hey guys, I'm considering selling my jeep wrangler to buy a wrx. I'm unsure of this decision and looking for some advice. jeep is lifted but doesn't have bigger axels so i can't go too hardcore crawling, and I've been getting bored of wheeling as i don't think it would be as fun or challenging as rally and auto cross. i could sell the jeep right now for around 9500, and i have another grand to add on top. is it a good idea? just looking for some advice. thanks in advance.
or should i save up and buy an sti? so many choices...

 

Depends on what you want to do with the car, the STi definitely has a stronger transmission etc. There's always an option to get a Legacy Wagon or Forester for more space or for a bit more lux get a legacy sedan.

 

i think the only subie I'm interested in is the wrx or sti, obviously the sti is better, but how easily can you make a wrx push out 300 plus hp?

 

a 2004 for example, I'm either getting an 04-07 sedan or an 08plus hatch

 

If you want to get it to push 300hp plus, just buy a used STi. It'll be around $15k, but you'll save money on modding and you'll have a stronger transmission, better brakes and suspension and a stronger engine. Or you can buy a modded WRX that's already pushing over 300hp and just mod whatever else you want/need to mod.

 

It's all about compromise, and thinking of the small things. here are a few for you to think about, which are what ultimately led me to buying a WRX instead of an STi

-The biggest thing is the (high) chance that you wil blow the ringland of your motor. Some people may argue that WRS's are just as prone to this, but I bed them to show me some solid evidence. STi's are 20x more likely to have this failure. Not sure why, just what I have observed.

-6 speed. Yeah its nice for the freeway, but I enjoy getting up to 60mph shifting once, not twice. But again, the 6-speed is pretty nice =P

-maintenance. Maintenance on an STi is just flat out more expensive. Clutches, more expensive. Replacing tranny gears, more expensive. Tranny also takes more oil than the 5-speed, as well as the rear diff i believe.

-Blue interior. Name says it all.

-Big wings. Attract more attention. And if your in the Bay Area, attention from cops in the exactly what you want when driving one of these. Ask yourself if you do

-Brembo Brakes. Now im not saying I dont like them Brembo's, they just really are not necessary unless you really track your car, or do some serious, serious aggressive driving. The 2006-2007 WRX 4/2 pot brakes are MORE than enough stopping power for whatever you throw at the car.. Just an upgrade that just adds $$ to the sticker price.

Insurance- Much higher insurance costs.
And Finally...
Price- The STi just has an all around higher price than a WRX which is expected seeing how it is its big, pumped up brother.



In the end, the choice is yours. These are a very small portion of the list of things to think about when choosing what car you want.
I by no means am saying the WRX is far superior to the STi, because its not. All I'm stating is some of the things that I (me) thought about when choosing which car I wanted to go with.
A WRX can easily be made just as fast, or faster than an STi with some basic bolt ons, a tune, and some cash. People who say "ohh your transmission will fail, its only a 5-speed" pay little attention too. Their 6-speed has just the same failure rating as the 5. I have seen WRX's on the stock tranny pushing over 400whp, and I have seen STi's tranny fail at 350whp. So it's all a wash.


Choose what suites you, and represent it good! It's a great car either way, and a great community as well.


-Ryan

 

Welcome to the club. If you are serious about getting into Rally and Autox I would suggest an older WRX. With your budget find an older WRX and leave some room for the accessories you will need to go with what ever racing style you pick. Extra wheels/tires, roll cage, and general maint that should be done when getting a used car.

 

[QUOTE=Volkey;3237950]It's all about compromise, and thinking of the small things. here are a few for you to think about, which are what ultimately led me to buying a WRX instead of an STi

-The biggest thing is the (high) chance that you wil blow the ringland of your motor. Some people may argue that WRS's are just as prone to this, but I bed them to show me some solid evidence. STi's are 20x more likely to have this failure. Not sure why, just what I have observed.

-6 speed. Yeah its nice for the freeway, but I enjoy getting up to 60mph shifting once, not twice. But again, the 6-speed is pretty nice =P

-maintenance. Maintenance on an STi is just flat out more expensive. Clutches, more expensive. Replacing tranny gears, more expensive. Tranny also takes more oil than the 5-speed, as well as the rear diff i believe.

-Blue interior. Name says it all.

-Big wings. Attract more attention. And if your in the Bay Area, attention from cops in the exactly what you want when driving one of these. Ask yourself if you do

-Brembo Brakes. Now im not saying I dont like them Brembo's, they just really are not necessary unless you really track your car, or do some serious, serious aggressive driving. The 2006-2007 WRX 4/2 pot brakes are MORE than enough stopping power for whatever you throw at the car.. Just an upgrade that just adds $$ to the sticker price.

Insurance- Much higher insurance costs.
And Finally...
Price- The STi just has an all around higher price than a WRX which is expected seeing how it is its big, pumped up brother.



In the end, the choice is yours. These are a very small portion of the list of things to think about when choosing what car you want.
I by no means am saying the WRX is far superior to the STi, because its not. All I'm stating is some of the things that I (me) thought about when choosing which car I wanted to go with.
A WRX can easily be made just as fast, or faster than an STi with some basic bolt ons, a tune, and some cash. People who say "ohh your transmission will fail, its only a 5-speed" pay little attention too. Their 6-speed has just the same failure rating as the 5. I have seen WRX's on the stock tranny pushing over 400whp, and I have seen STi's tranny fail at 350whp. So it's all a wash.


Choose what suites you, and represent it good! It's a great car either way, and a great community as well.


-Ryan[/QUOTE
very helpful. thanks a lot. that blue interior is just not my taste either haha. i think a wrx would be the way to go, mainly for all the reasons you pointed out. ill post some photos when i pick one up, (hopefully very soon) thanks again

 

If you're planning to do performance driving (rally or auto-x, HPDE's, 1/4 drags) frequently, no one will be able to argue that an STi's 6-speed, DCCD, and brembos are all better suited for that.

I had a 2008 STi which I sold to prep my finances to buy a house. Now I'm back in a Subaru, but in a 2012 WRX. I spent several days pondering on the WRX vs STi question, as I was pre-ordering anyway. For me, it boiled down to the reality that I won't be doing a whole lot of performance driving - so the advantages of the STi won't be that big of a benefit, for me.

If I was more of a big-power, lots of HPDE and/our Auto-X guy, I'd cut my expensive daily coffee and get an STi

Little tidbit that may or may not matter to you -- There is no Limited trim for the 5-door STi, which means you can't get a STi hatchback with full leather seats. I'm a weirdo that prefers leather to alcantara, so this was actually a factor. Most folks prefer the alcantara anyway

Oh, another tidbit - if where you drive frequently involves a lot of idiot drivers, the STi brembo's will be a godsend. I remember when my '08 was less than a week old, I almost t-boned an idiot that made a left turn at an intersection where the left turn is not a protected one - thank goodness those STi brakes respond very quickly and bites hard! Now in my WRX, everytime I drive to SF, most especially when I go to Japan Town, I remind myself to start saving up for big brake upgrade LOL!

 

Why is the first thing mentioned, will it hit 300whp easily.....? These cars aren't meant for power, unless you want to build them, or you have a 207 or 2.2L. Think about other stuff before power.

 

with the wrx, how good are the stock brakes? i know they're not as good as the brembos obviously...