Plain and simple, If you have the money go for the STI. thats my .02

 

get the STI. I drove both but purchased a 2003 before the sti was released.. I wish I had a STI. the only down fall is that it doesn't come wiht a stereo.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but there is much more to this situation than money spent at the dealer.

If you get the STI, you'd better prepare to be raced. Often. All the time. Every day.

A friend of mine has a 2004 STI, and he's considering selling it after 6 months. Why? He's sick and tired of being challenged CONSTANTLY. Eveyone from Infinity G35 coupes to "riced" Hondas to old beat-up pickup trucks tears away from him at the stop light, all the time. He never once is able to complete a freeway commute without a "fly-by" by someone in a corvette, camaro or mustang.

To make matters worse, he's a gigantic cop magnet, even with a totally stock car. He's been pulled over three times so far, twice for "a warning" even though he was going the legal limit.

Meanwhile, I have a silver 02 WRX (bug-eyes) and I drive the exact same roads as he does (we are co-workers) every day. In almost 2 years I've been "raced" (or harassed in general) by other cars about four times; I've never been pulled over for just rolling down the street.

The wing and the giant hood scoop of the STI just scream trouble. If you are prepared to deal with that, go for it. Personally, I'd buy a used 02 WRX in white or silver and take the wing off, then put the money I saved under the hood and in the suspension. Stealth is good, for so many reasons.

 

I have not had too many problems with people challanging me. Same in STi as in my 03 WRX. It is more of a cop magnet than a WRX, but if the trunk was swapped it wouldnt be. The one thing that makes the STi worth the extra cash is the 6 speed. That was the main reason for me wanting one. Drives much better than the 5 spd, and isnt made out of glass.

Nick

 

The problem with being raced/challenged all the time seems to be the strongest at the coasts, and depends on how strong the local "tuner" community is; Michigan (I've lived there) seems to have a lot of family cars and pickup trucks (for the long, nasty winter) so there isn't as much of a problem there, obviously.

However, my friend with the STI says that typical "ricer" cars like the modded Civics and CRXs do NOT challenge him; the most aggressive drivers that give him a hard time are driving Mustangs, Corvettes and similar domestics, or BMWs. He also says a lot of SUVs now challenge him (the Porsche Cayanne seems to have sparked a big HP war in that market).

Even with my silver 02 WRX, I see a lot of drivers eyeball my hood scoop and then stick their foot in the gas a little bit. It just seems to be part of the "cost of ownership" for a car with a reputation.

 

As the weather is heating up a bit here, I'm noticing a lot more modified civics and the like revving their engines at me. dumb asses.

 

Check out the cost of a 6 spd tranny, BBS wheels, and Brembo brakes. That equals alot more than $8,000.

Nick