Since I have 400 more miles of the break-in to go, I have set the chirp/light at 4 grand. Keeps me honest.

Once break-in is over, I will set it to 6500. That will give me a warning just before rev limitation. First goes so fast in this car that I will need the warning. I traded in a 2003 Mustang Cobra for the STI. The Cobra would do 40 in first and 80 in second with a cool 120 in third. I never hit the limiter on that car. I couldn't keep it off the limiter in the STI the first time. I literally climbed out of the mustang and into the STI. It surprised me how quickly the limit came in first and second.

EW

 

Don't worry. All the rev limit bouncing I did was on a used 04 sti the dealer let me test drive. I wouldn't drive a new car that hard before breakin....

The best thing I can say about going from the Cobra to the STI is that it is so very different.

I don't believe the magazine articles that put the Cobra behind the STI. The Cobra is simply a brute. It was a hand full in all situations. I beat both an STI and an EVO in 60MPH roll-ons by car lengths. My friend has an EVO and we were dead-on in speed on the cloverleaf exits. I never did a dead stop race against the awds. Wheel spin was a problem though, all the way into third .

I traded because of the practicality w/o performance loss, plus I am a long time Subaru fan. Water would hamper the Mustang and snow/ice would cripple it. I purchased a high mileage Cherokee to make up the difference. The back seat is more a place to store CD cases than passengers.

The STI has more neato factor with awd and performance. The Jeep is up for sale. Gas mileage is better, my friends can realistically ride in the back. Tires are just as expensive, but last longer. Water and snow are opportunities to play instead of pray....

The clutch on the Mustang is a full three times heavier than the STI. Traffic was painful.

I really miss the Cobra sound. Nothing like the supercharger screaming to the backdrop of fat duals coming out of a pissed off V8. Many a fart can honda was put to shame by the whine and growl.

Passengers have fun in the STI. The Cobra would take their breath away. You can feel the STI's power building and get ready for it. The Cobra would instantly stick your eyes to back of your skull. WOT in the Cobra is not taken lightly. Be ready for G-forces+loose rear-end+bumpsteer+triple digit speeds. While the STI is capable of the same speeds, it does it with such calm that the impression is lessened. Smooth is very hard to achieve in a Cobra.

EW

 

It was a used 04 STI with 900 miles already on it. The sales guy could care less how it was driven. I honestly was not ready for the rev characteristics from the STI. Had you been the salesman and you made me walk because of an honest problem with the shift points, you would have a hard time selling Subarus in my area. The Subaru enthusiasts market is tight in my area and there are more than one dealer within 50 miles.

Plus, I pulled up in an 03 Mustang Cobra and my friend with the EVO came in with it as well. They new I was serious about getting a performance car and were eager to prove the STI could hang with the other two cars.

To get back on topic, I wanted to add some more thoughts about how the STI is better than the Cobra.

Reliability: In the first 3 months of having the Cobra, I had to warranty replace the driveshaft, throw-out bearing, complete independent rear-end, and both front brake calipers due to heat damage. The car would smoke on startup after setting for a while.

Precision: The Cobra would clank, clunk and rattle in all manner of ways depending on how it was being driven. Driveline slack was huge with tons of backlash. Coast for a while and then get back into the throttle and it would lurch and bang like the whole drive train was was coming into the cab. I've read that this was a purpose design to absorb the forces from the engine to keep the car from tearing itself apart. I think the engine was too powerful for the chassis. Other evidence of that is the twisting of the body during hard cornering. The front and rear suspension subframes were only connected by the thinnly supported floorpan material. The whole thing would undulate during hard cornering.

EW