gt into how much i had tied up in that cars tranny replacement and Piton ring replacemt.

 

the thing i would look at is, you have spent CLOSE to what an STi costs, to get your wrx to have the power of the STi. but i would venture to guess that you have pretty much maxed out the WRX for "normal" mods. after that point mods get REAL expensive , but you are just starting out on the STi. not saying either way is the right way to go (buy low and mod or buy high and mod) but i think in the end the STi has a higher potential. plus, as someone said, your tranny probably cant take much more power, and the gearing isnt as good as the 6 speed. and countless little things that the STi has that the WRX is lacking. another thing you have to look at is, as i think you mentioned, buying a pre modded car vs. doing it yourself. i would agree that modding the car yourself is a rewarding and fun thing. but think of how much money you saved by doing your own installs, and think of how many people dont have a clue how to do it themselves. add in the install price for all your mods and you would probably be well over STi price.

 

I bought my EVO over the STI simply because the STI wasn't out yet or at least no dealer around here had one in stock. Both drivetrains are more heavyduty than the WRX from what I've heard. They take abuse alot better.

If I was in the market for a car, I'd buy a used EVO over a new WRX. Not trying to bring you to the darkside or anything, just you can get a 03' with VERY low miles for about 24-25K. I'm talking like under 5000 miles. Personally, if I was gonna buy a new car that costs over 30 grand you best beleive my butt would be driving it. I bought mine in June of 03' and have 32,000 miles on it. My car doesn't have the 6 speed or the active center diff, but that is something I could care less about and I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it since the car does it's everday job just fine without it.

By the time you get done with your power mods, suspension mods, and brake mods you might be at the same price of a new STI. To me thats alot of work and money spent on a car to get it to be like something else. Not saying that is that you've done, but you could buy a new STI and be perfectly happy with it being stock for a while. I know I was happy for about....oh....six months. LOL

Good luck!!

 

Keeping up with an STi at the drag strip doesn't exactly make your car just like an STi.

The STi comes with better suspension stock, better brakes, better seats and gauges, better transmission, stronger motor, bigger turbo, etc, etc, etc.

Like nKoan said, put the same amount of money in to a WRX as an STi and watch the STi pull away.

 

FYI

I spoke with my insurance man and he stated the STI would cost me about another $80.00/year over my WRX. That being said, the STI has probably not been rated as a high profile car as it is only a year old.

The WRX, from what I've heard from a certain insurance man, was rated as an impreza, like a stock impreza, until all of the accidents starting occuring with young drivers and 227 hp. This shot the WRX into the high profile vehicle column and thus we pass through the nose to insure them.

 

You don't have to do anything to use it. The car adjusts it for you based on braking, cornering, accelleration, and throttle position.

 

Well that Plus, You can mod/build your evo without having to worry about getting an ECU/Accessport/ecutech etc.. by just installing a TBE on your car. Remember that 19lbs. of Boost stock (Which people here in the U.S. are saying that's extremely high for a stock car) is nothing(Kind of reminds me of my beloved TT Supra ie.. 2jz-gte), vs 14.5 lbs which again needs some attention to the ecu if you want to go higher and even then not much higher.. I have said it before and I will say it again .. I am not bashing the STi, Both cars have their ups and downs.. I like the interior better on the STi.
But ultimately its your choice...

 

I think what he means is playing with the adjustments ...