How car manufacturers report horsepower has changed in the last couple of years. The numbers went down for the WRX (and all other Subaru models), but there's no less power.

 

Different Rating system. They switched to the "SAE HP Rating system" in 2007. You'll notice an equally equipped STi went from 300HP 300TQ in 2004 - 2006 to 292HP and 298 TQ in 2007.

 

Sweet, thanks for the info guys. So pretty much it would be a draw, obviously depends on the driver but power for power theyre the same? the only other difference I noticed was the double wishbone sus.?

 

I own an 06 and I drove an 08, tons different. Only thing that is the same is the make and model, and both have a 2.5L engine.

They have different turbos.
Different Gears in the tranny.
Different chassis.
No LSD in 08.
NO VDC in 06.
Interior in 08 > 06
Different suspension.
08 Seats fold down 06 do not.
Different IC's.
Different exhausts.
Different intake manifolds.
Etc.
Etc.



Stock for stock the 08 would win in a race or comfort. Faster, smoother, quieter on the inside. If the cost was the same, I'd be in an 08.

 

motor ticks like a subie but you would need to climb inside the exhaust to really here the rumble. The 08 is very quiet, enough so you need to watch the tach in order to see if its still running.

 

Oh... I don't know if that should be good or bad news.

Cmon, we fell in love with the subie for its raw feeling... but I shouldn't judge until I've driven one.

Also.. Rally pig on the 08 WRX... yes or no?

 

I now have a one week old 08 5 door. years ago I had an 02 sedan, the differences are great. the new car rides smoother, it has much more torque. where you would wait in the old car for the turbo to hit the new just pulls away in top gear passing. We bought the premium edition so there is some new amenities. But to me the new car feels nimbler than my old one did and much smoother over broken pavement. I think the quicker steering rack is probably the reason for the nimbler feel. We just finished a trip yesterday thru some rough roads ones that would have had my 02 rattling inside, the 08 just rode it out, probably the new rear suspension. We will see how she holds up over time, but first inpressions are favorable. Now if I can get that top end rush to match the torque, it will be really quick. I know that many have condemned the new car because the looks are so subdued, i on the other hand like the fact that I am not screaming at every cop that I am a teenage racer. Closer to the truth is I am a speed crazed 40 something that loves inexpensive cars stuffed with lots of horspower and I like the new refinement.
Terry Mc

 

It's not really the subdued look that gets me, I like how the sides are now flush, but the tailights remind me of a ford and the front reminds me of a mazda. The scoop and the body I like.

Also, are there any cheaper grilles out there besides the "sport grille" that subaru offers?

 

The only real negative I see on the 08 is no LSD. I guess that's either a cost cutting move or to help differentiate (heh heh, how's that for a pun?) between the WRX and the STI.

 

Someone who knows more about this will probably be able to give a better answer but just from reading this forum, it seems that it wouldn't have made sense for Subaru to put LSD and the VDC in the WRX. I think they do relatively the same thing but I'm hoping somebody will be able to really hash out the differences between the two and give their take on why they went with the VDC instead of a LSD.

 

The federal government required all vehicles after a certain year to have stability control and tire pressure monitoring.

The problem with any type of "control" system is that the only way it can maintain traction is to back off the power that's being applied. A LSD can re-distribute it without ever losing full power.

For 99% of the driving people do there probably isn't much difference. I'd like to know that my vehicle is going to maintain traction rather than use electronics to regain traction after it's been lost.

 

Removing the rear LSD is definitely a cost-cutting measure. I don't particularly care for electronic systems that start cutting power and apply brakes to try and correct whatever mistakes I've made.

 

Yea so I've had my 08 for about a month now and I absolutely love it. I do notice the body roll but not a huge issue with my type of driving. And about the original question, I took down my friends 06 stock for stock(so far) but definately not by much.

 

i dunno, i'm still gonna say its a drivers race, there may be these slight differences in power and weight etc. But in real life i think it would still be largely up to the drivers. If magically both cars are driven equally well and the exact same i guess i would give it to the 08 from what i've heard (and as much as it hurts to say that).

 

The point is that they've removed the LSD in the WRX simply for cost-cutting reasons. They would have done the same in the STI if it wasn't for the uproar that would have caused from the enthusiast community. They're not THAT stupid, to start taking stuff off of the STI; it'd be like cutting their own throats.

Mitsubishi may not be as reliable in their cars but they've got a good idea with the new Ralliart car. Slightly detuned Evo X motor with Evo IX drivetrain all in the mid-20s seems like a good recipe to me. I'm a Subaru fan but if Subaru isn't intimidated by that then they should be because, simply put, there is no reason that the Ralliart won't just mop the floor with the WRX when it hits the showroom floor.

As far as the '08 vs. '06 - I'll keep my '06, thanks.

 

hm well, the 08 is very quiet, so quiet in fact that the first time i stalled it i had no idea. Felt pretty dumb when the light turned green. However climb the tach to about 3800 and it gets nice and delicious.

 

I have had my '08 for two weeks now. I sold my Stage II 2002 WRX. I have to say, the 'o8 is a much better car. While the look is still growing on my it drives infinitely better. More torque on demand, smoother acceleration, lighter feel. Plus the interior is far superior to anything Subaru has given us in previous Imprezzas (short of the current Sti). The seats are comfortable and sporty looking, and the controls are all well positioned. My two complaints:

1. The anemic exhaust, you barely know the car is on or even accelerating. I have ordered the SPT exhaust system to correct that, from what I've heard it sounds good and adds a little power. If I don't like it I may go with the AVO unit and maybe a downpipe.

2. The shifter is way too long. I bought the Kartboy shifter and bushings as I had them on my '02 and loved the feel.

Aside from that I'd say that the looks will grow on me. I think some lowering springs and more aggressive rims can really aid in the appearance. I agree that they could have given the fender of the car a little more flair but they clearly wanted to make the Sti stand out...which I think they did.

 

bye bye 2 week old warranty, n00b must go fastarrr...

 

Brakes anyone?

No one has mentioned that Subaru "nerfed" the brakes in the 08s. I like my 4-pots with HPS pads. Will put HP+ for track time or mountain runs. That is a huuuge +++ for 06s. As for interior, I donno, I like my leather interior.

 

The 06' wins just because it looks better.

 

The 04' wins just because it looks better.

Fixed.