ClubRSX moderator considering STi
07-31-2004, 09:58 PM
#1
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ClubRSX moderator considering STi
Hey, this is MueveloNYC, a moderator from ClubRSX.com. Yup it was my peeps that threw that huge BBQ at Van Saun in NJ and invited you guys. Anyways, I'm looking to toss the RSX and get either an STi, Evo, G35x, or a 330xi. Snow last year owned my *** in the tristate. A few remarks:
330xi: damn overpriced, slow compared to the rest, everyone and their mother has one, BMW's look old in only 2 years
G35x: only comes in auto, can't put in standard din headunit without major custom work to the center dash console and special ordering parts from japan which brings $500 cost just to put in the DIN cage (I'm an audio freak, and that alone pissed me off)
Evo: its a mistubishi (reliability is in question), clutch dies at 3k-5k miles, rear seats don't fold down, no HID
STi: prewired for speakers and stereo (perfect for me since I'd like to drop infinity kappas and my own HU, sub, amp), subbie's make only AWD so I know they know wtf they're doing, doesn't look too obnoxious in silver, fastest out of the bunch. WRX/STi are constantly getting stuff stolen from the trunk since it's easy to pull the trunk cable from outside.
Just out of curiosity, what would the reliability of subaru's engine be like. Has anyone known of engines going 200k miles that are usually known on Honda/Acuras? Also what are the major known problems on the STi (objectively speaking please), I'd rather have some first hand experience from real STi owners. Also does the interior looking a tad "cheap" in quality in terms of the plastic used bother you at all? Also has anyone come up with a fix to prevent trunk theft (cable pulling)?
Right now I'm almost 80% sold on the STi.
330xi: damn overpriced, slow compared to the rest, everyone and their mother has one, BMW's look old in only 2 years
G35x: only comes in auto, can't put in standard din headunit without major custom work to the center dash console and special ordering parts from japan which brings $500 cost just to put in the DIN cage (I'm an audio freak, and that alone pissed me off)
Evo: its a mistubishi (reliability is in question), clutch dies at 3k-5k miles, rear seats don't fold down, no HID
STi: prewired for speakers and stereo (perfect for me since I'd like to drop infinity kappas and my own HU, sub, amp), subbie's make only AWD so I know they know wtf they're doing, doesn't look too obnoxious in silver, fastest out of the bunch. WRX/STi are constantly getting stuff stolen from the trunk since it's easy to pull the trunk cable from outside.
Just out of curiosity, what would the reliability of subaru's engine be like. Has anyone known of engines going 200k miles that are usually known on Honda/Acuras? Also what are the major known problems on the STi (objectively speaking please), I'd rather have some first hand experience from real STi owners. Also does the interior looking a tad "cheap" in quality in terms of the plastic used bother you at all? Also has anyone come up with a fix to prevent trunk theft (cable pulling)?
Right now I'm almost 80% sold on the STi.
07-31-2004, 10:07 PM
#3
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 66
Originally Posted by muevelonyc
Evo: its a mistubishi (reliability is in question), clutch dies at 3k-5k miles, rear seats don't fold down, no HID
07-31-2004, 10:48 PM
#4
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Originally Posted by Imprezer
How about this, hehe, if you buy an STi, I will make you your region's mod. 
How is that for the extra something special.
How is that for the extra something special. 
Originally Posted by godai
EVO has HID, just not the stripped RS version. Also our USDM STi don't have rear fold seats either.
07-31-2004, 10:56 PM
#5
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i will praise the STi as objectively as possible.
1st let me say - welcome.
i will preach my disclaimer like i always do. i was raised on subarus- i have a wrx wagon and a STi. and i also sell subarus. i swear by their reliability. my dads subarus were used to go up Mauna Kea on family outings. all three of his cars(brat, dl wagon and a gl) are still running- 2 with 300,000 miles with no major rebuild necessary. grant it the bodies are rusted out...but they run.
both my wagon and STi are daily driven and no major complaints. i think the 2.0 liter turbo has a much deeper history in terms of being reliable and the 2.5T still having to prove itself in the u.s. market. there are some minor things that i dislike- the doors for example can sound "hollow" but the workmanship overall is good.
subaru's generally hold their value pretty well also.(due to small production numbers) the plastics don't really bother me.(except for the MY05 one)
the AWD systems are just... unreal. you figure subaru has been using it for almost 30 years.(with some "dark" FWD days)
with all models you are considering i highly recommend the STi anyday- the only one even coming close to my second choice is the infiniti. and that's stretching it.
keep in mind that subaru's are a little more picky in terms of maintenance- but not by a huge margin(e.g. it's almost mandatory to run synthetic in the STi due to the nature of the car...which i wish the factory put in the car in the first place.)
this is all i have for now--- but i have lots more... as i can go on all day. . .
aloha from the summit of Mauna Kea
1st let me say - welcome.
i will preach my disclaimer like i always do. i was raised on subarus- i have a wrx wagon and a STi. and i also sell subarus. i swear by their reliability. my dads subarus were used to go up Mauna Kea on family outings. all three of his cars(brat, dl wagon and a gl) are still running- 2 with 300,000 miles with no major rebuild necessary. grant it the bodies are rusted out...but they run.
both my wagon and STi are daily driven and no major complaints. i think the 2.0 liter turbo has a much deeper history in terms of being reliable and the 2.5T still having to prove itself in the u.s. market. there are some minor things that i dislike- the doors for example can sound "hollow" but the workmanship overall is good.
subaru's generally hold their value pretty well also.(due to small production numbers) the plastics don't really bother me.(except for the MY05 one)
the AWD systems are just... unreal. you figure subaru has been using it for almost 30 years.(with some "dark" FWD days)
with all models you are considering i highly recommend the STi anyday- the only one even coming close to my second choice is the infiniti. and that's stretching it.
keep in mind that subaru's are a little more picky in terms of maintenance- but not by a huge margin(e.g. it's almost mandatory to run synthetic in the STi due to the nature of the car...which i wish the factory put in the car in the first place.)
this is all i have for now--- but i have lots more... as i can go on all day. . .
aloha from the summit of Mauna Kea
08-01-2004, 03:05 PM
#6
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sorry to go off track, but do your rsx guys know your doing this? i know a lot of acura guys and they kinda mean when it comes to other cars, but that might be a bay area asian thing lol
08-01-2004, 07:43 PM
#7
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Originally Posted by nic3krnnamja83
sorry to go off track, but do your rsx guys know your doing this? i know a lot of acura guys and they kinda mean when it comes to other cars, but that might be a bay area asian thing lol
Simply put, we're outgrowing the RSX. It's a fabulous coupe, but as for me 25, about to be engaged, with long term in mind (ie: someday I'm gonna have kids), I need to get a 4 door. But who says having a 4-door has to be boring? The only thing I can really gripe about the subbies is they're ugly as sin. Honestly, I hope they bring the Legacy STi here, since I'd take that in a heartbeat. Plus last years snow owned me in the Tristate area, and I'm running dunlop SP5000 asymmetrics which are really good in snow. LOL
G35x as of yesterday I ruled out. The fact that I can't customize my own sound system without ripping crap out and doing a ton of work to it is simply poor design in my opinion. Evo is back on the table now that I found out the STi's seats don't fold down. But the evo's got known clutch problems, plus Mistubishi's financial future is really bleak now that Daimler-Benz is no longer guarenteeing their debt. (Good move since they bought out the rest of their stake in the profitable Fuso truck line). Then again, the reliability of any mitsu is always in quesiton, so it looks like I'm still heavily leaning to the STi.
As for maintenance, I don't care. Obviously the STi is a much more complex machine and thus more careful maintenance is a must. I'm like 90% swaying that way.
Final Questions:
1. Whats the highest miledge reported by a WRX or an STi?
2. Any known problems? What are common problems found with the WRX or STi?
3. What is the most common modification right after getting it? (ie: for the Evo it's always ceramic clutch replacing the stock, the RSX it's replacing the crappy michelin tires)
4. Realistic city/highway fuel milege (real world #'s)
5. nitpicky complaints? (seats a tad narrow, don't like where the clock is, etc)
6. Has anyone come up with a fix from theives opening the WRX/STi trunk with a coathanger and jacking everything in the trunk?
Final issues: (for me personally)
1. I'm buying an engagement ring soon (bye bye down payment)
2. If I do buy it'll probably be around June 2006
Oh yeah, and in the SCCA I've autocrossed my buddy's STi and I friggin love it.
Last edited by muevelonyc; 08-01-2004 at 07:47 PM.
08-01-2004, 07:48 PM
#8
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I have 130k on my car. I've replaced the clutch on my car at 98,000 miles.
I run it hard everyday. I also compete in SCCA Solo2 with it. It's not an STi, its an RS, but the typical realibility is all the same really. If you maintain it, meaning, if you change the oil, plugs, and keep the battery clean etc etc on a timely manner, you will have a car that will go over 120k without issue. I can see one go to 200k, but i'm not sure after that. Truth is, wrx/sti are just too new in the US, so it's hard to tell how long they will last before major rebuild. I'm trying to think if any RS's have made it to the 200k mileage mark. I'm not sure if they have.
I run it hard everyday. I also compete in SCCA Solo2 with it. It's not an STi, its an RS, but the typical realibility is all the same really. If you maintain it, meaning, if you change the oil, plugs, and keep the battery clean etc etc on a timely manner, you will have a car that will go over 120k without issue. I can see one go to 200k, but i'm not sure after that. Truth is, wrx/sti are just too new in the US, so it's hard to tell how long they will last before major rebuild. I'm trying to think if any RS's have made it to the 200k mileage mark. I'm not sure if they have.
08-01-2004, 08:35 PM
#9
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Final Questions:
1. Whats the highest miledge reported by a WRX or an STi?
2. Any known problems? What are common problems found with the WRX or STi?
3. What is the most common modification right after getting it? (ie: for the Evo it's always ceramic clutch replacing the stock, the RSX it's replacing the crappy michelin tires)
4. Realistic city/highway fuel milege (real world #'s)
5. nitpicky complaints? (seats a tad narrow, don't like where the clock is, etc)
6. Has anyone come up with a fix from theives opening the WRX/STi trunk with a coathanger and jacking everything in the trunk?
1. Whats the highest miledge reported by a WRX or an STi?
2. Any known problems? What are common problems found with the WRX or STi?
3. What is the most common modification right after getting it? (ie: for the Evo it's always ceramic clutch replacing the stock, the RSX it's replacing the crappy michelin tires)
4. Realistic city/highway fuel milege (real world #'s)
5. nitpicky complaints? (seats a tad narrow, don't like where the clock is, etc)
6. Has anyone come up with a fix from theives opening the WRX/STi trunk with a coathanger and jacking everything in the trunk?
2. No widespread problems so far. Since you're only considering the STi you're avoiding potentially overloading your transmission at some point. The 6MT is perhaps the best gearbox in a car on the market for less than twice the STi's cost.
3. For an STi, here's your first shopping list:
*Ferodo DS2500 brake pads in the front
*Stainless steel brake lines
*Steering rack bushings
*Turboback and reflash (gains close to 75 crank horsepower)
*rear sway bar
*winter wheels/tires. Don't sell the stock wheels or tires, they are superb in the summer.
4. Depends on your right foot. Expect a tip-top freeway mileage around 25 mpg, and a minimum of 14-16 when you're really spanking it. Don't plan backroad excursions more than 150 miles between gas stations.
5. Most people think the seats are too wide. Some don't like the attention the wing gets.
6. You can flip the lever in the trunk to disable the remote latch.
08-01-2004, 11:50 PM
#10
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Just as an aside, and not to dissuade you from the STi by any means, but - you might want to consider looking at the new 2005 Legacy GT. It's in the same class as the BMW330xi or G35, but it's cheaper and faster. Subaru has made great strides towards the upscale in this car, it's quiet, solid and fast. It also has the same engine as the STI, just detuned to 250 HP/torque. It's still an 8.2:1 semi-closed deck block, and I can't imagine it would be very hard to push it well over 300 wheel HP.
It's a different class of car than the STi, but I thought I'd mention it at least, since you were looking at the 330xi and the G35. You should at least test drive one next time you're at a Subie dealer, you may be pleasantly surprised.
It's a different class of car than the STi, but I thought I'd mention it at least, since you were looking at the 330xi and the G35. You should at least test drive one next time you're at a Subie dealer, you may be pleasantly surprised.
08-02-2004, 01:44 AM
#13
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Originally Posted by Seraph
If you take a look at the outback xt limited while you're at it, its high enough to make sure you'll never get own3d by snow ever again.