i just bought a 2005 wrx sti, i want to buy a new exhaust for it thought. the stock sti exhaust is nice but i want something with a more aggressive sound and of course some more horsepower for the money i'll be investing. If anyone has some suggestions on what exhaust i should buy that would be cool. please explain how loud the exhaust is and how "nice" it sounds. please include how much extra horsepower i would get out of it and how much louder or quiter it is compared to the stock sti exhaust. rate the exhaust loudness on a scale from 1 to 10. 5 being the loudness of the stock sti exhaust. also include the price. thanks guys, im very interested in what you guys have to say, this board rocks.

 

thanks for the replies, im torn between these three exhaust. The HKS hi power exhaust (not carbon-ti, too much $$$ plus my bro says the carbon design goes bad after time), the Tanabe Super Medallion Racing, and the Cobb.

Cobb- a lot of people say this is the nicest sounding exhaust you can buy but it is rather pricey

Tanabe Super Medallion Racing- i heard this is a really nice exhaust, great low boxer sound, loud when you want it loud, but comes with a silencer too so I dont catch any flak at 2am+ from the cops

HKS Hi Power- quality built, nice low rumble, loud but not too loud, however you must customize your own silencer (problem for me with cops at 2am+), also heard it hangs kind of low (scrapage), other than that it has a good price

 

Now its definately down to the HKS hi-power stainless and the COBB tuning exhaust. Both cost about the same. I think the HKS exhaust hangs a little too low however. I hear the COBB sounds better and isnt TOO loud like the HKS exhaust can be past midnight. Also the COBB hangs higher so there is no problem with scraping. Only thing is i people in the review section were saying that the HKS gets more power than the COBB.

 

I have a Helix dp and a Vibarant catback.... I rate the sound at a 10. It is extremely loud. My friends says it sounds like a tricked out old volkswagon bug and some say it sounds like a motorcyle. Its way more louder than i thought but i am very happy, but it will get you noticed alot more. Its as loud as a Mustang with flowmasters, just a different sound, you can really hear the boxters note when installing a turboback... My exhaust is also cattless and i am running a stage 2 93 oct setting with a cobbs accessport.. I had it on stage one b4 my exhaust went on and i could tell it had alot more power in all the gears exspecially 3rd. and 4th. Then i finally got to go to stage 2 when i got my tbe on an wow.. The extra torque u get is incredable. It launches way harder and you cant get un glued from the seat. Awesome feel... The prices i paid including shipping was about 280 for the dp. I paid 400 bucks for the catback, but i bought it used... hope this helps.. I was in the same boat as you considering im probally the only one in my area that even owns a 05 sti.