Yes it works, and yes they do what they claim. Both Cobb and Vishnu are experienced WRX tuners who are, IMHO, no-BS vendors. I trust them both with my money. (own Vishnu stuff, ordering Cobb stuff).
-Etch

 

I got the Ecutek from vishnu and stock i pulled a 169 and after putting the Ecutek in i pulled a 189. i think it was well worth it for 20 Whp.

 

Cobb now has dyno charts for both stage 1 & 2 maps on their site, check them out. It seems that max torque is achieved at higher rpms (almost 2000 rpms more) and max hp is a little lower (about 200-300). If you upgrade down the road to a turboback exhaust, you could always get the stage 2 reflash for just $20 (if you get the stage 1 now for $395). I just had my reflash done yesterday morning at the Rim of the World. I talked to the guys from Cobb, and they really know their stuff. I doubt that you would gain much by going with Vishnu. I think the price difference is just so that ECUtek can take their cut. I'm 100% satisfied with the Cobb stage 2 (91 octane) reflash and would recommend it to anyone. If you have any doubts, email them. They always reply quickly and give very detailed and informative replies.

 

Just a reflash, or a piggyback that the tester never sees, probably will pass. Removing any of your cats means you'll fail. FYI, any and all catbacks are legal, as are aftermarket cats if they are of the same type and position, I think. That might be up to the tester.

As power (and throttle use) increases, mileage decreases, pretty much proportionally.

 

i have a 02 rs, i was wondering if i got one of those chips, who would be the best to get, anf other then a new cold air in take, like the ganz what else should i get that will deffinetly increase hp. will one of those apexi things work for me? i have no turbo.
i was going to make my own intake tih some aluminum tibuing, and a k&n air filter. i do not fully understand how the fuel injection on this car works, i just want to get something that will work for the money, no bull**** stuff like the tornado thing at autozone.

 

Bagin, if you want power but no turbo, get Cobb or TWE cams. No way to get more than about 190 horsepower out of an EJ25 otherwise. Try the MRT ful head-back system too. Best bang for the buck on an EJ25.

 

how much for the cams, and how hard are they to put in? the exhaust does not seem to hard, it just bolts on to the factory cat right.

 

I believe they are $599, plus $499 core charge for your old ones. If you aren't experienced, I wouldn't recommend doing them yourself. Exhaust can be stubborn, but just about anybody can manage that.